1 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: Mute for us. 2 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. You're 3 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 2: listening to Software Radio, Special Operations, Military Nails on straight 4 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 2: Talk with the guys in the community. 5 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 3: Hey, what's going on? This is rad and you are 6 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 3: listening or watching another episode of soft Reap Radio. I 7 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 3: am super excited to talk to my next guest. But 8 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 3: before I introduce you and his disclaimers, Okay, so stay tuned. 9 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 3: I want to talk about the merch store. So we 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 3: have soft reap dot com forward slash Merch. We have 11 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 3: all of our branded goods in there with the Softwap 12 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 3: logo soft Reap Radio. We really appreciate you guys supporting 13 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 3: and helping, really honestly to keep the gas place going. 14 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 3: I love to do the show, so thank you again 15 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 3: to Brandon Webb for thinking about me as the host. 16 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 3: Thank you to you the listener for buying our merchant, 17 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 3: listening and commenting and all of those things that you 18 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 3: guys do to keep us going. And then also the 19 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 3: book club. We have the soft rep dot com Forward 20 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 3: slash book hyphen Club. Please go check it out if 21 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 3: you like to read. If you notice that my guest 22 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 3: has a lot of books behind him, The book club. 23 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 3: It's a cool place to be. All the cool kids 24 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 3: are at the book club, So go check out soft 25 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 3: rep dot com book club. And without further ado, I 26 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 3: want to bring on John Daly, who comes with the disclaimer. 27 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 3: All right, His disclaimer is that these are his opinions 28 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 3: and his solely. He doesn't represent any higher agency other 29 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 3: than himself and whoever he says he represents. But I 30 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 3: want to let you know that this is just a 31 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 3: good conversation between two dudes who are going to talk 32 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 3: about tough, rugged bastards, which is the book that he 33 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 3: has written with his experience from the United States Marine 34 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 3: Corps MARSK SOCOM. Welcome to the show, John. 35 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: Thanks Rand I'm super stoked to be here. 36 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 3: We're super stoked to have you here. And I love 37 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 3: the fact that you're stoked always. So we made sure 38 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 3: there was a disclaimer said that you know, this is 39 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 3: just straight up talk. But I want to ask you 40 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 3: a question right for my viewers that may not see 41 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 3: it and you hear it. He has a paddle on 42 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 3: his wall that has the spade encompassed in a circle 43 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 3: with a red circle around that spade. That lets me 44 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 3: think Pendleton or West coast. Maybe what's going on with 45 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 3: that paddle. 46 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: That is actually the Marsak emblem, So it's not I 47 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: did spend most of my time out at Pendleton, and 48 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: they do have a similar the Camp Pendleton emblem, which 49 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: was initially a brand that was branded on the cattle 50 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,920 Speaker 1: that roamed on that when it was a ranch. But yeah, 51 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: that particular emblem is the Marine Corps Special Operations Command, 52 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 1: and that's where I retired from active duty from. 53 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 3: That's let you. I have a friend that was in 54 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 3: the first recon out there, and I think their symbol 55 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 3: is the spade as well. I think of that sort 56 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 3: in a circle, So I was just thinking of that 57 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 3: was the same, all right. 58 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: Now, the Marsk emblem encompasses all three of the battalions, 59 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: the raider battalions and the raider support battalions that fall 60 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: underneath the component. 61 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 3: So why would a guy like you have that or 62 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 3: what does that or signify. 63 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: So the tradition of the paddles, and I've got a 64 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: few of them scattered around here, allegedly goes back to 65 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 1: the Marine Raiders of World War Two. And I say 66 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: allegedly because it's a little bit of a little bit 67 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: of myth, right, But the legend has it that when 68 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: it when you checked into a raider unit and then 69 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: later into a reconnaissance unit, one of the first things 70 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: they issued you was a paddle because we're amphibious, right, 71 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: so we do a lot of small boat operations, and 72 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: when it came time for you to leave the organization, 73 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,119 Speaker 1: the paddle would be stolen, you know, it would be 74 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: kind of sanded down, cleaned up, decorated and then presented 75 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: act to you when you left. We've largely found that 76 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:08,119 Speaker 1: that's that's not true, and that the tradition originated quite 77 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: a bit later, you know, in the eighties actually, or 78 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: the seventies maybe, but it's it's still it's it's less 79 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: important the validity of the of the tradition than it 80 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: is the tradition. So the idea really means that, you know, 81 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: on a on a small boat team like with us 82 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 1: with the raiders or amphibious reconnaissance or with the Seals, 83 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: that you you're everything relies on the team. You can't 84 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: get anywhere with one guy paddling, right, It takes a 85 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: team effort. So the paddles a symbol that you served 86 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: and pulled your weight on a team. 87 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 3: With regards to small boats, we're talking like these black 88 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 3: looking you know styles Zodiac, the F. 89 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: Four seventies, the ones that you spent a lot of 90 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: time paddling. 91 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 3: So like guys get washed in the surf trying to 92 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 3: get out of the break, Like all the recruiter enlistment 93 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 3: promos where they're going up the wave, you just know 94 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 3: they're going backwards after that point. That's it. 95 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, And that's that's where small engines, you know, outboard 96 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: engines come in handy. But there are there are times 97 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: when when it's it's necessary for one reason or another, 98 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: the engine goes out that you have to always have 99 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: to be prepared to paddle, and it just really represents 100 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: that everybody's got to pull their own weight. 101 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 3: And so you're saying there is an engine available after training, 102 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 3: so there might be an engine on that it's not 103 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 3: just all the alley. 104 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, we do. We do use use engines when available. 105 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 3: Yeah for sure. So if there's a young man out 106 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 3: there who's thinking about going into the Marine Corps and 107 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 3: he's thinking about, you know, hey this who knows where 108 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 3: boot camp takes you? Right? Do you get pulled out 109 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 3: of boot camp and to go into any specialty schools, Like, hey, 110 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 3: you know, all the drill starters are standing around and 111 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 3: watching the fastest guy and then he gets pulled over. 112 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 3: Is that kind of how it is for you getting 113 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 3: pulled in? 114 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: Not generally you uh, before you come in, you'll talk 115 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: with the recruiter and and yes you have a wish list, 116 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: Hey I want to do this, this or this, and 117 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: as long as you make it, you when you get 118 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: to following boot camp, you'll go to the school for 119 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: that specialty. Now that's the exception to that is MARSK. 120 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: To become a raider, you have to actually spend a 121 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: couple of years proving yourself in the Marine Corps before 122 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: you get the opportunity to try out. 123 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 3: Well that's a bad US. So you got to be 124 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 3: already tenured and then they want to talk to you. 125 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: Yeah exactly. Yeah, we have our own separate recruiters that 126 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: you know, a marine you know sends an email to 127 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 1: and says, hey, I'd like to opportunity to try out. 128 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 3: Yeah exactly, So then they put forth the effort. So 129 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 3: once you get into the Marine Corps and you go 130 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 3: through all of the in processing and what is it 131 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 3: called MCRD marine Corps recruiting gess, yeah, the recruit. 132 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: Depot, and then the Marine Combat Training and whatever your 133 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: specialty is, the infantry school if you're an infantryman or 134 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: you know, there's I don't know how many various occupational specialties, 135 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: so many you can come from any of those that 136 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: apply to come to Marstock. So we've had people that 137 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: played the tuba. We've had, you know, people whose job 138 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: it was to tell the weather, you know, people who 139 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: you know, certainly lots of infantrymen and reconnaissance folks, but 140 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: admin clerks and crew chiefs. 141 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 3: Sometimes the tuba player just gets it. Huh. 142 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: Sometimes sometimes they do. We've had some success with tuba players. 143 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 3: I love that that is that shows that anybody has 144 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 3: the opportunity as long as they just have the mentality. 