Robert Gravley, a member of our Talking Service veterans reading group, died the other day while vacationing in Michigan with his wife, Carol Hemmye. Robert went to Vietnam in 1970 with the 1st Marine Division, and like a lot of vets, never fully came back. During our reading group, I asked him if he thought about the war much. He said, “Last night, I was sleeping in Vietnam.” He faced a lot of pain and heartache after the war, but channeled some of the hurt into his work with the Gulf Coast Veterans Advocacy Council. Everytime I saw him, he always had a huge smile. “Hey, Jarhead!” He’d say to me, because of the time I served with the Marine Corps. Whenever I heard someone say “Hey, Doc” or “Jarhead,” even when I’d hear it at the VA, I knew it was Robert Gravley. We’d recently talked about starting up our reading group sometime in the fall, this time at his and Carol’s house. Since I’ve known him, I’ve known Robert Gravley as a good man with a big heart and kind soul. Even though we served during a different era, I’m proud to have served with him in our veteran groups, and proud to call him a friend. My heart goes out to Carol. Robert Gravley was a good Marine, and he will be sorely missed. Semper fi, brother. <3

– Christopher Satterwhite