Urban Valor: the podcast

What is it REALLY like being married to a Navy SEAL? For former U.S. Navy sailor Ashley Rogers, life as a Navy SEAL wife was nothing like she imagined.

Urban Valor chats with Ashley as she reveals the hidden struggles of Navy SEAL marriages, the loneliness of military deployments, raising children while her husband was away, and the devastating discovery of infidelity that ultimately destroyed their marriage.

But Ashley's story began long before she became a Navy SEAL spouse.

Growing up surrounded by domestic violence, parental addiction, and instability, Ashley experienced things no child should ever have to witness. At just four years old, she watched her father hold a gun to her mother's head. Years later, she watched detectives raid her home and arrest her mother for selling drugs.

Desperate to escape the chaos, Ashley joined the United States Navy in 2013.

What followed was a journey through Navy boot camp, aircraft carrier deployments, life aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, USS George Washington, and USS Theodore Roosevelt, and eventually marriage to a Navy SEAL.

Ashley opens up about the realities of being a female sailor in a male-dominated environment, supporting her husband through Navy SEAL BUD/S training, the pressures of military marriage, and the sacrifices required of special operations families.

While raising two young children and building a career of her own, Ashley says her marriage slowly became emotionally disconnected. She later discovered an affair, learned of alleged additional infidelity, and found what she describes as forged separation documents.

The aftermath brought even more challenges, including legal disputes, harassment allegations, and the difficult process of rebuilding her life as a single mother.

Through it all, Ashley shares a powerful perspective on self-worth, accountability, resilience, and learning when it's time to walk away.

This is more than a story about Navy SEAL divorce or military relationships.

It's a firsthand account of a woman who grew up fighting to survive, built a life through military service, and ultimately found the strength to rebuild that life on her own terms.

If you enjoy authentic military interviews, Navy veteran stories, female veteran experiences, military family stories, and honest conversations about life beyond the uniform, subscribe for more.

And if you or someone you love has experienced the challenges of military marriage, we'd love to hear your perspective in the comments.

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Chapters:
00:00 Growing Up Around Violence, Addiction, and Chaos
01:18 Meet Navy Veteran Ashley Rogers
01:38 Childhood Trauma and Domestic Abuse
03:43 The Day Her Father Threatened Her Mother
04:49 Escaping Texas and Returning to Vermont
06:20 Growing Up With an Absent Father
08:45 Her Mother's Behavior Takes a Dark Turn
11:42 Detectives Raid Her Home and Arrest Her Mother
14:44 Discovering Her Mother Was Selling Drugs
16:03 Living With Her Grandparents
18:21 How Dating a Future Navy SEAL Changed Her Path
19:56 Joining the United States Navy
23:03 What Navy Boot Camp Was Really Like
24:55 Living in an All-Female Navy Compartment
28:25 Navy Training and Orders to San Diego
29:34 Working on U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers
32:51 The Challenges of Being a Woman in the Military
36:30 Supporting Her Boyfriend Through Navy SEAL Training
38:01 Why They Rushed Into Marriage
40:21 The Lonely Reality of Being a Navy SEAL Wife
43:11 Raising a Family During Military Deployments
44:26 Deploying to South America
49:15 Becoming a Mother While Her Husband Deployed
51:24 Choosing Between Navy Service and Family
52:47 COVID-19 Extends Her Husband's Deployment
54:13 Moving to Virginia and Marriage Problems
56:51 Growing Suspicious of Infidelity
58:47 The Conversation That Changed Their Marriage
1:00:13 Confronting Her Husband About Another Woman
1:01:24 Discovering the Affair at a Navy SEAL Gala
1:03:21 The Alleged Fake Separation Documents
1:04:15 Divorce and the Chaotic Aftermath
1:06:19 Legal Disputes and Family Conflict
1:07:23 The Allegation of 20 Other Women
1:11:00 Rebuilding Life as a Single Mother
1:14:07 Choosing Healthy Co-Parenting
1:16:12 Finding Self-Worth After Divorce

#NavySEAL #NavyVeteran #MilitaryStories

A U.S. Air Force officer comes face-to-face with armed Taliban fighters on a remote road in Afghanistan... and watches in disbelief as the senior officer beside him unlocks their armored vehicle and opens the door.

What happens next is one of the wildest Afghanistan war stories we've heard.

In today's Urban Valor Podcast, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel John Spargur shares his firsthand experiences surviving Taliban attacks, suicide bombings, and a terrifying attempted abduction while deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2013.

From working in underground nuclear missile launch control centers to protecting satellites and the International Space Station, John's Air Force career was anything but ordinary. But nothing could have prepared him for the realities of the Afghanistan War.

Assigned to NATO headquarters in Kabul, John unexpectedly found himself responsible for coordinating military base closures across Afghanistan, working with Afghan government officials, senior military leadership, and the CIA.

And unlike many officers working at headquarters, John regularly traveled outside the wire through Taliban-threatened streets.

During his deployment, John witnessed the horrifying aftermath of a suicide bombing, survived a grenade thrown in front of his vehicle, experienced attacks on Kabul's heavily fortified Green Zone, and came dangerously close to being pulled into Taliban captivity.

But his biggest battle didn't end when he left Afghanistan.

John opens up about the devastating personal struggles he faced before his deployment, the promise he made to his young son that he'd return home, and the years of PTSD symptoms, nightmares, and hypervigilance that followed his military service.

He also shares how seeking help, writing about his experiences, and connecting with fellow veterans helped him begin to heal.

This isn't just a story about combat, survival, and the War in Afghanistan.

It's about fatherhood, leadership, loss, resilience, and what happens when the war follows you home.

John is also the author of *Kabul Kill Zone: An Air Force Officer's Account of Leadership, Loss, and Survival*, where he shares more about his experiences.

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🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters:
00:00 Taliban Attacks and a Terrifying Ambush
01:19 John Spargur's Childhood and Family
06:49 A Family History of Military Service
09:03 Joining Air Force ROTC
14:56 Becoming an Air Force Officer
17:35 Training for Nuclear Missile Operations
23:20 Witnessing the September 11 Attacks
25:50 Life Inside a Nuclear Missile Squadron
32:48 Inside NORAD and Cheyenne Mountain
34:59 Protecting the International Space Station
43:17 A Devastating Family Crisis
49:27 His Son's Life-Threatening Medical Emergency
53:27 Divorce, a Serious Car Accident, and New Orders
55:55 Preparing for Deployment to Afghanistan
58:41 Arriving in Kabul, Afghanistan
1:01:41 The Mission to Close 400 Military Bases
1:10:02 Unexpected Promotion and a Suicide Bombing
1:13:06 Witnessing the Aftermath of a Taliban Attack
1:20:06 The Constant Danger of Kabul's Streets
1:24:52 A Grenade Thrown at His Vehicle
1:27:32 Taliban Attack a Base After Its Handover
1:31:44 A Dangerous Mission After Multiple Attacks
1:34:28 Face-to-Face With Armed Taliban Fighters
1:39:47 The Door Opens: Fighting for Survival
1:43:02 The Desperate Escape
1:45:48 Ordered Back Into Danger
1:51:03 Working With the CIA in Afghanistan
1:58:26 The $39 Million Military Base Controversy
2:06:31 Taliban Attack Kabul's Green Zone
2:10:35 September 11: Gunfire Erupts Across Kabul
2:13:45 Leaving Afghanistan and Returning to His Son
2:16:43 Forced Out of the Air Force
2:22:00 Retirement and the Emotional Toll of War
2:23:21 PTSD, Nightmares, and Hypervigilance
2:25:35 Finding Healing Through Therapy and Writing
2:27:56 His Book and Family Today
2:30:11 Why Preserving Veterans' Stories Matters

#AfghanistanWar #AirForceVeteran #urbanvalor

In this Urban Valor Podcast, former Army Sergeant First Class Vincent Morales shares his unbelievable journey from growing up around gang violence in Kansas City, Missouri, to fighting through some of the most dangerous experiences of the Iraq War, including the Battle of Mosul, the 2004 Mosul dining facility bombing, and devastating roadside IED explosions.