145 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 3: I'd imagine. Right, I'm not a raider. That's a hardcore thing, 146 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 3: bro and your hardcore and I'm not I'm not even 147 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 3: trying to lightly you know, say, what you did that 148 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 3: wave going over, that's just a piece of what you've 149 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 3: done to your body to stay in a professional athletees. 150 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 3: You're a professional athlete. There's like just no question about it. 151 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 3: You were paid just to work out to do a 152 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 3: mission in a job as an athlete. Basically, in my opinion, 153 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 3: my father was a Green Beret, so I would, you know, 154 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 3: ride my bike while he rucksacked and he ran with 155 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 3: his rock just like a normal day. That's normal, yeah, 156 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 3: to me as a kid growing up. So you know, 157 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 3: I remember we'd go up to the base here Hill, 158 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 3: Air Force Base in Salt Lake and he'd be running 159 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 3: up the hill and I'd be riding my bike next 160 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 3: to him and he's just taking me out, you know, 161 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 3: as his father's son and han his run. And someone 162 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 3: pulled over and they're like, hey, do you guys need 163 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 3: a ride up to the base. And he's like, no, 164 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 3: we're good, dude, and we're going around and like another 165 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 3: two more miles this way back to the house. We're 166 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 3: not going to the base, which is right there. So 167 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 3: you know, I saw the difference between the Air Force 168 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 3: and the Army at that very moment in my life 169 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 3: as young man. 170 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,079 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, there's a lot. And I've been retired from 171 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,959 Speaker 1: active duty for six two thousand and eight, so I've 172 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: been I've been out of it for a while on 173 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: an activeduty side, I still have the great you know 174 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 1: fortune to work with with raiders and help train raiders. 175 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 1: But yeah, the we share a lot in common with 176 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: professional athletes kind of with the exception generally of the support, 177 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: you know, people taking care of you like a professional athlete. 178 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: That's that's gotten better. So with you know, physical therapist, 179 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: physical trainers, on staff, nutrition as coaches. 180 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 3: Kind of across the board. 181 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: To recognize that the folks that do this job, you know, 182 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: across all the branch of service, are you know, particularly 183 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: special operations or you know, it takes a toll on 184 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: your body. Oh yeah, I can attest to. 185 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I bet, I bet. Are you going to 186 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 3: the VA at all or are you using that aspect 187 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 3: of your military benefit? 188 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:31,239 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, we I'm fortunate in that being retired 189 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: and living right beside Camp Lejun, I also can go 190 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: on base to the medical facilities there. Sure, but but yeah, 191 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: the VA provides some benefits that the military doesn't. 192 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 3: So that is lucky. You are lucky to have a 193 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 3: base next to you with medical facilities that you can 194 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 3: go on. I mean, Hill Air Force Base is a 195 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,199 Speaker 3: huge base here in Utah. But they don't they shut 196 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 3: down all of that medical just mandatory you know airman 197 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 3: stuff that go into the clinic. It's now called the clinic. 198 00:09:57,880 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 3: Used to be surgery in there, but now it's just 199 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 3: a clinic and maybe an ambulance for on call stuff. So, 200 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 3: you know, most folks don't have that luxury to have, 201 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 3: Like Camp La June. How's that water? What is that? 202 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 3: Is that real? Is that water thing? 203 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: It's it's well, it's not a thing anymore. But I 204 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 1: actually had joined the Marine Corps and I was I 205 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: was here for the tail end of that for only 206 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: about a month. So I signed up for the little register, 207 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:25,199 Speaker 1: you know, in case I have any issues later on. 208 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: But between that and the burn pits and all the 209 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: other you know things that the Marine Corps exposed me 210 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: to over the years, I feel like I'm in pretty 211 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 1: good shape at the moment. 212 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 3: Would you retire as John if you don't mind. 213 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: I was a master sergeant. 214 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 3: A master sergeant in the Marine Corps is not a joke. No, no, no. 215 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:48,599 Speaker 3: So the next thing up is a master guns or 216 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 3: were you a master guns? Yes? 217 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: No, I was a master sergeant, so there would have 218 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,839 Speaker 1: been one more step. I was close to it, but 219 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: I was in the position that I was in, you know, 220 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: it seemed like it was time for me to move. 221 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 3: On and take your client times about. Yes. Yeah, by 222 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:07,959 Speaker 3: moving on, I got to kind of stay. 223 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: So I was able to leave active duty and almost 224 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:16,559 Speaker 1: immediately returned to Marshak to the school as a sibon. 225 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:19,079 Speaker 3: So it's it. 226 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 1: Was a right decision for me. You know, there are 227 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: certainly times when I regret, you know, not having you 228 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: worn the rank of a master gun. So it's kind 229 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: of the epitome of coolness in my book. 230 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, right, because I mean, yeah, it would be. That 231 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 3: would be you know, you got so high on that ladder, 232 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 3: and then that next thing is you know, master guns. 233 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 3: But congratulations to you getting there on your master sergeant rank. 234 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 3: That's you know, I know, all these young marines, all 235 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 3: these pooleys that turn into a private are just like, 236 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 3: you know, I can't wait to be a corporal or 237 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 3: a lance corporal, Like I can't wait. You know, it's 238 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 3: just like the and then staff sergeant, and then it's 239 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 3: gunnery sergeant, you know, and it's just like and you 240 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 3: get there, and then it's the gunny sleeve rolls and 241 00:11:55,240 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 3: then it's not the gunny sleeve rolls right exactly out 242 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 3: when you were writing your book. That's coming out. It 243 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 3: comes out later this summer in August or they're about 244 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 3: really just in time for fourth quarter, really perfect timing. 245 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. 246 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 3: It's called tough Rugged Bastards. You know you all Marines 247 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 3: are that. That's how I see it. Why did you 248 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 3: come up with tough rugged bastards? And tell us a 249 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 3: little bit about the story that's going to happen in 250 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 3: this book. So my listener is going to want to 251 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 3: go and get. 252 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 1: That, certainly. So a real quick history when in nineteen 253 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:35,199 Speaker 1: eighty seven Special Operations Command was activated and when it 254 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: was the Marine Corps was invited or to participate and 255 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 1: send the Force Reconnaissance marines over. The Marine Corps pushed 256 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: back against that, said no, we don't want to do that. 257 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:47,839 Speaker 1: So that was about right when I was coming in 258 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: the Marine Corps, and it took me a while to 259 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: work my way into Force recon By two thousand and one, 260 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: I was a gunnery sergeant and I was a platoon 261 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: sergeant for a Force recon pultoon setting in a pub 262 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 1: in Darwin, Australia, drinking beer when because the time difference, 263 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,719 Speaker 1: the television switched to the towers. You know, it was 264 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,319 Speaker 1: like ten o'clock at night, so we were almost immediately 265 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: back on the boat headed to Afghanistan. So I hit 266 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: Afghanistan in November of two thousand and one. And as 267 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: that was happening, the government was realizing that with this 268 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: coming war there was going to be a great requirement 269 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: for special operations forces. So the Army Special Forces was 270 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: told to grow, grow more, the Seals were told to grow, 271 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: and the Marine Corps was told, hey, you're going to 272 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: participate this time around and again. In kind of true 273 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: Marine Corps fashion, the Marine Corps was, you know, now, 274 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: we're good. We really we kind of like to keep 275 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:53,199 Speaker 1: to ourselves. But Secretary at Defense Rumsfelds, you know it 276 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 1: said hey, I'm not stuttering, You're gonna You're gonna do 277 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: this thing. So what they eventually worked out was that 278 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: we would form a test unit and it would it 279 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 1: was called Detachment One. We would deploy underneath the seal infrastructure, 280 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, based on the success of that deployment, 281 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: the determination would be made if there would Morshock would 282 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:18,200 Speaker 1: be created or not. 283 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 3: And I had the. 284 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 1: Great fortune to be selected to be one of the 285 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: team leaders in that unit. So there were four of 286 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: us initially, you know, four team leaders. There were gunnies 287 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: and masters, sergeants, and total of about about one hundred 288 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: personnel total to kind of across the shooters h to 289 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: intel folks, to communicators, terminal error controllers, kind of across 290 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: the mix. And we were called, like I said, Detachment one. 291 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: And the commander was a guy who I had worked 292 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: for previously at Force Rican and he's really a legend 293 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: in Force Rican, Colonel Robert J. Coates, And he was 294 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: the kind of guy that I had worked for forever. 