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>> Ainsley: NEARLY ONE YEAR
AGO KHMER FOX NEWS TEAM WAS HIT
BY RUSSIAN FIRE WHEN
NEWSGATHERING ON THE OUTSKIRTS
OF KIEV KILLING TWO OF THE
COLLEAGUES PIERRE AND SASHA.
SPEED THROUGH OUR CORRESPONDENT
BENJAMIN HALL WAS THERE AND
SURVIVE THE ATTACK AND
COORDINATED EFFORT TO GET HIM
BACK TO THE UNITED STATES FOR
MEDICAL ATTENTION.
>> Brian: HIS BRAND-NEW MEMOIR
"SAVE THE MISSION TO MAKE IT
HOME," HE SHARES THE DRAMATIC
RESCUE AND ONGOING RECOVERY.
MOST OF WHICH NOBODY KNOWS.
BENJAMIN HALL, PUT THAT
ALTOGETHER WHILE TRYING TO GET
BACK ON THE AIR.
FIRST OFF, HOW OVERALL, HOW ARE
YOU DOING?
>> BRIAN, STEVENTON, ANSLEY, A
PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY BUT I
THINK WHEN YOU GO THROUGH
SOMETHING LIKE I’VE GONE
THROUGH, THE HIGHS, THE LOWS,
YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO FIGHT FOR
AND TRYING TO GET BACK TO SPEAK
TO YOU, TRYING TO TELL PEOPLE
THE STORY.
AT THE MOMENT, I’VE GOT ONE LEG,
NO FEED TO COME I SEE THROUGH
ONE EYE, ONE WORKABLE HAND AND I
WAS BURNT ALL OVER AND I FEEL
STRONGER AND MORE CONFIDENT THAN
I EVER HAVE.
I THINK YOU LEARN A LOT GOING
THROUGH THINGS LIKE THIS AND
SURROUNDED BY 70 WONDERFUL
PEOPLE AND THAT IS WHY I AM HERE
TODAY.
AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT
COMES AHEAD.
>> Ainsley: WHAT IS YOUR
MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE AT HOME THAT
HER WATCHING AND NOT IN A GOOD
PLACE IN THEIR LIFE.
WE HAVE WATCHED YOU AND TEXT YOU
THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
YOU HAVE SUCH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK
ON ALL OF THIS.
>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT WHEN
YOU ARE FEELING LOW.
THERE WAS A LOT OF TIMES I WAS
AT THE BOTTOM.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW THERE IS GOOD
ON THE OTHER SIDE AND IF YOU
WORK HARD AND DEDICATED TO
GETTING SOMEWHERE AND DON’T STOP
TRYING TO ACHIEVE THAT, YOU WILL
GET THERE, NO MATTER HOW PAINFUL
SOMETHING IS OR HOW HARD IT IS.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO AND YOU
HAVE THE SUPPORT TO DO IT, YOU
CAN GET THERE.
NEVER GIVE UP AND NEVER ASSUME
IT IS ALL OVER.
I WAS REACHED BY THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS OF VIEWERS AND THEY
HELPED AS WELL.
PEOPLE REACH OUT AND TELL ME
THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT ME AND
PRAYING FOR YOU, THAT GIVE
SUPPORT AS WELL.
SO ANYBODY ELSE GOING THROUGH
DIFFICULT THINGS, KEEP GOING,
NEVER GIVE UP.
IT IS INSIDE YOU AND ALWAYS GOOD
ON THE OUTSIDE.
>> Steve: SO WELL PUT.
YOU KNOW, BENJAMIN, FOR THE
FOLKS AT HOME, THIS IS THE FIRST
TIME YOU RETURN TO LIVE
TELEVISION.
YOU USED TO BE LIVE ON
TELEVISION EVERY DAY.
BUT TWO MONTHS AGO, WHEN YOU
WERE EVENTUALLY AFFECT
EVERYTHING YOU MUST’VE THOUGHT
TO YOURSELF I WILL NEVER MAKE IT
BACK.
BUT YOU DID.
AND EVERY DAVE MUST JUST BE A
GIFT TO YOU.
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
I REMEMBER THE VERY DAY THIS
HAPPENED, I REMEMBER THINKING,
"I WILL GET BACK."
I REMEMBER LYING THERE WHEN IT
HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF
NOWHERE VERY BADLY INJURED AND
SET I AM GOING HOME IF I HAVE
TO.
I WILL CALL IF I HAVE TO.
I THOUGHT THAT WAY THROUGHOUT.
THAT IS WHAT GOT ME HERE.
IT HAS BEEN LIFE-CHANGING EVENT.
>> Brian: BENJAMIN, THE BOOK
IS NOT OUT YET.
YOU CAN PREORDER RIGHT NOW BUT
HERE IS AN EXCERPT THAT YOU GAVE
TO US.
SO MAYBE YOU CAN READ IT FOR
EVERYBODY AT HOME.
>> THE FIRST EXPLOSION TORE
THROUGH A STAND OF PINE BIRCH A
FEW FEET AWAY AND BARELY TURNED
TO LOOK BEFORE THE SECOND BOMB
WHISTLED OVERHEAD AND LANDED
RIGHT NEXT TO US.
