'Grateful Nation' Debuts Tomorrow on ESPN2

On Saturday, October 3rd, a fantastic new show premieres on ESPN2.

“Grateful Nation is a unique and compelling outdoor adventure series that goes behind the scenes and into the field with American Veterans. Hosted by Airborne Ranger Tim Abell, this original unscripted program takes viewers inside the minds of wounded combat veterans and returns them to their traditional American hunting heritage.

Tim’s innovative interviewing strategy together with stunning HD videography launches Grateful Nation into a unique category that captures a whole new audience of sportsmen and patriots.”

The first episode of “Grateful Nation” follows actor and Army Veteran Tim Abell and Army Sergeant First Class Greg Stube on the hunt of a lifetime.

I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with SFC Greg Stube via telephone and was immediately struck by his eloquence. Greg has the unusual ability to talk about enormous concepts on a very small and personal level. I sometimes find it difficult to speak clearly about the ideas of duty and sacrifice. SFC Stube speaks of such things with deep understanding and with perfect clarity. He learned first hand and up close what these concepts are all about.

From his bio:

In September of 2006, SFC Stube was very seriously wounded during Operation Medusa in Afghanistan.

On a hill called Sperwan Ghar, in southwest Afghanistan, Stube and fellow Special Forces team members were involved in a massive attack by enemy Taliban forces that had dug in, waiting for a fight. As his fighting vehicle moved up the hill, days after the fighting had begun; it was hit by an IED – seriously wounding Stube. Focusing on his wounds and pulling from his Special Forces medical training, Stube guided other SF A-team members in combat trauma care until he was moved out of danger. His awards include the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Currently assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office, Stube continues to serve within his capabilities to promote awareness of the commitment and sacrifice of American service members and their families. In a program called “Service Beyond Sacrifice,” Stube endeavors to relate to Americans about why service to our country is not only important, but worth sacrificing for.

I’ve known the host of “Grateful Nation,” Tim Abell, for a few years. He is a veteran, an accomplished actor and an avid outdoorsman who shares a deep appreciation for the men and women who serve our country. I’m proud to call him my friend. He agreed to answer some questions about the show.

J.R. Head: Tim, tell me about “Grateful Nation.”

Tim Abell: “Grateful Nation” is a series that delves into the life, service, sacrifice and rehabilitation of our servicemen wounded in the global war on terror. We explore their life while afield, a place where many of them grew up hunting with their fathers and a place many thought they would never again experience after being severely wounded in combat. We also explore their support system back home. From their moms, dads, wives and children to their doctors, nurses, teammates and fellow wounded.

JRH: How did you get involved with the show?

TA: SFC Stube was asked to speak at the 2008 National Rifle Association convention along with Mitt Romney, Senator John McCain, Governor Mike Huckabee, and former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell. SFC Stube, so inspired the audience with his words that Beretta General Manager, Christopher Merritt and Mark De Young, President of ATK/Federal, along with Chris Dorsey, President of Orion Multimedia, decided to create a series to honor our wounded warriors and allow their stories to be told.

SFC Stube was asked to host the series but, due to still being on active duty with the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) at Fort Bragg, NC, he had to decline the offer. The producers and sponsors of “Grateful Nation” were looking for someone who might have a rapport with each of the soldiers selected to be honored each episode. I had been involved with another outstanding Orion Media outdoor series called “The Federal Experience”. I guess they figured that my being a former ranger with 2/75th Ranger Regiment might give me an edge.

After filming in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of British Columbia for 10 days with the series’ first guest soldier, Special Forces SFC Greg Stube, it became apparent that this new series would not only be an exciting outdoor adventure, but also a touching and poignant look into each soldier’s service, sacrifice and life. I am extremely honored to have been asked to host this series and to be in the company of such brave and patriotic men.

JRH: Having had some experience in an outdoor series, what did you expect this one to be like?

TA: I have to say that I really didn’t know what to expect. These men have been through so much mental and physical duress, along with pain and suffering in a myriad of ways that I can’t even fathom. From being shot, sometimes several times, blown up by IEDs, EFPs, hand grenades and RPGs, to being doused in fuel and set on fire and suffering severe burns over the majority of your body, to the mental anguish of survivor’s guilt. These soldiers’ lives changed in an instant. One second laughing, smoking and joking, and the next…BANG! An IED explodes near your vehicle… When the smoke clears and your training takes over, you assess the situation… Where are my men, my friends? Where the hell are my legs, arms, hands…my face? Are we still taking fire? How do I help my fellow soldiers?

