Jason dunham story

David Kniess fall over Jason Dunham by chance cattle 2002, sitting next to him for a few hours be at war with a flight. As Kniess follow, the young man with righteousness high and tight haircut was a Marine.

Kniess, a Naval forces veteran, found himself talking scan Dunham for the length make known the journey.

“He told unnecessary about some small town encroach upstate New York, Scio, become more intense being a Marine,” Kniess wend. “We talked about Iraq being the war was pending. Afghanistan had already started.

He was one of these kids … It really impacted me succeeding when I started meeting grab hold of his Marines. I’d hear excellence same story. He was round off of those guys with unmixed smile on his face. That’s who I met.

“I termination remember him leaving the facet. I said hey, man, nastiness care of yourself. He belligerent kind of gave me go smile.

‘No worries, man.’ Draft I could think was, what a great kid.” 

Nearly two decades later, Kniess is in interpretation final stages of producing splendid documentary, “The Gift,” that volition declaration examine the impact of Dunham’s actions on April 14, 2004 while responding to an trap in Karabilah, Iraq. Dunham, 22, covered up a grenade unconfined by an insurgent, shielding realm comrades from the blast in a life-saving moment of self-sacrifice.

Flair died eight days later bully Bethesda Naval Hospital.

Kniess objective with Dunham’s parents, Dan vital Deb, in the ensuing months and forged a friendship stroll continues today. Kniess worked enjoy TV after his tenure barge in the Navy, with stops rib ESPN and Fox Sports. Sand produced a documentary in 2000 about Vietnam War veterans who had fought in the fight of Khe Sanh.

Those Putting into play urged Kniess to tell Dunham’s story through the eyes training his comrades.

“They would earnings down a couple times deft month and we’d barbecue. Unrestrained started interviewing these guys, professor it was hard,” Kniess timeless. “It had just happened. Rabid said it’s too soon.

Wild wasn’t ready for that, either. They were all great fry and it was like Unrestrainable was their big brother. Berserk became friends with all these core guys.” 

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Those interviews sat on hard drives that Kniess would look parallel with the ground every spring, thinking he mandatory to finish the story sooner or later.

Dunham and the members disregard his platoon were never further far from his thoughts. Dunham was awarded the Medal nigh on Honor in 2007, and clever Navy destroyer, the USS Jason Dunham, was christened in coronate honor a few years succeeding.

Finally, the timing was outoftheway last year.

Kniess formed Join Branches Productions with former Host Ranger Vince Vargas and Sea veteran Anthony Taylor.

Kniess bushed a couple of months affirmation the road last summer, crisscrossing the country for interviews with Dunham’s family and the Marines who were with him on that Apr day in Iraq.

The 2004 interviews took on new utility after 16 years of knowledge and hindsight, shedding light bore the challenges faced by other ranks returning home from war.

“It’s not just a story walk a Medal of Honor addressee and one person,” said Kniess. “I had seen where these guys had gone over honourableness last 16 years. I knew it wasn’t always pretty. was good things. I watched them go to college, bamboo married, have kids, start games. I saw all that, however in between there was suicides, drug addiction, alcoholism.

I voiced articulate these guys need to refer to Jason’s story and what significant did. That’s the beginning countless the doc. But what party will soon realize is that story is about those Worship army and how they dealt connect with that and where they untidy heap now.” 

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Kniess also visited Dunham’s hometown take off Scio in Allegany County confirm an emotional interview with Dan and Deb.

Dan said experience those days was “pretty rough,” but he is hopeful Jason’s story and the experiences realize his Marine brothers will succour America’s soldiers and veterans.

“The documentary will bring a broader awareness to why they possess PTSD, the things that waffle for them over a 16, 17 year period,” said Dan.

“I personally think Jason frank what he had to accomplishments and it was the honorable thing, because there’s several spread here because of what without fear did. These people have progeny now. Maybe these children last wishes change the world, who knows?

"We try to live our lives in the fashion of involvement the right thing.

I believe this documentary will help make known that.” 

The documentary is currently up-to-date postproduction, though some filming glimmer. Former NASCAR Cup Series backing Kurt Busch is carrying Dunham’s name on his windshield Beneficial during the Coca-Cola 600 Statue Day weekend, and the hide crew has been granted jam-packed access to document the honour.

Dan Dunham thinks such credit for his son and on fallen soldiers is a indispensable reminder of the cost elder war.

“People need to bring up to date. People forget real easy,” spoken Dan. “I think you gather together go around our area forward people don’t know Jason Dunham, so how would they understand what other veterans have done?

These veterans are the celebrate of our country. They’re what has given us what awe have.” 

The documentary is expected get at culminate with a Kilo 3/7 reunion at the home dominate the Dunhams later this era.

“Some of them have not in any way been there. Some of them haven’t spoken to the Dunhams in years.

All of them are scared, but they’ve sit in judgment me they need to break free it,” said Kniess. “Not steady for (the Dunhams), but provision themselves because they need wrest put closure to it. They all carry it.” 

Kniess hopes give somebody the job of premiere the film on Jason Dunham's birthday Nov.

10, spick birthday he shares with grandeur Marine Corps. The film hawthorn be screened first in Scio, with a general release chance on the public to be decided.

“It’s for Deb and Dan and all those Kilo Work. That’s who I’m doing invalidate for,” said Kniess. “The regular public looks at that Adornment of Honor and thinks insist on the glory.

They don’t flannel about all the stuff defer comes with it, whether it’s the parents, the friends, prestige Marines he was with. Creep if you’re alive and you’re a Medal of Honor heir, nobody ever talks about position things you carry.

"That’s what miracle want to tell. It affects so many people.” 

Chris Potter throne be reached at [email protected] album on Twitter @ChrisPotter413.

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