WEBVTT - Ep. 26: Omar “Crispy” Avila 0:00:01.160 --> 0:00:04.480 Hey, everybody, Welcome to episode number twenty six with the 0:00:04.559 --> 0:00:07.680 Hunting Collective. I've been O'Brien and today I'm in Austin, 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:13.160 Texas at Archery Country, the best archery shop in all 0:00:13.200 --> 0:00:16.720 of Texas in my opinion, and I'm joined by a 0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:21.360 living legend, a man that deserves more respect than anybody 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:24.120 I've ever met. After you hear his story, I hope 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:27.880 that you will feel the same. His name is Omar Vila. 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:32.040 He goes by Crispy, and he is a veteran of 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:37.040 the Iraq War and a man who has lived in 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:42.440 exemplary life. He was in a I don't even how 0:00:42.479 --> 0:00:49.400 you really explained, in a firefight in Iraq, and it's 0:00:49.440 --> 0:00:52.320 hard to even talk about. His makes me emotional, but 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:55.800 he was in a firefight and he sustained serious entrance 0:00:57.080 --> 0:01:01.280 and still fights them today. But he's a bow hunter. 0:01:01.840 --> 0:01:05.560 He is a man of character, a man of conviction, 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:08.399 and somebody that we can all look at um and 0:01:08.480 --> 0:01:10.920 thank for not only the service but the person that 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:15.240 he is. So without further ado, on our final lap 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:18.039 in Texas, I wanted to talk to this Texas native 0:01:19.480 --> 0:01:24.560 uh hero, a man who defines what this state is 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:27.440 all about what this country is all about and what 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:48.920 life is all about. So without further ado, Crispy, Crispy, 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:53.200 what's up? Man? I don't know. Man. We're here in Texas. 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:59.320 It's freaking August, ten degrees sweat and just drawing your 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:02.320 bow back. You know, sweat everywhere I go, especially when 0:02:02.320 --> 0:02:06.240 I'm using my bow. So but that means hunting season 0:02:06.280 --> 0:02:09.400 is upon us. Just what a few weeks ago, a 0:02:09.760 --> 0:02:11.640 few weeks away? Are you getting dove hunt this year 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:14.359 at all? Or yeah? Are you? Yeah? I'm gonna That's 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:16.440 what I'm looking forward to. That was something that Todd. 0:02:16.440 --> 0:02:18.600 I want to get one of the one of the 0:02:18.600 --> 0:02:21.240 front broadheads on my bow. And if I get board, 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:23.919 try to sling one item. You gotta let me know 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:26.200 if you starts working out for you get better, to 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:30.519 get better with the boat, with the shotguns. Man there, 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:34.040 they're tough hunting, that's right. But it is Texas. That's 0:02:34.080 --> 0:02:36.560 like the religion down here. You gotta go dove hunting 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:39.400 when it opens up. Are you born and raised in Texas? Man? 0:02:39.440 --> 0:02:42.840 I was actually born in Mexico, but I was raised 0:02:42.880 --> 0:02:45.400 in Texas and the Browns of Wich of South Texas. 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:50.960 It's a little different than the rest of Texas. So what, um, 0:02:51.160 --> 0:02:53.320 tell me about your upbringing, man, because I know a 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:57.120 lot about your more contemporary story. You know, start with 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:00.919 your military service. But yeah, what was life like come up? Man? 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.400 So I was nine years I was actually eight, and 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:07.920 uh my dad from the US serving in the military 0:03:08.000 --> 0:03:10.400 and all that good stuff. But my mom in Mexico 0:03:11.200 --> 0:03:14.320 got married. Um my mom wanted to live down there 0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:17.520 for for a while and then finally, um, you know, 0:03:17.560 --> 0:03:19.799 we were eight or nine and she's like, I want 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:24.640 to move. So we migrated from South Mexico up to 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:28.880 Matta Morris, which is right next to Brownsville. And my 0:03:28.960 --> 0:03:31.280 dad was trying to do everything legal, I mean, to 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:32.839 try to get us over but it was just gonna 0:03:32.919 --> 0:03:37.080 take forever. And my dad got tired of commuting from 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:39.400 from the U. S to Mexico every single day just 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:42.280 for work. And uh, this is awesome because I've never 0:03:42.360 --> 0:03:47.040 told this story on another podcast ever before. Um. So 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:50.920 my dad had this old school LeBaron convertible and um, 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:53.080 one day, man, he's just he was just fed up 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:55.560 and he's like, I don't care, I'll paid all the fees. 0:03:55.920 --> 0:03:57.280 And I didn't know what the hell my dad was 0:03:57.320 --> 0:04:00.240 talking about. So my dad brings Brandon clue us from 0:04:00.240 --> 0:04:02.760 my brother, my sister, and I'm Mom's dressed up and 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:04.840 we got balloons and gifts and I'm just like, oh, 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.160 we're going to a party with with a friend or something. 