A former marine, Craig Grossi served in the Marine Corps for eight years in 2010. He found his friend for life in Sangin, Helman Province, Afghanistan. The veteran recalled meeting Fred, the Afgan dog, unexpectedly.
Grossi often sees dogs running in packs, seemingly unapproachable, but not this one-of-a-kind Afghan dog. He found the Afghan canine, which he later called Fred, wandering around Sangin. Fred stood out from the rest because of his energy and fuzzy face.
Grossi saw the dog scavenging food in the trash, and that was when he made contact with Fred. Fred was hungry and covered with dirt, and according to Grossi’s observation, the dog was maltreated. Luckily, Grossi had some beef jerky in his pocket and gave it to the hungry canine to see what was up with him.
As the veteran approached him, the dog wagged its tail. Curious, Grossi went closer, stuck his hand out, and let the dog smell the beef jerky. The military man instantly connected with the dog when Fred gently put his weight on Grossi’s hand.
But Craig held back his excitement. He held back when he was about to approach the dog as it was against their rules. He went back to his location and felt a sudden poke behind him. There, he saw Fred waiting for the veteran calmly as if he had asked him what was next for them.
The former marine smuggled Fred from Afghanistan to his family in Virginia. After three months, he decided to go home, and there he found Fred, who waited for him patiently.
The veteran and his dog formed a special bond and found a way to help each other. Fred had to cope with his new life changes, like having food for every meal and a comfortable bed every night, which he had never had back in Afghanistan. But it was kind of different from Craig, who struggled after leaving his post in the military.
After leaving his 8-year-long post in the military, he struggled to find meaning in his life. He tried to validate himself to the world as to what his real purpose was. But he credited Fred for helping him surpass that stage.
Craig learned a lot from Fred– it is not what happens to your life, but how you react to it matters. He believed that his real purpose in life was to share their story in the form of a book. He also posts some pictures of their adventures on their social media websites.
Thanks to our friends from Guideposts for posting the original story.