Day 10 - Corporal Kevin Grafeld

Corporal Kevin Grafeld: USMC. 2^nd Light Armored Reconnaissance.

Hometown: Levittown, PA

Birthday: October 18^th

Interests: Reading, Writing, Paintball, Dancing

“Wounded Warrior Project probably saved my life.” – Kevin Grafeld

As a boy, Kevin Grafeld’s dream was to be a Marine. Following high school, Kevin enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Ground Intelligence Specialist in 2002. He deployed 18 months to Djibouti, Africa and did two tours in Iraq. According to Kevin, “Africa is hotter.”

During his first tour in Iraq, Kevin served on a Guard Force. They were mortared every morning, and then defended against small arms fire and drive-by shootings at night. Kevin spent his second combat tour on a Military Training Team, training the Iraqi military.

After Kevin’s second tour, transition to civilian life was challenging. His social worker connected him with WWP. He says, “I was expecting the worst” when it came to the TRACK program. “Instead, they treat us like adults . . . we’re held accountable.”  Kevin wants to become an EMT and work on Life Flight as a paramedic. When asked about his feelings for his service and his country, Kevin says, “I love America, but how does America feel about me?”

Visit the Wounded Warrior homepage.