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:09.760 And uh, next thing, I know, we're going over this 0:04:09.840 --> 0:04:12.720 bridge and I just looked at my mom and my 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:16.839 mom's praying, man like hard, just praying. I've never seen 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:20.120 my mom yeah everything. I mean, you know, growing up 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:23.200 Mexican Catholic obviously, and you know she's praying and got 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:25.560 a rosary in her hand and whatnot. But before that, 0:04:25.720 --> 0:04:28.080 my dad looked at me and this conversation was in Spanish, 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:30.919 but he told me, you know, if they ask you something, 0:04:31.000 --> 0:04:33.000 we're going to a party. He's like, you're the oldest, 0:04:33.040 --> 0:04:35.120 and I need you to memorize this word. So he 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:37.200 said party. So I'm sitting in the back and they're 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:39.919 trying to be a good time. I remember this this word, 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:42.800 and um, we get to this booth and I had 0:04:42.839 --> 0:04:44.560 no idea who the guy was, but he's in a 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:46.240 uniform and I'm like, what the hell is this a 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:49.359 checkpoint or something that I don't know, And he's he 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:51.760 starts talking English to my dad, asking him where we're going. 0:04:51.839 --> 0:04:54.040 And my dad said, oh, it's one of our one 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:57.279 of their cousin's birthday. We're going to McDonald's right across here, 0:04:57.320 --> 0:04:59.719 and uh, we're gonna go, you know, celebrate a birthday. 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:02.680 And um he looks over at my mom. My mom 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:06.159 doesn't speak, and he goes, you a citizen, and my 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:09.080 mom just laughed and she goes yes, and uh. He 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:11.039 looks over at me and he goes where you guys headed. 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:12.320 And I just looked at him and I was like 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:15.120 party and had a bunch of balloons in my hand, 0:05:15.400 --> 0:05:18.760 and uh like, I said, go ahead. And that's how 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:23.280 we crossed the border. Wow. And so the most interesting 0:05:23.320 --> 0:05:26.120 part of that is the balloons where the balloons like 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:30.159 a stage, like if you were holding the whole thing 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:32.360 was that was staged because he had balloons. We had 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:34.919 gibbs that were wrapped. I mean, I was just you know, 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:40.200 there was nothing in them, but they were wrapped. Oh man, 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:42.320 you got us across. That was here in the summer 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:45.919 and uh, you know, uh, summer ended. And then I 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:50.320 started the third grade that that same year and Brownsville. Yeah, 0:05:50.320 --> 0:05:52.120 so I ever since you know, I grew up there, 0:05:52.120 --> 0:05:55.919 played football, basketball, the whole nine. Man, So you had 0:05:55.960 --> 0:05:58.160 immediate place to live like he had. He already had 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:02.080 a house, everything he had planned. So it was it 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:04.240 was all all of his eggs in that basket and 0:06:04.240 --> 0:06:06.039 said this is how we're gonna do it. And I 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:09.520 appreciate his Yeah, man, yeah, so it was you know, 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:13.880 I was. It was crazy when you know when that happens. 