Tom McMahon
Writing as “Forever Grateful”
A Father Who Went Through His Narration
August 16, 1973, isn’t just a date for Tom McMahon. It is the reason he is alive. Too young and small at the time to grasp the stakes, he was oblivious to the profound sacrifices unfolding around him. Decades later, he is finally sharing the story he didn’t just witness, but lived.
This spirit of deep sacrifice and unity traces straight back to his roots. Growing up in Helena, Montana, Tom was shaped by a family defined by an open door and an even larger heart. His parents, Dr. Jack and Joanie McMahon, fostered an environment where a full table, an open welcome, and absolute integrity weren’t just ideals, but a way of life.
Those early years, the campsites and float trips, the backcountry outfitting business, the endless nights around a fire with the Fryhover family, developed a foundation so strong that no lightning could strike it twice for Tom.
The World Through Tom’s Eyes
Tom works in a profession built entirely on teamwork, where eleven people each doing their part create something none of them could achieve alone. He knows what it looks like when every member gives their one-eleventh. He has lived it, demanded it, and in this book, he traces that lesson all the way back to a meadow in Montana and the people who refused to stop fighting for him.
He draws a straight line between the wilderness rescue of 1973 and the way a team must function under pressure today: without ego, without hesitation, and with complete trust in the people beside you.
“‘Who’s Right,’ in my profession, is irrelevant to the desired outcome. What matters is what we do together.”
The Inspiration Behind His Words
The spark came at Christmas. His daughter gave him a leather-bound notebook and wrote on the first page a note that ended: I want them to get to know “the Man That Hung the Moon.”
So he wrote it all down, every detail, every person who played a part, every moment of that long night in the wilderness. He tracked down the wranglers, the pilots, the forest rangers. He pulled the hospital records. He held nothing back.
He published it because the story was too important to keep within one family. And he signed it “Forever Grateful” because that is the truest thing he knows about himself.
The words “yOURS” and “OURS” share four letters for a reason. Give feels so much better than Get.
Praise
Stories that inspire and uplift
“What an inspirational story about tragedy to triumph! The fight against time, and survival had me on the edge of my chair. trUst.”
Adam Vinatieri
NFL Hall of Famer & All-Time Leading
Scorer
“In a world where trUst and loyalty is everything, one father faces the ultimate challenge — saving his son’s life. A gripping emotional journey of friendship, sacrifice, and unwavering love.”
Chuck Pagano
Former Head Coach, Indianapolis
Colts
“trUst I Know… Pops is a breathtaking,
heart-cracking story of one family’s
journey through trauma and into the
light. Thrilling, tender, and ultimately
triumphant.”
Phill Lewis
Actor & Director
Some stories don't just tell you something. They change you.
Available now in hardcover, paperback, and eBook.