Heather and Matthew Bein

Surviving tours to Iraq and Afghanistan didn’t prepare United States Marines Echo Company for life back home.

Hell and Back Again, a documentary about the challenges 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris is faced with after being struck by a Taliban machine-gun bullet, portrays the roller coaster of emotions Harris and his wife Ashley are faced with during every day life.

Celebrating Harris along with his fellow service men and women, Hell and Back Again recently made its Alabama debut with a screening at the Pell City Center.

Veterans from all branches of the military attended the viewing party and empathized with the hardships Harris faces.

Honoring Alabama’s fallen heroes, Blue Star Salute of Alabama (BSSA) set up photo boards of the 182 men and women that the state of Alabama has lost since September 2001.

Glenn Nivens, Secretary and Agent for BSSA, calls these photos the faces of the price of freedom.

“We want to honor these soldiers,” said Nivens. “This is how we keep their memory alive.”

Honored to have been welcomed back from two tours in Iraq by veterans, Noah Galloway an Army man in the 101st Airborne was awestruck when he came home.

“These veterans introduced me to people and brought me in,” said Galloway regarding coming back home. “I felt like who am I to be welcomed like this, when these are the guys I look up to.”

Before the film began, Matt Bein, a Pell City native and member of Echo Company, was presented with a $500 check to go towards his efforts with M.A.P.S. (Military Assistance Personnel Support) from fellow veteran Mike Riley.

“You humble me and it’s hard to humble a combat vet,” Riley told Bein. “We’re going to be present for these young men and women when they come home.”

Struck seven times by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Bein battled his own demons after coming back home.

“The movie explains it all. Being a Marine is a culture. It’s literally a life changer,” said Bein. “At certain points you forget what you’re fighting for and start fighting for each other.”

Striving to overcome things like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Bein said, “We need to progressively grow as a nation. Winning their hearts and minds sometimes means you lose your own mind.”

Relating to Harris, Bein said he tried to go back to the fight for years before being told by doctors he would not see combat again.

“I wasn’t the best husband or father for a long time. Coming back, you feel so lost from being gone so long,” said Bein. “You feel like your no good here and think I need to go back and deploy.”

Bein also says a soldier’s mentality is different from a civilian’s.

“Fighting was my job and business was good,” said Bein.

Arriving home both physically and mentally wounded, these soldiers receive numerous hours of training, but hardly any covers re-entry into the dull drums of day-to-day lifeSeen throughout the film, Harris’s injuries landed him in a wheelchair. Learning to walk again and coping with the pain, Harris’s struggles are documented in Hell and Back Again.

Updating the audience on Harris’s progress, Bein said he is doing a lot better.

“Nathan is a great guy. He has graduated to a cane,” said Bein. “As he prepares to depart from the Marine Corp., he leaves with his head held high.”

As for their time, back at home, Bein’s wife Heather says, “We’re still adjusting to being back in Pell City. We’re excited to be home with our families. We love it!”

Joining forces with filmmaker Danfung Dennis, veterans and civilians continue to honor those who serve.

For more information on Hell and Back Again visit www.hellandbackagain.com.