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:16.760 Do you feel like, when did you figure out that's 0:06:16.800 --> 0:06:18.600 what had happened when you started living there and never 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:20.719 went back to Mexico. Yeah. Actually, when I went to 0:06:20.760 --> 0:06:23.359 school that first year, because everybody there spoken English and 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:25.640 I had no clue what was going on. It was 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:30.039 catch up or or get left behind. So I made 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:33.039 it one of my my missions early in life was 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:36.160 when I got home, I would pick up a dictionary 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:38.800 and try to learn an English word and and implemented 0:06:38.800 --> 0:06:41.320 in a sentence when I went back to school, and 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:44.640 watching TV played a big role. Watching all the uh 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:47.520 you know, the stupid shows like Power Rangers and Ninja 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:50.080 Turtles and all that. Yeah, so picked up a lot 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:53.400 of a lot of words from it, and uh, you 0:06:53.440 --> 0:06:54.880 know what they say, man, I I've heard it in 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:57.760 a bunch of different podcasts. When a child can develop 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:02.200 the brain and learned a new language, opposed to an adult, 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:05.200 it's a lot harder and it was easy man. E 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:08.320 picked it up pretty quick. And uh, that was one 0:07:08.320 --> 0:07:10.320 of the things my mom always said, learn as much 0:07:10.360 --> 0:07:12.280 English as you can at school, but when you come 0:07:12.280 --> 0:07:14.880 home Spanish. So she wanted us to be by lingual 0:07:14.920 --> 0:07:16.960 and have that for the rest of our lives so 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:19.720 we can use it anywhere we go. Well, and and 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:23.080 most countries around the world there you know, children are 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:25.400 biling you go to candidate and most children by ling 0:07:25.440 --> 0:07:27.960 will go to anywhere in Europe, most children are you know, 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:31.600 tri lingual if that's a word. Um, yeah, we just 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:36.360 did America. We yeah. Well, I mean if you think 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:39.560 about it, everywhere you go, everybody speaks English. No, no 0:07:39.640 --> 0:07:43.000 matter where you're at that everybody knows language or or 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:47.200 somewhat knows the language. So that's what we get lazy. 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:50.760 And then you know it was your childhood normal yel 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:52.880 like after that you just felt like a normal American kid. 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:55.200 It was all American man, and just uh, you know, 0:07:55.280 --> 0:07:57.440 mom and dad had two jobs trying to support us 0:07:57.560 --> 0:07:59.280 racist Righte. I take care of my brother and my 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:04.000 sister being the oldest, grew up playing football, basketball. I 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:07.280 was like all American in high school, had had opportunities 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:10.480 to go play football at different universities here in Texas. 0:08:10.600 --> 0:08:13.800 I mean, it was just all American upg upbringing. It 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:16.960 was just you know, South Texas and hunting and you know, 0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:20.000 just kind of it was a whole three sixty man. 0:08:20.080 --> 0:08:21.760 I never would have thought, you know, that I was 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:24.800 born in Mexico or anything. It was just you know, 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:28.560 it was uh kind of a you know, all the 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:30.520 things that you experienced growing up here. You know, I 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:32.080 got my first pair of boots, I got the first 0:08:32.080 --> 0:08:35.240 one to ride a bike or a horse, and the 0:08:35.320 --> 0:08:38.520 first time I went dub hunting. You know, it's just 0:08:38.520 --> 0:08:40.640 just the upbringing of being an American. It was just 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:43.840 there the whole time. Happy childhood. Yeah, I mean I 0:08:43.840 --> 0:08:46.400 had a blast. Man. My parents were amazing. They they 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:49.960 always busted their asked to provide for us, and not 0:08:50.080 --> 0:08:53.280 one once that I ever hear them complain or or 0:08:53.480 --> 0:08:56.080 a bitch about anything. They never asked for government assistance. 