Carl Raymond Gray Jr. (April 14, 1889 â December 2, 1955) was an American United States Army general who served as the Administrator of Veterans Affairs from 1948 to 1953. Professionally a railroad executive, he was called to active duty and confirmed by the Senate as a major general in May 1942. He would command the Military Railways in North Africa, then Italy, then southern France through February 1945, and then Director-General of Military Railway Service, US European Theater of Operations through October 1945.