Craig Grossi

A very touching story. Goodreads: A heartwarming story of a stray dog and a U.S. Marine who met under the unlikeliest circumstances in Afghanistan¥and who changed each other?s lives forever.As part of an elite team of Marines, Craig Grossi was sent on his most dangerous assignment to the Sangin District of Afghanistan. He expected to face harsh conditions and violence from Taliban fighters. What he didn?t expect was to meet a stray dog, with a big goofy head and little legsÂ¥a dog all on his own, filthy and covered in bugs, in a bomb-ridden district, but who carried himself with confidence. And even though the Marines have a rule against approaching strays, Craig couldn?t help but offer some food and a patÂ¥and was shocked when the dog wagged his tail.From that moment on, they were inseparable; whether out on missions or back at the base, the dog named Fred went along. When the time came for Craig to leave Afghanistan, he knew that Fred had to leave with him no matter what. And as Craig tried to get acclimated to civilian life, Fred was there for him.This book tells the inspiring story of two friends who ultimately rescued each other and the stubborn positivity and love that continue to shape their world.… (meer)

Marine Sergeant Craig Grossi is serving in a remote area of Afghanistan, when he comes across a stray dog, who becomes his shadow and BFF. The dog Fred brings positivity to Craig and his entire marine unit and they become so attached that they smuggle him into Camp Leatherneck, and with the help of a British vet and some DHL employees, eventually back to the U.S. Craig is almost killed, and is suffering from PTSD, and it is Fred's unbridled joy in seeing him that helps him cope and adjust. In fact, Fred's story allows Craig to speak about his experiences, including, but not limited to the death of two comrades. This is a "feel good" war story, told in alternating chapters between his time in Afghanistan and a cross-country U.S. trip with a fellow vet and Fred. I thought the book was well-written, and am not sure whether more credit should not have been given to the co-author, who is mentioned briefly in the afterword.

See Craig and Fred's informative website for more information.… (meer)

Second Chances by Craig Grossi is the newly released follow up to his first book, Craig & Fred: A Marine, A Stray Dog, and How They Rescued Each Other.
Craig found Fred the dog in Afghanistan and had him taken back to the US. Grossi suffers from PTSD and Fred is a very important part of his life. The two of them now travel America together, "spreading the message of stubborn positivity."

In this latest book, Grossi and Fred go inside Maine State Prison and meet the incarcerated men who live - and work - on the veteran unit. Here, they train Labrador Retrievers to be companions for disabled vets.

This type of training program is available in almost 300 prisons in 50 states. They provide a 'second chance' for the incarcerated trainer, as well as the veteran who will receive the dog. Maine State works with the non profit, America’s Vet Dogs.

We meet the the trainers as well as other vets who join Grossi's new writing group at the prison. We become privy to their stories as they share details of their lives and hopes for the future. I had not read the first book, but Grossi shares many details of his life and his service career in the military with the men. There were some startling revelations. I think the men were able to share with Grossi as he was a veteran and 'got' it. The benefits of both the writing group and the dog training went both ways. The sense of self worth, accomplishment, pride and hope are direct results for the men - and Grossi as well.

Details of the dog training process are presented as well and I found those interesting. At times, I did find the level of detail to be a bit overwhelming - detailed descriptions of rooms etc. that do set the stage but felt like filler.

I chose to the listen to the audio version of Second Chances. The author himself is the narrator. It's always a treat to hear an author read their work - they lived it and the emphasis, the emotion and more is just there. Grossi has a clear speaking voice and its pleasant to listen to. His speed of speaking is measured and precise, although a bit slow for me. I always find listening to a book immerses the reader more. I did enjoy Grossi's tale and hope that he continues to find healing and keeps sharing his 'stubborn positivity' message. I hope too that the incarcerated men we met have gone on to their second chance.… (meer)