295 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: But still, you know, when he called you into his office, 296 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: you stood up really straight, and you were nervous, all right, 297 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: just to be around him. And so he called me 298 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: into his office and gave me his expectations of what 299 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: he expected of his team leaders, and uh, you know, 300 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: one of the things that stuck in my head always 301 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 1: was said, he said, hey, I want you know, you 302 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: get to pick your own team, but I want tough, 303 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: rugged bastards with strong backs and hard feet. And so 304 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: that uh, you know, I went out and I found, 305 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: you know, a bunch of tough, rugged bastards that that 306 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 1: wanted to be a part of it. And uh, that's 307 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: that's where the name of the book came from. 308 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:42,360 Speaker 3: So Colonel Coats. Yes, I bet I feel like I 309 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 3: should just stand up straight right now thinking about you know. 310 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, he was, I mean a guy, as a young 311 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: young recon officer, was was down in South America doing 312 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: things like as as like one of the few Americans 313 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 1: down there. You know, I just had a just a legend, 314 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: and so you know, when the opportunity came, I had 315 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: worked with them with the Rain Expeditionary Unit. I had 316 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: had him as a commanding officer twice and then then 317 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 1: a third time with Detachment one. So it was, uh, 318 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: you know, it was a phenomenal experience. So we we 319 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: trained up deployed with as a task unit. So we 320 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 1: were called tasking a Raider underneath the Navy Seal Task 321 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: Group you know archestra task forces. 322 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 3: Yeah. Do you guys all wear the same uniform? You 323 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 3: guys all wore the same uniform as seals to look 324 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 3: the same you guys, did they wear the same thing 325 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 3: as you? 326 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: We didn't. We didn't work with I mean immediately with them. 327 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 1: I mean, so there were Seal teams doing their thing. 328 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: We were doing our own thing, but we just reported 329 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 1: to the Seal. But we wore we all wore the 330 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: at the time, the old kind of tricolor Tricolor desert uniform. 331 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 3: Coffee stained looking desert storm that was Moornato with the 332 00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 3: chocolate chip. But you guys had the Tricolor colors. 333 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, it was it was cool. You know that. 334 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 3: That set us. 335 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,679 Speaker 1: Apart a little bit. We really because of the requirements 336 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: of this evaluation. They did not want us working with 337 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: other Marine units. They wanted to kind of succeed or 338 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:17,400 Speaker 1: fail on our own. So we worked. Like I said, 339 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: we reported to a Navy Seal Task Group and occasionally 340 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 1: we would do some some things with them. We worked 341 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: pretty closely with a Polish gram a U and yeah, 342 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 1: a bunch of bad asses. 343 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 3: So we love piano. They have a piano lore about 344 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 3: their whole thing with their piano. 345 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: The awesome and we had UH And it wound up 346 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: being a really eventful deployment in two thousand and four, 347 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: a lot of raids we got the opportunity to go after. 348 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:49,719 Speaker 1: We were really sent there to target sell leaders and 349 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 1: bomb makers and financiers and higher level folks. So it 350 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: was it was a blast. We got to uh protect 351 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:02,199 Speaker 1: the we were response for protecting the vice president who 352 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: was a Kurd and uh not not didn't have too 353 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: many fans across the board to the other sitting and 354 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: that is where, yeah, nobody was really big fans of 355 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: the Kurds their land. Yeah exactly. 356 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 3: Hello, there's like twenty thirty million Kurds wandering all over 357 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 3: what's we call Syria, Iraq and the Middle East, and 358 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 3: they were these lines were drawn by the Ottoman Empire 359 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 3: that just goes straight down the map and just broke 360 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 3: up their whole Curtis. 361 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: Stand Yeah, and they really separated them and kind of 362 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: created this diaspora of folks that you know, and the 363 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:39,880 Speaker 1: times that we worked with him, he was a great guy. 364 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: The vice president, Reis Shahwe's you know, we didn't work 365 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: I mean I didn't get the opportunity that sat down 366 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: and chat with them a whole lot. He was the 367 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 1: interim vice president, so they were kind of busy, you know, 368 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 1: trying to rebuild the country. But but that was a 369 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 1: really neat opportunity. You know, we had a pretty robust 370 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 1: sniper presence and so you know, I got the opportunity 371 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 1: to lead some sniper missions in different places. 372 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 3: So it was a. 373 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: Really great deployment. We came back from that and ultimately 374 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 1: the decision was then made to increase the size, so 375 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: Marsok was activated in two thousand and six. 376 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 3: You know, my background is a lot of war games. 377 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 3: I do a lot of Airsoft war games here in Utah. 378 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 3: I work with a lot of people that you know, 379 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 3: get out or never could get in and they go 380 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 3: and have a good time shoulder to shoulder, wear that 381 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,640 Speaker 3: kind of gear and play war games. In that time 382 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,959 Speaker 3: period Marsok was coming out, there was like a nineteen 383 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 3: eleven pistol that was like coined to Marsok. They like 384 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,879 Speaker 3: get the nineteen eleven I think, and then all of 385 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 3: a sudden, Airsoft it was like you got to have 386 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,880 Speaker 3: a Marsok load out. It was like you're the Kobe Bryants, 387 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 3: You're the Michael Jordans of that day. And everybody's like, okay, 388 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 3: I need black knee pads with tricolor and like, you know, 389 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,959 Speaker 3: cause it wasn't quite you know, we're still dealing with 390 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 3: old surplus stuff. So our software mechanics, gloves from you 391 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 3: know the local checker auto or something like that, by 392 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 3: personal purchase stuff. Oh, like the skate knee pads for 393 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 3: like skateboarding, right right, Like the protect helmets. 394 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, we had at different times we wore like 395 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: all of those things, but we had. What was interesting 396 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: was that with the pistol, particularly with some Marine Corps 397 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,679 Speaker 1: had held on to the nineteen eleven for you know, 398 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: long after everybody had gone to the nine mil. And 399 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:32,119 Speaker 1: you know, it took like all of the pistols that 400 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: the Marine Corps could put together and our armors, our 401 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: match armors to kind of rebuild them and try to 402 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: get them any shape. And you know, we were just 403 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: convinced that, you know, you needed a man size round 404 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:48,399 Speaker 1: to stop people. So maa, we we carried you know, 405 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: the the nineteen eleven. Were super proud of it. But 406 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:54,919 Speaker 1: when when Debt one started, there warn't enough to go around, 407 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 1: and so we went to Kimber and had Kimber build 408 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: a gun for us. And I've got one around somewhere. 409 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,879 Speaker 3: It's uh it we are doun for air softers too. 410 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 3: I'm not even a kid. It's like, you know, oh, 411 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 3: do you have the EMYU or the MARSK nineteen eleven 412 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 3: and it has the spade on the grips and whatnot, 413 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 3: and you know, I just want you know, that's it's 414 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,120 Speaker 3: flattering for that to happen, right. 