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Veteran stories

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As of , Vegas Veteran Voices, a Veteran-led nonprofit in Las Vegas, has filmed 73 long-form interviews since May 2025. A new one every Friday, free to watch here and on YouTube.

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Marine CorpsNavyArmyAir ForceLife after serviceMental health and recoveryLas Vegas

All stories

Nov 13, 2026

Every Chief Thinks They’re Irreplaceable. He Walked Away at the Top. / Martin Foster USAF

Retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Martin "Torch" Foster (@torchmartin) enlisted two days after 9/11 and spent 23 years as a signals intelligence analyst. He started Passing The Torch as a New Year's resolution in 2017 while still in uniform, and the show has since been named Military Podcaster of the Year at the Military and Veteran Entertainment Awards (MV Awards). He was 11 when his dad died at 51. By the time he retired, he had spent more than 55 percent of his life in the military, and that math is why he walked away at the top.

Oct 30, 2026

Every Veteran Is On Their Own After the Uniform. Doc and the MIC Founder Prove That's a Lie.

Navy corpsman Joe "Doc" Worley (@doc_worley) calls getting blown up the coolest blessing of his life. On September 17, 2004, he was running to a disabled vehicle on an overpass in Fallujah with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines when a second roadside bomb took his left leg. He put his own tourniquet on in about 35 seconds with a cravat he'd carried since field med school, and the pocket he pulled it from held a pin with his daughter's face on it. She'd been born while he was deployed. Bronze Star with valor, Purple Heart, 18 months at Walter Reed.

Sep 11, 2026

Every Veteran Blames Their Recruiter. He Was the Drill Instructor Who Became One. / Dr. Jones USN

Every Veteran has a recruiter story, and most of them end the same way. Dr. Cornelius Jones stood on both sides of it, Red rope at Great Lakes, snapping recruits off the bus at O'Hare at midnight, then a recruiter in charge of a station in Alexandria, Louisiana, deciding which kids got in at all. Ronnie makes him answer for both. What comes out isn't a confession and it isn't a defense. It's the thing nobody on either side of that fight wants to hear.

Aug 16, 2026 Urban Valor production

This Marine Sold Drugs to Save His Family Before Going to War

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

Aug 14, 2026

Get Out Of Your Own Way | Bruce Cardenas, USMC + LAPD

Bruce Cardenas grew up in a New Jersey steel mill town of 1,200 people. He wanted one thing: a badge. The police chief looked at him and said "you're young, dumb and immature." Then he told him exactly where to go instead. The Marine Corps.

Jul 17, 2026

Mom Died of Cancer at 5. She Built I Will Survive. | Anisa Palmer

Anisa Palmer grew up on 82 square miles of ocean in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Her mom, Puerto Rican, 38 years young, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Anisa was five. Life went chaotic. Her youngest sister was one year old when mom died. Her dad raised four girls and one boy. Alone. She was the wild child. The black sheep. Did things her own way. The only one who served. At 21 she met a recruiter and shipped off. Boot camp in South Carolina in the winter, hypothermia and pneumonia at the same time. Platoon leader from a hospital bed with an IV in her arm. Seven months later she was going off to war. Two combat tours in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division. Bronze Star. Combat Action Badge. Iron Warrior Award. First mission, she got pulled off. Everyone else died. She got out. Three months in a tiny apartment. Alcohol. Insomnia. One question she couldn't stop asking herself: if I don't do this, what else am I going to do? She built I Will Survive Inc. a nonprofit that doesn't point cameras at suffering. It pays rent. It fills fridges. It walks into homes where cancer has taken everything and shows up when nobody else does. Because awareness campaigns are great for awareness. But the bills still come. In this episode Anisa talks about what it costs to be the only one in your family who goes. What it means to hold a dying patient's hand and realize it feels exactly like holding a dying soldier. Why she named her nonprofit something a survivor could say out loud and actually mean. What she told her sisters before she deployed to Iraq. Why she became Miss January for Pin-Ups for Vets. And what she's still working on because even the woman who shows up for everyone else is still learning to show up for herself. Not a single tear or scar is ever going to be wasted. It's going to be used to bless the world.

