Author: SgtGrit

Letter from KB in Chicago

Greetings from one of a 5 children who is very proud of our dad and the many Marines that have come before him and after. Many years ago a young man talked his very best friend into joining the Marine corp. The United States was in at war with North Korea. Although many say it wasn’t one; just a little old police action. His friends mother had wanted him to be a priest and Eddie had other ideas one was the Air Force. My dad convinced him the Corp was the right choice. They left and each went to different boot camps and then onto different outfits. But they kept in touch each describing what they experienced through out their training. Eddie was sent over seas first. He was CPL Edward Trautwein 7th Mar Reg. F Co 2 BN He ended on a place called Out-Post Vegas , where he died along with many others defending one of many hills in Korea 03-28-’53. He was a radio operator. read more

Letter from KB in Chicago

Dear Sgt Grit,
I would like to thank KB for his help that day on the tour. My son is the young Marine from 2/3 and his name is Lcpl Matthew Bradford. He is a very courageous young man and I am very proud of him. He has overcome some tremendous obstacles and is still going strong. He is a true Marine and is very proud of his brothers. He is hoping to stay in the Corp and work with the wounded Marines and their families at the hospitals. He also wants to do some public speaking. He has a lot of heart and soul. As you can see, he has his legs and is walking whenever he can. He is currently at the Hines VA Hospital at the Center for the Blind. He has learned so many things so that he can be independent once again. I know that he will achieve whatever goals he sets for himself. I know that Matt can help others with whatever injury they have because he is such an inspiration. He has helped me thru all of this just by not giving up on himself. This is just a sidestep for Matt to take and then he will be able to go forward for the rest of his life. read more

EOD and EGA carvings

Hi Sgt Grit,

Just wanted to share with you my pumpkin masterpiece for this year? My son is in EOD? he spent 7 months in Iraq this year. He is now back in NC with his wife and they await their first born within the next 2-4 weeks. This year I carved the EOD, last year, the EGA? (I think I may have sent that to you last year but here it is again) read more

EGA pumpkin

Sgt. Grit , Love your newsletter. Thanks for everything you do for all who have served and who are currently serving.

This is my entry into my company’s pumpkin decorating contest. It took me about two and a half hours to complete. read more

The rest of the story

Dear Sgt. Grit,

Last year about this time, you asked, “Who was our best officer?” I wrote about a Lt. Capers that I was with at Fort George G. Meade, MD when I was a security guard at NSA, and how the Lt. influenced my successful Marine Corps career. At the time I had no idea where know Major Capers was, and Sgt Grit forwarded several e-mails that told me his location. read more

Sgt Coyne and his children

I think these pictures say it all. They stand for the sacrifice that all military families make, but the reward of Freedom is so great. God Bless the US Marines and all other Military Branches for their service. May all American families be as happy to have a homecoming such as my Son’s. Proud MOM of Sgt Bernard J. Coyne Jr. read more

Wyatt And His Marine

From age 3-to-now: Wyatt’s clothes have consisted of, green camo or dessert camo, no hunter’s camo (soldiers don’t wear that), and boots just like the soldiers wear. His toys consist of wooden guns (his father and pawpaw make for him), binoculars, canteens, survival gear, MRE’s (which he actually eats) and of course a back-pack to carry it all in. His birthdays consist of camo everything, even face paint. He sends out 100 Christmas cards each year (four years now) to soldiers, signing each one. read more

Rick Dobbs

Sgt. Grit
My husband, Rick Dobbs, was a Corpsman in Viet Nam, and, like many other veterans, suffers from PTSD. It took many years of broken relationships, lost jobs, various compulsive behaviors, and finally the onset of horrible nightmares almost 30 years after he came home to prompt him that he needed help. With the help of the Veteran’s Service Center here in Sacramento he began counseling & spent a month in a program at Roseburg, Oregon which helped him tremendously. For the first time, he began talking about his experiences, his “survivor’s guilt,” the pain of not being able to save everyone, and other horrors of war. I felt I was finally getting to know him after almost 20 years of marriage, and I love him even more if that’s possible. But the story I want to share is something totally unexpected that happened that helped him more than anything else. After a series of events only God could have put together, our Pastor asked us to go to Uganda as husband and wife to represent our church as part of a “sister parish” program. read more

2 Illinois Marines!

Cpl. John Tracey – Korea
Sgt. George Delp – Vietnam
Sgt. Delp’s Grandson Keegan “Has the Stare.”

11th Marines, Hq Btty, Comm Plt

Dear Marines and others,

I wanted to sincerely thank you for letting me sit in and listen in on your stories of the past. I truly enjoyed being apart of your reunion ( 11th Marines, Hq Btty, Comm Plt.) and loved being able to put a picture with the name. It was a real sight to see you all recall your accounts and discuss some really cool memories. It is a wonderful bond that you guys share, and I am was very lucky to be apart of it. Thank you. read more