1 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: This is Unbreakable with Jay Glazer, a mental health podcast 2 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: helping you out of the gray and into the blue. 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: Now here's Jay Glazer. Welcome into Unbreakable, a mental health podcast. 4 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: And you know it is Veteran's Day Week, Salutes a 5 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,479 Speaker 1: Service Week, And with that, I wanted to bring in 6 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: one of my brothers from m v P Emerging Vets 7 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: and Players Beautiful foundation that we take former combat vets 8 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: and we merge them together with former pro athletes. First 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: a football players and fighters, but now it's all sorts 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: of pro athletes to give them a new team again 11 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: when the uniform comes off. And look, there's so many 12 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: of my brothers and sisters spend vp A could add on, 13 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: but I wanted this particular person coming on because I 14 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: know he's about to go through a little rough stretch 15 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: coming up here. I wanted to make sure that we're 16 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: there for him as much as he's there for us. 17 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: But I also wanted the world to meet this man. 18 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: And here this man, because he's just so damned different. 19 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: I would say different is good. Different least to success 20 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: this cat, he's really different. His name is Doc Jacobs, 21 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: and so I'm gonna let Doc explain who he has. 22 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: But real quick, So, Doc, how many people did you 23 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: save in Iraq? Over sixty? Okay? Doc? How many surgeries 24 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: have you had? Nine? Okay? Doc? How many Major League 25 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: Baseball teams did you try out for after you got 26 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:28,479 Speaker 1: out and had an amputation? Four? Four? Okay? So again, Docs, 27 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 1: a little different. So let's go back first, explain who 28 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: you are, because what I don't like to do with 29 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: people in the military is trying to explain who they are, 30 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: the rank and all that stuff. I want you to 31 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: explain to everybody who you are. Okay. So I'm Dr. 32 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: Jacobs was a Navy Corman. I joined when I was eighteen, 33 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: right out of high school. I played high school sports, 34 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: uh one year football, baseball, I played multiple years, ran track, 35 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: cross country, all that stuff. So I could have gone 36 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: to college right away and you know, did that thing. 37 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: But I wanted to go serve my country and and 38 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: do that. The cold be kind of at the beginning 39 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: of Operation Iraqi Freedom. That's when I joined two thousand four. So, um, 40 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: I went in as a Navy corpman because I wanted 41 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: to save lives and I knew I wanted to be 42 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: on the front line. So that's what I did eighteen 43 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: uh turned nineteen in Iraq, and I had over uh 44 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: forty something lives in my hands at any given point 45 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: with a platoon of Marines and plus all the locals 46 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: that we encountered every day as well. So um, I 47 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: did that. I was six and a half months in 48 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: on a seven months tour when I got hit by 49 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: a roadside bomb. It wasn't my first time I got hit, 50 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: but I don't know that. Yeah, yeah, there's multiple, um, 51 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: but that's the first like catastrophic injury that I encountered 52 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: for me personally, with my injuries, I don't want to 53 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: just throw this away. So Doc gets hit by a 54 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: roadside bomb, yep. Because by the way, Doc tends to 55 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: tell his story like, you know, yeah, by the way, 56 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: me and my friend we went down to the park 57 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: and we had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. So 58 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,799 Speaker 1: we we have to stop Doc and remind them, Okay, 59 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: the ship you talk about is different, bro, It's not 60 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 1: like things were normally used here. So I'll probably stop 61 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 1: you like eight times because it's not fucking normal. So 62 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: let's go. So you get to paint a picture of 63 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: what what happens on this day okay, So I was 64 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: not supposed to be out on patrol that day. Um 65 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: there was not two foremen on the rosters, so I 66 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: went and made sure I was on the roster. So 67 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: there was two of us and which is per protocol. 68 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: And I was driving a Humby and we were training 69 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: in Iraqi Army. But I was driving the Meta Backcomby 70 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: and one of the other Humbies got hit nobody severely injured, 71 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: and so I gave up my Humby for them to 72 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: maintain squad integrity, and then I just hopped in whatever 73 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: seat I could get, which landed me in the rear 74 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: gun truck. But while we were waiting for UM the 75 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: Army record to come out, we got hit by the 76 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: roadside or got hit by a secondary attack. A black 77 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: sedan pulled up with some insurgents and started attacking us 78 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: with the a KS. We engaged fire back didn't give chase. 