1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: The Armstrong and Getty Show. One year, we asked for 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: money and we picked out really good cause like Warrior 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: Foundation Freedom Station. They are fantastic. We're trying to raise 4 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: a half a million dollars this week and we've been 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: explaining to you over the last couple of days what 6 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 1: Warrior Foundation Freedom Station is what they do. But what 7 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,760 Speaker 1: better way than to talk to somebody who has benefited. 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: It's a pleasure to welcome Mike Spivey to the Armstrong 9 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: and to Getty Show. Mike, how are you, sir? I'm good. 10 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: How are you good? Good? It's great to talk to you. Well, 11 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: we're gonna just briefly tell your story so the folks 12 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: can understand how you came into contact with Warrior Foundation 13 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: Freedom Station go from there. But um, it was in 14 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: Afghanistan with the third Battalion, fifth Marines. Mike was leading 15 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: a foot patrol using a metal detector searching for I E. 16 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: D S. When Mike, you found one the hard way 17 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: it exploded. Mike was seriously injured, taking large amounts of 18 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: shrapnel to the legs and lower back, including several vertebrae, 19 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: extensive damage to his left arm, uh and and a 20 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: few weeks later, I had to make the incredibly difficult 21 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: decision to amputate the arm Uh. You should know. During 22 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: seven years of service before being medically retired due to 23 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: his injuries, Mike received the prestigious Purple Heart to Combat 24 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: Action Ribbons first time, both in Iraq and Afghanistan. So 25 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 1: there you are, Mike, uh, seriously injured, young, trying to 26 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: figure out where you're going in life. And was it 27 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: then that you connected with Warrior Foundation Freedom Station? Yeah, 28 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: it was. It was actually while I was at the hospital. Um, 29 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: there's actually like you know, and whenever the day I 30 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 1: first got there, um, they met my family, UM, helped 31 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: set them up in hotels and everything like that so 32 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,279 Speaker 1: that they didn't have to worry about all the bills 33 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: while they were, you know, waiting for me to come 34 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: out of surgery. And then a couple of years or 35 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks later actually, um, you know, as 36 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: I started to progress through my rehab, we were encouraged 37 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: to get out and do different activities, um, just to 38 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: get moving again and basically trying to figure out how 39 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: to maneuver our new lives with our disabilities. And that's 40 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: whenever I met Sandy and the Lady's Freedom Station fantastic. 41 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: So Joe and I have toured the Werior Foundation Freedom 42 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: Station a whole bunch of times. And if you've never 43 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: seen it, it's a these little cottages that are are 44 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: are together and a lot of the residents UM are 45 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: oftentimes from the same unit and are now wounded and 46 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: they're trying to figure out how to get their lives 47 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 1: back together and everything like that. Let me read a 48 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: quote from you and then you can add to it. 49 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: Whether it was having barbecues outside or getting together in 50 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: someone's cottage. We had dinner together almost every night. Many 51 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:35,399 Speaker 1: of the residents were from the same unit. We fed 52 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: off each other's energy and pushed each other to do more. 53 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: Get in the gym, go golfing, get out of the house, 54 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: enjoy nature. That's that's awesome. The idea of UM, you're 55 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: injured and you're staring all this uncertainty in the face, 56 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: and rather than being in a in a hospital room 57 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,359 Speaker 1: with nobody you know around, you're around you know guys 58 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,639 Speaker 1: that can understand what you've been through. UM, explain a 59 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: little bit about how important this um ME it's it's 60 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: it's almost undescribable how important that is because I mean 61 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: whenever you're at the hospital, I mean you're literally in 62 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: a you're in a room you don't have, like you 63 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: have a bed and a closet and maybe a TV 64 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: or whatever, but you don't have your day to day 65 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: stuff that you know you're gonna need. You're gonna end 66 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: up having to figure out how to like work out 67 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: later on UM and so it kind of gives you 68 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: that um, that advantage instead of having a waiting wait 69 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: until you're you've left the hospital, left to services, and 70 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: then try to figure everything out. Now you're you're still 71 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: doing rehab, you can go back to the hospital, do 72 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: your therapy is there and like discuss everything with different amputees, 73 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: or while you're while you're at your cottage, you know, 74 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: if you're having trouble, you can go next door and 75 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: be like, hey, how are you doing this? Oh well, 76 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: I do it like this, or I do it like that, 77 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: or you know something like that. So, I mean, it's 78 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: it's it's incredible. Helps Wow, that's great. And you know, 79 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: one thing I think a lot of civilians don't understand 80 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: is how the transition like from being active duty being 81 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: militarily retired. How Rocky that can be whether it's getting 82 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: the benefits going or trying to figure out what to 83 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: do with your life. Plus you and and people like 84 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: you're generally very young. What was that experience like that transition? Um, 85 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: well it would have been it would have been a 86 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: lot worse had it had I not been within at 87 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: the Three Station at those times. Because whenever I got 88 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: retired from the Marine Corps and they transferred me over 89 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: to the v A and everything like that, it took 90 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: almost five months for me to get my my check 91 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: from the v A. So if if I hadn't have 92 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: been living at the Freedom Station, I probably, um, you know, 93 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: I probably would have ended almost because I mean here 94 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: I am. I had a career. I just retired, and 95 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: you know that I didn't I had these injuries. I 96 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: couldn't like go straight into the workforce. Um. I had 97 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,119 Speaker 1: no plans really because I was planning on doing another 98 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: thirteen years in the in the Marine Corps. So I 99 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: wasn't set up for it. So, like I said, if 100 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: it wasn't for the Freedom Station, I'd probably be living 101 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: in my truck. That's sorry, I I hear. It took 102 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: five months for we the people to get you your benefits. 103 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: It makes me crazy, but I know there are folks 104 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: working on that too, But thank god, Warrior Foundation Freedom 105 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: Station is there in the interim for guys and gals 106 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: like you. If you're liking this story, go to Armstrong 107 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: and Getty dot com. We've got a big banner there. 108 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: It's easy to see and donate any amount of money 109 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: we'll do and it adds up really fast. And we 110 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: always raise a lot of money because we've been around 111 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: enough of these um enough of these guys and and 112 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: toured enough times and heard enough stories that man, we 113 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 1: we couldn't be bigger believers. We appreciate you coming on 114 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: with us today. Thank you for having me. Yeah, thanks Mike. 115 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: Great to talk. I've known people that left the military 116 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: and we're trying to transition back into regular life without 117 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 1: the physical injuries. Were the emotional injuries These guys that 118 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: you know, you're missing a couple of legs or an 119 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: arm or whatever along with the emotional stuff, and you're 120 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: supposed to just okay, now, now, good luck out there 121 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: in the regular world. And you're young, you're not making 122 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: a bunch of money as a marine or a soldier, 123 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: and and and you gotta wait months and months and 124 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: months and months to get any of your benefits. You know, again, 125 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: it's a shame that it takes an organization like Warrior Foundation, 126 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: Freedom Station, but it's absolutely completely needed, really needed, and 127 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: thank god it's there, and thank you for your contributions.