0:08:56.120 --> 0:08:58.240 They knew that, you know, that they needed to do 0:08:58.240 --> 0:09:00.199 it the right way, man, And you know that that 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:03.040 kind of rubbed off on myself and my siblings. It 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:05.719 was just, you know, always do the right thing, and 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:08.080 you're close to your siblings now even Yeah, yeah, man, 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:11.040 we're We're always been closed. I speak to my siblings 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:14.920 at least four times a week as it was her 0:09:15.000 --> 0:09:17.600 text or phone call or FaceTime or whatever where we 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:21.080 all staying touch. Same thing with my parents, Um, you know, 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:24.760 we talked on a daily. So it's just, man, I've 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:27.280 always teld people it's kind of it's kind of a 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:29.280 blessing man, how Hispanic people are brought up. You know, 0:09:29.320 --> 0:09:32.440 we're very family orient it, and it's it's a big 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:35.400 part of who we are and and I've always been 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:37.240 blessed with that. Man. Even when I got injured, my 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:42.520 parents dropped everything. My dad was the executive chef at 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:45.240 a restaurant in South Padre Island and he dropped everything. 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:48.160 My mom, I just opened up a salon and uh 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:50.880 she she's a cosptology major and had her own salon 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:53.880 and stuff and sold it and moved brother and sister, 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:56.319 dropped school and kivin straight to San Antonio to be 0:09:56.440 --> 0:10:00.280 with me. So it's that support system. It was always 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:02.800 been there. So we were super tight. Well it makes 0:10:02.920 --> 0:10:06.640 I think it makes for stronger people, stronger souls, you know, 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:10.240 more resilient souls after what you're going through. And you know, 0:10:10.280 --> 0:10:12.240 you know, as a kid, you you probably don't realize 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:15.439 what crossing the border meant and what not at all. 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:18.600 Not at all, man, not at all. And I never did, 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:22.280 not not until like, you know, when I was young 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:25.160 and dumb in high school and we go to Matam 0:10:25.200 --> 0:10:27.480 Morris he going party and onenot and I come over 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:29.960 and uh, you know, they asked you in the board 0:10:30.000 --> 0:10:32.080 like hey, U s citizens? Like yeah, then what are 0:10:32.120 --> 0:10:34.920 you talking about? Let's go. And when I come back home, 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:36.800 I told my mom we went to Mexico and she's like, whoa, 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.559 you can't get in trouble where you're gonna get deported, 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:42.600 And I what are you talking about? So I never 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:45.560 really realized till I was probably a sophomore in high school. 0:10:46.200 --> 0:10:48.400 So when my dad got done paying all the fines, 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:50.360 Mom and dad paid all the fines and we got 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:54.360 an attorney and all that, and it was a a 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:56.680 week and a half before night and eleven happened, which 0:10:56.720 --> 0:10:59.760 is my software is when I became a citizen. Wow. Yeah, 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:02.080 So the week and a half before night before night 0:11:02.080 --> 0:11:09.720 eleven happened. Um So when nine eleven happens, um, I 0:11:09.720 --> 0:11:12.600 think probably something changed in you a little bit. You 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:16.880 start feeling, um a need to serve or or a 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:20.880 call to duty as it were, without saying being too hyperbolic, Yeah, no, man, 0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:23.120 And it's it's the same thing that I have. Millions 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:25.120 of other guys, you know, they heard the calling, and 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:27.680 it was the same thing for me. I knew I 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:30.640 was the oldest, and um, I knew I needed to go, 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:33.920 and I was just you know, when it happened. Man, 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:37.360 I had always felt American, but until I got my citizenship, 0:11:37.920 --> 0:11:41.400 that was a validation of of me being a real 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:44.440 American and and being proud and and what not. So 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:46.520 sitting there and watching those hours get hit, man, I 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:48.600 think I was one of maybe fight kids that were 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:51.600 crying because it had that much of a significant impact 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:54.079 in my life. And right then and there, I made 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:56.160 up my mind. I said, I'm gonna go and and 0:11:56.440 --> 0:11:59.000 go fight these cowards so that my brother and my 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:02.880 sister can grow up free in our country and and 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:04.800 accomplish anything they want to be, you know, if they 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:07.280 want to be a doctor or a surgeon, whatever, you know, 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:09.600 the case was. I wanted to go over there and 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:13.040 fight for them, um, so that they can live free. 