79 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: We radioed in UM sofa nearby unit was nearby they 80 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: could pick him up, and we figured they were going 81 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: to lead us into a secondary in bush anyway, So 82 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: um SO then we our TV returned to base, and 83 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: on our way back to base is when my Humby 84 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: was struck by an I e D and it was 85 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 1: a triple stack of one artillery rounds, which is pretty massive, 86 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,599 Speaker 1: and so it flipped the Humby like threw us up 87 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: in the air and then flipped and landed on its side. 88 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: The machine gunner that was sitting next to me, which 89 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,280 Speaker 1: just moments before, by the way, told me that I 90 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 1: needed to be sitting in that seat because it's statistically 91 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: the safest seat in the vehicle. So I told him no, 92 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: if anything were to happen, I'd rather be me than him. 93 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: And it's a roll the dice anyways, So Humby flips 94 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: over on its side, he's ejected out. Humby lands next 95 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: to him, not on him and I and but waking 96 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 1: alert through it all. And then I realized, Okay, I 97 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: can't feel my legs, but I gotta feel for any 98 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: any bleeding, any life threatening injuries, because then I needed 99 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: to go to work too. So and I know, I say, 100 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: like I need to go to work, like I'm nine 101 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 1: to five down the treet right like, oh yeah, yeah, 102 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 1: I just just gotta go to work. Guys, Yeah, so 103 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: I do that I have. My right leg was split open. 104 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: They said it looked like an overcooked hot dog. Um, 105 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: bleeding out there. So I put turning kits on, sent 106 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: him down and my turn to get on yourself. Do 107 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: you feel it, by the way, Um, I wasn't able 108 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: to feel like it it because I couldn't feel my legs, 109 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: so which actually was kind of cool, um because it helped, 110 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: like help me out wise, you know, putting it on 111 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: a turn get hurts, so because you gotta get you 112 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: gotta get enough pressure to to pinch the the femoral 113 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 1: artery so that way you stop the life threatening you know, 114 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: bleeding and so and the fomoral artery runs along the 115 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: femur so it's like that's pretty down there. So um, 116 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: so I yeah, and then I radio in my position 117 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: this is d J. I'm alive. I can't put my 118 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 1: legs and then my marines immediately banter back dot get 119 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: to so and so, so and so down. So I 120 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: climb out of the humby. It's on its side, so 121 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 1: I climb out. Mangel fingers um shattered for him. I 122 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: didn't know I had a fracture to L three um 123 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: or fractured to the base of my neck as well, 124 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: so I didn't know all that was going on. Left 125 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: ear drum just completely obliterated, like annihilated. Um, so I 126 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: climb out, I'm sitting on top of the Humby and 127 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: then I started getting shot at by sniper. So my 128 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: Marines say they witnessed me on top of the Humby, 129 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: sitting there yelling at the sniper, beating my chest like 130 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 1: I'm the whole you know, just come get me, motherfucker. 131 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: So um, They're like you need to talking to Yeah, 132 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: so they're like, go get knock off the Humby. So okay, 133 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: so when you what I get? I get this because 134 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: I've never been shot before. It Yeah, what do you 135 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: feel like to get shot? How painful? I didn't I 136 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: didn't end up getting shot. I was just being shot at. 137 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah. So um but but but you decided to 138 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: stay there pad your chest instead of go take cover? 139 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: Oh yeah yeah, because I mean I could have easily 140 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: just thrown myself off the side of the Humby and 141 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: used the Humby as a barrier. So, which is what 142 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: you should have done, right? Yeah? But what the normal 143 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: person would do to beat your chest like king con Yeah. 144 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: So apparently I found out later that that actually bought 145 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: my machine guner that was sitting next to me, that 146 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: bought him time to get the smoke grenades and concealed cover. 147 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: So he popped the smoke and that allowed marines to 148 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: come get us all out of the wreckage, so that 149 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: you know, in turn like helped everybody out. So that way, 150 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: hopefully there wasn't any further damage to your guys. So um, 151 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: But then I have my marines dragged me into this 152 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: courtyard and I placed me up against the wall where 153 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: my backs against the wall, where I'm facing my casualty, 154 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: and I start working on him and his he had 155 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: traveling up his leg. His leg was so mangled, traveling 156 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: all up his side and just in a lot of paint. 157 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: So I get ten milligrams and morphine. I hit him 158 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: in his other leg with it. Um, so that way 159 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: that will help calm, you know, relax him a little bit. 160 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,560 Speaker 1: And mind you, he was screaming in pain, so there 161 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: was no contramunications. So I know some people would be like, 162 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: well how did you know? So so um, that allowed 163 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: me a little bit of time too. This is the 164 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 1: fun part here to try and get another tourniquet out, 165 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: which I carried in my pocket right here. Um, And 166 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: it was one I made in field med and so 167 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: I I was actually trying to get to the pot 168 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,199 Speaker 1: get the pocket open, but my fingers were mangled, and 169 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: I didn't even know they were mangled at the time. 170 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: I was