EVERYTHING WENT DARK.
IF I HAD THE SLIGHTEST IOTA OR
CONSCIOUSNESS, IT WAS A DISTANT
SENSE OF SHOCK WAVE AND THE
FEELING EVERY PART OF MY BODY,
BONES, ORGANS, MY SOUL HAD BEEN
KNOCKED OUT OF ME.
I DID NOT EXIST.
EXCEPT THE PART OF NOTHINGNESS.
IT WAS ALL BUT DEAD.
BUT THEN, PROBABLY OUT OF THIS
CRIPPLING NOTHINGNESS, A FIGURE
CAME THROUGH AND I HEARD A
FAMILIAR VOICE AS REAL AS
EVERYTHING I HAD EVER KNOWN.
"DADDY, YOU HAVE GOT TO GET OUT
OF THE CAR."
IN THAT MOMENT WHEN THAT
HAPPENED TO COME I WAS TOTALLY
OUT AND VERY BADLY INJURED.
I HAD SHRAPNEL IN THE EYE AND
THROAT.
I SAW MY OWN DAUGHTERS, MY YOUNG
DAUGHTERS.
THEY BROUGHT ME BACK AND I FOUND
THE STRENGTH.
I OPEN MY EYES AND MANAGED TO
CRAWL OUT OF THE CAR.
AND SINCE THE THIRD BOMB HIT THE
CAR ITSELF.
IF IT WEREN’T FOR THEM BRINGING
ME BACK, THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD
BE HERE TODAY.
I WAS ALIVE AND SAVED, THANKS TO
PIERRE ON CAMERA WHO HAD GOTTEN
OUT OF THE CAR BEFORE ME.
AND FOR TWO OF US LAID THERE
ABOUT 40 MINUTES AND TALKED.
HE PASSED AWAY.
BUT THE JOURNEY CONTINUED IN IT
WAS ABOUT ME BEING SAVED.
I WAS SAVED BY ALLIES, AMERICAN
VETERANS, SPECIAL FORCES WHO
RISKED THEIR OWN LIVES TO GET ME
OUT IN A COVERT WAY.
AN INCREDIBLE STORY.
THEN COME I WAS SAVED BY THE
U.S. MILITARY THAT SAID IF I
COULD MAKE IT TO POLAND, THEY WO
THEIR ARMS.
AND FINALLY DAYS LATER I FOUND A
WAY OUT.
I WAS IN THE MILITARY MEDICINE
FACILITY, AND SAN ANTONIO,
TEXAS, AND AN INCREDIBLE TEAM OF
DOCTORS AND NURSES WHO HELPED
ALL THE WOUNDED IN AFGHANISTAN.
THEY REBUILT ME AND SOME
STRENGTH.
AND FOR ME THIS BOOK IS ABOUT
BEING SAVED COME ABOUT BEING
SAVED BY ALL OF THESE PEOPLE.
IT IS THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT
CAN GIVE YOU SO MUCH STRENGTH.
AND WE ALL THINK ABOUT PEER
EVERY DAY.
I THINK THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR US TO DO.
AND I THINK OF MY FAMILY EVERY
DAY BUT I WENT THROUGH
EVERYTHING THANKS TO THEM.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THOSE
THINGS AND KEEP FIGHTING EVERY
DAY.
>> Brian: YOU ARE SOMEBODY NOT
NEW TO WAR.
I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME
READING STUFF WITH ICES AND YOU
DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ISIS WAS BUT
YOU WERE OVER THERE THE WORST OF
THE WORSE.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT AND GIVE
YOU A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE?
>> WELL, IN SOME SENSE IN TERMS
OF THE JOB, THE JOB HAS TO BE
CONTINUED.
I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY AND’S
ESSENTIAL TO TELL THE NEWS
WHEREVER WE CAN COME OF THE
ATROCITIES THAT ARE GOING ON.
WE HAVE TO KEEP TELLING THE
STORIES OF THE HEROES OUT THERE
AS WELL.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I’M HEADING
BACK AT THIS POINT, BUT SUDDENLY
ENCOURAGE EVERYONE.
I WOULDN’T REGRET FOR ONE
INSTANT THE WORK THAT I HAVE
DONE, THE JOBS I HAVE DONE IN
THE PLACES I HAVE BEEN.
AND I HAVE BECOME A STRONGER
PERSON.
I WILL KEEP FIGHTING FOR THAT.
>> Steve: ABSOLUTELY AND THE
TITLE IS PERFECT, "SAVED A WAR
REPORTER’S MISSION TO MAKE IT
HOME."
IT HIT SHELVES MARCH 14TH AND
YOU CAN PREORDER IT RIGHT NOW.
>> Ainsley: BENJAMIN,
THANK YOU I NEVER HEARD THAT
STORY THAT YOU WERE NEXT TO
PIERRE IN HIS LAST MOMENTS THAT
GAVE HIM GREAT COMFORT TO HAVE A
FRIEND RIGHT NEXT TO HIM.
>> WE THINK OF HIM EVERY DAY.
>> Steve: ABSOLUTELY.
WELCOME HOME.
IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU HOME.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Ainsley: LOTS OF PRAYERS