Vincent opens up about losing fellow soldiers, surviving repeated combat blasts, struggling with severe physical and mental injuries, and the challenges of transitioning from military service to civilian life.

After multiple deployments, his life spiraled into substance abuse, broken relationships, and a suicide attempt that nearly killed him.

But that's not where his story ends.

And THAT is what makes this interview so damn powerful.

Vincent doesn't sugarcoat what combat did to him.

He talks about the violence, the guilt, the anger, and the moments that still haunt him decades later.

One of the most heartbreaking experiences came when an IED struck a vehicle carrying some of his closest brothers. Vincent rushed toward the burning wreckage, helped pull his friend from the vehicle, and stayed beside him as they fought to save his life.

He also shares the devastating aftermath of the December 2004 Mosul chow hall bombing, the reality of repeated roadside bombs, and what happens when soldiers are forced to bury their emotions just to survive the next mission.

And then there's the battle nobody prepared him for.

Coming home.

For Vincent, leaving the battlefield didn't mean leaving the war behind. Years of combat, traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain, sleep deprivation, and unresolved grief followed him into everyday life.

His marriage collapsed. His addiction worsened. And in May 2013, he attempted to take his own life.

He survived.

What happened next completely changed the direction of his life.

Through recovery, fatherhood, community, and serving other veterans, Vincent began rediscovering his purpose.

He eventually helped co-found Veterans Community Project, an organization dedicated to supporting veterans facing homelessness and housing instability through tiny-home communities and individualized support services.

**Learn more about Veterans Community Project:**
https://www.veteranscommunityproject.org/

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters:
00:00 Intense Combat Stories & The Battle After War
01:22 Meet Army Veteran Vincent Morales
03:00 Growing Up in a Military Family
07:08 Running Away from an Abusive Home
09:01 Gang Violence in Kansas City
14:37 Arrests, a Police Chase & a Turning Point
19:03 Becoming a Father at 17
21:49 How 9/11 Changed Everything
24:05 Joining the Army with His Brother
25:21 Army Combat Engineer Basic Training
37:47 First Assignment at Fort Lewis
38:55 The Mentor Who Prepared Him for War
49:54 First Iraq Deployment & Stryker Patrols
52:51 The Reality of Combat Sets In
55:10 First Ambush in Iraq
59:48 The Battle of Mosul
1:04:12 The Deadly 2004 Mosul Chow Hall Bombing
1:08:01 Fighting Through Tal Afar
1:11:50 The IED Attack That Killed His Brothers
1:19:11 The Heartbreaking Military Memorial
1:26:34 Another IED Blast & Saving Martinez
1:38:43 Honoring a Fallen Brother's Family
1:46:31 Preparing for a Second Iraq Deployment
1:57:03 How Route Clearance Changed
2:02:08 Clearing an Al-Qaeda Compound
2:12:52 Recognizing the Man Combat Had Created
2:15:49 The Moment Prince's Purple Rain Broke Him
2:21:06 Combat Operations in Sadr City
2:27:36 A Deadly Mission & Extreme Heat Casualties
2:32:57 Physical Injuries and the Cost of War
2:37:02 Coming Home and Losing Everything
2:47:20 Addiction, Anger & Personal Collapse
2:50:15 Volunteering for a Third Deployment
2:51:51 Afghanistan and Training Afghan Soldiers
3:03:47 Coming Home to a Broken Life
3:06:12 Surviving a Suicide Attempt
3:09:37 Learning to Walk and Live Again
3:10:10 Finding Purpose Helping Veterans
3:13:20 Founding Veterans Community Project
3:16:44 Housing the First 13 Veterans
3:17:47 How Veteran Tiny Home Communities Work
3:20:38 Building Veteran Support Services
3:25:11 Expanding Veteran Housing Across America
3:30:53 Learning to Control His Anger
3:34:34 The Lasting Effects of Brain Injuries
3:36:22 Getting Help and Beginning to Heal
3:38:05 Exploring New Paths to Recovery
3:41:38 What Is an Army Sapper?
3:42:40 Vincent's Final Message of Hope

#IraqWar #VeteranStories #CombatPTSD

At just 18 years old, US Marine Corps veteran Manny De Anda witnessed the unimaginable during his deployment to Fallujah, Iraq. After a devastating explosion involving a 7-ton military truck carrying female Marines, Manny and his fellow Marines were among the first to arrive on scene. What he witnessed during that Iraq War deployment would stay with him for the rest of his life.

In this episode of the Urban Valor Podcast, Manny shares his firsthand experiences serving as an 0311 infantry Marine during two deployments to Iraq, surviving the dangers of IED attacks, losing fellow Marines in combat, and struggling with the lasting psychological effects of war.

But Manny's story goes FAR beyond the battlefield...

Growing up in Orange County, California, as the son of Mexican immigrants, Manny wanted to make something of himself and give back to the country that gave his family opportunity.

So, at just 17 years old, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

And he had absolutely no idea what he was walking into.

From the chaos of Marine Corps boot camp to the brutal realities of combat in Iraq, Manny takes us through the experiences that shaped him, the Marines who changed his life, and the brothers he would never see again.

One of the most difficult moments came when Manny responded to the aftermath of an explosion involving female Marines.

He was only 18.

He describes the destruction, the recovery of fallen service members, and the memories that still follow him today.

And then there was December 21st.

Just days before Christmas, another devastating IED attack killed Marines he'd served alongside since arriving at his unit.

Imagine surviving one deployment, returning for another, and watching the people you trained with and cared about disappear one by one.

It's hard to comprehend what that does to someone.

But here's what makes Manny's story even more remarkable...

When he returned home and eventually left the Marine Corps, his journey was FAR from over.

He went to college, became a police officer, and encountered an entirely different kind of trauma while responding to emergencies, violence, and death in his own community.

Eventually, he made the difficult decision to leave law enforcement.

And then, in one of the most unexpected turns of his life, he moved to China to teach English.

Yep. From combat in Iraq to teaching kindergarten in China.

Quite the career change, huh?

But it was there that Manny discovered something he'd been searching for since leaving the military.

Purpose.

Today, Manny works in higher education, helping veterans, adult learners, and students navigate their own paths forward.

And through it all, the memory of the Marines he lost has never left him.

Manny's willingness to share these experiences is a powerful reminder that the sacrifices of military service don't necessarily end when someone takes off the uniform.

To Manny, thank you for trusting us with your story, brother. And thank you for your service.

To everyone watching, if this story resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

And if you're a veteran, reach out to a brother or sister you haven't spoken to in a while.

That simple conversation might mean more than you realize.

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters:
00:00 Marine Recalls the Horrors of Iraq
01:33 Growing Up in Orange County
10:06 Troubled Childhood and Finding Discipline
14:55 Why Manny Joined the Marine Corps
19:47 Marine Corps Boot Camp Stories
27:34 Preparing for War and Joining the Infantry
31:14 First Deployment to Fallujah, Iraq
33:50 Losing a Close Friend in Afghanistan
36:55 Responding to the Deadly Attack on Female Marines
41:38 The Emotional Aftermath of Combat
44:56 Preparing for a Second Iraq Deployment
49:32 Second Deployment Near the Syrian Border
53:05 Devastating IED Attack Before Christmas
55:57 Losing More Marines and Deployment Extension
1:00:02 Turning Down $40,000 for Another Deployment
1:01:26 Leaving the Marine Corps
1:03:10 Struggling to Adjust to College
1:08:49 From College Student to Police Recruit
1:13:55 The Reality of Working as a Police Officer
1:18:55 Leaving Law Enforcement Behind
1:21:30 Moving to China to Teach English
1:24:41 Finding Purpose Through Education
1:26:19 Losing a Fellow Marine to Addiction
1:29:33 The Importance of Checking on Veterans

#MarineCorps #IraqWar #CombatVeteran

In today's Irban Valor Podcast, Octavio talks about combat in Iraq, repeated IED attacks, losing Marines in his unit, being engulfed in flames, the medevac and ICU experience, learning to walk again, adapting to life with severe burns and a hand amputation, and the impact his injuries had on his wife and children.

Octavio also opens up about what happened after the uniform came off...struggling with alcohol and drugs, losing his sense of purpose, rebuilding his family life, returning to his faith, and eventually finding a new mission helping other veterans.