JRH: Not knowing what to expect, did you go in with an idea of a particular tone you wanted to set for the series?

TA: Greg Stube set the tone for my approach to hosting “Grateful Nation”. Greg and I bonded in many ways during our time filming in the snow covered Rockies. I learned so much from him and how he sees life, and I am a better man for it. Watching Greg on horseback for hours, heading up steep mountain trails, knowing he was in pain from his many surgeries to re-attach is right leg, his skin grafts to a major portion of his body to heal 3rd degree burns, numerous surgeries to address a wound channel created by a one pound piece of shrapnel which traveled from his right buttock though his body, which took out 70% of his insides, and gunshots through his torso as well, I asked if he’d like to stop and rest a while. A smile crossed his lips and he said, “I’ll be alright. I can deal with the pain. I just wish my doctors could see me right now so they could see what fine work they’ve done. They would be proud.” That took my breath away. Here is a man on a hard mountain ride, who’s never been on a horse, who is in pain from his many injuries, and all he would like is for his doctors to see the outstanding job they have accomplished on his body. No whining, just a man happy to be alive and appreciative of the great care he received from his medical staff and his wife Donna.

JRH: That is simply inspiring. I didn’t talk to Greg much about his injuries. I had no idea of the extent of them. Even so, he made a great first impression on me during our first phone conversation. What was your immediate impression of him?

TA: I did my research on SFC Greg Stube, prior to filming. What an outstanding individual! I watched his speech at the 2008 NRA convention via my laptop and was instantly moved by his ease and honesty on stage. His voice has a slight soothing southern lilt that draws you into his stories. His descriptions of the firefight at the battle of Sperwan Ghar during Operation Medusa were quite vivid without being braggadocious or full of bravado. He talked of the heroism of his fellow Special Forces comrades, how they risked life and limb to extinguish the fire from his fuel drenched uniform and helped drag him out of the line of fire. Stube talked about how, being an 18D (Special Forces medic), he diagnosed his wounds as being beyond repair, about how he heard his commanding officer weep when he thought he was dead and how that moved him. He talked about the care he received from his medical staff and especially his wife Donna, whom he wasn’t sure would still love him the same after sustaining such horrible wounds. He told me about his best friend and teammate, Bill Brown, who was killed in action shortly after he (Stube) was grievously wounded. He talked about all this without any remorse or regret, “Service to our country is not only important but sometimes worth sacrificing for”. I was moved.

Greg was just as humble in person. When I asked him what it was like coming home to a hero’s welcome, he said, “We don’t want to be heroes, we were just doing our jobs. All we want to do is come home and be one of you again”. And by the end of filming, we had laughed together, cried together, challenged ourselves, shared stories of our families, loved ones, friends, military experiences, and in doing so, we became great friends.

JRH: What was the most surprising thing about the experience?

TA: The most surprising thing to me about all of these soldiers is that without exception, each and everyone of these men, would do what they did again. They may wish for a different outcome, but, they would all volunteer and do it again.

SPC Louis Dahlman (featured in Episode 6 on November 7th), who lost his entire lower jaw and face from an EFP (Explosively Formed Projectile) while manning the turret in his Humvee, says that it doesn’t bother him when people stare at him, because his wounds are the result of fighting for our country, and of that he is proud.

JRH: What do you hope the viewers take away from “Grateful Nation”?

TA: I hope that viewers of “Grateful Nation” will come away with a better understanding of our military men and women. Why they choose to serve our great nation in such a selfless manner in spite of the danger they face on a daily basis. I want viewers to know who they are, what they have suffered and how they have recuperated and recovered enough to move on with their lives and to be able to join me on these outdoor adventures. I want our viewers and the country to know what these brave and honorable men have sacrificed for all of us, so that we may enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy.

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“Grateful Nation” premieres on Saturday morning, October 3rd at 7:30 AM EST. Set your TiVo, now.

Semper fi,

J.R. Head