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:15.040 And I feel like it was my duty. Man. I 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:17.520 feel like, you know, the US give me an opportunity 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:20.360 to be an American and give me the chance to 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:23.320 accomplish and be anybody that I wanted to be, and 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:26.680 I feel like I needed to fight for that so 0:12:27.000 --> 0:12:32.000 that my siblings can can keep living it. Yeah. Yeah, 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:35.880 I mean, how old are you? The sophomore high school 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:39.000 is fifteen sixteen, about the same age, so I think 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:43.720 I was about sixteen. I didn't feel anything like that. Um. 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:46.520 I just think, like what it strikes me about how 0:12:46.559 --> 0:12:47.840 you grew up and how I grew up in the 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:53.080 suburbs and comfortable life. My parents will work their ass 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:55.319 off on their own business and worked hard a lot. 0:12:56.120 --> 0:12:58.480 But I think there was a there's just a different mentality, 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:03.200 like the the immigrant mentality mentality coming over here, and 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:06.199 they appreciates you that you had. I feel like ship 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:09.920 for not having. It's not that I feel like shit. 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:12.520 I just I understand how you got to where you 0:13:12.559 --> 0:13:14.840 got to and why you got there, and I also 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:17.480 understand like why my path took a little bit longer. 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:20.720 Took me, you know, six eight, ten years to realize, 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:25.000 holy crap, what do I have here? Um? Because there's 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:26.880 nothing else to compare it to. It's just like it's 0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:30.520 just life. Yeah, that's what it was. Um. So how 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:32.760 long you went through high school? When you got out 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:35.199 of high school, did you immediately joined the army or 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:37.200 I did? Man, So when I was a senior, I 0:13:37.240 --> 0:13:39.920 was kind of on the fence because I had a 0:13:39.960 --> 0:13:44.080 couple of universities asking, you know, if I wanted to 0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:46.800 complay football there, and it's just that was another thing. Man. 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:50.400 Football became alive for me, you know, as as any Texan. 0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:52.720 Then It's just it took over it and I happened 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:55.560 to be a great athlete. I was six two eighty 0:13:55.600 --> 0:13:57.560 five pounds and I was running the forty like a 0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:00.520 I can't remember, like four six four I have something 0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:03.400 like that. Yeah. So, you know, a couple of different 0:14:03.440 --> 0:14:06.199 schools wanted to turn me from defensive end into a linebacker, 0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:09.559 and uh, you know, I mean I remember there was 0:14:09.679 --> 0:14:11.480 nights that I couldn't sleep just trying to make up 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:12.959 my mind and what I wanted to do. But I 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:17.160 remember I said I had made that that promise that 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:20.040 I was gonna go, and uh, I just kind of 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:22.600 pushed all the schools away and signed up, man, And 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:25.800 everybody was kind of shocked of what I had chosen 0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:29.280 to do. But you know, signed up on the left 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:31.560 right away. Man. I think I went into the recruiting office. 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:34.760 It was June sixteenth, June. I was on an airplane 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:37.080 to four Bedding, Georgia. The first time I've ever been 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:40.680 on a plane holy ship headed a four Banning Georgia 0:14:40.720 --> 0:14:44.760 because I signed up as I was eighteen year Yeah, 0:14:44.800 --> 0:14:47.760 eighteen years old, brand human. I've never been been gone 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:49.760 from home more than like a week or something. So 0:14:49.800 --> 0:14:51.440 what's that moment like when you're on the plane going 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:53.400 to Georgia and you realize I'm flying away to a 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:56.840 strange place to join this thing. Man, A lot of 0:14:56.880 --> 0:15:00.880 mixed emotions, just wondering what the hell I'm doing or 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:03.760 is this gonna take me? Just a lot of mixed emotions. 