Grunts, Gramps & Tanks: A Soldier’s Tales

Rick Bogdan’s Grunts, Gramps & Tanks: A Soldier’s Tales follows the unpredictable journey of a disillusioned Chicago retail buyer, Tyler Gordon Willett, who impulsively enlists in the infantry in 1975 without telling his wife, Nancy. The teenage recruits at Fort Polk nickname him “Gramps” as he survives basic training, memorably marked by the “Private Dickhead” payday incident. He also endures the OSUT program, where a tank commander’s sweaty Coke inspires his ambitions. The narrative tracks his growth from a novice to an officer, through exceptional tank gunnery at Fort Hood, young Sean’s compound fracture, the lighter-fluid execution of a toilet rat, and command of Bravo Company at Fort Riley, where his tanks waltz for President Carter and climb a steep hill in reverse to defeat the “Ragin’ Cajun.”

Rick Bogdan’s book is an earthy portrait of a soldier’s life across the late 1970s and early 1980s. The pacing is brisk, and the story leaps across duty stations and years, capturing career milestones. The storytelling in Grunts, Gramps & Tanks thrives on jargon-infused dialogue and descriptive prose, which make it feel authentic, and the author’s ability to examine procedural details such as ARTEP evaluations and C-ration shit paper before plunging you into the post-Vietnam Army experience. Character work is stellar, and Willett’s arc follows him from an impulsive amateur to a soldier earning respect from seasoned NCOs like Sergeant Hendrick and First Sergeant King, who become his mentors. You’ll be enticed by the grim humor, from Willett’s “Semper Scrotum” motto and the absurdity of “waltzing” tanks for President Carter to the snake-bitten soldier on the toilet. This vivid chronicle of a bygone war era will capture your attention with its finely drawn setting, engaging storytelling, and the unforgettable hero, Willett.