Today, Octavio serves with Front Sight Military Outreach, where he helps veterans reconnect with faith, community, brotherhood, and purpose after military service.

Chapters:
00:00 Marine Survives a Massive IED Attack
01:27 Growing Up in Fontana, California
03:03 Family Roots in Zacatecas, Mexico
04:25 Getting Pulled Into Gang Life
07:39 Expelled From High School
08:01 Getting Jumped Into a Gang
11:37 Sent to Mexico
13:57 Turning His Life Around
16:02 Dreaming About the Military
17:16 Meeting a Marine Corps Recruiter
19:44 Leaving for Marine Corps Boot Camp
24:14 Earning the Title Marine
26:00 Joining 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines
29:12 First Deployment to Okinawa
32:42 Training With Force Recon
33:34 Massive Fight Between Marines
37:24 Zodiac Training Off Australia
40:09 The Lesson He Never Forgot
44:32 Becoming a Marine Corps NCO
46:28 September 11th in Okinawa
49:02 Reenlisting in the Marines
50:25 Becoming a Marksmanship Instructor
55:21 Watching His Marines Go to War
58:08 Joining 1st Battalion, 5th Marines
1:01:46 Preparing for Iraq
1:03:56 Deploying to Ramadi, Iraq
1:07:54 IED Capital of Iraq
1:09:26 Running Quick Reaction Force Missions
1:12:18 The Reality of Combat
1:13:34 His First IED Explosion
1:17:34 Losing Marines in Ramadi
1:18:27 Looking for a Fight
1:20:20 Hunting for IEDs
1:23:54 June 16, 2005
1:25:20 The Mission That Changed Everything
1:28:44 The Roadside Bomb Explodes
1:29:09 Humvee Launched 40 Feet
1:30:39 Trapped Inside a Burning Vehicle
1:31:35 Escaping While on Fire
1:34:34 Medevac Under Fire
1:38:00 Fighting for His Life
1:39:57 Hallucinations in the ICU
1:45:24 Beginning the Recovery
1:46:50 Seeing His Daughter Again
1:48:49 Learning His Marines Had Died
1:50:22 Life Inside the Burn Center
1:53:52 How His Children Reacted
1:56:19 Becoming an Outpatient
1:58:29 Medical Retirement From the Marines
1:58:56 His Wife Never Left His Side
2:00:47 Life After the Marine Corps
2:02:18 Alcohol, Cocaine & Losing Direction
2:02:59 Finding Faith and Purpose
2:04:27 Finding His Veteran Brotherhood Again
2:06:17 The Struggle of Leaving the Military
2:07:42 Front Sight Military Outreach
2:09:13 Final Thoughts

Marine veteran Alex Hernandez survived an RPG blast while fighting in Fallujah, Iraq — an attack that severely wounded his tank commander and left Alex covered in shrapnel and blood.

In this episode, Alex tells the story of going from a kid in East LA with no clear direction to joining the United States Marine Corps after 9/11, becoming an M1 Abrams tank mechanic, deploying to Iraq, and finding himself in some of the most intense fighting of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Alex remembers watching the aftermath of the Blackwater contractor killings before Marines were suddenly ordered outside the wire. What followed was hours of combat in Fallujah.

Then, on April 7, everything changed.

While moving through the city in an M1 Abrams, Alex spotted armed fighters appearing with RPGs and AK-47s. Moments later, an RPG struck the tank commander’s hatch.

His tank commander lost his right eye.

Alex was hit by shrapnel and badly wounded in both hands.

But surviving the battlefield was only the beginning.

Alex also opens up about returning home, losing the career and identity he thought he would have, struggling with his mental health years after the war, seeking help, and eventually trying to rediscover a sense of purpose through service and teaching others.

This is a story about war, brotherhood, injury, identity, and what happens when the fighting stops but the battle isn’t necessarily over.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 — The RPG Attack in Fallujah
01:10 — Growing Up in East LA
06:16 — His Grandfather Inspires Him to Serve
07:33 — 9/11 Changes Everything
09:24 — Proving He Could Become a Marine
11:12 — Injured During Boot Camp
13:27 — The Marine Who Never Made It Home
16:54 — Becoming an M1 Abrams Tank Mechanic
19:07 — Arriving at 29 Palms
22:21 — Preparing for War
25:23 — Heading to Iraq
28:42 — First Incoming Fire
30:04 — Life Inside an Abrams Tank
36:45 — Blackwater Killings and Fallujah
38:09 — The Battle Begins
40:46 — 13 Hours of Combat
44:50 — April 7th
45:30 — Watching an RPG Fly Toward the Tank
47:04 — Drawing Fire Away From the Marines
48:59 — RPG Strikes the Tank
49:21 — “I’m Pissing Out Blood”
50:47 — Escaping the Burning Tank
51:31 — Surgery and Recovery
53:57 — Returning to the Fight
57:43 — His Wife Deploys to Iraq
58:30 — Coming Home
1:02:12 — Losing His Sense of Purpose
1:04:29 — Mental Health Begins to Collapse
1:06:33 — Calling the Crisis Line
1:07:58 — Finally Finding the Right Help
1:09:46 — Learning How to Move Forward
1:11:27 — Finding Purpose Again
1:12:14 — “Pick Your Head Up and Continue to March”

Marine Staff Sergeant Tony Storey served 21 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including combat deployments to Somalia and Iraq. At just 21 years old, he led Marines into Somalia during Operation Restore Hope, survived a bullet striking the sandbag beside his head, and later endured a monsoon that flooded his fighting position with human remains.

In this episode, of Urban Valor, Tony shares what it was like entering Mogadishu, serving as an 0311 Rifleman, training Iraqi security forces, and carrying the memories of combat long after coming home.

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Chapters:
00:00 Marine Still Has the Bullet That Almost Killed Him
01:15 Tony Storey — 21 Years in the Marine Corps
01:44 Childhood, Abandonment & Losing His Grandparents
06:56 Growing Up in the Shadow of His Marine Father
10:45 His Father’s Brutal Combat History in Vietnam
17:02 “He Was the Marine I Wanted to Be”
20:32 Deciding to Join the Marines
26:03 Arriving at Parris Island
31:08 The Recruit Named Batman
33:30 What Marine Boot Camp Taught Him About Himself
38:32 A Massive Recruit Brawl Breaks Out
45:59 Hurricane Hugo Changes His Graduation
49:14 The Moment He Finally Became a Marine
51:03 Early Marine Combat Training
58:20 Instructor Accidentally Shoots Two Marines
01:00:07 Marine Corps Security Forces
01:05:30 Suicide in the Barracks
01:16:06 Joining 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines
01:16:40 America Is Going Into Somalia
01:19:11 Preparing for Operation Restore Hope
01:21:00 First Wave Into Mogadishu
01:24:23 21 Years Old Leading Marines Into Somalia
01:27:36 They Were Digging Inside a Cemetery
01:30:35 The Bullet That Almost Killed Him
01:34:14 Entering Baidoa — “The City of Death”
01:34:43 The Monsoon That Flooded Their Fighting Holes
01:37:36 Human Remains Begin Floating Past Him
01:43:34 Christmas Day in Somalia
01:45:59 The Child Tony Couldn’t Save
01:51:28 Leaving Somalia
01:53:27 The Marine Who Stole a Lotus
02:00:40 Transitioning Back to Civilian Life
02:04:14 Recalled by Name and Sent to Iraq
02:05:43 Training Iraqi Security Forces
02:19:56 Working Alongside SEAL Team 10
02:28:00 Coming Home From Iraq
02:29:12 Fireworks, IED Memories & Combat Trauma
02:30:38 The Things Combat Veterans Can’t Explain
02:33:38 The Faces He Still Remembers
02:35:30 The Calls From Marines Who Are Struggling
02:37:03 “I Wouldn’t Trade a Damn Thing”
02:37:49 What Tony Lives for Today
02:40:45 Final Thoughts & Semper Fi

Army Major Mandy Feindt says Navy jet fuel contamination from the Red Hill water crisis poisoned her family — and when she spoke out, the military came after her.

