thedrifter
05-10-09, 08:33 AM
West Valley graduate pens book
Wesley Gray, a Marine, details his experiences in Iraq
By George L. Winship Anderson Valley Post
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Cottonwood's sweltering late-summer heat and the rigors of daily double practices with West Valley High School's varsity football squad might seem like odd preparations for a tour of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps.
But they are two things Wesley Gray of West Valley's Class of 1989 credits for surviving 210 days of living with and fighting beside Iraqi soldiers in Al-Anbar, one of the most dangerous and austere provinces of western Iraq.
Upon his arrival in 2006, Gray and his fellow military advisers dealt with an insurgent population traumatized by a massacre of 24 men, women and children shot at close range by Marines in retaliation for the death of one of their own from a roadside bomb.
Gray, 29, recently authored a book of his experiences titled "Embedded: A Marine Corps Adviser Inside the Iraqi Army." It was published April 1 by Naval Institute Press.
The 272-page hardcover book retails for $28.95 but can be found online at Amazon.com as well as Barnes & Noble Booksellers' Web site for less than $20.
"Being captain of the Eagles (of West Valley High) and doing double practices in 110-degree heat prepared me for the Marines, taught me the value of teamwork and helped me understand just what the body can do under extreme conditions," Gray said during a telephone interview from his home in Chicago, where he is completing a doctorate at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.
In 2004, Gray, then 24, interrupted his studies to join the Marine Corps, partly because "the Cottonwood community is so very supportive of the military," he explained.
"I went in as an officer, so I was in the upper end of the age group for new recruits, but there are a lot of crazy Marines who have served 10, 15 or 20 years, so I definitely wasn't one of the oldest either," said Gray, who attained the rank of first lieutenant.
As an intelligence officer, Gray spent time in a joint military operation with the Philippine Army and participated in the bilateral Japanese-American military war game "Yama Sakura" in Kumamoto, Japan, prior to his deployment to Iraq.
"I made my knowledge about (the Iraqi) language the focus of my training. I memorized a lot of nouns and heard language tapes constantly on my MP3 (player)," Gray said.
Even family photos proved to be invaluable, he reveals in his book.
"During pre-deployment, I put in a lot of time learning about Arab culture. One thing I took away from my studies was that family is central in Arab life," Gray writes. "I knew the Arabs perceived Americans as godless heathens, more concerned with material wealth than family. To combat this stereotype, I created a family photo album that I could show the Iraqis."
To further increase his wasta - a mysterious combination of pull, connection, knowledge and charisma that earns respect in Iraq - Gray led by example and used his skills with computers and peripheral equipment. As a result, the Iraqi soldiers considered him an Arab brother and fondly named him "Jamal."
Despite losing his best friend to a roadside bomb and witnessing some of the atrocities of modern warfare, Gray says he maintained his sanity by writing daily of his experiences.
"I'm not really a writer, but I figured I had an interesting story to tell. I tried to make my book different from all of the run and gun stories that are out there," Gray said.
Gray's parents - Bill, a veterinarian, and Jill, who runs the Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic - are thankful their eldest son returned safely from Iraq and are proud of his book.
"For Wesley, the book was a very helpful thing for him to do," Jill Gray said. "His grandmother and I have both told him, however, that we just wished he hadn't cussed so much in the telling of his story."
But Jill Gray admits that such raw language is understandable because the book is intended primarily for a military audience.
The book might also prove instructive to young men and women heading overseas into harm's way, Bill Gray said.
Ellie
Wesley Gray, a Marine, details his experiences in Iraq
By George L. Winship Anderson Valley Post
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Cottonwood's sweltering late-summer heat and the rigors of daily double practices with West Valley High School's varsity football squad might seem like odd preparations for a tour of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps.
But they are two things Wesley Gray of West Valley's Class of 1989 credits for surviving 210 days of living with and fighting beside Iraqi soldiers in Al-Anbar, one of the most dangerous and austere provinces of western Iraq.
Upon his arrival in 2006, Gray and his fellow military advisers dealt with an insurgent population traumatized by a massacre of 24 men, women and children shot at close range by Marines in retaliation for the death of one of their own from a roadside bomb.
Gray, 29, recently authored a book of his experiences titled "Embedded: A Marine Corps Adviser Inside the Iraqi Army." It was published April 1 by Naval Institute Press.
The 272-page hardcover book retails for $28.95 but can be found online at Amazon.com as well as Barnes & Noble Booksellers' Web site for less than $20.
"Being captain of the Eagles (of West Valley High) and doing double practices in 110-degree heat prepared me for the Marines, taught me the value of teamwork and helped me understand just what the body can do under extreme conditions," Gray said during a telephone interview from his home in Chicago, where he is completing a doctorate at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.
In 2004, Gray, then 24, interrupted his studies to join the Marine Corps, partly because "the Cottonwood community is so very supportive of the military," he explained.
"I went in as an officer, so I was in the upper end of the age group for new recruits, but there are a lot of crazy Marines who have served 10, 15 or 20 years, so I definitely wasn't one of the oldest either," said Gray, who attained the rank of first lieutenant.
As an intelligence officer, Gray spent time in a joint military operation with the Philippine Army and participated in the bilateral Japanese-American military war game "Yama Sakura" in Kumamoto, Japan, prior to his deployment to Iraq.
"I made my knowledge about (the Iraqi) language the focus of my training. I memorized a lot of nouns and heard language tapes constantly on my MP3 (player)," Gray said.
Even family photos proved to be invaluable, he reveals in his book.
"During pre-deployment, I put in a lot of time learning about Arab culture. One thing I took away from my studies was that family is central in Arab life," Gray writes. "I knew the Arabs perceived Americans as godless heathens, more concerned with material wealth than family. To combat this stereotype, I created a family photo album that I could show the Iraqis."
To further increase his wasta - a mysterious combination of pull, connection, knowledge and charisma that earns respect in Iraq - Gray led by example and used his skills with computers and peripheral equipment. As a result, the Iraqi soldiers considered him an Arab brother and fondly named him "Jamal."
Despite losing his best friend to a roadside bomb and witnessing some of the atrocities of modern warfare, Gray says he maintained his sanity by writing daily of his experiences.
"I'm not really a writer, but I figured I had an interesting story to tell. I tried to make my book different from all of the run and gun stories that are out there," Gray said.
Gray's parents - Bill, a veterinarian, and Jill, who runs the Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic - are thankful their eldest son returned safely from Iraq and are proud of his book.
"For Wesley, the book was a very helpful thing for him to do," Jill Gray said. "His grandmother and I have both told him, however, that we just wished he hadn't cussed so much in the telling of his story."
But Jill Gray admits that such raw language is understandable because the book is intended primarily for a military audience.
The book might also prove instructive to young men and women heading overseas into harm's way, Bill Gray said.
Ellie