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:09.160 Are happy, excited, just thrilled? And uh men is just 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:11.600 just a lot of mixed emotions, man, But it was 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:13.440 it was all good at that point. Is it all 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:15.880 opportunity for you? Remember him back then? Like it's all 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:18.320 about the opportunity. It's not like I'm sacrificed and get 0:15:18.320 --> 0:15:19.920 on this plane. No, not at all. It was just 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:21.920 kind of want to Like, you know, I started thinking 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:23.280 about it. I was like, I'm gonna go do this, 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:25.080 and then when I get done, I want to be 0:15:26.040 --> 0:15:28.560 uh you know my I did a lot of research 0:15:28.600 --> 0:15:30.520 in the military. I wanted to come in as an infantryman, 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:32.440 and then I wanted to move over a range of battalion, 0:15:32.480 --> 0:15:34.120 and then from there I wanted to be in the 0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:37.160 special operations community because you know, I started looking at 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:38.840 all those things that had friends that were already in 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:42.200 that were seniors when I was a sophomore that had 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:44.840 gotten injury, I mean that had joined the military and 0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:47.360 had gone down that path, so that that path was 0:15:47.400 --> 0:15:49.560 already there for me, and that's what I wanted to do. 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:52.800 So it was all opportunity. I just wanted to keep 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:54.720 growing and I have made up my mind I wanted 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:59.920 to make the military career. It was like it was 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:03.640 all in for me with the military. Yeah. So then 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:05.800 when you get there and you get to to Georgia 0:16:05.840 --> 0:16:07.840 and you start to experience what this is like this 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:11.480 is basic training. Yeah, it was man, it it took 0:16:11.480 --> 0:16:13.560 me for a spin. I was not expecting it. Like, 0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:15.240 you know, a lot of the guys kind of preparing 0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:16.880 me that, like listen, they're gonna yell at you either 0:16:16.960 --> 0:16:18.440 they are gonna get in your face. And I was 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:22.000 like I can take that. Yeah the gunny. Yeah. So 0:16:22.040 --> 0:16:24.360 I was like, OK, I'm ready for this. And then, uh, 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.600 you know, accidentally bumped into one. And and this is 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:28.640 you're talking about two thousand and four, when they can 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:31.320 still put their hands on you. Now I hated, but 0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:34.880 the military has got in super soft and everybody cares 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:37.600 about everybody emotions and feelings now and back then they 0:16:37.600 --> 0:16:39.640 didn't care. Man. They were like, we're shipping you up 0:16:39.680 --> 0:16:42.360 to go to war. We don't care about your feelings. 0:16:42.480 --> 0:16:44.280 And uh, you know, I bumped into one of them 0:16:44.280 --> 0:16:45.600 and next thing I know, I'm on the ground. I'm 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:47.960 getting kicked by all six of them. And so it 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:50.920 was there was that kind of military And now that 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:52.040 I look back at it, I was like, man, that 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:55.040 shipped me up two I am today, But it was 0:16:56.200 --> 0:16:58.320 there was definitely some lonely nights man, when you start 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:00.840 thinking of all your buddies back at home, and you know, 0:17:01.080 --> 0:17:02.360 like I said, I went here in the summer, so 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:05.520 I didn't graduate to like around December. So you know, 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:07.159 I'm sitting there and I'm like, man, I wish I 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:09.200 was in a blind right now hunting, or I wish 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:11.760 I was dub hunting, or you know, just a thought 0:17:11.800 --> 0:17:14.639 of having a dip in your mouth and walking some fields. 