In this episode of Urban Valor, Mandy breaks down what happened after her family moved onto Ford Island in Hawaii, began getting severely sick, and later learned they had been exposed to contaminated water connected to the Red Hill fuel spill.

She talks about her son’s health issues, more than 800 family medical appointments, confronting Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, filing for whistleblower protection, and the retaliation she says followed.

Mandy also shares what happened years later when her son was mistreated at a military Child Development Center, the fight to obtain video and records, and why she believes military systems too often protect the institution before the family.

This is a story about Red Hill, military toxic exposure, whistleblower retaliation, military families, institutional betrayal, and what happens when a career Army officer decides she can’t stay quiet.

Mandy’s message:

Take a mess and turn it into a message.

If you or your family were impacted by Red Hill, military toxic exposure, or a similar situation while serving, share your story below.

Subscribe to Urban Valor for more unfiltered veteran and military stories.

Chapters:
0:00 Navy Jet Fuel Poisoned Our Family
1:29 Meet Army Major Mandy Feindt
2:43 Growing Up in a Military Family
4:00 How 9/11 Changed Her Life
6:17 Becoming an Army Officer
8:07 Afghanistan & Casualty Operations
12:48 Command, ROTC & Special Operations
16:25 Moving to Hawaii
18:50 The Dream House on Historic Ford Island
20:19 Her Family Suddenly Gets Sick
21:20 The Red Hill Fuel Spill
24:39 The Navy Said the Water Was Safe
27:54 Her Entire Family Ends Up in the Hospital
29:23 Fighting for Military Children
34:08 Speaking Out as an Active-Duty Officer
38:40 From Hospital Bed to Public Advocacy
41:06 Walking the Halls of Congress
42:45 When the Retaliation Escalated
44:55 Confronting the Secretary of the Navy
46:52 “Nothing in Life Is Pure”
48:31 Investigated After Confronting Navy Leadership
49:08 Filing for Whistleblower Protection
55:22 The Military's Flushing Operation
58:21 More Than 800 Medical Appointments
1:00:48 The Psychological Trauma of Contaminated Water
1:01:15 “An American Military Asset Poisoning Americans”
1:04:47 The Red Hill Lawsuit
1:06:51 Why Long-Term Medical Monitoring Matters
1:09:39 The VA Finally Recognizes Red Hill
1:11:20 “There's the Door”
1:12:39 Why She Refused to Stay Silent
1:14:46 Native Hawaiians & Military Families Unite
1:16:15 How Does This Happen in the U.S. Military?
1:20:26 Why Families Weren't Properly Tested
1:22:39 Institutional Betrayal
1:27:26 Trusting the Military Again
1:28:24 Her Son's Daycare Incident
1:30:00 Discovering the Abuse
1:34:34 The Army Promises to Handle It
1:37:08 The Same Teacher Comes Back
1:38:01 Fighting to Preserve the Evidence
1:41:48 The Military Says It Wasn't Abuse
1:44:03 Why the Secretary of the Army Wouldn't Meet Her
1:46:24 Parents Barred From the Hearing
1:47:16 The Video Evidence Disappears
1:49:39 What the Remaining Video Showed
1:51:28 Military Daycare Oversight
1:53:36 CPS Substantiates Child Abuse
1:56:30 The Teachers Returned to Work
1:59:02 The FOIA Records
2:00:18 “You Poisoned My Kids”
2:01:06 The Fight Is Still Ongoing
2:03:31 Retaliation Over Protecting Her Son
2:06:52 Why Speaking Up Comes With a Cost
2:07:12 Her Whistleblower Case Is Substantiated
2:09:43 Will Her Children Ever Serve?
2:12:36 The Military Recruiting Problem
2:14:14 What Military Families Need to Know
2:14:51 What's Next for Mandy
2:16:13 Turning a Mess Into a Message

Marine veteran Peter Caro joined the U.S. Marine Corps expecting to become a mechanic. Instead, he was sent to Iraq as a Motor Transport operator during a time when IEDs were killing drivers across the battlefield.

In this Urban Valor interview, Peter shares what it was like serving in Fallujah, driving dangerous roads in Iraq, surviving IED attacks, taking enemy fire, and dealing with the PTSD and survivor’s guilt that followed him home.

Peter served in the Marines from 2004 to 2013 and completed multiple deployments to Iraq. During his service, he transported personnel and equipment, trained Iraqi police and military forces, and operated outside the wire in some of the most dangerous conditions of the Iraq War.

He also opens up about the moments that stayed with him most — seeing Marines he knew listed as killed in action, watching a vehicle in front of him hit an IED, and struggling with the belief that other Marines deserved to come home more than he did.

After leaving active duty, Peter began dealing with hypervigilance, panic attacks, isolation, drinking, and survivor’s guilt. His path to understanding PTSD eventually led him back to school, where he studied psychology and social work.

Today, Peter works as a therapist helping other veterans navigate trauma, PTSD, depression, and the difficult transition from military to civilian life.

Chapters:
00:00 Marine Boot Camp & Surviving an IED Attack
01:00 Peter Caro’s Marine Corps Story
01:50 Growing Up in a Mexican-American Family
06:34 Why Pete Wanted to Become a Marine
08:34 Watching 9/11 Change Everything
11:31 Feeling Lost Before Joining the Marines
13:44 Walking Into the Marine Recruiter’s Office
16:33 The Reality of Marine Corps Boot Camp
18:32 Choosing to Push Through
19:01 A Recruit Tries to Escape Boot Camp
23:39 The Reality of the Boot Camp Bathroom
25:13 Pete’s Infamous Boot Camp Story
27:00 Marine Corps Graduation & His Father’s Reaction
31:51 Returning Home After Boot Camp
32:59 Getting in Trouble on Recruiting Duty
36:00 The Marine Corps Job He Didn’t Expect
37:30 Joining 9th Communication Battalion
40:02 When Pete’s Roommate Went UA
43:55 Preparing to Deploy to Iraq
45:31 “Dude, You’re Going to Die”
47:00 Training for His First Iraq Deployment
48:47 Accidentally Taking Night Vision Goggles Home
51:58 Deploying to Fallujah, Iraq
53:07 Training Marines & Iraqi Security Forces
54:04 Carrying Iraqi Money Into a Combat Zone
55:53 His First Experience Taking Enemy Fire
56:41 Tracer Fire Over a Marine Convoy
59:24 Becoming Desensitized to Combat
1:00:50 Seeing Marines He Knew on the KIA Wall
1:03:19 The Beginning of Survivor’s Guilt
1:04:28 Secretly Getting Married Before Deployment
1:08:55 Training Iraqi Police & Army
1:10:25 Ambushed During a Convoy Mission
1:15:43 Coming Home From Iraq
1:18:35 Pete’s Second Iraq Deployment
1:20:29 The “Code Brown” Convoy Story
1:24:32 Incoming Fire Nearly Kills Pete
1:28:12 The Mission That Changed Everything
1:31:24 The Truck in Front of Him Hits an IED
1:32:49 Thinking His Marines Were Dead
1:35:00 Guilt After the IED Explosion
1:36:45 Why Pete Decided to Leave Active Duty
1:40:48 Life in the Marine Corps Reserve
1:43:43 Being Reenlisted by R. Lee Ermey
1:45:21 Returning to College After the Marines
1:46:50 “I Hate the Fact That I Came Back Alive”
1:48:46 How Combat Changed Him at Home
1:50:54 Drinking, Isolation & Emotional Numbness
1:51:32 Learning About PTSD in Psychology Class
1:54:50 Refusing to Accept He Had PTSD
1:56:11 The Panic Attack That Changed Everything
1:57:44 His First Experience Seeking Help
1:58:53 The Vietnam Veteran Who Changed His Life
1:59:56 Finding a New Mission Through Social Work
2:00:49 Becoming a Therapist for Veterans
2:02:08 Why Transitioning Out Can Be So Difficult
2:03:18 Why Pete Almost Didn’t Tell His Story
2:05:54 What He Would Tell His Younger Self
2:06:43 “You Are Enough”

Navy SEAL Andrew Arrabito sits down to tell the REAL stories behind serving in United States Naval Special Warfare from 2002 to 2012, including time with SEAL Team 5 and SEAL Team 1.

