The Gundalow Company presents a film & discussion at The Music Hall Lounge with documentary, Hell or High Seas.

Hell or High Seas follows U.S. Navy veteran Taylor Grieger and writer Stephen O’Shea as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime — sailing around Cape Horn, the world’s most treacherous ocean waters. The documentary is a moving portrait of a veteran using his own painful journey with PTSD to find healing for himself, and pave a smoother path for veterans returning to civilian life. From director Glenn Holsten, producer Chayne Gregg, and executive producer Robert Irvine, Hell of High Seas is an adventure film with a deep, universal message about perseverance and hope.

About the Speakers (more to be announced soon!)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Taylor Grieger
Founder / Director of Operations
Skeleton Crew Adventures 501(c)(3)

Taylor Grieger served as a United States Navy Rescue Swimmer/ Door-Gunner from 2010-2016. During that time he was stationed with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 (HSC- 25) in Guam, USA. He completed 4 deployments that spanned the entire theater between Australia and Japan. On those deployments he flew on a variety of missions that ranged from providing overwatch in Brunei while working with the United States Secret Service Security and Advance Team, to providing Humanitarian Relief/ Aid in the Northern Marianas islands & Philippines following each Typhoon season.

Upon his release from the military, Taylor had a difficult time assimilating to civilian society. He turned to alcohol and quickly fell into PTSD death spiral. After a failed attempt at taking his own life, and after losing a handful of his brothers to suicide, Taylor decided to set sail for Cape Horn “The Mt. Everest of the Seas” in order to raise awareness for the Veteran Suicide epidemic happening in the States. 55,000+ nautical miles later and 70 foot seas in his wake, Taylor has returned from a successful mission rounding Cape Horn and released the documentary Hell or High Seas, covering their expedition to end Veteran Suicide. He is now on a new mission to bring Adventure Therapy (AT) sailing programs to every single Veteran returning home and travels to military bases across the country to help active duty members better understands how post-traumatic stress has affected the body on a physiological level and how to live a healthy life with PTS.

Dane Hylen – Army veteran of ten years and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, first as an infantryman and later as a helicopter pilot. Originally from NH near lake Winnipesaukee.  He was a watch captain during the ocean globe race 2023….expertise in Ocean Rescue and sailed with the skeleton crew and Taylor from Portsmouth NH to Portugal, and then again from England to Africa over 50 days at sea and 10000+ miles. 

Since 2016, Skeleton Crew Adventures, a 501(c)3 Organization, has been providing veterans and first responders, living with Post Traumatic Stress, the opportunity to heal at sea using research based methods of learning to live with trauma through adventure therapy (AT).  Conducting sailing expeditions across the globe, they currently operate out of Kemah, Texas, where they provide day-sail training opportunities, 3-4 day offshore sailing missions along the Texas coast. In 2023 their team was the only boat representing the United States in the largest ocean sailing race of our generation, The Ocean Globe Race 2023.

Nautical miles sailed: 27,184+
Number of Veterans that have sailed: 290
Number of Veterans who’ve committed suicide after joining our team: 0

Sensei William (Bill Miller) – As a US Army Veteran and Instructor on the V-MAT team, Bill enjoys sharing his time and experience with all who are interested in a journey through the Art that he loves. Bill finds value in all aspects of training. Kata (Forms), as it relates to practical applications and self defense, is one of his favorite pursuits. Bill began studying the Martial Arts in 1972 and has always enjoyed it’s way of focusing the mind, body and spirit. Over these years he has had the opportunity to study under, and with many excellent practitioners. These experiences from different Arts and organizations have helped Bill translate the commonality between them all. The considerable portion of his training has been in the Art of Isshinryu Karate, which he started in 1972 and still pursues today. Training hard, smart and consistently is the key to growth – and the art of sweating can never be overemphasized!

V-MAT – Veterans Martial Arts Training – a 501(c)(3) Organization is a  100% Free Martial Arts Program for U.S. Military Veterans, Reserves and Active Duty Located in the Portsmouth, NH Seacoast Area. Martial Arts have been proven to assist in healing the physical, mental and spiritual losses caused by PTSD, traumatic brain injury, physical injury recovery and many other issues – in all walks of life. The short and long term benefits are learned through the physical practice of traditional kata (forms), upper and lower body movement, breathing, decision making, balance, distance, timing and the evaluation process of when to passively or actively defend one’s self.

Stephen J O’Shea – is a writer, documentarian, and sailor, who tells stories for a living.

After completing his Creative Writing PhD in Glasgow, Scotland, O’Shea set sail with his long-time friend and navy veteran, Taylor Grieger, for Cape Horn – the Mt. Everest of sailing. Having miraculously survived that feat (and documented it on film, to boot) he’s now writing and producing stories through a number of mediums, including the documentary film Hell or High Seas to raise awareness about veteran suicide. His first book, From the Land of Genesis, was released in 2020 by Unsolicited Press  and was the result of six years of research and dozens of interviews with veterans.

Philip Taub is a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP, a national full service law firm.

Phil has spent 29 years as an corporate lawyer representing buyers and sellers in the middle market.  Deeply committed to our community, Phil and his wife Julie started a new charity in the spring of 2017 to benefit our Veterans called Swim With A Mission (see www.SWAM.org).  So far, they have already raised over $12.5 million to benefit tens of thousands of veterans needing assistance. Phil is also a board member at the National Navy SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Phil is also a past president of the board of the Granite State Children’s Alliance, which attends to child victims of abuse. He also serves on the board of Elliot Hospital and Elliot Health System.  In 2015, Phil co-founded a de novo bank called Primary Bank, a full-service community bank headquartered in Bedford, NH, and currently serves on the board of directors. He is a former member of a number of community not for profit boards, including, the Derryfield School, the YMCA, and Junior Achievement.

When Phil is not on his phone or in front of his computer, he is likely spending time with his family, working out with a Navy SEAL, or walking his English springer spaniels through the woods, occasionally skeet shooting, sometimes competing in triathlons, and always happy to share a single malt scotch or fine tequila. If not for the complete intellectual engagement of working with a wonderful group of clients, Phil would enjoy being a safari guide in the Okavango Delta or a boat captain in the Mediterranean Sea.

Mike Montini
CW2, U.S. Army (Ret)
Development Officer | Patriot Resilient Leader Institute

Mike Monini, a proud New Hampshire native, returned to the seacoast area after retiring from The United States Army Special Operations Command. Initially deemed unfit for military duty out of high school, he pursued a career on the ocean. He worked as a longshoreman, a commercial fisherman commercial fisherman and was part of a Piscataqua River Emergency Response Team. After again being denied to join the military multiple times between 2001 and 2005,  Mike underwent elective medical procedures to qualify for military service. After being able to join the Army in 2008 as an Airborne Combat Medic, Mike decided to try out for Special Forces in 2009, ultimately becoming an Army Special Forces Green Beret (SF). Mike’s career encompassed various roles on a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (A-Team). After being selected to attend the SF Warrant Officer course in 2017, Mike became a Warrant Officer, serving as an “A-Team” Commander, Assistant Commander, and The Special Operations Liaison Element Officer for Ambassador Eric Whitaker at the U.S. Embassy in Niger.  After seven deployments and several surgeries, Mike was ultimately medically retired as a Special Forces Chief Warrant Officer 2 due to physical injuries received during combat operations. Since returning to the seacoast area, Mike has been pursuing his MBA, working with the development team at Camp Resilience, and enjoying outdoor activities with his son Max and German Shepherd Service Dog Scout.

Special Thanks to Jay and Amanda McSharry and The Sailmaker’s House for providing accommodations for our speakers.