"Grateful Nation"

A big tip of the hat to J.R. Head writing over at "Big Hollywood" for bringing this program that will air on ESPN starting tomorrow to our attention. It is a hunting show which takes our wounded warriors on different hunts, allowing them to once again enjoy one of the pleasures of life they probably engaged in before going off to fight this country's wars.

The show is called "Grateful Nation", and I would like to send along my thanks to the folks at ESPN for making this happen.

Each story sounds inspiring and can teach us a little bit about ourselves and the beauty of the human spirit. They may have been folded, bended, stapled, and mutilated, but they are not beaten.

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.