Sunlight shimmered across the Hudson River as boats launched at sunrise, each carrying warriors, volunteers, and supporters out into open water. It’s a scene that has repeated for the last four years during Hope For The Warriors’ Annual Striped Bass Fishing Tournament, but this year’s event was more than just a fishing trip. It became the backdrop for a deeply personal and unexpectedly emotional episode of the Hope For The Warriors Podcast, hosted by military spouse and HOPE storyteller, Kate Dudley.
Joining Kate were two special guests: Tyler Grey and AJ Buckley, actors best known for their roles on SEAL Team and vocal advocates for the veteran community. Both came not only to support the tournament but to share in a conversation about service, struggle, healing, and the importance of connection.
“This is a super special episode,” Kate began. “With you guys coming on—the two fake SEALs doing your podcast—you’ve allowed me to kind of infiltrate a little bit, utilize the equipment, and that means so much because this is so fun for me, too.”
As AJ recalled, his introduction to Hope For The Warriors came through a friend and fellow veteran, Matt Dawson, who partnered with HOPE and the Gary Sinise Foundation years ago while raising funds and awareness through world-record athletic challenges.
“I’d heard of you guys from afar,” AJ shared. “Then I went to HOPE’s Celebrity Invitational, and the consistency of the message and the people surrounding it… there’s just this growth. Every year it gets a little bit bigger, and it’s so organic. People come back and bring a friend, and then that friend brings someone else. That’s the heartbeat of a real foundation.”
This sense of grassroots connection is what brought Tyler Grey, a former Army Ranger and Delta Force operator turned actor and director to the tournament for the first time.
One moment that stood out for both AJ and Tyler was hearing Bobby Dove, a veteran Green Beret, who shared his personal journey with HOPE during the opening ceremony.
“He talked about isolation,” Tyler recalled. “There’s one thing to offer help, but in order to give help, you have to have a person who’s willing to receive it. And the military doesn’t really build that into us, it builds the opposite.” AJ agreed. “There are guys out there that saw that, and were inspired by that,” he said. “In their darkest moment, they’ll remember that.”
Tyler went on to explain how isolation becomes a coping mechanism: veterans often remove themselves from others, so no one can see their pain or try to help. “I did a documentary years ago,” he said, referencing a raw moment where he inadvertently captured himself lying to his father about being “fine,” while moments earlier he had recorded a video diary about feeling completely lost. “I’ve had so many people tell me, ‘That was me. I’ve done the same thing.’”
“Fine is not fine,” Kate chimed in with a knowing smile. “As a military wife, I’ve been through it. And that’s why Hope For The Warriors is so important to me.” Kate, who worked in sports television before joining HOPE, now tells the stories of service members and families as a way of creating understanding and building community. “It was really hard when he (her husband) was saying he was fine, and he wasn’t,” she said. “And I see that over and over again, not just with my husband, but with so many in this community.”
The podcast captured the camaraderie and laughter you’d expect between friends who spent the day fishing on a boat, but it also revealed a powerful truth: that healing happens in moments like these, out on the water, when someone shows up for you without expecting anything in return. “There are a lot of great organizations out there doing good things,” Tyler noted. “But the ones that make the biggest difference are the ones that don’t wait for you to ask. They come find you.”
The striped bass tournament, now a HOPE tradition, isn’t just about fishing. It’s about restoring connection to nature, to others, and to the self. And this year, with voices like Tyler and AJ helping tell the story, it’s clear the ripple effect is reaching even further.
Whether it’s a first-time guest or a longtime supporter, this event reminds us that no one heals alone. Because just like Tyler said: “it’s not about how big the boat is, it’s about who’s in it with you.”
Want to dive into the full conversation?
🎧 Watch now on YouTube or listen now on all major podcast platforms
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