An Eau Claire soldier is just hours away from the accomplishment of a lifetime: He's coming home.

It was almost a year ago, that an IED exploded, changing Army Specialist Shane Nault's life forever.

"Shane turned 19 in Basics, he turned 20 in Iraq, and 21 at the VA Hospital," Shane's dad tells us.

His is a story of courage, of strength and of recovery. But it's a story Army Specialist Shane Nault doesn't have the words to share. So, Friday, Shane’s dad Mike did that honor.

"He says 'yes, no, and the nurses worked on ‘I love you mom'. That was a tear-jerker back in November," Mike tells us. "Let me know if I do a good job OK?” he jokes with his son.

Shane survived four IED attacks in Iraq. The first three claimed some of his hearing. The fourth, almost took his life.

"On the 8th of May, shrapnel entered about his left temple and exited out above his right eye," Mike says.

Shane's fellow soldiers rushed their friend to a safe zone. A helicopter flew him to Germany. Two days later he was at the National Naval Medical Center in Maryland.

“It’s a phone call no parent wants to get, but we still had him," Mike says.

Every bone in Shane’s face was broken, a stroke left him partially paralyzed and it was unclear how much damage there was to his brain.

Mike says months later, he found out a nurse was told to make him comfortable because he wasn't responding. She asked doctors to give him another chance.

Two months later, Shane moved to the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis. Doctors were later able to reconstruct his skull and face with titanium.

"It's a miracle to see him be able to participate and enjoy himself,” Mike says.

Dr. Larisa Kusar, a staff physician at the hospital says it was a team effort.

Doctors and therapists worked with Shane everyday. He learned to sit up and to eat, he practiced taking steps and he remembered how to smile.

"When was the first time you smiled?” Mike asks Shane who shrugs a little. “Actually, I think the first time Shane smiled was when they got him to stand up and everyone was cheering. And the doctors said we’re going to take this one step further. They got him in the harness and they got him a walker. All the young soldiers were cheering him on. Yeah, he had a pretty big grin that day."

It's a grin that's mirrored on his father's face.

“I think his sense of humor is from his dad. We're going to miss that,” says Dr. Kusar.

Because Saturday at 11:11 a.m., 11 months and 11 days after Shane was hurt in Iraq, he'll make another journey: He's coming home to Eau Claire."

The 11's are a coincidence, but Shane’s dad says they're a special one for his soldier.

"On the 11th hour or the 11th day of the 11th month, World War I ended. For a veteran, for someone who believes in what this country is doing, it's important," Mike says.

"What do you think, are you ready?" Mike asks his son. Shane pauses, considers, then makes an “iffy” motion with a hand.

Saturday is a day both Shane and his family are a little nervous about, but it’s one they're overjoyed is finally here.

"Wow, what are we looking forward to? Cooking! Dad’s going to cook him a lot of food!” Mike says with a big smile.

He says he knows Shane will never be the 19-year-old who left for war, but, he says not one minute goes by that he isn't thankful his son came home alive.

"He could've came home in a flag-draped coffin or I could be wondering where he is in the desert because he got captured. We don't look at perfection, we look at progress. My son is a hero."

A hero whose progress, Saturday, will bring him back home.

Shane won't be making the trip alone. He'll be escorted by the Patriot Guard. He'll also come home to a new handicapped-accessible house. His dad says Shane will continue his therapy at Sacred Heart Hospital. Doctors think he'll have permanent disabilities, but are amazed he's done this well.

We'll have much more on Shane’s homecoming tomorrow night on NewsCenter 13 Weekend.