415 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: Cool, Yeah, I was. I was kind of flattered to 416 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 1: looking up something and the Marine Special Operations re Enactment 417 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:31,160 Speaker 1: Battalion like showed up like MSORB. I was like, what 418 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: the what the heck? You know, it kind of made 419 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 1: it now and you know, now we've got people dressing 420 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,439 Speaker 1: up and going out and doing things, So that was 421 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: that was kind of cool when I saw that. Some 422 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sure it's grown a lot now, but 423 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 1: this was years ago. 424 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, years ago, and it was very like, you know, 425 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 3: underground and a lot of people might have mistook it 426 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 3: as something other than but none of these people are 427 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 3: trying to like get on a base in that gear. 428 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,439 Speaker 3: No one's trying to. They're playing like at the you 429 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 3: know two on two where Kobe Bryant jersey. He's not 430 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 3: going to show up to the basketball court be like, 431 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,400 Speaker 3: hey kid, take my jersey and shoes off. Bro, you're 432 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 3: not me what are you doing? No, He's like no, Wow, 433 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 3: you know today's air softer could be tomorrow's you right right, 434 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 3: you know they're out there, they're putting their boots on 435 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 3: the ground already. They've already got the gear. They should 436 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 3: just now. They's got to have a mentality in the 437 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,439 Speaker 3: and the and if you're thinking about it, yeah, just 438 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 3: go get it done and give it a shot and 439 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 3: see if it's what is in your toolbox. You just 440 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 3: don't know unless you try. That's all I can say. 441 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 3: All right, yeah, exactly, you know, because who knows. 442 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm sure there there are a lot of very successful, 443 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,679 Speaker 1: you know, special operation folks across the services that have 444 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 1: got their start. I mean I got my start running 445 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: around in the woods with you know, recreation World War 446 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: two or stuff own er Vietnam, you know, surplus stuff, 447 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: you know, pretending like I was on a long range 448 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: reconnaissance patrol, you. 449 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,879 Speaker 3: Know, still wearing it. Look, these are R d L 450 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 3: Vietnam issued. You know how hard it is to find 451 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 3: a pair of six foot five issue Vietnam kit and yeah, 452 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,199 Speaker 3: I can imagine that is hard. And when they showed up, 453 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,360 Speaker 3: I was like, and they're so comfortable nineteen sixty eight 454 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 3: on the tag? 455 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: Wow, Wow? 456 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,159 Speaker 3: How many farts? Could this thing? Tell me about it? 457 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:17,360 Speaker 3: You know? Yeah, I'm sure I've seen some things. One 458 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 3: time we were in the bush. These pants saved my 459 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 3: life I'm sure you did pants. I'm sure you did it. 460 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh. Now, okay, so how old were you 461 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 3: when you enlisted in the Marine Corps? I like to 462 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 3: find that out. Yeah, I was. I was seventeen. 463 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 1: I always just you know, graduated from high school and 464 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 1: I had already signed up and was already ready to go. 465 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:44,119 Speaker 1: I had a date, you know. So it was about 466 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: I turned eighteen in boot camp. So I had known 467 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 1: from the time I was little that, you know, that's 468 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: what I wanted to do. And so I, you know, 469 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: kind of you know, grew up in the era where 470 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: you know, everything was about Vietnam, you know, from all 471 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:02,199 Speaker 1: the TV shows and movies and Chuck Norris and Rambo 472 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 1: and and everything, and none of all of that just yeah, 473 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: just even the movies that were kind of meant to 474 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 1: be uh like anti war you know or whatever. I 475 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: didn't didn't that didn't click, you know, they were just 476 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 1: they were war movies, like The Dirty Dozen, the Dirty Dozen. Yeah, yeah, 477 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 1: absolutely one. I mean I think Rambo was supposed to 478 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: have some you know, uh. 479 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 3: It's never over, It's never over. It's nothing's over. Yeah it. 480 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: Full Metal Jacket came out actually shortly after I joined, 481 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 1: but that was, you know, a hugely anti war movie 482 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 1: that didn't register with us. You know, we just we 483 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 1: thought it was the coolest thing ever. 484 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 3: So you were you went in after that came out. 485 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:48,479 Speaker 3: So was anything like what you went through when you 486 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 3: saw Full Metal Jackets? You say, oh, hey, he hit 487 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 3: hit it on the head with his basic training, or 488 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 3: did you think, ah, you know, now it's that came out. 489 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 1: I saw that after I finished boot camp, so yeah, 490 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: and it was pretty quickly after. I mean, I think 491 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: within a couple of months. You know, we all were 492 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: in infantry school and we went to go see it. 493 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: And there are a lot of I mean a lot 494 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:13,119 Speaker 1: of similarities you know in boot camp and the some 495 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: of it it seems incredibly mindless. You know, he's getting 496 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: yelled at and so you know, he did a really 497 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 1: good job with that. I thought, you know, I really 498 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: kind of wish I would have seen it before I went. 499 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,120 Speaker 1: I think it would have prepared me a little bit. 500 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: Oh really, yeah, I think so. I think I had 501 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 1: the uh fortune. I think, you know, I quickly realized 502 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 1: that you know, the good fortune and at boot camp 503 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: was a game, right, I mean, you've got to get 504 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 1: through it. It's serious and there's obviously stuff to learn, 505 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 1: but uh, you know, a guy who can't be mad 506 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: at you, you know, because your brand new it this 507 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:54,280 Speaker 1: thing screaming at you in your face. You know, if 508 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 1: you you could either take that to heart or you 509 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: could realize that hey man, he's he's doing his thing, 510 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,439 Speaker 1: trying to make me better. And so you know, I 511 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,920 Speaker 1: can uh, I can dig it right, So I'll uh, 512 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 1: you know, I'll do I'll play the game, I'll uh, 513 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: I'll yell loud if he wants me to yell. 514 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 3: I'll run as fast as he wants me to to run. 515 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,439 Speaker 1: And then you know, when I get get through with 516 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:14,919 Speaker 1: this kind of proven you know that I'm I have 517 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: what it takes, then I'll be ready to you know, learn, 518 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: you know whatever it is that that these guys have 519 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:21,400 Speaker 1: to teach. 520 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 3: Me, right, and they want to see you succeed. They're 521 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 3: there to see you succeed. They're not there to see. 522 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,920 Speaker 1: Yeah they don't do it, yeah they uh, I mean 523 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,959 Speaker 1: it's varies, I think, you know, but as long as 524 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 1: you're somebody that's that's putting out doing a good job, yeah, 525 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: they they want you to to be successful. I'm sure 526 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,400 Speaker 1: there are people that they they're doing everything in their 527 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: power to get to get out. 528 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 3: But uh, and I. 529 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: Never I came close, really close, but I never went 530 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: back to be a drill instructor. 531 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 3: I never. You know, it's really something I wanted to do. 532 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 3: That's like a perfect marine right there. 533 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean there's there's absolutely value. And I mean 534 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: you're you're making the next generation. It's it's super important. 535 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,720 Speaker 1: But it's just really wasn't. It wasn't for me. I'm 536 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: not much of a screamer, you know. 537 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, and you'd have to, you'd have to. It's constant. 538 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,960 Speaker 3: But I mean, you know, the running and just the 539 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 3: complete rigorous torture on your body. You know, to be 540 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 3: a drill instructor has got to be just in its 541 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 3: own just like your reek, just like going through Marsk 542 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 3: and everything he did. You guys have to just consistently 543 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:30,240 Speaker 3: be badass. You can't catch it fault. It takes. 544 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:35,360 Speaker 1: It takes its toll, you know, but you can. All 545 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: you can do is keep after it, right, you know. 546 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 3: Keep well. You got lucky because you were able to 547 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 3: cross into it, right. So we have a lot of 548 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 3: veterans that I don't know, maybe there's like just like 549 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 3: a stigma out there, like how do I transition from 550 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 3: military civilian life? You know, I don't know if it's 551 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:53,439 Speaker 3: something that is more said than is actual. You know, 552 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:56,680 Speaker 3: I have been reached out by people through media and like, hey, 553 00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,120 Speaker 3: how do you get into podcasting? You know, I'm interested 554 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 3: in that, or how do I write a book? What's 555 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:04,360 Speaker 3: your take on the transition from I mean, you went 556 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,879 Speaker 3: into the same kind of gig, right. 557 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:11,360 Speaker 1: So I always tell and I do a lot of coaching, 558 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:15,439 Speaker 1: you know, like performance coaching, personal coaching, and talk with 559 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:17,320 Speaker 1: a lot of guys who are getting out and it's 560 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a pretty real thing. You know, if 561 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,639 Speaker 1: you've spent your life in the military now getting out 562 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: at you know, you're kind of the big cock on 563 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: the walk. You know, you're you know, a master and 564 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: master guns or whatever your rank is, and now you're 565 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 1: getting ready to go into an absolutely unknown world, you know, 566 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 1: whether that's back to school, which I you know I did, 567 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: is like a forty year you know, forty some year 568 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 1: old man kind of scared to death, you know, going 569 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: to school with college kids right to you know, going 570 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 1: out into a real that we call it the real world. 