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Journalist Bob Woodruff was nearly killed 17 years ago when he was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Now, he’s sharing his story in a new documentary called “After the Blast: The Will to Survive.”
“Extra’s” Billy Bush caught up with the celebrated newsman to talk about his return to Iraq and whether he got the closure he was looking for. Woodruff also opened up about how he’s helping veterans today.
As for finding closure, he said, “I think in a way I did. We went back to that exact spot we were hit and we walked the street and saw a different kind of Baghdad. It was an emotional thing because my son was there. He’s a cinematographer and he shot the thing. He was in the car with us. When this happened, he was 14 years old.”
He continued, “I got it out of my soul, something that has been eating at me for the past 17-plus years.”
In the doc, Bob becomes emotional as he approaches the scene of the blast. Woodruff told Billy of that moment, “What happened out here 17 years ago took me and my family on a completely different path. It took a long time, Billy, for me to admit and almost confess that I’m not the same as before.”
Did he experience PTSD while he was there? Woodruff said, “I did have some flashbacks when I was there, and that’s one thing that kind of opened me up with some tears. Suddenly, we were just blown up in an instant. Changed our lives. Knocked me out. I couldn’t remember anything for the next 36 days.”
Part of his journey was about getting rid of the guilt he felt. The correspondent explained, “I think sometimes people have a lot of guilt if they leave a place after an explosion and you’re involved in an attack, and you come back while others are still there risking their lives.”
Now, Bob’s mission goes beyond his own healing. He has been relentless in his support of veterans, raising $14 million through The Bob Woodruff Foundation and their annual star-studded event Stand Up for Heroes.
This year’s event was a night of gratitude and a time to pay tribute. Legendary rockers Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp sang together, and Rita Wilson performed too.
Prince Harry joined the fundraiser, and even provided comic relief by cracking some ginger jokes.
Bob told Billy, “I just want people to remember we have to tell the story on TV as much as we can about what the veterans have done because they’ve served our country. There’s no draft; they’ve volunteered. We have a very powerful military who can save our freedom. America has amazing veterans and they need to be treated as much as possible.”
Watch Bob’s documentary “After the Blast: The Will to Survive” tonight at 8 p.m. and visit BobWoodruffFoundation.org to learn more about his organization.
More stars will be honoring the troops this weekend with the broadcast special “American Valor: A Salute to Our Heroes” set to air Saturday.
Celebs include Tom Cruise, Chris Evans, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pine, and others.
The special will be syndicated on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and CW affiliates. Check your local listings. Troops can also watch on the American Forces Network.