In this episode of Urban Valor, he breaks down what BUD/S was really like, the mindset required to survive SEAL training, life as a new guy in the teams, and what combat looked like during deployments overseas.

He also tells the incredible story of a nighttime freefall jump where he lost access to his ripcord, began tumbling at low altitude, deployed his reserve chute, survived… and then got back in the aircraft and jumped again.

Beyond the military stories, Andrew opens up about growing up in Northern California, losing his father and two older brothers in a plane crash at age seven, and later returning to the crash site in Alaska.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters:
0:00 “I Thought I Was Dead” – Parachute Malfunction
1:25 Meet Navy SEAL Andrew Arrabito
2:07 Growing Up in Northern California
5:20 Faith & Family
6:08 Why He Wanted to Become a Navy SEAL
7:11 Joining the Navy & Getting to BUD/S
14:50 How BUD/S Instructors Targeted Candidates
15:54 The Different Phases of SEAL Training
21:59 Deaths & Danger During SEAL Training
23:09 Joining SEAL Team 5
24:01 Life as the New Guy
25:34 Hazing & SEAL Team Culture
27:25 First Combat Deployment to Iraq
28:42 Combat Missions in Iraq
32:06 Hunting a Sniper in Tal Afar
33:46 Screening for DEVGRU
42:00 Fighting in Afghanistan
43:12 How Taliban Fighters Hid From Apache Helicopters
45:40 A Helicopter Crash That Nearly Included His Team
46:02 Did They Make a Difference in Afghanistan?
46:22 Training Other Navy SEALs
58:27 Losing His Father & Two Brothers
58:38 Returning to the Alaska Plane Crash Site
1:00:06 Losing His Family at Seven Years Old
1:01:08 Building His Business After the SEAL Teams
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DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

#UrbanValor #navyseal #podcast

Marine Corps Sergeant Major Jean-Paul Corville served 22 years in the United States Marine Corps from 1991 to 2013, earning the Bronze Star with Valor and rising to the rank of Sergeant Major.

In this episode of Urban Valor, Corville shares Marine Corps boot camp stories, infantry life, combat in Iraq, leadership lessons, disaster response in Japan, and the decision that ultimately changed the course of his career.

He talks about growing up shy and overweight in Louisiana, transforming himself through training, choosing the Marines, becoming an 0331 machine gunner, serving at 29 Palms, deploying to Okinawa, becoming a drill instructor, and eventually reaching the highest enlisted levels of Marine Corps leadership.

Corville also opens up about combat, loss, mistakes, consequences, and what happened when one decision cost him more than he ever expected.

From hilarious Marine Corps stories to some of the darkest moments of his life, this is an unfiltered look at a 22-year military career from someone who lived it at every level.

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters:
00:00 Preview
01:38 Growing Up Shy & Overweight in Louisiana
07:58 Why He Chose the Marine Corps
15:10 Marine Corps Boot Camp & Becoming a Machine Gunner
22:04 Life at 29 Palms & Early Infantry Stories
27:49 Deploying to Okinawa
46:04 Life as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor
1:24:43 Deploying to Kuwait Before the Iraq Invasion
1:33:59 Combat in Baghdad & Losing Marines
1:59:40 The Battle of Karma
2:32:46 The Career Decision That Changed Everything
2:34:34 Retiring as a Sergeant Major After 22 Years
2:43:28 Hiking the Appalachian Trail & Life After the Marines
2:53:19 Motivation, Inspiration & Final Advice

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DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

#UrbanValor #usarmy #podcast

Ronald Long is a United States Marine Corps veteran who served from 2009–2013, leaving the Marines as an E-4 Corporal. In this episode of Urban Valor, Ronald shares his incredible story of joining the U.S. Marines, experiencing combat, surviving an IED explosion, losing a fellow service member beside him, and confronting experiences that would follow him long after the battlefield.

But Ronald’s story started LONG before the Marine Corps...

He grew up in Northern California in a Puerto Rican family that endured financial hardship, his sister’s battle with cancer, his mother’s addiction, abuse inside the home, and eventually the breakup of his family.

As a kid, Ronald learned pretty damn quickly how to survive.

By his teenage years, that meant helping raise his sisters, trying to help keep his family financially afloat, getting involved in selling marijuana, witnessing violence around his friends, and reaching adulthood without much of a plan for what came next.

Then life changed FAST.

Ronald began a relationship, discovered he was about to become a father, and suddenly needed a way to provide for a family.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere...

A Marine Corps recruiter called.

Ronald signed the paperwork, went to boot camp, and began a path that would eventually put him into situations very few people can truly understand.

And somehow, even surrounded by some incredibly dark moments, Ronald’s Marine Corps stories can also be absolutely hilarious.

From doing boot camp practically BLIND because nobody gave him his glasses...

...to Marines breaking into the WRONG barracks...

...to a drill instructor apparently studying World of Warcraft just so he could figure out new ways to destroy the recruits playing it.

But combat was different.

Ronald describes transporting bodies, seeing horrific injuries become almost routine, and the moment a pressure plate detonated feet away from him.

For a moment, his mind transported him somewhere completely different.

Then Abdul came crashing back into his reality.

And Ronald realized his friend was dead.

Thank you to Ronald Long for trusting us with his story.

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters:
00:00 Preview
01:04 Meet Marine Veteran Ronald Long
02:17 His Sister’s Battle With Cancer
04:19 Addiction and Abuse at Home
10:15 His Family Nearly Loses Everything
12:30 Gang Violence and Losing a Friend
17:55 Life Before the Marine Corps
23:16 Finding Out He Was Going to Be a Father
23:55 The Marine Corps Recruiter Calls
25:50 Leaving for Boot Camp
26:50 Going Through Boot Camp Nearly Blind
28:26 Breaking Into the Wrong Barracks
32:34 World of Warcraft Meets Marine Boot Camp
37:02 Becoming a Squad Leader
39:18 MCT and Becoming a Radio Operator
44:42 Arriving in the Fleet
45:58 A Wild Night With His Corporals
50:53 Becoming a Field Radio Operator
52:10 Preparing for Afghanistan
59:19 Taking Over Communications in Afghanistan
1:00:07 Becoming Addicted to Combat Patrols
1:01:42 The Push Along Route 611
1:03:39 Abdul Steps on an IED
1:04:29 Realizing Abdul Is Dead
1:05:16 Surviving the Blast
1:06:52 Faith, Anger, and Wanting to Die
1:15:20 Returning to Afghanistan
1:15:39 Becoming Desensitized to Death
1:17:00 The True Cost of the Deployment
1:26:14 Surviving Another Major Battle
1:27:22 Coming Home From a Brutal Deployment
1:29:43 Trying to Become a Husband and Father
1:41:19 Getting Married Days After Coming Home
1:42:34 Discovering His Wife Was Unfaithful
1:45:24 Preparing for Another Deployment
1:52:40 Waking Up Injured in Thailand
1:54:19 His Unit Leaves Without Him
1:56:10 Stranded and Trying to Rejoin His Unit
2:00:04 Traveling Through the Middle East
2:06:53 Finally Rejoining His Marines
2:11:02 Deciding to Leave the Marine Corps
2:12:23 Transitioning to Civilian Life
2:13:53 Moving Millions on the Las Vegas Strip
2:24:14 A Fight Changes His Career
2:26:22 Becoming a Counterterrorism Instructor
2:27:04 Finding Purpose Again
2:31:06 Struggling With Suicidal Thoughts
2:31:55 Losing His Purpose Again
2:34:00 Sitting in a Parking Lot With a Gun
2:34:19 The Phone Call That Kept Him Alive
2:35:25 Losing Fellow Marines to Suicide
2:37:16 Finding a New Mission After the Military
2:37:56 Turning Veteran Trauma Into Comedy
2:42:15 Helping Veterans Find Purpose
2:43:02 Stories Over Stigma
2:43:39 Ronald’s Message to Other Veterans
2:44:33 Closing

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DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

#UrbanValor #usarmy #podcast

U.S. Army tanker Carlos Manjarrez served as an M1 Abrams armor crewman from 2012 to 2018. In this episode of the Urban Valor Podcast, Carlos shares the story of growing up in San Bernardino, joining the United States Army with a baby on the way, choosing a combat MOS, becoming an Army tanker, and experiencing the wild personalities, leadership, training, and brotherhood that came with life in an armor unit.