571 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: But you know, a job market and trying to get 572 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 1: a job, and there's just it's it's challenging. I skipped 573 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 1: a lot of that because I never really left. I'm 574 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: starting to think about, you know, actually going into the 575 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 1: real world one of these one of these days, I 576 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: just got to figure out what I'm gonna do when 577 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 1: I grow up, what I grow up? 578 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 3: Yes, I love it. Uh. 579 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: The The thing I think for you know, veterans to 580 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: realize people that are getting out is that, I mean, 581 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: you bring a lot to the table. You know, you've 582 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: there's so much that you've seen and done that that 583 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: will be value added, you know, any sort of organization. 584 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 1: I but I generally tell people that's don't rush into anything, 585 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: you know, don't It's a little bit different than it 586 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 1: was on our parents' time, you know, you kind of 587 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: My dad was in the Navy for a couple of 588 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 1: years during Vietnam. 589 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 3: Got out. 590 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 1: You know, you work at a job until you die, basically, 591 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: you know, that's that's not the way the world works anymore. 592 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:43,320 Speaker 1: I mean, people, you know, take a job, you know, 593 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 1: until you find something else. You know, they kind of 594 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 1: work to live, not live to work, hopefully, and I 595 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 1: think that's a good way of looking at it. But 596 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 1: there's absolutely a lot of opportunities and I think it's 597 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 1: not something that veterans immediately think of, but uh, you 598 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: know in writing and creative spaces, right, even if it's 599 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: not something that you make your living at because I'm 600 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna, I don't have all this because of 601 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: the book, right, It's that book's not gonna It might 602 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: put a couple of meals on the table, but it's 603 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: it's not going to allow me to retire. But I 604 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: think there's a huge benefit and kind of veterans getting 605 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: out and exploring those things. 606 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, one hundred percent, you know, and maybe taking advantage 607 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 3: of the benefits that they have after they get out 608 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 3: of like their VA home loan or like using you 609 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 3: know the other benefits that are if they filed up 610 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 3: for their GI bill in basic or whatnot, how to 611 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 3: take it out and I forgot about it. Hey, go 612 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 3: take advantage of your school. Just get a c Okay, 613 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 3: it's make sure you get ces. 614 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's changed so that you don't even have to 615 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 1: do that. Everybody is blanketed the GI bill is really 616 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,880 Speaker 1: that's the best. So I did when I was in 617 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 1: boot camp, we had to sign up, and we were 618 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 1: you know, deducted one hundred dollars a month for a year. 619 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 1: And along the way, the uh they you know, after 620 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 1: post nine eleven, they did away with that, and so 621 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 1: I was I was able to and I was not 622 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 1: a I mean I was on the first thing smoking 623 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: a book camp, right I had. I was not a student. 624 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:15,840 Speaker 1: I didn't really like Uh, I didn't like school. But 625 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 1: you know, as I went through the Marine Corps, I 626 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: realized that, you know, education is is super valuable. One 627 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 1: thing I've always loved to read. All right, So like 628 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: you guys book club, I think is a is an 629 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 1: absolutely great thing. But you know, before I retired, I 630 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 1: was able to finish a bachelor's degree online, all online 631 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: and homeland security. So my intent was to get out 632 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 1: and become a security consultant. That didn't didn't pan out, 633 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,440 Speaker 1: and but I was able to use the GI bill 634 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 1: to I went back to college. Like I said, I 635 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,960 Speaker 1: got a master's in in literature or liberal arts focus 636 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 1: in literature. And that really kind of got me, you know, 637 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: got me thinking that, hey, you know, I really like writing. Uh, 638 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: I should give this a whirl. So I went back 639 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 1: got another master of fine Arts and and creative writing 640 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 1: from the University of North Carol Carolina here in Wilmington. 641 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: And that's you know, that just opened all these doors. 642 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: You know, you spend time around writers, you get opportunities 643 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: for write. So I'm you know, I can't talk highly 644 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,000 Speaker 1: enough about you know, educating yourself. You know, if you're 645 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 1: a veteran or even if you're you know, a young, 646 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 1: younger person that wants to join the military. 647 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 3: I mean, the. 648 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: Smarter you are, the more value added. 649 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 3: You're going to be. 650 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: So you know, you just even if it's doing nothing 651 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: more than just reading books, but you know, getting getting 652 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:32,280 Speaker 1: college in. 653 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 3: And now for. 654 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 1: The folks that you have the GI bill, they can 655 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 1: they have the opportunity to pass it on to their 656 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: kids so their kids can go to school if they 657 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 1: don't use it. And it's it's a pretty phenomenal benefit. 658 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: I mean, while I was going you you also get 659 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: a living stipend, so you get your college paid for. 660 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,400 Speaker 1: You get this eight hundred nine hundred bucks a month 661 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 1: just to live on. So potentially it's I mean, it 662 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 1: would not be challenging for somebody getting out after four 663 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:00,040 Speaker 1: years to say, hey, I'm. 664 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 3: Not going to man I'm going to go to school benefits. Yeah, 665 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 3: such a good benefit. It's huge, it's huge, you know, 666 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 3: I'm so many people don't take advantage you have it nice. Yeah, 667 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 3: it's phenomenal. My eighteen year old daughters like that, I 668 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 3: want to go to Arizona State and I'm like, but 669 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 3: we live in Utah. Yeah, out of state. Yeah, the 670 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 3: double surprise. Yeah, I'm like, but we live here. We 671 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 3: got the University of Utah. 672 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 4: You know. 673 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 3: I'm like, she's like, but Arizona State, that's got the sun. 674 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:28,680 Speaker 3: And I'm like, look, whatever you need. But again, you know, 675 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 3: if she wanted to join like the Navy or the 676 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 3: whatever branch she decided on, and she put in four years, 677 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 3: her school would be you know, yeah, you know, and 678 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 3: that's a huge deal. Yeah, it would be paid for. 679 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 1: I I you know, I was just reading something that 680 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: you know, there's the percentage, well one, the percentage of kids, 681 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 1: you know, high school kids today that are qualified physically 682 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: to join the military is like just tanking, all right, Yeah, 683 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 1: I mean there's just not that many that could pass. 684 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 3: He's changed, right. 685 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,440 Speaker 1: But then there's also like a like fifty percent of 686 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 1: Americans like would not encourage their children to serve in 687 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:07,480 Speaker 1: the military, and I just read this morning. 688 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:09,320 Speaker 3: There's in fact, I read it on software. 689 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 1: I think there's you know, like thirty five percent of 690 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: people in the military wouldn't recommend anybody to join the military. 691 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of you know, there's a lot 692 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 1: of negativity about a lot of things. But I mean 693 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:23,640 Speaker 1: there's still some insanely amazing benefits you know, if you 694 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 1: join whatever whatever branch kind of strikes your fancy, you know, 695 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,240 Speaker 1: and quite likely, like we said, there there are thousands 696 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: of different jobs across the services. So you know, if 697 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:34,799 Speaker 1: you want to be a photographer, you know, we've got 698 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: you know, learn learn how to do it. You know 699 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:38,839 Speaker 1: you want to be uh. 700 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 3: I mean there's there's even like probably people who learn 701 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 3: sound and engineering in the military. There's probably like you know, 702 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 3: there's production. 703 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:49,920 Speaker 1: In the militarily, within the public affairs realm, there are 704 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:52,920 Speaker 1: people that I mean, there's you know, podcasts, you know 705 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 1: that you know you might have the opportunity to do that. 706 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:58,560 Speaker 1: If not, you know, the you've got you know, the 707 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:01,959 Speaker 1: GI Bill to go to school for free and get 708 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,839 Speaker 1: get paid while you do it. So it's I still think, 709 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 1: I mean, I was not I didn't grow up. I 710 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:10,440 Speaker 1: grew up in a relatively modest uh you know household. 