like, why is this not working? And so 171 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: I'm sitting there, I'm looking at my fingers and they're 172 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: just mangled. And my my ring finger was later chopped off, 173 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: but that was different. So I grabbed and I pulled 174 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: my mangled fingers and I threw them across into another 175 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: courtyard so that way I could just use my my 176 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 1: pinkie finger my thumb and I opened the one button 177 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: and I got it out and from there wait wait 178 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: wait wait wait wait, let's back it up. Let's back 179 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:34,679 Speaker 1: so again in the NFL, we kind of go crazy 180 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: that well, Ronnie Lott a piece of finger off. You 181 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: pulled your fingers off of your hand. Yeah, yeah, just 182 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: so I could get a tourniquet, which I'm gonna take 183 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: you on a field trip. Here. This is a real 184 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: treat for you, Jack in your audience. I don't even 185 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: think I've shown you this yet. So that's right here. 186 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: So these are the boots, but this is the say, 187 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: is the actual tourniquet right here? No way, the actual tourniquet, 188 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: so it wouldn't ow a grenade pin and a curvatow 189 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,959 Speaker 1: and these are the boots. These are the boots. Yeah, 190 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,439 Speaker 1: so you can see like whereas all mangled right there. 191 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 1: And then I'll show you another little treat here, Jay, 192 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: this is the actual sock that I was wearing. Really 193 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:26,599 Speaker 1: still blood soaked. Oh yeah, okay, Well I want to 194 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 1: I want to get back to this. We'll talk about 195 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: the symbolism of that for you, but but I want 196 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: to get back to the mangled fingers. Pulling your fingers off, Yeah, okay, Hey, 197 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: what cloes to your brain to go? I'm gonna pull 198 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: my fingers off. B Do you feel that? Um? I 199 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: didn't feel it, then I did. I did feel the 200 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: pain later at that time, I didn't. And I think 201 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: because of the adrenaline and uh, I think a lot 202 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: of just the mindset of just getting back into my marines, 203 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: taking care of my marines. So I think all of 204 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: that kind of took took the mindset of you know, 205 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: I know, I know you talk a lot about the 206 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: mindset of a warrior and so, um, so I think 207 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: that's where that came into play. So um but it 208 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: it freed up dead weight if you will, and allowed 209 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: me to take care of my marine. And then once 210 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: I got him stable, then the other medic out there, 211 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: the other corman, he was, you know, having a little 212 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: bit of a of a rough go because and rightfully 213 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: so his best friend was in the incident. So I 214 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 1: pulled him towards me and I said, look, focus on 215 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: my words. I'll help you guide you know, I'll help 216 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: guide you through this. Like we have more work we 217 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: have to do, and so I said, you can do 218 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: this stuff that I physically can't. So it's more of 219 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: like i'll help you keep you calm. And so we 220 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: did that, and we not only saved my life but 221 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: to others and brought to the other guys home that 222 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: could have potentially died later you know. So one of 223 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: them did just because of the brain damage um that 224 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: the blasted. But you know, we still brought him home 225 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: to his family, and his family got us say the goodbye. 226 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, man, So but you've saved over sixty 227 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:13,199 Speaker 1: people your life. Yeah, if we save one person? Wow? Right, 228 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 1: And have you ever and I know we've talked about this. 229 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 1: You you struggled being proud of yourself for a while, 230 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: for this. Yeah, right, are you now able to when 231 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,559 Speaker 1: you hear that, are you able to say, let's save 232 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: sixty people? Yeah, Like I'm I could be proud of 233 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 1: myself here. Oh yeah, exactly. And you know a lot 234 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: of talking with you and hearing other stories and m 235 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: v P and and other veterans and and pro athletes 236 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: talk about their accomplishments. And I was talking to one 237 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: m v P here earlier today and I said, you know, 238 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: it's like Jay says, it's not bragging if it's true, right, 239 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 1: it's it happened. You tell your story and you tell 240 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: how it is. But there is a level of like bragging, 241 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: But there's also like, you know, just share your story 242 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,840 Speaker 1: being proud like bragging, Like being proud is being proud 243 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: doesn't have to be framed as bragging. Yeah, that's a problem. 