One-eyed Sniper will Return to Iraq

This story from The North County Times.

One-eyed sniper will return to Iraq

By: J. Stryker Meyer - North County Times
Last modified Monday, June 27, 2005 8:56 PM PDT

Last Friday, Camp Pendleton graduated 11 of the 27 candidates who started its sniper class. And the honor graduate of that class ---- who declined to be interviewed ---- is a corporal who will soon return to Iraq for his third tour of duty in that angry land.

During his second tour of duty in Iraq, this young man lost one eye to encounters wth the enemy. Friday, this proud graduate received the Jim Gularti sniper school award, named after the former Oceanside Police Department officer and Vietnam-era Marine sniper who works as a civilian instructor at the sniper school.

Gularti, who attended the graduation, said, "This young Marine epitomizes Corps values and family pride. He recovered from personal tragedy to excel in a select goup of Marines. His father is Cambodian. He told me, 'All I have is my son, it's my way of paying back the U.S. for helping Cambodia in the '60s.' This family apreciates all that is right about this country, in some ways, more than those who are born here and take all that it offers for granted."

Now this is a story of Grit and Determination. I wish this young Corporal all the luck in the world. He has survived his initial post in Hell. From the old Mack Bolen paperback book series - "Stay Hard."

HooaH!!

Salute to A Collection of Thoughts.