Jul 10, 2026

Escaped Gang Life, Military Was More Dangerous.

Senior Airman Nikki Kraus was a weather forecaster in the Air Force, embedded with Army battalions in Korea, briefing generals on fog and moon illumination while helicopters waited to fly. She graduated basic training with honors at 26. She earned Airman of the Year, two Army Achievement Medals, and three consecutive employee of the month awards in Korea.

Jul 3, 2026

4th of July Special: Veterans on Freedom, Service & America's 250th

Four Marine Corps and one Air Force Veterans sit down for a raw 4th of July conversation about freedom, service, and what America's 250th birthday really means. In this special episode of the Vegas Veteran Voices Podcast, host Ronnie is joined by Ghost, Jimmy "Pew Pew" Depew, David Lonergan, and Jessica Jay Dee, all Veterans, all entrepreneurs, for an unscripted talk on patriotism, military life, Veteran mental health, and why they love this country.

Jun 26, 2026

She Donated Two Organs to Fellow Veterans.

Lindsay Gutierrez thought joining the military meant going straight to Vietnam. She was wrong about that. She was also wrong about Qatar having pyramids. But she wasn't wrong about the thing that mattered most, that service doesn't end when you take the uniform off. Lindsay served six years as a Security Forces officer in the Air Force, deployed to Qatar and Djibouti, survived a vehicle rollover in the middle of the night that left her with a TBI she wouldn't get diagnosed for years, and came home to a civilian world that had no idea what to do with her, or her. Lindsay is also featured as Miss March in the Pin-Ups for Vets 2026 calendar, a nonprofit that has visited over 20,000 hospitalized Veterans across all 50 states. Then one day a magazine landed on her desk at a congressional office. An ad. A kidney. A Veteran who needed one. She planned the donation around a Yankees game and scheduled it for Memorial Day weekend on purpose. That was the first one. vegasveteranvoices.com

May 15, 2026

Behind the Beat - 2K Kenny Made Love Songs Underway

2K Kenny didn't go viral in a studio. He's Petty and Second Class. He went viral on a Navy ship, after writing a love song during sweepers, recording the melody on Snapchat before he forgot it, and sneaking into the barbershop to lay it down because it was the only quiet room on the boat. The next day his LPO walked in singing it. That's when he knew. In this episode, Kenny breaks down what it actually looks like to build a music career while active duty, hiding it from his command, performing at a ship talent show in Rota Spain, getting a show booked in Bahrain in 10 minutes flat through Navy networking, and why being a Retail Specialist (the most hated rate in the fleet) gave him more time to grind than any other sailor on the ship. He's still in. Just made E5. Headed to Hawaii. And he's not stopping. If you're in the military and think you have to choose between service and your dream, this one's for you. Find 2K Kenny: @2kkenny on Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music

May 8, 2026

Most Veterans Don’t Know Their Education Benefits, The Man Who’s Helped 9,000 Claim Them

Ross D. Bryant spent 24 years in the U.S. Army, from tank command on the East German border to commissioning 77 Nevada officers during one of the longest military engagements in American history. Then he did something most people wouldn’t expect: he stayed. For 14 years, he’s been the man behind UNLV’s Military & Veteran Services Center, building one of the top 10 most military-friendly university programs in the country out of 1,800+ schools, three consecutive years running. In this episode, Ross sits down with Vegas Veteran Voices to talk about what it really takes to go from the battlefield to the classroom, why thousands of Veterans are leaving life-changing money on the table, and what your education benefits can actually do for you and your family. He breaks down transferred benefits, dependent stipends, in-state tuition rights, and the one thing most Veterans don’t know until it’s too late. He also tells the stories that don’t make the brochure. 5,000 graduates on the wall, 10 suicides he carries with him, a combat medic who became a traveling trauma surgeon, a Marine who survived combat and is graduating from medical school this May, and a Veteran who earned his PhD and led his chapter through a pandemic while feeding 380,000 people who lost everything overnight. If you’ve thought about going back to school and talked yourself out of it, this episode is for you. If you have a spouse, a kid, or a family member sitting on benefits they don’t know exist, this episode is for them too. The mission doesn’t end at the gate. Vegas Veteran Voices | Veteran-Led | Nonprofit Media Las Vegas, Nevada vegasveteranvoices.com