244 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: You guys are taught too often to not be proud, 245 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: to have no individuality. I'm trying to reverse that. No, 246 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: being proud, being proud of your scars, being proud of 247 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: what you've done, being proud of saving the life much 248 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: less over sixty of them. Yeah. Yeah, well, and it's 249 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,199 Speaker 1: a lot of your your work through me. Today I 250 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: did an interview for CBS that will be aired here 251 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: in San Diego and on their website. Um, they can't 252 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: hear your story is so incredible, And I said, but 253 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,560 Speaker 1: there's so many hundreds of thousands of veterans stories out 254 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: there that are being untold from World War Two, any 255 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 1: World War Two veterans that are still alive to today 256 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: that are just because we're told to suppress that. And 257 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 1: so it's I also think what you're doing right there, doctor, 258 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: is a problem that a lot of you know, our 259 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: our crew has is saying yeah, but yeah, but somebody 260 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,440 Speaker 1: else has it worse. Well, yeah, but somebody else has 261 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: been more more No no, no, no no. You've been 262 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: through your story, your equity, and I'm trying to get 263 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: our vets to stop doing that as well, Like, Okay, yeah, 264 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: you've overcome a lot of stuff, you've saved the life, 265 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: you've done things. It's time to start being proud of 266 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: yourself for what we've done, because that's the choice. You 267 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: could be proud of yourself. You can beat up on yourself. 268 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: You've been beating up enough. Let's start being proud of ourselves. Yeah. Well, 269 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: and I am I accepted the compliment, but I my 270 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: my bigger message message there was letting other veterans know 271 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: that they can share their story. I love that that 272 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: that I hear that you and I know that their 273 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: their stories are suppressed out there, even Middletown, America. It's hey, 274 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: you're you may not have a veteran around, but hop 275 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: on a zoom call, hop on an m v P call, 276 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: and and share your story. I know that you're You're 277 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: back in the ranks of people that love you. And 278 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: by the way, for any combat vet out there or 279 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 1: combat support vet, we um m v P is free 280 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: for all of you, and just go to our website 281 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: if that's some players dot org and is free and 282 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: you will be linked up with people like Doc and 283 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: myself and the Nate Warriors of the World and and 284 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: different NFL players and fighters and Chuck Liddell and Randy 285 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: Tour and it's just it's a bunch of badasses lifting 286 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: up other badasses. But what we need now you're one 287 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: of the you and cursed Anderson too and Nate who 288 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 1: really kind of span both. So you get your leg amputated. 289 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: How in the fuck did you possibly get tryouts for 290 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: Major League Baseball after that? And by the way, folks. 291 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: I have seen Doc run on a prosthetic. The Dow 292 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: runs a four or five. It's unbelievable. But he's also 293 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: missing four fingers. So I don't know how you're holding 294 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: the bat and I don't know how you run it 295 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: and get four trials? How did this come about? And 296 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: I just tell the world it's ridiculous, ridiculous, Yeah, no, no, 297 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: it being more than to be a brown fucking I 298 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 1: want you to brag. Let's go, how how did this 299 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: come about? So it took a lot of work, obviously, 300 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: you have a lot of surgeries and everything, even after 301 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: my inputation. But I stayed on active duty, and I 302 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: stayed healthy, I stayed I'm strong. I became the first 303 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: ampt enaval history to ever served with an infantry in 304 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: it as well, which was a lot of work, a 305 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 1: lot of fighting, and even a lot of Yeah. So 306 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 1: you went back in with an amputation. Yeah. More so. 307 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: I challenged the physical board, the me, the medical evaluation board. 308 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,359 Speaker 1: I challenged them, but I passed the Navy PRT beforehand, 309 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 1: so that way they couldn't come back and tell me 310 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: find me unfit for duty. So I trained hard at 311 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: past the physical Fitness test and then I said, I'm 312 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: one of everybody else again, let's go. And so they 313 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: they couldn't come back otherwise and say, oh, you're unfit. 314 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: So they sent me to School of Infantry. I did 315 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: a year and a half there. I worked at one 316 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: worried Battalion for another year and a half, and then 317 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: I went and served with first Marine Division, as the 318 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: first ampt enaval history to ever served. So I stayed 319 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: in shape. I was always training. Right now, people, what 320 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: the fund did I do on Tuesday? Yeah, go ahead, 321 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,159 Speaker 1: talk and I'm trying to use as much as I 322 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: had as I can. Yeah, because Doc and I do that, 323 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: and that's what our whole crew does. We're talked about 324 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 1: the heaviest ship in the world. But we also laughed 325 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: because you've got because the Great hates laughter. I want 326 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: to use Humer here because people at home are probably 327 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: also listening to what the funk am I listening to? Yeah, 328 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: so we gotta make him laugh at the same time. 329 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah. But it was it was a lot 330 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: of hard work because you think about it, You're you're 331 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: battling a government entity. And I attribute a lot to 332 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: my my mental strength battling the Navy to UH Navy 333 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 1: Chief Diver carb shut the first AMPT to stay in 334 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 1: and he became a master diver as an AMPT. And 335 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: not only that, but he was a black man fighting 336 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: against the system. I I forgot when it was a 337 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,879 Speaker 1: sixties seventies, So yeah, he was like really