Local soldier shot in Iraq sniper attack

WHITMAN — When Fred Gilmetti Jr. graduated from Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in 1990, he wrote in his yearbook that he wanted to be “rich and well-off.”

Today, Fred Gilmetti Sr. says his son is lucky just to be alive.  Marine Cpl. Fred Gilmetti Jr., 33, was shot in the chin in a sniper attack in Iraq last week.

“He's OK,” Gilmetti Sr. said Tuesday. “He was transferred by helicopter to a hospital in northern Iraq.”  After treatment there, Gilmetti said his son will join his platoon and, if all goes as planned, return to the United States next month. This is Gilmetti Jr.'s second tour in war-torn Iraq.

He suffered a concussion late last year when a rocket-propelled grenade fell just short of him, according to his father.  “Every time I get the phone call, oof,” said Gilmetti Sr. “He's lucky, so lucky, so lucky.”

The younger Gilmetti, also the son of the late Marie Gilmetti, attended Wentworth Institute and was working in management for a Boston construction company when he joined the Marines three years ago, Gilmetti Sr. said.

“It was after 9-11; he just wanted to go. Even with his age and everything, he wanted to go,” his father said.  Gilmetti Jr. has one year of active military service before discharge.  He hopes to become a state police trooper or a uniformed secret service agent, according to his dad.


January 2007 - UPDATE

Dear Ms. Struck,
Thank you for your generous packages and kind letters.  As you know it is our honor to receive support from the American public whether it is a card, letter, package or a combination of both.  It is uplifting and inspiring to receive such support from almost complete strangers.  Your simple act of kindness and generosity provides an immense moral boast to the young Marines, especially during the Christmas Season.  As you can expect, some of the Marines did not receive very much from their family and your box helped bring the spirit of Christmas to these young men.

I am not even going to try and list out what you included in the 14 packages that you sent out to use.  However, please do thank the children who included the cards and drawings.  I could not find an address for any of them and they did an outstanding job making the Christmas cards and note for us. Please pass on our sincere thanks for their work and all the love they put into them.  I believe every Marine was able to receive on of the gift bags you sent out. I know that everyone had nothing but a smile on their face when they opened the bags and saw what was inside.

We are now past the half way point of this deployment and that little light at the end of the tunnel is slowly getting bigger.  Granted a lot of things can happen to delay our departure from here but we hope that does not happen, again it is in God's hands, not ours so we'll wait to see what he has in store for us.  We are definitely looking forward to getting home to our family and friends through and pick up the life we put on hold when we came out here.

I have the Pats hat proudly on display on my work station and wear the long sleeved shirt every night. That means something considering I am Texan's fan and a Texan at heart.  But when your team stinks every year you support other teams as well.

Thank you again, it was a great surprise to see all the boxed lined up waitin got be opened. I know the Marines loved getting their bags. I pray your 2007 continues to be successful and blessed. Please keep up your outstanding support of the troops - believe me it makes a difference in their world out here.

CM Krahulec

January 2007

1.  It seems hard to believe, but we soared past the $40,000 donation mark in the past few weeks and we now stand at $43, 545 donated in the last 2 years, which is a remarkable total. Thank you all for your generosity and support of Pack It Up and of our soldiers. 

2.  We have two new contacts to introduce to you, one contact who made it home for Christmas on leave and one contact going home!   Our new contacts are: 

1LT Christopher Manion, US Army - More about Lt Manion coming soon

SPC Christopher Sanchez, US Army  Find out more about SPC Sanchez

Home for the Holidays:
SPC Pete Estes was able to make it home just in time for Christmas to be with his wife, April, and two daughters.
From Pete's wife April:
"Pete did get to come home for the holidays. He had to leave today (1-7-07) to go back. It has been a hard day today. Our holidays were great because he got to come home."

Home for good:
Captain Bob Lynch, USMC, is expected home within the next 30 days.  They cannot receive any packages so we have sent out last packages to Capt Lynch.

3.  For our January packages, we sent to our 6 contacts:
Chris Krahulec
Pete Estes
Rrea Brown
Chris Manion
Chris Sanchez
Fred Gilmetti

We sent them all sorts of goodies and snacks along with coffee, disposable cameras, notecards and pens, magazines, DVDs, socks, Valentine's Day cards that they can send back to their valentines and families, sports equipment including soccer balls, basketballs, footballs and frisbees.  We know Fred is a die hard Patriots fan, so we sent along a bunch of Patriots gear in anticipation of the Playoff Showdown (and he'll need it when the Pats make it to the Superbowl).

LETTERS AND NEWS FROM OUR CONTACTS:

From Capt Lynch:
I would like to begin by thanking each of you for the remarkable amount of support that you have shown to our Marines and Sailors during the holiday season. I have never seen so many packages sent to one unit during such a brief period.  Thank you for your continued support to the Marines and Sailors of Weapons Company.

CAAT Platoon is maintaining its dynamic support to all corners of the battalion area of operations. The CAAT Platoon faces challenges each day and consistently overcomes them to accomplish the mission. 81’s continues to positively influence the battalion’s overall mission. The 81’s Platoon has gained the trust of the local populace and has actively pursued and detained many terrorists in the battalion area of operations. Collectively, the Marines and Sailors of Weapons Company have performed in an aggressive, yet honorable and commendable manner.

Happy New Year!
Capt. Bob Lynch

From Capt Krahulec:
Kristin,
I know this little card and letter cannot come close to an appropriate Christmas Gift in lieu of everything you and your family have done for us but please accept it as our heartfelt gift.  We pray that you will have a joyous and happy Christmas season filled with your family and friends.  We look forward to hearing more more from you as we enter 2007. 

The Marines of Fox Company continue to excel at their daily task of bringing peace and safety to a turbulent region.  We will take a moment to pause on Christmas Day and remember the glory and joy the day brings to the world.  Then, we will be going out to continue our mission.  This Christmas season, we will be separated from our loved ones but we are brought letters and packages of love from the States which brightens the moods of each and every Marine on this base. 

We would like to thank you for doing your part in helping to keep a piece of America flowing into the country a half a world away and into the Marines ' day to day life.  You will never lose a place in these Marines' hearts.  I know personally that there is no way we can ever send out proper appreciation for helping support complete strangers.

The good news for Fox Company is that we are half way home now and look forward to returning home sometime in late April/early May 2007.

May God bless you and your family during this Christmas season.  Merry Christmas!
Chris Krahulec

From CPL Gilmetti:
Kristin-
Just a quick letter. I received your Christmas packages and card.  Thank you so much!  I have to go on patrol now... work never ends.  Take care and thank you for everything.  Merry Christmas and a good new year to you and your family!
Fred

From CPL Michael Desrosiers:
Dear Kristin Struck:
Just have to say thank you for the care packages that you sent to CPL Gilemtti.  I have never heard of Pack It Up but I can see with all the care packages sent here that Pack It Up is doing great things for Marines overseas.  Once again, thank you and keep up the great work that Pack It Up does.  Job well done.
From,
CPL Desrosiers, Michael
2/8 Fox Co 1st Plt

Lt Col Art Floru Update:
Art is one of our past contacts and someone who has become a good friend.  He was sent back to Iraq (for the 4th time if I am not mistaken) for a few months and has just returned home. Art is very unselfish and was always finding ways of giving away the packages we sent over to Iraq.  Remember what he did last Christmas? Check out that link and scroll down to the email from Art.  This time when Art was in Iraq, he did not want to receive any packages, but wanted them to go to our other contacts. We welcome Art home!!  Read about the 143rd's homecoming.