‘IDOL' before Iraq for Marine
PUSSSYKATT
----------------------------------
As thousands of Marines are preparing to ship out to the Persian Gulf within
the week, one leatherneck is making his mark on "American Idol" instead. Lance
Cpl. Josh Gracin, 21, was slated to be deployed with his unit in Kuwait in the
coming days.
But his mother said that when he got his big break to appear on the popular Fox
show, Marine brass made an exception for him.
Brenda Gracin, of Westland, Mich., said "higher authorities" intervened on
behalf of her singing offspring to delay his posting to the Mideast hot spot.
" 'American Idol' had to work with Washington to get Josh out of the
deployment," Mrs. Gracin told a source.
But she added that her son was not shirking his duty and "once his stint on
‘American Idol' is over, Josh will be sent to Kuwait."
Gracin is slated to appear on the show Wednesday night.
The delay deployment may turn into a musical minefield.
As the nation gears up for war in Iraq and families are split, Gracin's
apparent exemption could hit a sour note with veterans, military personnel and
other patriotic Americans.
"We're under strict instructions not to say anything," Brenda Gracin told The
Post yesterday. She said she didn't know how long the Marine's deployment was
deferred.
"But I'll tell you one thing: we're very proud of him."
The singing Marine came to the attention of the show's producers when they
played his audition tape on national TV Wednesday.
More than 25 million people watched as Gracin sang the Frank Sinatra chestnut,
"All or Nothing at All."
He even got a thumbs up from Brit bully Simon Cowell, one of the judges. Known
for his caustic comments targeting untalented contestants, Cowell heaped praise
on the Marine.
The show received about 70,000 entries for this year's program that aims to
turn nobodies into pop stars.
Neither show officials nor the Marines returned calls from The Post yesterday.
Gracin joined the Marines two years ago and is assigned to Camp Pendleton,
Calif. Already, 200 of his fellow Marines have been deployed in Kuwait and
Qatar. An additional 2,100 leathernecks from his base are slated to be in
harm's way in a week.
His father, Mario, said the Marine has been studying finance and accounting at
the base, where he is "in charge of" supplies.
Gracin has always had a song in his heart, according to his father who revealed
he played saxophone in the John Glenn HS band in the late 1990s.
He later switched to guitar and began performing at community events. In 1997,
he even put out a country single called "She Loves Me."
Gracin's story stands in stark contrast to Harlem couple Lateef and Claudia
Bost.
Lateef was doing five months of basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and
Claudia was still doing her stint at Fort Jackson when her husband was called
to active duty.
Claudia finished training last week and came home. Lateef Bost hopes to see her
and son Lateef Jr. before he's shipped overseas.
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Sophie
Survivor and we weren't even headed for war then.
"PUSSSYKATT" <agcgoss...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030126100150...@mb-bd.aol.com...
KMakst77
with AI-makes me feel safe. He will probably make the final 32 and announce he
cannot because he has to fight for our country. It will be good for ratings.
What was the story with the Marine on Real World Road Rules Challenge from two
weeks ago-shouldn't he be training for war??
LP98768
>What a load of crap. The Marine Corps wouldn't let a friend of ours go on
>Survivor and we weren't even headed for war then.
I'm sure the soldiers that had/will have to deploy and miss births of their
kids will be really happy to here this.....
Sophie
"LP98768" <lp9...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030126151537...@mb-mm.aol.com...
Births - forget it - stardom on American Idol - you bet. <eyeroll>
FeAudrey
says...
You posted on another thread that your husband missed your and his
youngest child's birth because the hospital couldn't find him. "American
Idol", Iraq, the waiting room ... it makes you wonder just who's counting
this force that's supposedly being assembled.
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