really fighting 338 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: the system and set the way. So not only the 339 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: black man back then, but a black at in the 340 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: Navy fighting a system. So I I attribute a lot 341 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 1: of my mental strength to him and his story and um, 342 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: and so if his family ever hears us, beautiful yeah, um. 343 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: But yeah, So I fought this system and I eventually 344 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: beat the system, and but then there was there was 345 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 1: a lot more. And I just said, you know what, 346 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,399 Speaker 1: there's there's more to my life than than fighting a 347 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 1: government entity, so as as much as yah. So I 348 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: get out and I go meet Tommy Lasorda and Tommy says, oh, well, 349 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 1: you played baseball. You're in good shape. You play baseball, 350 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: And I said yeah, I played third base in high school. 351 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: And he said, well, can you what's the fastest you've 352 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: ever hit? And I said ninety two. And he said, 353 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: you're gonna come try out for the Dodgers, And I said, 354 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 1: all right, yes, sir. So I I got in the cages, 355 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: I trained, I joined like local adult leagues, anything I 356 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 1: could do to play baseball more and like get into it. 357 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: And I made it to the second final round. I 358 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: didn't get signed. So so was it first like Okay, 359 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: we're gonna do something cool for an AMPI t VET 360 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: and then you kind of threw it upside down? Uh? 361 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 1: It kind of felt that way a little bit, but 362 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: Tommy was being serious. He was like, and I mean 363 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: we went and had dinner after the try out, and 364 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: he he asked me how how it went, and I said, 365 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: I feel I did pretty good, and he was like bullshit. 366 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: He said I'm gonna talk to my scouts about it, 367 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: and I was like, okay, well so, and I thought 368 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:30,680 Speaker 1: he was trying to like suppress any bragging that I 369 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 1: might have done and just just being Tommy being funny. 370 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 1: So we're sitting there and the scouts come in and 371 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: they're like, yeah, they did really good, you know, like 372 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: you need to go get a first baseman's glove. And 373 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 1: I was like, I never played first base in my life, 374 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: and they're like, you're a natural at it, so go 375 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: for it. So I did the best that I could 376 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 1: with then like two three months of training that I 377 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:53,800 Speaker 1: could have. And then I later played for a team 378 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: called Purple Heart Baseball as the team captain. We were 379 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: at a game and White Sox announcers had me up 380 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: and I was being with them and they they asked me, 381 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: how come I in and do a try out at 382 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: their facility, well with them, because they shared the facility 383 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:09,160 Speaker 1: with the Dodgers out of spring training. And I said, well, 384 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:11,920 Speaker 1: I'm not going to be disrespectful to Tommy was sort 385 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,400 Speaker 1: of that was like a one like a personal thing, 386 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:16,719 Speaker 1: and I said, you know, Tommy invited me out that 387 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 1: was strictly for him and the Dodgers, and they said, well, 388 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,640 Speaker 1: come on out to Birmingham. So I went on out 389 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: to Birmingham, tried out twice with them, and then the Tigers. 390 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: I tried out once with them, and then the Brewers. 391 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 1: So did you ever feel like there was like, you're close. 392 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: I felt like there could have been a chance. Yeah, 393 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: reaction when they see the guy with one leg and 394 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: missing four figures over there swinging hit and ninety two festivals. Oh, 395 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: a lot of the a lot of the players, kind 396 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,200 Speaker 1: of the other guys trying out I felt like they 397 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 1: thought it was just like, you know, well, we're giving 398 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: this guy a little bit of a you know, right, 399 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,119 Speaker 1: so when they see you step up and fucking crack it. 400 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Oh, they were just kind of like, you know. 401 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 1: And and then I was actually in Birmingham. I had this, uh, 402 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: this college kid, I think he was like out of 403 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 1: LSU or something, and he was like, oh man, you 404 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,680 Speaker 1: might you went talking over here a bit. He's like, 405 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: I have a family member that just had a leg amputated. 406 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: And I was like, yeah, absolutely so kind of turned 407 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: into like a mentorship too, so um it was it 408 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: was actually pretty cool. So you've been hit me up recently. Yeah, 409 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: because you've had eighty nine surgeries. I want to be 410 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 1: here for your brother here. Nineties surgery coming up two 411 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: days before Thanksgiving, and I'm having my right leg finally 412 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: amputated and s leg right now this yeah, so it'll 413 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 1: be it'll be about the same same length down the leg, 414 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: but I've exhausted all options. My ankle is toast. I 415 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: may night. I had a partial talis replacement with a 416 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 1: cadaver bone in. My body's not taking it, so the 417 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: doctor told me going into that surgery in the waiting room. 418 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: He told me, he said, if this doesn't work, you're 419 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 1: looking at ankle fusion or amputation. And I told him, 420 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: I said, I don't want ankle fusion. I said, I 421 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,200 Speaker 1: don't want to be limited like that. And he said, well, 422 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: that's your your body's own natural prosthetic. He said, you're 423 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 1: you're gonna have the same functionality is a regular prosthetic. 