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:16.199 And that's kind of where I used to bring me 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:18.600 back at night and miss home. And you were living 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:23.920 that like idyllic Texas Friday night lights life. I mean, 0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:27.200 you know, for lack of a better term, like start 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:30.720 of the football team, jock. You had a lot in 0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:32.520 front of you. Yeah, man, went from being in the 0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:34.960 front of the newspaper to being in a room where 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:38.000 nobody gave a ship who I was. So it was 0:17:38.119 --> 0:17:42.720 it was a culture shock for sure. They kicked you, 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:45.600 maneah man, they did. They kicked people today. They'd be 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:48.800 like sensitivity training the next week. Man, the army be 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:51.600 done and they found it down and shut the whole 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:55.440 thing down no more. Basically kick the guy. They kicked 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:58.800 the guy. It's funny you say that that that that 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:01.440 that shapes you later on, or that even today you 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:04.120 that you're appreciative of that. It's not like some bad experience, 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:07.880 not at all. I mean, you know, it's just, man, 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:10.399 it's lessons in everything. I don't think that it was 0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:13.399 meant to necessarily break me or change me in a 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:16.119 bad way. It's just, hey, man, these are the rules 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:17.879 and and this is the way that everything is set up. 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:20.600 And you put your hands on a superior and we're 0:18:20.680 --> 0:18:22.840 not going to tolerate it. You know. It's the same 0:18:22.840 --> 0:18:24.320 thing if I would have had one of my privates 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:26.240 put their hands on me. Oh you damn sure, Me 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:27.679 and my other n c o s are gonna beat 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:30.240 the crap out of you. And it's just, you know, 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:35.960 teaches you to establish um, you know, the channels that 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:38.040 that's in the military, you know, from a private all 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:40.200 the way up up to the higher command. And it's 0:18:40.240 --> 0:18:43.399 just it's a military, man, it's not it's not a 0:18:44.119 --> 0:18:47.800 nine five working at and mcdonnos or at a car 0:18:47.840 --> 0:18:50.040 wash or something where it's a lot different that this 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:51.600 is at the end of the day, that this is 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:54.560 this job. Your life is on the line, and I 0:18:54.600 --> 0:18:58.919 don't have room to baby anybody or be soft like 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:02.960 you expect something from everybody. And and that's that's just 0:19:03.000 --> 0:19:04.880 what it is. From that's there's no you didn't get 0:19:04.880 --> 0:19:07.200 like a participation show. You participated in the beating. Yeah, 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:10.560 thank Yeah. I mean I can tell you I never 0:19:10.600 --> 0:19:12.840 did it again. I make sure all my surroundings at 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:17.680 all times. So that's it. That's severe punishment teaches you immediately. 0:19:17.760 --> 0:19:19.760 I realized right now that my wife is doing that 0:19:19.800 --> 0:19:23.960 to me with things like hand towns like that. I'll like, 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:26.240 pick up the wrong hand town, put it on the dishes. 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:28.800 You like, I kill you. I'm like, I give what 0:19:28.840 --> 0:19:33.880 you're doing. That's like kicking me. I get it. Um. Um. 0:19:33.920 --> 0:19:35.920 But yeah, I mean I think your story as it builds, 0:19:35.920 --> 0:19:38.840 because I've read read it a couple of times and 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:40.320 I was interested to go through it with you. But 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:42.600 I didn't know a lot of this, these little points, 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:46.080 but it builds into this this. You know, people love 0:19:46.119 --> 0:19:48.359 to talk about Pat Tilman leaving the NFL. They like, 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:52.480 you know, these sacrifices are the type of people that 0:19:52.520 --> 0:19:55.400 are molded in shaped in their young lives to be 0:19:55.480 --> 0:19:59.320 mature enough to make that type of sacrifice. Um, and 0:19:59.359 --> 0:20:02.560 then being put room with you know a lot of 0:20:02.560 --> 0:20:04.679