711 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 1: John Day was not going to college. They were pinning 712 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:16,279 Speaker 1: all their hopes on my brother, uh skateboarding. 713 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:18,960 Speaker 3: I think he was a skateboard or something or what. No. 714 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:21,840 Speaker 1: No, I lived up in the mountains of West Virginia, 715 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: so we didn't even really have skateboards, right. Uh there 716 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,800 Speaker 1: was no sidewalks. We you know, mostly dirt roads and 717 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 1: it's a little rough to it wasn't quite that that 718 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 1: far out. But uh, now I never did get into 719 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: get into skateboarding. But yeah, they just there weren't high 720 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,400 Speaker 1: hopes being held out for me, so they were pinning. 721 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:44,120 Speaker 1: You know, my smarter brother was I think the first 722 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: and our our extended family to go to college. Guess 723 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 1: just wasn't something that people did, right. You got out 724 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:51,759 Speaker 1: of school, you went to work, or you went to 725 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:52,320 Speaker 1: the military. 726 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:53,360 Speaker 3: Right. 727 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:55,879 Speaker 1: But h and I still think it's a great I mean, 728 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:58,319 Speaker 1: it certainly served me very well. 729 00:35:58,360 --> 00:35:59,800 Speaker 3: For for over twenty years. 730 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: I had a blast almost not every day but most 731 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:04,840 Speaker 1: most every day. And just I mean I got to 732 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 1: you know, I tell people like, I got to blow 733 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:10,720 Speaker 1: stuff up, I got to jump out of airplanes at 734 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:12,200 Speaker 1: you know, five miles in the. 735 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:14,680 Speaker 3: Sky at nighttime. I got to scuba dive, you know, 736 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:18,839 Speaker 3: shoot literally ride and tracked vehicles with team tracks on them, 737 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:21,880 Speaker 3: and like like you're wearing bump helmets and all sorts 738 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:23,839 Speaker 3: of gear. I love the gear. And let me ask 739 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 3: you something about jumping out of a out of an airplane. 740 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:29,719 Speaker 3: Did you ever have like a close call on that. 741 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:31,879 Speaker 3: You ever have something where it was like this is 742 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:35,240 Speaker 3: my training kicked in and I barely pulled out the 743 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,160 Speaker 3: only time, I don't know how close it was. 744 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:41,120 Speaker 1: Like so with the free fall parachute, so you have 745 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:45,400 Speaker 1: the opportunity to with with your static line parachute, you 746 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,640 Speaker 1: have a reserve, but with a free fall parachute, you 747 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 1: can cut away, cut away your primary parachute, then release 748 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:57,360 Speaker 1: your reserve. And we were doing a parachute. I know 749 00:36:57,440 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 1: I never had to do that, but we were doing 750 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 1: a jump and it's one of our it's rare that 751 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:06,680 Speaker 1: you get to jump from thirty thousand feet that's the 752 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: amount of airspace that's required. The there's just a lot 753 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,440 Speaker 1: of complexities that go into that. But we were up 754 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:16,600 Speaker 1: in the desert. We were doing a jump nighttime, thirty 755 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: thousand foot and in order to do that, you've got 756 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 1: to have an oxygen mask on, and see you're breathing oxygen. 757 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 1: I jumped out and you count, I think to six, 758 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 1: all right, to just kind of let yourself get stable, 759 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:32,120 Speaker 1: and then you pull. And you know, with thirty thousand feet, 760 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:35,560 Speaker 1: it's probably like one hundred and sixty below zero with 761 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 1: windshill and. 762 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:37,759 Speaker 3: Everything that's going on. 763 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:41,360 Speaker 1: So you've got big, big honking sued on big gloves, 764 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:45,000 Speaker 1: and with my big glove I had, when I pulled 765 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 1: my ripcord, I also pulled the oxygen hose out, and 766 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:52,160 Speaker 1: I didn't realize it until I started getting you know, 767 00:37:52,239 --> 00:37:54,920 Speaker 1: the whole world started kind of turning black, and so 768 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 1: I realized that, hey, there's you know, I'm trying to 769 00:37:57,640 --> 00:37:59,400 Speaker 1: figure it out, and there was nothing that I could do, 770 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 1: like I'm going to pass out. But I had a 771 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:03,720 Speaker 1: parachute open, so that's. 772 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:04,040 Speaker 3: A good thing. 773 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:07,239 Speaker 1: So I come on the radio and I try to 774 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:10,520 Speaker 1: like just let everybody know because everybody has their parachutes open, 775 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:13,160 Speaker 1: and we're going this way and with from that height, 776 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,839 Speaker 1: we were planning to land about forty miles from where 777 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 1: we jumped out. Wow, so we're just like screaming across 778 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: the desert. I'm like, hey, guys, I'm about to pass 779 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:26,360 Speaker 1: out here. I'll figure it out. No, but that didn't 780 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:29,280 Speaker 1: come over. It was probably more of like a muffled 781 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 1: scream or whatever. But what I tried, I tried to 782 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:35,160 Speaker 1: dump as much called dumping air, so you pull a 783 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:38,920 Speaker 1: toggle down and that makes you fall faster. But there's 784 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:43,920 Speaker 1: not enough oxygen to sustain consciousness until about twelve thousand feet. 785 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:47,800 Speaker 1: So from thirty thousand feet down to twelve thousand feet 786 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,600 Speaker 1: I was. I was out, and then suddenly you wake up, 787 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:52,319 Speaker 1: and it's kind of like waking up from a dream, 788 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:55,320 Speaker 1: but you realize that, hey, I'm screaming at like sixty 789 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:57,919 Speaker 1: miles an hour, you know, through the through the middle 790 00:38:57,960 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 1: of the night sky. 791 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:01,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 792 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:03,400 Speaker 1: And from from where I was, I was able to 793 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:06,960 Speaker 1: look back and see the lights of the airfield that 794 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,440 Speaker 1: we had taken off from, so I was able to 795 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:12,560 Speaker 1: turn and I just headed back to that and landed. 796 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 3: Didn't quite make it, but landed. 797 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:18,120 Speaker 1: Luckily. They still had payphones back then, and so I 798 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 1: had some change, so I went and threw some money 799 00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:23,680 Speaker 1: in the payphone, called the base and they the first 800 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:25,319 Speaker 1: time they hung up on me. They're like, hey, we're 801 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:26,440 Speaker 1: having an emergency, and. 802 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 3: They hung up. 803 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:30,480 Speaker 1: Second yeah, the second time, I'm like, hey, man, I'm 804 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:32,839 Speaker 1: the emergency and they're like, so. 805 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,920 Speaker 3: Uh, what's the code word? I'm the emergency? 806 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:38,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess so. But they're like, all right, we'll 807 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 1: just hang out. We'll come and get you later. So 808 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:44,640 Speaker 1: I went down walked down the street to a bar. Uh, 809 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:48,319 Speaker 1: had a beer and uh usually. 810 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 4: Tom Cruise, did you see this last movie of his 811 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:54,480 Speaker 4: where he is trying to go like mock. 812 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:59,719 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, similarly yeah, yeah, pretty similar thing to that, 813 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:01,760 Speaker 1: Get cut a cup of coffee. 814 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:03,879 Speaker 3: You're like just totally normal. I'll looking at you like. 815 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 4: Uh, I love that You're badass, bro. 816 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:11,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, that was just that was just close. Uh. I 817 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:14,040 Speaker 1: think that was the closest call that I've had. 818 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:17,080 Speaker 3: Oh that was Top Gun, the movie's Top Gun. I 819 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:18,279 Speaker 3: was like, wait, what movie is that? 820 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:18,320 Speaker 1: That? 821 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:22,600 Speaker 3: Top Tom Cruise is showing that he's yeah, the new 822 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:26,080 Speaker 3: top Gun. Yeah, and uh he walks into his full 823 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:28,239 Speaker 3: gear into the restaurant and there was a staring at him. 824 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:32,000 Speaker 3: They must have took that from you, bro. Maybe Yeah, 825 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:33,960 Speaker 3: I don't know who. Who's there to see some residual 826 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:35,960 Speaker 3: from there. Let's put it a call to CIA real 827 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:39,839 Speaker 3: quick here. Yeah, I should get some royalties or something made. 828 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:43,760 Speaker 3: I'll tell you what. Wow, Wow, you're the real version. 829 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:47,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, a little bit different. I mean, I I it 830 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:50,520 Speaker 1: was all my fault. I shouldn't have you know, pulled 831 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:51,000 Speaker 1: out your road. 832 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:52,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, that was. 833 00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:56,000 Speaker 1: The mistake I made there. But it, like I said, 834 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:58,840 Speaker 1: with big gloves on, it's it's it's not impossible to do. 835 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:02,480 Speaker 1: So they've they've sent changed the way that the system 836 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:04,720 Speaker 1: is set up to make that a little more difficult. 