424 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: And I said, have you seen my foot? Like there's 425 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,679 Speaker 1: so much damage, Like there's so much that can go wrong, 426 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: at least with a prosthetic. I could just swap it out. 427 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,920 Speaker 1: I break a prosthetic. I literally can just swap it out. 428 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: I have some here in the house, Like I can 429 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,399 Speaker 1: just loosen up a couple of screws. I mean, I 430 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: could have a couple of screws loose, you know, listen 431 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 1: them up, swap him out, and then um, you know, 432 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: then I'm on my way. So hey, how are you 433 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: doing between the ears with this one? And be what 434 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: could I do as your brother to help you for me? 435 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:57,879 Speaker 1: This one? This one hit a little rough because the 436 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: ankle surgeries, It's like, okay, cool over, another another day, 437 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: another day for old Doc j Raight. But for this one. 438 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:09,199 Speaker 1: It's a lot of the like the gray matter you know, 439 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:14,640 Speaker 1: starts talking and it's a yeah, and I talk about right. Yeah. 440 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: So the roommates in the head start talking and they 441 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: start saying things like, you know, hey, how much more 442 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: can we give? How much more do we have to give? 443 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 1: How many more body parts do we have left? And 444 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 1: so those thoughts start creeping in, which it's hard to 445 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 1: get out of that mindset when when those things start 446 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: creeping in, and then I start prolonged like thinking like 447 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: long distance future, like okay, well, how is this going 448 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:42,119 Speaker 1: to affect my my contracting stuff? Like I'm gonna be 449 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 1: going to possible like desolate islands in the Pacific, Like 450 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,959 Speaker 1: how is this going to work as a double AMPT 451 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: but the trauma Experience medic I need to be there, 452 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: So it's like how is this going to impact me? 453 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: Or going to Europe like Eastern Europe where they don't 454 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:59,159 Speaker 1: have like wheelchair ramps or you know, shower benches in 455 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: their bathrooms a d a hotel room. So it's like 456 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: so I started thinking about this stuff like you know, 457 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: how am I going to rent a car? You know? 458 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: Or like I get but I gotta figure what you've 459 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: already done with all the surgeries and things that have 460 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,120 Speaker 1: been you pulled off your body or dropped off your body, 461 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: that you'll figure out a way how to adapt with this. Also, 462 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: just who you are, yea better than the rest of us. Yeah, 463 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 1: And that's that's the thing that pulls me out of 464 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: that mindset. That's what I need you to keep thinking about. Yeah, 465 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: oh yeah, Yeah. And the fact that I have a 466 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: good close circle like m v P, my family, my 467 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: my my military family, my my wife, my kids, everybody 468 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,199 Speaker 1: that you know is there for me to help me 469 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:47,400 Speaker 1: through those times and even to get me to those 470 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: um those spots where I need to adapt and move on. 471 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: So it's it's it's really really great to have that. Well, 472 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: I asked you too, what can I do as your 473 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:58,639 Speaker 1: brother going up here? Honestly, just keeping me, keeping me 474 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: in check really, and just the mindset is the biggest thing, 475 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 1: because I know you know you and I talk a 476 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: lot about the mindset. Is if you speak negative things, 477 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: negative things will follow. And so even if you think like, Okay, 478 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 1: well this surgery is gonna fail me, that certainly, like 479 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,400 Speaker 1: the possibility is. But if I have the mindset of 480 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: I'm mentally right now. I'm already in recovery mode. I 481 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: want the prosthetic already, like I'm ready. And I told 482 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 1: Chris Long and Ate Boyer, I said, I'm going to 483 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 1: climb out Kilimanjar again. I know you will. Yeah, I said, 484 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: I'm gonna I'm gonna climb the mountain and I'm gonna 485 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 1: take a ship on top of the mountain. Nothing against 486 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:42,160 Speaker 1: some other nature, but you know that's yeah. So here 487 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: you've had, you're going in your nine youth surgery, and 488 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: you know you've been in some dark places between the years, 489 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 1: but you've also What I loved about you when I 490 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: first met you is how positive you are? Yeah, how 491 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 1: and why how are you able to get yourself to 492 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: be in the blue despite all the trauma you've gone through. 