Carlos didn’t grow up with some perfectly mapped-out plan to become an M1 Abrams tanker.

After graduating high school in 2011, college wasn’t clicking. He had a child on the way, wasn’t sure what came next, and eventually walked into a military recruiting station looking for one thing:

A combat job.

He considered the Marines first, but the available jobs weren’t what he wanted. Then he walked into the Army recruiter’s office and was given several options—including cavalry scout, mortarman, and 19K M1 armor crewman.

Carlos picked tanks.

But this conversation goes WAY beyond the Army...

Chapters:
00:00 Wild Army Tanker Stories
01:17 Growing Up in San Bernardino
03:01 Growing Up Without His Father
07:26 Taking a DNA Test to Find the Truth
10:30 Growing Up Around Gangs & Street Culture
15:35 The Police Encounter That Became a Wake-Up Call
19:35 Why He Wanted to Join the Military
22:45 Walking Into an Army Recruiting Office
24:06 A Baby on the Way Changes Everything
26:25 Choosing 19K Army Tanker
26:56 Basic Training Begins
31:45 Getting Smoked by the Drill Sergeants
36:13 What Army Basic Training Was Really Like
39:44 Questioning Whether He Made the Right Decision
40:17 His Son Is Born During Training
40:40 Getting Orders to Fort Stewart
46:16 Life in His First Army Unit
47:52 National Training Center at Fort Irwin
48:35 How an M1 Abrams Tank Crew Works
49:25 Becoming an M1 Abrams Gunner
49:45 Earning the Legendary Tanker Boots
51:01 Preparing to Fire the M1 Abrams
59:02 Getting “Killed” During an NTC Mission
1:00:14 Seeing a Soldier’s PTSD Triggered in Training
1:02:15 Live Mortar Rounds Land Next to Their Tank
1:06:01 Preparing for an Afghanistan Deployment
1:06:29 Orders Suddenly Change to Germany
1:06:45 Training With U.S. Allies in Germany
1:08:17 The Sketchy M1 Abrams River Crossing
1:15:28 Pranks Played on New Army Tankers
1:16:42 Tank Crew Traditions & Gunnery Pranks
1:20:09 What Firing an M1 Abrams Feels Like
1:21:15 Why Every Tank Crew Member Matters
1:32:06 Leaving the Army & Trying to Become a Cop
1:34:31 Losing a Close Army Friend
1:35:45 Finding a New Career Through Helmets to Hardhats
1:37:28 Becoming a Groundman & Working Toward Lineman
1:54:12 His Advice to Young Soldiers
1:55:07 Final Thoughts

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

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DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

#UrbanValor #usarmy #podcast

Marcos Estrada went from surviving Chicago gang violence to becoming a United States Marine Master Sergeant—and fighting in Operation Phantom Fury.

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Marcos grew up surrounded by poverty, domestic violence, drugs, gangs, and crime. His father battled heroin addiction and spent much of Marcos’ childhood in prison. By 15, Marcos had already been shot at, stabbed, arrested for serious felonies, and pulled deeper into the gang lifestyle.

Then the Marine Corps gave him another path.

In today's Urban Valor interview, Marcos shares how he escaped Chicago gang life, joined the U.S. Marines, became an infantryman, and completed a 20-year military career that included multiple combat deployments.

But whew… getting there was anything but simple.

Marcos talks about watching his mother rebuild her life after suffering devastating injuries, the neighborhood Marine who unknowingly inspired his future, entering the Marine Corps with multiple waivers, and the drill instructors who saw potential in a broken kid before he could see it himself.

He also recounts intense combat during Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah—including RPG fire, ambushes, land mines, wounded Marines, and the moment he saw fellow Marine Stacey Green lying motionless after an explosion.

This isn’t just a Marine Corps combat story.

It’s a story about trauma.

Brotherhood.

Accountability.

And what can happen when someone is finally given structure, responsibility, and a reason to believe they can become more than their environment.

Marcos didn’t erase his past when he became a Marine…

He transformed it into grit, leadership, and purpose.

Watch the full interview to hear how a kid from Chicago’s South Side survived the streets, earned the title Marine, rose to Master Sergeant, and faced some of the most dangerous fighting of the Iraq War.

Subscribe to Urban Valor for more uncensored military stories, veteran interviews, Marine Corps combat experiences, and firsthand accounts from the men and women who served.

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 Operation Phantom Fury Ambush
01:37 Growing Up on Chicago’s South Side
03:08 Surrounded by Gangs and Crime
04:34 His Father’s Addiction and Violence
06:02 Forced to Grow Up at Seven Years Old
07:38 The House That Became a Safe Haven
08:48 The Marine Who Changed His Life
09:59 Waterboarded by a Marine as a Kid
12:26 Reuniting With His Childhood Hero
15:35 His Mother’s Incredible Recovery
16:39 Becoming Involved in Gang Violence
17:27 Shot At in a Chicago Alley
18:15 Retaliating Against a Rival Gang
19:54 Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
21:41 Realizing He Had Been Stabbed
24:21 Treating the Wound Without a Hospital
25:40 Secretly Visiting a Marine Recruiter
27:40 Returning to Enlist at 17
29:12 Joining the Delayed Entry Program
30:01 Felony Arrests and Military Waivers
31:09 Preparing for Marine Corps Boot Camp
32:19 Leaving His Old Life Behind
33:21 Becoming a Standout Recruit
34:45 The Drill Instructor Who Believed in Him
36:27 How Marine Boot Camp Was Structured
37:29 The Infamous Sugar Sandwich
41:16 Marine Combat Training
42:06 Choosing the Infantry

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DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

#UrbanValor #Marines #OperationPhantomFury

Marine Corps veteran Keith Johnson served as an electronics surveillance operator during the Vietnam era, intercepting Russian military communications from a highly classified communications center in Morocco. Assigned to 2nd Radio Battalion, Keith monitored the Russian Black Sea Fleet while working inside a facility containing sensitive military intelligence, classified messages, and enormous quantities of explosives.

But Keith’s Marine Corps story didn’t begin at boot camp…

It began with a brutal childhood in Chicago.

At only six years old, Keith sat in a courtroom and testified against the stepfather who had violently beaten his mother. He grew up surrounded by alcoholism, abuse, street violence, broken trust, and moments that would remain burned into his memory for the rest of his life.

And somehow… he refused to let any of it destroy what was good in him.

In today's Urban Valor episode, Keith shares how he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, became a squad leader during boot camp, stood against violent “blanket parties,” and discovered that real leadership wasn’t always about using more force.

Sometimes, strength meant protecting the person everyone else wanted to punish.

Keith later became a Marine Corps electronics surveillance operator with a top-secret security clearance. While many of his friends received orders to Vietnam, Keith was sent to North Africa, where he helped process sensitive military communications and intercept activity from the Russian Black Sea Fleet during the Cold War.

His stories range from the deadly serious…

To a care package filled with popcorn and mold-covered pepperoni that somehow became a feast for an entire barracks.

Yeah… this interview takes a few turns.

Keith also opens up about heartbreak, anger, faith, suicidal thoughts, brotherhood, and the deeper reason he believes he was prevented from going to Vietnam.

Today, he continues serving others through prison ministry, Bible studies, veteran organizations, scholarships, military funerals, and support for people who feel like society has left them behind.

This isn’t simply a Marine Corps story.

It’s a story about surviving violence without becoming consumed by it…

Leading without abandoning people…

Finding purpose after pain…

And learning that sometimes the hardest person to save is yourself.