837 00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:07,280 Speaker 1: I'm not the first guy who's done it, who's popped 838 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:09,680 Speaker 1: that off, and the hopefully yeah, hopefully the last. 839 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:12,279 Speaker 3: That's the last thing you need to deal with when 840 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:15,520 Speaker 3: you're flying so high altitude low opening halo or were 841 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:16,520 Speaker 3: you high altitude high? 842 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:21,400 Speaker 1: Oh yeah yeah, high altitude high opening. So we jumped already, 843 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:23,640 Speaker 1: huh we're yeah, we were open and luckily, you know, 844 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:25,879 Speaker 1: if if I had not had a parachute open, then 845 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:29,960 Speaker 1: then that would have been a much different story. But so, 846 00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:31,840 Speaker 1: I mean, I had a good parachute. It was just 847 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:36,800 Speaker 1: a matter of passing out and coming to when the 848 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:37,480 Speaker 1: air came back. 849 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:39,920 Speaker 3: Have you ever done that into the water, Like have 850 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:42,600 Speaker 3: you ever hayhoed into water? And like, uh, you know, 851 00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:44,680 Speaker 3: I don't know, maybe I'm thinking Navy seals Charlie Sheen 852 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:47,280 Speaker 3: and those guys like not into a dive. 853 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:50,000 Speaker 1: We've jumped into the water, which is which is cool. 854 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:54,120 Speaker 1: The thing that's always kind of scary about that is that, 855 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:56,759 Speaker 1: you know, a parachute falls on top of you, you know, 856 00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:58,560 Speaker 1: in the in the middle of the ocean, and it's 857 00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:01,319 Speaker 1: just there's a whole lot of lines running from that. 858 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:05,160 Speaker 1: So that's whenever we do those, we'll do some you 859 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,960 Speaker 1: know practices in the swimming pool, you know, and just 860 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:10,880 Speaker 1: there's a lot of potential for, you know, for things 861 00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:11,960 Speaker 1: to go go wrong. 862 00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:14,040 Speaker 3: So, you know, my dad told me a story one 863 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:17,120 Speaker 3: time with guys that were like in Pensacola, Florida, I 864 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:19,560 Speaker 3: think is what he said. Somewhere in Florida, and they 865 00:42:19,719 --> 00:42:23,600 Speaker 3: were doing some high altitude, low opening jumps whatnot. Maybe 866 00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:26,399 Speaker 3: it was just regular shoots, but they would release over 867 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:30,120 Speaker 3: the water out of their shoot and one guy just 868 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:33,439 Speaker 3: was like one hundred feet up I'm not sure how 869 00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:36,520 Speaker 3: far out, and like kind of hurt him. But you know, 870 00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:39,760 Speaker 3: these guys are always trying to pop a little higher 871 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:41,520 Speaker 3: than the other to land in the water. 872 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:45,480 Speaker 1: Is that something that Yeah, So when you are jumping 873 00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:47,839 Speaker 1: into the water, you start as you know, as you 874 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:50,520 Speaker 1: are stable and you're you're coming down, you know, you 875 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:53,919 Speaker 1: start preparing to get out of your parachute, so you'll 876 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:58,359 Speaker 1: take off the the chest strap and you know kind 877 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:00,520 Speaker 1: of set yourself in the into the harness and kind 878 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 1: of you're ready to go, so that as soon as 879 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:06,040 Speaker 1: you hit the water, and it's it's very difficult to judge, 880 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:07,719 Speaker 1: you know, when you're when you're above the water. So 881 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:10,759 Speaker 1: that's that's the reason that they they don't want you 882 00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:14,600 Speaker 1: popping out too early. But as soon as your feet 883 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:18,319 Speaker 1: hit the water, you're really being held on by your 884 00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:21,520 Speaker 1: leg straps, so that's the last thing you pop and 885 00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:25,120 Speaker 1: hopefully arch out of it, and the wind generally will 886 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:28,160 Speaker 1: carry the parachute away from you because you land into 887 00:43:28,200 --> 00:43:33,120 Speaker 1: the wind. So so it's, uh, it's in a perfect world. 888 00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:36,840 Speaker 1: It's it's a lot of fun. There's just always always 889 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,120 Speaker 1: the potential in the world. Who is seldom perfect. 890 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 3: You know. Yeah, and then you're definitely and just yeah, 891 00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:43,839 Speaker 3: you're like, oh wait, am I one hundred feet or 892 00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:47,839 Speaker 3: forty five feet? Yeah, you know, it's like a little far, 893 00:43:47,960 --> 00:43:50,680 Speaker 3: a little far. Yeah that was. That was in the eighties. 894 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:54,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, things were I'm sure a little uh, I was. 895 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:56,840 Speaker 1: I was in the Marine Corps well late eighties, but 896 00:43:57,040 --> 00:43:59,640 Speaker 1: you know, I didn't start doing this stuff until and 897 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:03,160 Speaker 1: then then, So I think, you know. 898 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:05,360 Speaker 3: So you already get fifty? Are you in your five o's? 899 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:08,799 Speaker 3: I am, Yeah, I'm fifty four. Fifty four. 900 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:12,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, it seems really old, right, I don't feel it, so. 901 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:14,160 Speaker 3: No, you don't seem it. Yeah, I don't get that 902 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:16,440 Speaker 3: from you. I'm forty six. And so I just was like, 903 00:44:16,800 --> 00:44:19,960 Speaker 3: you know, you're a seventies child, right. 904 00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:24,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was born in sixty nine, right, sixty nine. Yeah, 905 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:26,080 Speaker 1: I know that Vietnam was raging. 906 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:30,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, holy cow, seventy seven here, Yeah, okay, so that 907 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:32,319 Speaker 3: makes total sense. No, I think you're great. I think 908 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:35,040 Speaker 3: you're I'm so happy that you are on the show, 909 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:37,920 Speaker 3: and I hope my listeners have been getting just awesome 910 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:41,800 Speaker 3: stories and listening to your vibe. Dude, you're a badass 911 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:45,520 Speaker 3: bro right on. I know that Tough, Rugged Bastards takes 912 00:44:45,520 --> 00:44:47,920 Speaker 3: a lot more than just writing the thoughts of that 913 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:50,480 Speaker 3: book out onto page. I know there was probably things 914 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:52,920 Speaker 3: in there that were real serious that just you know, 915 00:44:53,120 --> 00:44:55,840 Speaker 3: are hard to deal with, and you put it on paper. 916 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:57,839 Speaker 3: Do you have anything that you want to talk about 917 00:44:57,920 --> 00:44:59,480 Speaker 3: that was just like kind of tough that you put 918 00:44:59,480 --> 00:44:59,839 Speaker 3: in there. 919 00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:05,880 Speaker 1: So the whole book started. The idea for it really, 920 00:45:06,239 --> 00:45:08,680 Speaker 1: at least at a like a kernel of the idea 921 00:45:09,200 --> 00:45:12,399 Speaker 1: started when I went back to college or went to college, right, 922 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:16,480 Speaker 1: and uh, we had to write an essay of something 923 00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:20,400 Speaker 1: that happened to us, and I was it was it 924 00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:22,200 Speaker 1: was luckily I got it out of the way first. 925 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:24,720 Speaker 1: But it was the first essay I wrote that really 926 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:27,920 Speaker 1: started the you know, became the seed for the book 927 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:32,400 Speaker 1: talks about Uh. I think of him as a kid, 928 00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:34,799 Speaker 1: but he was he was an adult. But he was 929 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:39,040 Speaker 1: a guy that I shot in uh that Joff Iraq 930 00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:42,239 Speaker 1: with a sniper rifle, and you know, looking at him, 931 00:45:42,239 --> 00:45:45,560 Speaker 1: I you know, I especially you know obviously it's like 932 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:48,040 Speaker 1: Matthew McConaughey, right, the older and I keep getting older, 933 00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 1: but he stays the same age. Uh So, so I, 934 00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:56,239 Speaker 1: you know, I wrote this essay called death Letter, and 935 00:45:56,280 --> 00:45:57,839 Speaker 1: it was kind of it was like written to him, 936 00:45:58,320 --> 00:46:01,200 Speaker 1: and that was really you know, and I wrote that 937 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:05,200 Speaker 1: the professors were like, you know, dug it. You know, 938 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:09,040 Speaker 1: They're like, man, this is really honest, and and I 939 00:46:09,080 --> 00:46:10,879 Speaker 1: was like, you know what I mean, maybe there is something. 940 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:12,799 Speaker 1: Maybe I've got something to say, and I've got the 941 00:46:12,840 --> 00:46:15,279 Speaker 1: ability to say it in a way that you know, 942 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:18,279 Speaker 1: people would like to listen to. So I took that, 943 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:21,680 Speaker 1: you know, I submitted it to I think I wound 944 00:46:21,719 --> 00:46:23,800 Speaker 1: up submitting it to I was a one hundred percent 945 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 1: sure when I sent it off that you know, they 946 00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:27,680 Speaker 1: were going to like write me a big check and 947 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:32,920 Speaker 1: publish it and something. And first place didn't, the second place. 948 00:46:33,160 --> 00:46:35,600 Speaker 1: Finally we got to like the twentieth, like two years 949 00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:38,080 Speaker 1: of submitting and I finally got it, got it published. 950 00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:40,960 Speaker 1: And that was the first thing like that that I'd 951 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:44,600 Speaker 1: had published. So but you know, as soon as it does, 952 00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:46,239 Speaker 1: you know, you go from being down and dumps to 953 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:47,719 Speaker 1: being on cloud nine to see in your. 954 00:46:47,680 --> 00:46:50,360 Speaker 3: Name and things that you wrote, you know, in pages. 955 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:54,480 Speaker 1: So that kind of sat with me, and it took 956 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:58,880 Speaker 1: a little while, and I had some fortunate just meeting 957 00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:02,360 Speaker 1: people that encouraged me to write, and you know, the 958 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:04,719 Speaker 1: the fact that I was, you know, one of the 959 00:47:04,760 --> 00:47:07,040 Speaker 1: guys in this very small unit was I felt like 960 00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:10,520 Speaker 1: a story that should be told. So it's not it's 961 00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:12,919 Speaker 1: not a history, you know so much. I mean, it's 962 00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:15,279 Speaker 1: you know, called a memoir. You know, it's I mean, 963 00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:18,680 Speaker 1: it's my story, my recollections. I mean, some of it, 964 00:47:19,080 --> 00:47:21,759 Speaker 1: I think, uh, I mean, there's obviously a lot of 965 00:47:21,840 --> 00:47:24,440 Speaker 1: an interesting time in history for anybody. 966 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:25,799 Speaker 3: There's an interesting time, and. 967 00:47:25,840 --> 00:47:28,759 Speaker 1: Certainly a Marine Corps history, special operations history, but there's 968 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:32,520 Speaker 1: also just a you know, it's just from my perspective, 969 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:34,800 Speaker 1: you know, Hey, here's how I felt when this was happening. 