Gulf Veteran's
"Diagnosed" Illness Medical Surveys
(04/10/03) EAST SETAUKET - Robert Grim, a
30-year veteran of the Setauket Fire Department,
has become the
first Long Islander to die in the Persian Gulf since the war
with Iraq began.
The
63-year-old was the father of five, and lived in East Setauket
with his wife of more than 40 years.
He rose through the ranks
of the Setauket Fire Department to become captain.
Grim
was working for a company called IRC, or International Response
Corporation,
the overseas affiliate of Great River based
National Response Corporation.
Both companies are involved in
oil spill remediation and clean up and were in the region
to
help contain oil spills resulting from the war.
The
company Robert Grim was subcontracting for was in the process of
assessing the damage
caused by oil spills in Iraq when he was
killed.
According to his family, Grim died in a car accident. In a
statement to News 12 Long Island,
his daughter
Patti Gambadoro said, "He was a husband, a father, a
grandfather, a brother, a friend,
who will be missed by many.
He was one of the very few civilian
consultants
with the experience and confidence of the military
to be sent there."
Grimm had served in the Navy Reserves. He'll be buried with full military honors early next week.