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
CHAPTERS
00:00 Moldy Pepperoni in the Barracks
01:25 Meet Marine Veteran Keith Johnson
01:42 Growing Up in Chicago
05:17 His Mother’s Violent Marriage
06:06 Testifying in Court at Six Years Old
12:28 Growing Up Around the Police Station
17:00 Protecting His Family
25:21 His Grandmother’s Prediction
29:42 Enlisting in the Marine Corps
31:31 Arriving at Marine Corps Boot Camp
34:25 Becoming Fourth Squad Leader
40:34 Challenging a Golden Gloves Boxer
42:28 Stopping the Boot Camp Beatdowns
45:33 Motown in the Quonset Hut
48:29 Receiving a Dear John Letter
51:21 Why Everyone Wanted His Squad
57:14 Becoming a Signals Intelligence Marine
59:53 Trusting Marines Without Locks
1:00:58 Sent to North Africa Instead of Vietnam
1:01:22 Intercepting Russian Military Communications
1:12:13 The Pepperoni Care Package
1:17:26 Getting a Top-Secret Clearance
1:21:22 Leading Sergeants as a Corporal
1:23:27 The Mistake That Put Him on Guard Duty
1:34:39 Finding Faith and Healing
1:35:56 What He Misses About the Marine Corps
1:37:37 How Being a Veteran Opened Doors
1:44:47 Heartbreak, Anger and Losing Hope
1:46:31 The Bullet He Believes Was Meant for Him
1:47:07 Prison Ministry and Life After the Corps

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DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

Marine Corps machine gunner Matthew Dolan survived a massive IED blast in Fallujah, Iraq and that was only one of several moments that nearly killed him.

Today's Urban Valor podcast, Matthew shares what it was like serving as an 0331 Marine machine gunner with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. He discusses deploying to Fallujah, operating as part of a quick reaction force, being shot at by an enemy he could not see, surviving a double-stacked 155mm IED, and becoming trapped inside a military vehicle as it rolled into a river.

Yeah… this one gets WILD.

Matthew’s story isn’t only about explosions and close calls.

It’s about growing up with a younger sister battling cystic fibrosis…

Walking into a Marine Corps recruiting office after getting yelled at by his boss…

Training under veterans of Operation Phantom Fury…

And arriving in a completely blacked-out Fallujah as a 19-year-old kid from Kansas thinking, “What the hell did I get myself into?”

Matthew describes the strange reality of fighting insurgents who rarely presented a clear target. One moment, he was searching vehicles and tracking high-value individuals. The next, he was taking sniper fire, responding to indirect fire or driving roads known for improvised explosive devices.

Then came the blast.

Matthew’s vehicle was the fourth to cross an IED buried beneath the road. The first three vehicles passed over it without detonating the device.

His didn’t.

The explosion cracked the vehicle’s axle, tore away part of the Humvee and knocked Matthew unconscious. His fellow Marines pulled him from the vehicle, strapped him to a stretcher and rushed him to medical treatment.

What happened inside the medical bay somehow became one of the funniest...and most unfiltered...IED survival stories we’ve ever heard.

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
CHAPTERS
00:00 Surviving an IED and a Sinking Vehicle
01:31 Meet Marine Machine Gunner Matt Dolan
02:02 Growing Up With a Sister Battling Cystic Fibrosis
08:43 The Family Legacy That Inspired Him to Serve
10:58 The Argument That Made Him Join the Marines
12:56 Telling His Family He Enlisted
15:02 Marine Corps Boot Camp
21:15 Becoming an 0331 Machine Gunner
23:51 Joining 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines
26:27 Arriving in Fallujah
28:49 Al-Qaeda Makes an Example of an Informant
30:13 The First Time He Was Shot At
32:03 Running Quick Reaction Force in Fallujah
36:15 Recovering a Fallen Marine’s Sniper Rifle
41:38 Fighting an Enemy He Couldn’t See
43:39 His Humvee Detonates a Massive IED
46:59 Rushed to the Medical Bay
51:22 Returning to Fallujah
56:02 A Four-Year-Old Girl Is Killed
1:00:00 The Reality of His Second Iraq Deployment
1:06:03 Marines Go Rooftop to Rooftop With Eggs
1:08:13 Surrounded by Iraqi Police
1:10:26 Sneaking Through an Iraqi Family’s House
1:28:51 A Marine’s Rifle Goes Missing
1:31:00 Japan, Korea and Australia
1:36:04 Losing the Combat Mindset
1:40:00 Preparing for Afghanistan
1:50:45 Remembering the Marines He Lost
1:55:08 Learning Matt Abate Was Killed
1:58:23 A Gunny Gives Him a Reality Check
2:11:26 Surviving the Vehicle Rollover
2:13:18 Watching a Massive Firefight
2:17:46 Pills, Alcohol and Returning to Afghanistan
2:18:09 His Fifth Combat Deployment
2:20:34 Completely Lost in His Own Head
2:21:31 A DUI and the Collapse of His Career
2:23:08 One Final Barracks Disaster

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DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

Lito Villanueva went from a junior Air Force cyber specialist to a military contractor in Afghanistan, a special operations communications expert, and eventually a volunteer supporting teams near the front lines of the war in Ukraine.

In this episode, of Urban Valor, Lito shares the uncensored story of leaving the U.S. Air Force after two years, landing a $164,500 Afghanistan contractor job at 21, surviving daily mortar attacks at FOB Shank—better known as “Rocket City”—and entering the hidden world of special operations, C4ISR, military communications, drones, intelligence, surveillance, and kinetic strike operations.

He also opens up about the psychological cost of war, witnessing lethal operations, returning home disconnected from civilian life, battling depression, and finding a new sense of purpose through veteran suicide prevention and humanitarian work.

Years later, after Russia invaded Ukraine, Lito entered the country alone with humanitarian aid and eventually joined a team that needed his expertise in tactical communications, blue-force tracking, intelligence organization, and battlefield command-and-control systems.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 The Reality of War Behind the Curtain
01:22 Meet Lito Villanueva
02:05 Growing Up in a Filipino Navy Family
09:33 Why Lito Joined the Air Force
15:52 Why Basic Training Felt Easy
22:50 His First Air Force Assignment
25:30 The Leader He Refused to Follow
30:34 Leave the Air Force or Stay?
32:23 Life After the Military
34:34 Finding an Afghanistan Contractor Job
36:57 A $164,500 Job Offer at 21
42:28 Realizing He Was Going to a War Zone
01:07:56 Why He Returned to Afghanistan
01:09:46 Assigned to “Rocket City”
01:17:15 The Network Problem That Changed Everything
01:23:28 How He Entered Special Operations
01:29:02 Behind the Curtain of U.S. Military Power
01:44:59 The Conversation That Helped Him Heal
01:45:30 Building Battle Buddy for Veterans
01:50:42 Russia Invades Ukraine
01:52:51 Crossing Into Ukraine Alone
01:56:55 His First Mission to Kharkiv
01:58:39 Delivering Aid Near the Front Line
02:02:33 Joining a Ukrainian Support Team
02:08:54 Inside the Kharkiv Counteroffensive

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DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

Before Dustin Chappel ever stepped onto the battlefield, he had already spent his childhood fighting to survive.

Separated from his mother at just two years old, Dustin endured years of abuse, instability, homelessness, and constant moves before eventually dropping out of school and earning his GED. After witnessing the attacks of September 11th, he felt called to serve and joined the U.S. Army as a 12B Combat Engineer.

During two deployments to Iraq, Dustin conducted route-clearance missions, hunted insurgents, executed raids alongside infantry units, and survived some of the most dangerous streets in Baghdad. He describes a deployment where every patrol felt like "Russian roulette," facing complex ambushes, sniper fire, RPGs, and one of the most disturbing traps of the entire war... a body rigged to explode.

But this story doesn't end on the battlefield. Dustin opens up about the sniper round that was meant for him, dragging his wounded squad leader out of the line of fire, and the long road home — his fight with PTSD, checking himself into treatment, rebuilding his life, and the work he does today mentoring fellow veterans.