493 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,680 Speaker 1: Well a lot of the dark years with the dark 494 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: in between the ears? Is uh, those days happen? Um. 495 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: I remember. The toughest thing for me was so I 496 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: went from six and a half months of combat three 497 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: combat patrols a day. I was averaging and as I 498 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,960 Speaker 1: have over two combat patrols then six and a half 499 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 1: month period, so that averages out I think about two 500 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 1: three patrols a day, and so when you're in a 501 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: city like Ramadi at the time. So I was in 502 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: Ramadi from two two six, and so our battalion report 503 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,880 Speaker 1: said that seventy percent of the time, so seven out 504 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: of ten times we're out in the city were engaging 505 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: with the insurgents. So you know, you go from that 506 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 1: to a quiet hospital bed where I'm battling a whole 507 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 1: another battle. But I have family and doctors and nurses 508 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,439 Speaker 1: and Corman everybody all around me all the time, and 509 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:57,160 Speaker 1: USO folks coming in, which wonderful stuff. I loved it. 510 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: But I didn't have any decompression time. I didn't have 511 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:04,920 Speaker 1: any downtime because it was surgery, surgery, surgery, surgery, surgery, surgery, surgery, 512 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,200 Speaker 1: and I had thirty two surgeries and a three month 513 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: went out. Yeah, I mean, imagine like having ten surgeries 514 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 1: a month, like that's that's insane. So you're going through 515 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:22,160 Speaker 1: that and then when oh yeah, ye oh yeah, and 516 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:25,440 Speaker 1: so it's I went from that too out here in 517 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: the barracks by myself, and so I had all of 518 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: that decompression time and all of the so I basically 519 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:35,680 Speaker 1: went about a whole year without being able to decompress 520 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: in combat, combat, combat, surgery, surgery, surgery, to just quiet space, 521 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 1: and then not having anybody there for me, not having 522 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: anyone checking in on me other than like the morning 523 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:50,440 Speaker 1: or afternoon formation whatever it was, Like that was it, 524 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: and so it all of those like dark thoughts started 525 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: creeping in the why me, Like why is my buddy dead? 526 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: Why am I not dead? Like if the humpy would 527 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: have been going a mild power uster, the detonator would 528 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:03,640 Speaker 1: have been a second later, Like you know, all those 529 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: thoughts creep in. And so I've had a lot of 530 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 1: dark days. But at the end of the day, I 531 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: have to realize that I'm still alive for a reason. 532 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:17,320 Speaker 1: And you know, my my reason, my kids, my wife 533 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: and her kids, and you know, like every everything honoring 534 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:24,919 Speaker 1: my fallen my fallen brothers, my fellow wounded brothers, persons 535 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 1: with disabilities, like there's there's so much more to life, 536 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,399 Speaker 1: and so just trying to see the bigger picture of 537 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 1: beyond me. So and I'm I'm a man of faith. 538 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: Yeah me too, Yeah, which is my choice. Yeah, and 539 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: it makes me feel I'm not alone. I got God 540 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:42,960 Speaker 1: with me and yeah, you know I'm not alone, and 541 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: say with you and like yeah. I always tell our 542 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: vets and people like you've had a lot of shitty 543 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: things happen, don't try and figure life out. Yeah, it'll 544 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 1: drive you crazy. Oh absolutely, absolutely so so. But I 545 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: asked you again, what gets you in the blue? Yeah? 546 00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 1: When you not just to stick? Because I asked to 547 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: will get you in the blue? And you told me 548 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: you had dark days? Oh yeah, yeah in the blue? 549 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,239 Speaker 1: Because you're you are so positive dude. I love being 550 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: around you. Yeah. I just love life, I really do 551 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: because I know how quick life can go, and my 552 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: kids taking them to San Diego Goals game, doing stuff 553 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: like that, Disney World, Disney Crew, whatever, you know, whatever 554 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 1: I can do to spend time with my kids. Did 555 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: you train yourself to love life? I had to kind 556 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: of re recalibrate myself. Yeah how long? How long ago? 557 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: Was that long? After all this? It was made less 558 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: than a year after my injury. So yeah, I was 559 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 1: still because I held on to my leg for eight months, 560 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 1: my left legs, so I was in a lot of 561 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: pain on a lot of medications. But that kind of 562 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: the pain, after the pain and the medications disappeared, then 563 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 1: I kind of recalibrated and that's when I started like 564 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: handcycling marathons, I skied for the first time and always 565 00:29:56,160 --> 00:30:00,040 Speaker 1: an amput. So um I kind of like started to 566 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 1: relearn how to love life and and take dark times 567 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: and turn them into brighter days. So there's a lot 568 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: of therapy during that time. UM I didn't do therapy 569 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:13,000 Speaker 1: for a while. UM it actually took a Vietnam veteran 570 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: friend of mine. We were doing some contracting. We were 571 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 1: doing am I a recovery World War two battlefield recoveries 572 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:21,360 Speaker 1: from the Battle of Tarawa and I we were sitting 573 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: across from each other at this table at dinner one 574 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: time and he said, Doc, when we get back to 575 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: the States, he said, if you don't go into the 576 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: v A and get help, he said, I'm going to 577 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,800 Speaker 1: handwalk your ass in there. And I thank him for 578 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: that because he said, he said, I see a lot 579 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 1: of me and you. And he said when I came 580 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 1: back from Vietnam, because he was he was in the 581 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 1: Battle of case On which seventy seven consecutive days of combat, 582 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: Like yeah, he and you know it was it was 583 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: really really nice for for someone to care and and 584 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: see that, which is which is why you know, all 585 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 1: I ask of you and our brothers and sisters out 586 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: there is just check in on me. Just sure if 587 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: I go radio silent for more than three or four 588 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:05,920 Speaker 1: days at a time and say, hey, how are you? 589 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 1: Because you know how it is we when we get 590 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 1: in our dark times, we don't ask for help. We 591 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 1: don't and we get reusive. Where you help me? And 592 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 1: I don't know if I told you this when you 593 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 1: came to my house. Yeah, not too long ago, but 594 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: those out there, I don't know. When I wrote my 595 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: book Unbreakable, I stopped all my treatment, all my mental 596 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 1: health treatment for a good eight months or so because 597 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:32,200 Speaker 1: I really wanted to be in the grade to be 598 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: able to write about it, to help people. And I 599 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 1: don't know if I'm still right from it. It fucked 600 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 1: me up. Stop a guy like me with my with 601 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: my depression anxiety can't stop doing treatment much less for 602 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 1: that long and knock, but just check up on me. 603 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 1: You knew I was struggling, and you constantly, We're just 604 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: sending me messages Hey, brother, thinking, Hey, I love you, 605 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 1: Hey just this, Hey, I got this coming up, Hey 606 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 1: I got that coming up. And dude, I can't tell 607 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 1: you how much it meant to me. And help me, 608 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 1: and I'm and I went through some more stuff this 609 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: past year, and every time you check up on me 610 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: being of service to me, I want you to how 611 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 1: much I appreciate it. I appreciate you because I know, 612 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,200 Speaker 1: I know you do the same for me. Yeah, and 613 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: you know what I do. Yeah, oh yeah, I know, 614 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:20,480 Speaker 1: I know, I know. And that's why I know you're 615 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 1: already aware that I have dark days coming head with 616 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 1: the surgery. So also for you too, I wanted to 617 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 1: switch your narrative because you went through an angry period 618 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,960 Speaker 1: and I want you to start being proud of everything. Right, 619 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 1: and so we went through so Doc will come to 620 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: my house and I would try and change that his 621 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 1: own narrative of how he viewed his experiences and to 622 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 1: start talking about it in this way of like, look, 623 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: I'm bragging about you. I'm like, holy sh it. I'm 624 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 1: sure everybody at home right now was listening. Oh my god, 625 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 1: this is what a hero is. This is what a 626 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 1: hero sounds like, this is what a hero looks like. 627 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 1: And you weren't able to view yourself in that way. 628 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: And the work you and I did together, I'm proud 629 00:32:57,960 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 1: of it because all of a sudden you started putting 630 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 1: up your medals on on your wall. A sudden you 631 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: started looking at things differently. I am proud of our 632 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 1: journey together. I appreciate it and because of you. Remember 633 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 1: on the fifteen year anniversary, my Purple Heart Day, my 634 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: live day, I finally framed my purpore finally, fifteen years 635 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: I have never hung that up on my wall. Why not? What? 636 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: What changed it? What about what we're talking about change 637 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: that for you? Well, just being proud of myself, being 638 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:27,960 Speaker 1: proud of my scars and who I am changed it. 639 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: And now it's right by the front door so when 640 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: people come in. So that's the only thing. We're turning 641 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 1: that into like a a wall with American flag and 642 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: my medals and and all of that and all of 643 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:44,200 Speaker 1: my my accolades and everything because people want to see that, 644 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: people want to know about it. So but it took 645 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 1: me coming to m v P and talking to you 646 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:51,520 Speaker 1: to realize that. So I want everybody else out there 647 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 1: to realize it's okay to be proud of your scars. 648 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: Just go okay to be proud of your accomplishments. It's 649 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: a much better alternative than to keep yourself in a 650 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 1: dark period in a dark place. Yeah right, yeah, but again, 651 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 1: there's so much more to life, there really is. Well 652 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:08,279 Speaker 1: do I love your brother, man, And look, I want 653 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:10,480 Speaker 1: to say Happy Veterans Day to you, and I want 654 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:13,120 Speaker 1: all our veterans out there listening like this the weekend, 655 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 1: like we're all celebrating you, so all our combat events, 656 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 1: I want them and all our veterans no matter what, Man, 657 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 1: I want you to think this weekend, as we are 658 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:24,759 Speaker 1: all celebrating you, what you could celebrate about yourself and 659 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: love yourself up this weekend. You gonna promise me you're 660 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: gonna love yourself up this weekend, all right, Doc Jacobs, Man, 661 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 1: I love you, my brother, Thank you so much. Again. 662 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 1: You want to talk about a hero, I want to 663 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 1: talk about the biggest heart in the world. You also 664 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: want to talk about somebody who saved me as well. 665 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:41,960 Speaker 1: He's right there, Doc, I love you body