TheFrontlines.com Launches

Active Military and U.S. Veterans Welcome Online Sharing Site to the Family

The mission of The Frontlines is: “To provide members of the armed forces, veterans, family and friends a platform to creatively share their stories from the frontlines.” There are many ways in which people tell stories and The Frontlines encompasses them all, utilizing social media in order to allow individuals to share their stories through videos, pictures, letters, art, or songs.

Additionally, there is a blog, a forum, and the ability to post book, movie and gear reviews of items of interest by those affiliated with the military. Lastly, The Frontlines is unique in that it affords a family member or veteran to create their own “dossier” listing their description of service, campaigns and any awards they may have had. This “dossier” represents a time capsule for future generations to use in order to have a better appreciation of the sacrifices their relatives made during wartime.

Each and every man and woman that has served in the armed forces, and their families has a story. Yet as philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” So I ask you what is your story? Fronts Change. Memories Don’t.

Thank you very much for your service to our country, it is my humble honor to serve with such men and women as yourselves. To learn more or share your stories please visit us at www.thefrontlines.com.

Very respectfully,

Nathan W. Tierney

CW3(P), USA

[email protected]

A Speech Given by Frontline Founder Nathan W. Tierney to Veterans Group on Nov. 10, 2010 in advance of Veterans Day 2010

A private in an engineer unit, George Van Allen, from Buffalo New York was struck in the first hour of the D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach. Yet he fought on for 48 hours before he was hospitalized for shrapnel wounds. After recovering he came back to the frontlines and continued to fight the Nazis until VE Day. Unbeknownst to my wife and her family, Grandpa Van Allen had answered our nation’s call and distinguished himself during combat overseas.

A humble man, he rarely spoke of his experiences, of the campaigns he fought in, the soldiers he served with, or of what going to war actually meant to him. Only after his passing, tucked away in a closet did a tiny box shed light into his experiences as a soldier. But what if we never found that box? Would future great grandchildren know that Grandpa Van Allen had fought and served in one of the world’s darkest hours?

For many months the box remained tucked away, albeit in a new closet, as both my wife and I wondered about what to do with his undeveloped film and stories. After my own personal challenge of receiving abnormal biopsy results, I found myself periodically traveling to Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital for treatment, where this past July I saw an image that changed my life forever.

Coming out of the front door was a young soldier, early twenties in his PT uniform, struggling to put his backpack on… he was struggling because he was a dual amputee. As the young man struggled out the door, alone, and passersby’s starring vs. helping, I wondered what is his story? Why are people not helping him?

He had obviously given so much to our country and yet there he walked alone, probably facing a discharge and yet with his whole life ahead of him. Is abandoning our men and women of the armed forces what our nation has come to?

I feel very lucky to have a loving wife, supportive family, and options in the military with which to finish my Army Career. Having seen first-hand the number of our young soldiers at Walter Reed that are less fortunate, I am reminded of our civic duty to take care of those who have selflessly sacrificed so much for our country. Whether you served in peacetime or war, as an infantryman, sailor, pilot or marine, each and every man and woman that has worn the uniform has a story.  And unless those stories are told, they will be forgotten. I believe that good storytelling heals the soul.

It is a visceral experience between the storyteller and the audience. Storytelling is universal and transcends all cultures, beliefs and nations – it is as necessary as water, or air.

Since Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War, we as members of the armed forces have told stories in one variety or the other. The stories we have told can and should be our expression of humanity, of our desire for meaning and reveal a deeper understanding of what selfless service in the military really is. In today’s world, a story cannot be contained on just a piece of paper, or a fading memory. Modern technology allows us to capture all forms of storytelling in ways that were previously impossible. Storytelling is an art form, an ideal, and a belief – that must be shared from person to person. The story. It is a human right and a concept that we must protect, preserve, cherish and celebrate.

The story is alive. Like anything truly priceless, it is personal, nuanced, complex and unique. There are many ways in which people tell stories, such as the audio interview with SGT Jeppson a World War I infantryman who spent 17 days straight patrolling no-man’s land, or Airman Robertson’s diary of being a WWII B-17 door-gunner over the skies of Germany, or the video interview SPC Walker, a Ranger and veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, to SGT Blum’s painting of a swamp patrol Vietnam, or the solitude I found in taking pictures during the invasion of Iraq, we all have our own creative way of telling our stories.

The Frontlines encompasses all forms of storytelling by utilizing social media in order to allow individuals to share their stories through videos, pictures, letters, art, or songs. Additionally, there is a blog and forum so that users can interact with one another, and possibly re-connect with former service members. There is also the ability to post book, movie and gear reviews of items of interest by those affiliated with the military.

Lastly, The Frontlines is unique in that it affords a family member or veteran to create their own “dossier” listing their description of their service, campaigns, and any awards they may have had. This “dossier” represents a time capsule for future generations to use in order to have a better appreciation of the sacrifices their relatives made while serving in the armed forces.

The vision for The Frontlines is simple, to be the advocate for the storyteller and to enable members of the armed forces, veterans, family and friends the ability to bring their story to the world in an effective manner without sacrificing passion, quality or artistic vision. I understand that our audience is not necessarily sophisticated and tech savvy.

They desire direct, clutter free engagement with stories and audiences they call their own. As partners, the Frontlines will not be an obstacle, but a venue where communications happen and stories can have a significant presence. We enable the stories to be powerful and sincere.

The Frontlines  is not a mere application, or a tool – but an ideal and a symbol. I want to provide our stories to new audiences and most importantly preserve this rich part of our nation’s history, so that future generations will remember the sacrifices veterans and their families have made on behalf of our country. Only through preservation and education can we hope our grandchildren will know what it is to serve for a cause greater than oneself.

In over 200 years of American history there are so many stories, some heroic, some funny, some sad, and others just observations about the world around them during their time in service. During World War II, aviator and WASP Mary Call flew new fighter planes after they came off the assembly line in order to ensure that the aircraft flown in combat were built to specification and capable of combat operations. Countless women like Mary served in our factories as “Rosie the Riveters,” and without their service we never would have won World War II.

Mrs. Robin Janson, years later explained to her daughter about her father who was shot down and missing in Vietnam. What does one tell their child about a father they never knew? In 1997, Naval Aircrewman and Rescue Swimmer Daniel Garber of Iowa, was deployed to Central America in support of the War on Drugs and after assisting in the capture of a Columbian high-speed drug boat, he personally recovered a billion dollars of cocaine that the drug runners had purposely tossed overboard in order to “destroy evidence.” Dan’s willingness to quickly jump into the ocean and recover the drugs resulted in drugs being kept off of our streets, and the drug runners getting life sentences in jail.

And in 2010, Chief Warrant Officer Four Terry Greer, a 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) pilot, and veteran of multiple deployments in support of our War on Terror, was a month prior to his 20 year retirement, yet volunteered for one last mission to train pilots from his company in mountainous high altitude flight in Colorado, only to be tragically killed on a remote mountainside.

Each and every one of these men and women and their families have a story. Yet as philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” So I ask you what is your story? Fronts Change. Memories Don’t.

Thank you very much for your time, service to our country, and allowing me to be here today. It is my humble honor to be in such a room with men and women like yourself. God bless you and Happy Veterans Day.