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Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

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CHAPTERS
0:00 The Baghdad alleyway ambush (cold open)
1:15 Meet Dustin Chappel — Staff Sergeant, US Army
1:30 A chaotic childhood: Alabama, California & family separation
4:47 Reunited with his mother, sent to Texas
9:24 Dropping out, Job Corps & earning his GED
11:28 Joining the National Guard
16:50 Why he enlisted: where he was on 9/11
18:42 First tour, Iraq 2003 — weapons caches & munitions
21:12 The gate lesson from the future Sergeant Major of the Army
23:33 Second tour 2006: "Russian roulette every single day"
26:11 The brutal IED training range in Kuwait
28:45 The combat plane dive into Baghdad
30:40 16 days in — the shot that was meant for him
32:30 Complex ambush & the M203 through the window
36:03 The alleyway rescue — shells down his squad leader's back
41:04 Sergeant Clary gets shot
44:53 Picking up bodies & the body-borne IED
47:42 The promotion board — making Staff Sergeant
51:16 The pillowcase hostage rescue
54:56 The taxi driver shot in the head
58:27 The 7-foot plywood rifle punishment
1:02:47 His brother in Iraq — the Apache pilot
1:05:58 Coming home & the hardest transition
1:06:46 College, and the flag speech that changed everything
1:09:36 Recognizing the PTSD symptoms
1:12:49 Checking himself into treatment
1:15:57 Meeting his wife & starting to heal
1:18:32 Helping veterans today at Grand Canyon University
1:20:18 Becoming a grandfather & his message to live for today
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#VeteranStories #IraqWar #ArmyVeteran #CombatEngineer

DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

Army Veteran Manny Pasillas Lucio shares the combat story that changed his life forever.

Born in Mexico and raised in California, Manny grew up navigating family tension, poverty, and the streets of Compton before deciding to join the Army after 9/11. After basic training at Fort Benning, he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he became part of a Stryker infantry unit and later joined a scout sniper platoon.

In this episode of Urban Valor, Manny opens up about his deployment to Iraq, including missions in Mosul, Baghdad, Taji, and Baqubah. He describes small team missions, hunting high-value targets, taking fire, encountering IEDs, working alongside other units, and the daily fear that came with operating outside the wire.

Manny also shares the devastating moment his Stryker was hit by an IED while returning to base. He woke up choking on smoke, heard screams around him, and later discovered his teammate Billy Ferris didn't survive the blast. That moment stayed with him long after Iraq.

After coming home, Manny struggled with PTSD, anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, family separation, and the painful reality of trying to become a father while still carrying the war inside him. He talks about pulling a gun on his mother after being startled awake, snapping at family members, feeling lost after the military, and eventually using education, therapy, fatherhood, and veteran advocacy to rebuild his life.

Chapters
00:00 Waking Up After the IED Blast
01:25 Manny’s Childhood in Mexico
02:48 Coming to the United States
03:49 Growing Up in Compton
08:08 Learning Independence as a Kid
10:05 Wanting to Become a Soldier
10:50 How 9/11 Changed Everything
11:37 Trying to Join the Military
14:04 Watching the Iraq Invasion Begin
15:31 Leaving for Basic Training
16:23 Arriving at Fort Benning
18:44 Building Confidence in Basic Training
22:11 Getting Sent to a Stryker Unit
23:24 Joining 5-20 Infantry
26:23 Becoming an RTO
27:57 Learning From Hard NCOs
32:19 Being Offered West Point
32:58 Moving to Scout Sniper Platoon
36:24 Deploying to Iraq
37:22 Landing in Kuwait
38:39 Arriving in Mosul
40:17 Small Kill Team Missions
41:11 First IED Strike in Iraq
41:51 Hunting a High-Value Target
43:30 Walking Outside the Wire
44:51 Capturing the Target
46:25 Moving From Mosul to Baghdad
47:11 Searching for a Downed Pilot
47:52 Taking Another IED Hit
49:26 Billy Borrows Manny’s Blanket
51:09 Spotting an IED on the Road
53:28 The Stryker Gets Hit
54:16 Escaping the Crushed Vehicle
56:08 Searching for Billy
57:30 Evacuating the Wounded
58:47 Sergeant Pucket’s Words After the Blast
59:18 Returning to Base in Shock
1:01:15 The Loss of Billy Ferris
1:05:04 Billy’s Memorial
1:06:14 Back to Combat Operations
1:07:04 Working With CIA and Special Forces
1:08:29 Testifying in the Green Zone
1:11:05 Inside Saddam’s Palace
1:12:00 Arriving in Baqubah
1:13:19 Taking Fire From All Sides
1:14:47 Clearing the City
1:15:13 The Scariest Missions of His Life
1:17:20 Finding Iraqi Police With Mortars
1:19:14 Ambush and Firefight
1:20:38 Becoming Numb to Loss
1:22:10 Fighting Al Qaeda in Baqubah
1:23:34 Coming Home From Iraq
1:25:22 Almost Going to Ranger Battalion
1:26:02 Leaving the Army
1:27:10 PTSD Hits at Home
1:28:26 Snapping Around Family
1:30:07 His Family Didn’t Know What Was Happening
1:34:12 Struggling in the Reserves
1:36:19 Drinking, Trouble, and Feeling Invincible
1:37:29 A Bad Experience at the VA
1:40:42 His Daughter Saved His Life
1:42:49 Using the GI Bill
1:43:14 Studying Psychology to Understand PTSD
1:44:53 “I Am Not My Mistakes”
1:45:39 Breaking Cultural Cycles
1:46:35 Becoming a Better Father
1:47:20 Helping Veterans Today
1:49:10 Reconnecting With Family
1:51:20 Why Manny Puts Himself First Now
1:52:02 Talking Honestly With His Daughter
1:53:24 Advocating for Veterans and Families
1:54:34 Manny’s Message to Struggling Veterans

Marine Corps veteran Alex D’Hue served from 2002 to 2008 and was assigned to Third ANGLICO, where he worked in small fire control teams providing air support while attached to other units. In this episode of Urban Valor, Alex shares the story of his difficult childhood, growing up between America and Belgium, surviving an abusive household, and eventually joining the Marine Corps after 9/11.

Alex opens up to Urban Valor about the chaos of Marine Corps boot camp, the moments that nearly broke him, and how getting assigned to Third ANGLICO changed the direction of his military career. He later deployed to Iraq, where his team supported missions outside the wire, worked alongside Iraqi forces and U.S. units, and experienced the reality of combat in a way he never forgot.

One of the most intense moments of Alex’s deployment happened during a mission when his best friend Jackson took a sniper round to the helmet. Alex describes hearing “sniper fire,” seeing Jackson on the ground, dragging him back under cover, checking for blood, and realizing the helmet had stopped the round from going through. He also reflects on how the team’s movement afterward may have saved his own life.

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🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters:
00:00 Marine sees his best friend hit by sniper fire
01:13 Alex D’Hue’s Marine Corps background
01:32 Growing up in a broken home
04:58 Being sent to Belgium as a child
06:09 His grandfather’s World War II legacy
08:42 Child services visits the home
11:18 Growing up American in Belgium
13:37 Losing his grandmother to cancer
17:17 Returning to America at 13
19:41 His father’s murder trial
25:38 Reuniting with family in California
27:29 Abuse inside the household
30:16 Running away from home
31:07 Getting in trouble before joining the Marines
31:27 How 9/11 pushed him toward service
34:52 Arriving at Marine Corps boot camp
36:19 Chaos inside boot camp
38:42 Getting targeted by drill instructors
43:16 The brass casing incident
45:11 Fights and hazing in boot camp
49:08 The drill instructor who crossed the line
50:21 Joining Third ANGLICO
51:22 What ANGLICO Marines actually do
52:43 Getting NJP’d before his combat unit
59:02 Arriving at a combat unit
1:00:26 How ANGLICO deployments worked
1:09:35 Deploying to Iraq
1:10:22 First moments at Camp Ramadi
1:11:19 Working with Iraqi forces
1:15:10 The mission that turned deadly
1:15:58 “Sniper fire”
1:16:20 Jackson goes down
1:16:40 Dragging his best friend to cover
1:17:16 Checking the helmet and head wound
1:18:09 How the helmet saved Jackson
1:18:53 Trying to locate the sniper
1:20:21 Running in the sniper’s line of fire
1:23:27 Why Alex wanted Jackson medevaced
1:23:58 The zigzag that may have saved his life
1:24:57 Nearly falling while crossing open ground
1:26:10 What war does to brotherhood
1:27:24 Almost fighting an Army leader over a helmet strap
1:30:00 Reflections on deployment and Marine Corps culture

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines