1st Battalion, 87th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division help

Dan Gray

Dan Gray

Joined
Jun 25, 2001
Messages
8,474
edited,, please read note below as it will be edited from time to time..

Hi Guys
I got this this weekend..and told him I'd see what I could do..
I had My Niece that is stationed in Baghdad look him up to make sure he is who he says he is.. he checks out :) BTW my niece is heading home, should be here the 17th :) been over there over a year ..
*****************

Mr. Gray,

My name is Todd Hibbs. I am the Battalion (700 plus Soldiers) Command Sergeant Major for 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division, out of Fort Drum, New York. We are currently serving in Baghdad, Iraq, conducting patrols throughout the Baghdad area.

I would like to know if you or your friends in the knife making community would be interested in donating a knife to a Soldier that has been identified as going above and beyond the call of duty while patrolling the streets of Baghdad. There are numerous Soldiers that are doing great things over here, but I would like to identify them in a special way…I think a custom knife given to a Light Infantry Warrior would be a great gesture. It would be presented in front of their fellow Soldiers, and I could send you pictures of the event.

Thank you for your help, and please forward this to any of your friends in the community that would be interested.

V/R,
CSM Michael (Todd) Hibbs

**********
2nd e-mail

Dan,

That’s good news about the knife…I have a couple Soldiers that I’m looking at that were in a VBIED (suicide bomber) incident yesterday that went above and beyond the call of duty…both of them received multiple shrapnel wounds. And I’m sure (unfortunately) that there will be more. Hopefully a few of your Knife making buddies will jump on board. This will be something these Soldiers will never forget. They will have something to pass down that was received for their heroic actions.

********************
Note!
if anyone wants to donate Something to help out..
I can send them from here
Dan Gray
686 Main Road
Brownville Maine 04414

or you can send the knife direct to Todd..
e-mail me for the address..and I will note the event.

please when you send the knife let me know by e-mail and send me a picture of it with spec's..and any feed back you get from Todd and the men..
thanks for your help..
edited to add picture
Hibbs-CSM.jpg
 
Dan,
Tell the CSM that I'm in. I served in 1st Bde 10th Mountain for a few years myelf. Get me the contact info and I'll see if I can actually get a knife done one of these days. Thanks.

Ryan
 
The question now is what type of knives would be appreciated more, military patterns or good old hunting and fishing patterns that would get use when they get back home.

I got a copy of the message as well and checked it out through my channels.
 
Whit
if no one else wants to do it you can send it to me
thanks I'll pass it on..
Dan Gray
686 Main RD
Brownville Me 04414

George I'm not sure? I'd think they would like (if it were me.) where it's in memory of their time there and to pass down, maybe something in tune with that but that is just my thoughts on it. I'll ask Todd about it..and see what he thinks..
but I'm sure none of them would look a gift horse in the mouth..
thanks guys :)

I'll be out the biggest part of the morning off to the airport to see my boy off for Texas..he's going to be gone for about 9 months
boot and AT..

edited to add
yes I'm sure some of the other makers got a letter too.
he told me where he found me from.. and it was a knife links page.
I don't blame him for wanting for his men,,,
I like to check people out to make sure it's not a fraud of some kind too
I don't mine helping but not the ones like that..
 
Dan,

I will donate Ironwood to any maker who wants some for a knife for this project. They just need to email me with an address and I will send a hunk. Could you ask Todd if he did a tour in LRSD in Hawaii, I believe I may know him. Frank Eaton
 
I got an email from him a few days ago. Had him checked out also and he's the real thing. I'm sending a knife off soon.

Ken
 
If you go to the 10th Mountain Div website, to the 1/87th he is listed as the CSM which is good confirmation. If anyone was unsure.
 
Got an answer from Todd Hibbs this morning, seems that they are going to be there for another year so he thinks that a military pattern would be more useful and would serve as a reminder when they return home.

It probably would not make much difference to the recipient however, just knowing that someone outside of his or her family cares about what they are doing.
 
I'll make something.

Now if I could find my old 'A" company, 39th infantry....

Good deal, Dan.

Whoever gets the right information on how to send a knife to them, please let me know or post it here.

Thanks.
 
Frank I sent an-email asking him..

he sent me a picture of himself with the big unit sign behind him.
I'll post it here soon..

I'll also ask if his wants them sent right to him from you all?
I think it best to have one contact point for keeping track of things
at least mail wise??
what do you guys think? or maybe just posting things here will do it?

:eek: :D
yeahhh my niece is on her way bqck to the US and it looks like she will be stopping off at Bangor international (35 miles from here) to refuel before going on to TX.
Bangor is the stop for them to refuel from Iraq.. :D
 
Frank ( Army Ranger)

from him


Dan,

I did a tour in LRSD in Hawaii from 1995 to 1998. I was the Operations Sergeant from 95-97 and the Detachment Sergeant from 97 to 98.

I believe that I know Frank also…I’m terrible with names, but never forget a face.

Todd
Hibbs-CSM.jpg
 
Thats him forsure. Anyone wanting Ironwood for this project please commit on this thread so I don't end up sending Ironwood to anyone who happens to see this, and wants to score some free stuff. I know that probably doesn't happen here, but you never can tell.

Dan you can forward to the CSM that when he came over for an MTT to HI I was in LRSD.

Thanks

Frank Eaton
 
Dan:
I will commit to making a knife for this project. Will get the blade done this weekend and when the ironwood comes in I will finish it and send it up to you to be included in your shipment.

Marcel
 
Marcel,

Are you doing a hidden tang, or do you need a piece for scales. I might be able to pick a piece better suited for the knife style. Frank
 
Thanks Marcel :)
Frank I'll pass it on..
also I'll take you up on a piece of that wood if you don't mind?
a hiding tang I'm thinking..

Todd has not gotten back to me yet on which way he'd like to get them..

thanks also to you guys that hadn't posted here but e-mailed me..
this guy has 700 guys to look out for so I'm sure he could use a few more to help out..

I want to mention I saw My niece for about 45 min's today with about
40 others on their way to TX all coming in from Iraq ,, these Soldiers really liked the Maine welcome they got.. we have a welcoming unit that is 2nd to none here :D vets from other wars..and many of them Nam vets that know what it's like to be alone coming back from something they were put into..but still proud to have served, I for one am proud to have served with them
and proud of all the others before and after..it will be on the local Channel 2 news tonight. focusing on my niece because she is one of a few that is from Maine on that trip..I hope they didn't catch my puss in that. :( :)
 
Hey ya'll. I'd like to get in on it, if I could. As I'm kinda new at this, anything coming out of my shop isn't going to be any where near as nice as ya'lls knives, but I'd like to give it a shot anyway. Dan, if you end up collecting them to ship over, is there any kind of time frame that you need them in? Frank E, I might take you up on the Ironwood, but I think I'd like to finish the blade before I get any from you. Lookin forward to this one!

Alex
 
Dan, I think that I will send the knife directly from here, no use subjecting it to too much time in the postal system. It will take a week or so to get a handle and guard on a military pattern and make the sheath.
 
Is there a certain number he is looking for (or a range)? And what is the time frame? I've never made a knife, but if he can use all the knives he can get, I'd be willing to bust my ass over the next couple months and pound out a lot of attempts until I get something decent enough to send over.
 
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