Denis D. Gray

Born in what was then Czechoslovakia, his family’s perilous escape from the communist country was orchestrated by the Central Intelligence Agency. Once safely in the West, his father was recruited by the CIA, serving as a case officer during the Cold War in Europe. Gray lived in Germany, South Africa and France before attending Yale University. He served as a U.S. Army captain during the Vietnam War and then returned to cover the war as a correspondent for the Associated Press. With the AP, he reported from more than 40 countries and nearly 20 conflicts, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Kosovo and Rwanda. His byline appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world. He wrote or co-authored four books. Although now retired in the hills of northern Thailand he still contributes articles focused on Asian culture, the environment and the civil war in Myanmar. His deceased wife, Sarah McLean, headed a foundation which trained more than 900 young journalists struggling under autocratic regimes in Southeast Asia.