970 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:38,160 Speaker 1: So some of it was tough to write, and you 971 00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:40,680 Speaker 1: know that one in particular. But since then, you know, 972 00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:43,800 Speaker 1: I've had the opportunity with with several different groups, the 973 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:48,640 Speaker 1: Lethal Mince Journal, the Dead Reckoning Collective, and these different 974 00:47:48,719 --> 00:47:52,520 Speaker 1: veterans writing groups. You know, had the opportunity to work 975 00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:55,520 Speaker 1: with with veterans and writing, you know, get their stories 976 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:59,360 Speaker 1: on paper. And I think it's hugely valuable. You know, 977 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:01,759 Speaker 1: if if nothing else, it never sees a light of day, 978 00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:04,279 Speaker 1: if nobody ever reads it, you know, taking you kind 979 00:48:04,280 --> 00:48:06,920 Speaker 1: of get it out of your head and and process 980 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:08,960 Speaker 1: it all right, And I think it's you know, I 981 00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:11,000 Speaker 1: think if there's any sort of you know, whether it's 982 00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:13,520 Speaker 1: a traumatic thing. I think there's absolute value in that, 983 00:48:13,600 --> 00:48:16,959 Speaker 1: right and putting on paper and it processes. It doesn't 984 00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:18,440 Speaker 1: have to live in your head anymore. It can live, 985 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:21,440 Speaker 1: you know, on a piece of paper that's shoved in 986 00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:24,560 Speaker 1: the desk or burned or whatever. But I mean there's 987 00:48:24,600 --> 00:48:27,959 Speaker 1: also just the simple fact that you know, whether they're 988 00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:31,279 Speaker 1: you know, Savilians of any sort, but particularly people who 989 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:35,040 Speaker 1: were interested in the military, people who you know, especially 990 00:48:35,040 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 1: people interested in wargames and anything like that. You know, 991 00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:40,000 Speaker 1: it's just the idea that hey, I can you know, 992 00:48:40,080 --> 00:48:41,799 Speaker 1: read you know what this what was going through this 993 00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:45,480 Speaker 1: guy's head. And my goal was to you know, I 994 00:48:45,480 --> 00:48:48,680 Speaker 1: grew up reading Vietnam books. You know, there's just tons 995 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:53,400 Speaker 1: of them, right, and then the GAT books you know 996 00:48:53,440 --> 00:48:55,680 Speaker 1: that I've read a lot of them are very much 997 00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:57,839 Speaker 1: just kind of, Hey, I'm going to write an action 998 00:48:57,920 --> 00:49:01,480 Speaker 1: packed book and I'm gonna h you know, I call 999 00:49:01,520 --> 00:49:05,359 Speaker 1: it for I'm certainly not poking, you know, throwing rocks 1000 00:49:05,400 --> 00:49:08,759 Speaker 1: at anybody. But a lot of them aren't necessarily you know, 1001 00:49:08,840 --> 00:49:10,759 Speaker 1: they don't go into the fact that, hey, I was 1002 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:14,200 Speaker 1: pretty fucking scared here, you know, you know, there's some 1003 00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:16,520 Speaker 1: honesty that that I was hoping, you know, as a 1004 00:49:16,560 --> 00:49:18,800 Speaker 1: guy with a Master of Fine Arts degree in writing, 1005 00:49:18,840 --> 00:49:20,640 Speaker 1: that I could bring a little bit of not only 1006 00:49:20,640 --> 00:49:22,799 Speaker 1: some craft to it, you know, look at different ways 1007 00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:25,800 Speaker 1: of telling stories and and hopefully keeping people engage while 1008 00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:29,840 Speaker 1: also being you know, true to the you know, everything 1009 00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:32,560 Speaker 1: that happened, and uh, you know, honorable to the guys 1010 00:49:32,600 --> 00:49:36,120 Speaker 1: that served with me. So but the goal I went 1011 00:49:36,200 --> 00:49:38,759 Speaker 1: into it with was, you know, I want to write uh. 1012 00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:40,400 Speaker 1: I mean, there's plenty of books for people in the 1013 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:42,680 Speaker 1: military about being in the military. You know, I want 1014 00:49:42,719 --> 00:49:44,799 Speaker 1: to write a book that that they'll enjoy and get 1015 00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:47,640 Speaker 1: a kick out of. But uh, you know that somebody 1016 00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:49,359 Speaker 1: who's a civilian could pick up and try to get 1017 00:49:49,360 --> 00:49:51,279 Speaker 1: a little bit of understanding, you know, what goes on 1018 00:49:51,400 --> 00:49:55,279 Speaker 1: and through in the heads and hearts and minds of 1019 00:49:56,520 --> 00:49:59,759 Speaker 1: especially special operations. I think it's quite often misunderstood, you know, 1020 00:49:59,760 --> 00:50:01,880 Speaker 1: if he people think that we're just we're all a bunch. 1021 00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:05,080 Speaker 3: Of uh uh. I used to read these alert linebackers, right, 1022 00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:08,600 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, my dad would have these like books. You know, 1023 00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:10,800 Speaker 3: they're just books that were written a long range of 1024 00:50:10,840 --> 00:50:13,400 Speaker 3: conisance patrol books and these lurks. Oh yeah, and stories 1025 00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:16,640 Speaker 3: of lurps in Vietnam. Right, yeah, that was my bathroom material. Bro. 1026 00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:19,560 Speaker 1: Those are Uh, there's one you may have. He may 1027 00:50:19,600 --> 00:50:21,520 Speaker 1: have had Force ricon diary. 1028 00:50:21,719 --> 00:50:25,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, that's I had that. That one. 1029 00:50:25,280 --> 00:50:27,680 Speaker 1: There was two sineteen sixty nine and nineteen seventy. The 1030 00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:32,399 Speaker 1: guy that wrote that was the first Force Recon guy 1031 00:50:32,520 --> 00:50:35,480 Speaker 1: that Uh. I actually he wrote me a blurb. I 1032 00:50:35,560 --> 00:50:37,960 Speaker 1: just had the opportunity to like talk, you know, a 1033 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:39,719 Speaker 1: couple hours on the phone with him. You know, I 1034 00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:41,920 Speaker 1: reached out to him kind of cold and like, hey, 1035 00:50:41,920 --> 00:50:43,640 Speaker 1: I was in you know, the first Force Recon and 1036 00:50:43,680 --> 00:50:45,120 Speaker 1: here's you know, my my book. 1037 00:50:45,200 --> 00:50:47,960 Speaker 3: Can I send you the manuscript? And uh? 1038 00:50:48,160 --> 00:50:49,920 Speaker 1: And that was that was so cool. So, you know, 1039 00:50:50,360 --> 00:50:53,400 Speaker 1: if nothing else, you know, I've got to meet some legends. Yes, 1040 00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:57,520 Speaker 1: another one that uh kind of through the book, John 1041 00:50:58,040 --> 00:51:02,720 Speaker 1: Striker Meyer, who is one of the Macvie song guys. 1042 00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:05,719 Speaker 1: He's written a bunch of books. You know, a great 1043 00:51:05,719 --> 00:51:07,680 Speaker 1: guy you know through the through this, you know, had 1044 00:51:07,719 --> 00:51:09,960 Speaker 1: the opportunity to meet him and become friends with him. 1045 00:51:10,160 --> 00:51:12,800 Speaker 1: So I've got like these legends you know that in 1046 00:51:12,920 --> 00:51:14,759 Speaker 1: some small way kind of emulating you know. 1047 00:51:14,840 --> 00:51:16,640 Speaker 3: What does that tell you about yourself? 1048 00:51:16,840 --> 00:51:17,160 Speaker 1: John? 1049 00:51:18,239 --> 00:51:20,520 Speaker 3: You have a legend on the left side and a 1050 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:23,000 Speaker 3: legend on the right side. What are you in the 1051 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:25,479 Speaker 3: middle there? I'm just a lucky son of a bitch. 1052 00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:30,759 Speaker 3: That's exactly right. And it's a it's an honor to 1053 00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:33,160 Speaker 3: talk to you, bro, And thanks for just being open 1054 00:51:33,200 --> 00:51:36,240 Speaker 3: with me and having just a casual conversation. We really 1055 00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:38,880 Speaker 3: have never met each other. This is something that I 1056 00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:40,839 Speaker 3: want my listeners to hear that you can still have 1057 00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:43,560 Speaker 3: normal conversations with people no matter where they come from 1058 00:51:43,560 --> 00:51:45,879 Speaker 3: on the waiver side, and at the end of the day, 1059 00:51:46,080 --> 00:51:49,600 Speaker 3: we all believe the same red blood. That's it. Hey, 1060 00:51:49,600 --> 00:51:51,840 Speaker 3: you guy, And so if you want to join the 1061 00:51:51,840 --> 00:51:54,359 Speaker 3: Marine Corps, I'm down for you to do that. If 1062 00:51:54,400 --> 00:51:56,480 Speaker 3: you want to join any of the military branches, give 1063 00:51:56,520 --> 00:51:58,040 Speaker 3: it a shot. I go talk to someone at a 1064 00:51:58,080 --> 00:52:00,560 Speaker 3: career center, ask him about the GI bill, ask them 1065 00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:03,200 Speaker 3: what benefits are available. Get that out of them. Ask 1066 00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:05,440 Speaker 3: them if they can work for you versus you work 1067 00:52:05,480 --> 00:52:08,759 Speaker 3: for them. At the career center, it's okay, but once 1068 00:52:08,800 --> 00:52:14,759 Speaker 3: you enlist, you work for them exactly. Now, with that said, 1069 00:52:15,000 --> 00:52:17,560 Speaker 3: I have had about an hour of time with our 1070 00:52:17,600 --> 00:52:20,120 Speaker 3: guest John today. It's been a pleasure to have someone 1071 00:52:20,120 --> 00:52:22,359 Speaker 3: from the United States Marine Corps on the show. I 1072 00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:24,680 Speaker 3: love the Marines. I think Chesty is my lord and 1073 00:52:24,800 --> 00:52:28,680 Speaker 3: savior and I have embraced him. I went out to 1074 00:52:28,719 --> 00:52:30,440 Speaker 3: Camp Pendleton and got to do war games at the 1075 00:52:30,520 --> 00:52:34,200 Speaker 3: Kilo two Mount facility. Wow, which yeah, which was legit. 1076 00:52:34,239 --> 00:52:36,600 Speaker 3: And it was nighttime and the fog was rolling in 1077 00:52:36,640 --> 00:52:42,920 Speaker 3: from ocean side and we had thermals. Oh being wargames. Yeah, yeah, 1078 00:52:42,920 --> 00:52:45,120 Speaker 3: So people are hanging out of like the makeshift mosques 1079 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:48,120 Speaker 3: and all the different positions, like where's the fog coming from? 1080 00:52:48,200 --> 00:52:51,000 Speaker 3: We're like what, you just see him through the fog? 1081 00:52:51,160 --> 00:52:53,560 Speaker 3: Nothing like thermals through the fog. Okay, all the night 1082 00:52:53,600 --> 00:52:58,800 Speaker 3: vision was useless. Oh but that thermal man. So again, 1083 00:52:59,760 --> 00:53:03,279 Speaker 3: I Chesty out there and I just want to say 1084 00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:05,600 Speaker 3: thanks again, dude, You've been really a pleasure. And to 1085 00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:07,839 Speaker 3: my listener. Go check out our book club. It's soft 1086 00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:11,040 Speaker 3: Rep dot com Forward Slash book Club. Go check out 1087 00:53:11,280 --> 00:53:14,239 Speaker 3: Brandon Webb's Instagram page. Hit him up and tell them 1088 00:53:14,280 --> 00:53:16,520 Speaker 3: that I said to say hi on his Instagram page. 1089 00:53:16,560 --> 00:53:19,560 Speaker 3: Also veteran and an author who's written many novels. You 1090 00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:22,320 Speaker 3: know he puts it on paper. And again to my listener, 1091 00:53:22,680 --> 00:53:24,600 Speaker 3: the number one thing I hear from my authors and 1092 00:53:24,640 --> 00:53:27,000 Speaker 3: other people who I've interviewed, and I've interviewed a hundred 1093 00:53:27,040 --> 00:53:30,600 Speaker 3: of them is put it on paper. You're not writing 1094 00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:33,160 Speaker 3: anything when you're thinking about it. You're writing when you 1095 00:53:33,200 --> 00:53:35,680 Speaker 3: start to actually put it on paper. So if you 1096 00:53:35,680 --> 00:53:37,359 Speaker 3: can just take your thoughts and put it out there, 1097 00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:39,680 Speaker 3: and that's what I'm going to say. John did in 1098 00:53:39,760 --> 00:53:42,360 Speaker 3: his essay class. It took him a second. He's like, 1099 00:53:42,360 --> 00:53:44,279 Speaker 3: how do I get an a What am I going 1100 00:53:44,360 --> 00:53:47,040 Speaker 3: to do to draw these guys into my essay? Well, 1101 00:53:47,040 --> 00:53:48,520 Speaker 3: I'm going to tell them about how I took someone 1102 00:53:48,560 --> 00:53:50,960 Speaker 3: out in najaff as a sniper in the Marine Corps. 1103 00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:55,160 Speaker 3: And they're going to sit there and say, shit, you 1104 00:53:55,200 --> 00:53:58,719 Speaker 3: should submit this. Yeah, and he submitted it, and he 1105 00:53:58,800 --> 00:54:02,120 Speaker 3: took a lot of and as an actor and someone 1106 00:54:02,160 --> 00:54:04,360 Speaker 3: who auditions all the time, you gotta be okay with that. 1107 00:54:04,400 --> 00:54:05,960 Speaker 3: You gotta have thick skin. You just got to believe 1108 00:54:05,960 --> 00:54:07,279 Speaker 3: in what you want to believe in. You got to 1109 00:54:07,280 --> 00:54:09,799 Speaker 3: be passionate about it and say you can't tell me 1110 00:54:09,960 --> 00:54:12,200 Speaker 3: no because I believe in it and you don't understand it. 1111 00:54:12,239 --> 00:54:14,239 Speaker 3: You just move on to the next I don't know 1112 00:54:14,239 --> 00:54:18,319 Speaker 3: if that's my coaching and if John agrees, that's cool. Yeah, 1113 00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:20,080 Speaker 3: but just put it on paper. There you go. 1114 00:54:20,200 --> 00:54:21,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, I absolutely agree. 1115 00:54:22,480 --> 00:54:25,720 Speaker 3: Okay, well on behalf of John and Soft Breath and 1116 00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:28,120 Speaker 3: you the listener and the viewer. I say, all right, 1117 00:54:28,239 --> 00:54:29,440 Speaker 3: the rat say of peace. 1118 00:54:34,280 --> 00:54:36,760 Speaker 2: You've been listening to self rep Radia