May 1, 2026

Two Brothers, One Came Home. Now He Fights For Others Still In The Dark.

Two brothers. Same darkness. Only one walked away. Iraq combat Veteran Raivadus Gill came home from war running at 110mph while the world had slowed to 15. He thought he was good. Then one afternoon, alone in a house, a heaviness hit him that he still can't fully explain, and he walked to his brother's room and picked up a gun. A flyer on a table is the only reason he's sitting in this chair.

Apr 24, 2026

Addiction and Rebuilding From Rock Bottom

Army Veteran Steve Ulman shares one of the most raw and powerful Veteran interviews we have filmed on Vegas Veteran Voices. In this episode, Steve opens up about his suicide attempt, addiction, recovery, ayahuasca, acting, trauma, off grid living, entrepreneurship, and how he rebuilt his life from rock bottom. He talks about putting a gun to his head, moving the pistol at the last second, and realizing he had to stop living halfway. From there, this conversation goes deep into meth addiction, getting clean, finding joy for the first time, healing through acting, and building an off grid solar business in the Arizona desert. Steve also breaks down self sustainability, freedom, off grid solar, Veteran transition, mental health, and why addicts can become unstoppable when that same drive gets redirected toward purpose. If you are interested in Veteran mental health, addiction recovery, Army Veteran stories, off grid living, off grid solar, entrepreneurship, acting, trauma recovery, or powerful long form podcast conversations, this episode hits all of it. Steve is an Army Veteran, actor, entrepreneur, founder of Arizona Off Grid Solutions, and creator connected to The Off Grid Veteran, The Wolves Den Ranch, Mission Entrepreneurship, and The Gray Area.

Apr 10, 2026

Aboard a Submarine: What No One Tells You About Life After Service

On this episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, we step aboard the historic USS Pampanito in San Francisco for a powerful conversation inside the submarine’s mission control room about something a lot of Veterans know too well but do not always talk about enough: life after service.

Feb 27, 2026

Pin Ups, 20,000 Veterans, 50 States, One Mission | Gina Elise on Pin Up for Vets

In this episode, we sit down with Gina Elise, founder of Pin Up for Vets, a nonprofit she started in 2006 to support Veterans through hospital visits and fundraising that helps provide rehab equipment for Veterans hospitals across the United States. Gina explains how classic World War II pin up art inspired a modern mission, including a pin up calendar fundraiser and a 50 state hospital tour where pin ups and female Veterans visit patients bed to bed and room to room to boost morale and remind them they are not forgotten.

Feb 20, 2026

This Marine Lost Everything… And Had To Start From Zero | Jason Lee Morrison

This episode shares a real Veteran’s personal story of transition, identity, and rebuilding after service, Brenton and Ronnie sit down with Jason Lee Morrison, a USMC Veteran, writer, and poet, for a raw conversation about the one thing that keeps Veterans alive after the uniform comes off: community. Jason talks about what it felt like to disappear from his Marine Recon world for years, then come back and realize he was not just seeing old brothers. He was seeing himself again.

Feb 6, 2026

Why We Drive for the Fallen | Race to Erase 22 & the 22 Veterans a Day Crisis

In Afghanistan’s deadliest fighting, Marines learned that survival depends on connection, purpose, and the people beside you. When service ends, many Veterans lose that structure overnight and are expected to rebuild their lives alone. This episode shows how that loss of purpose can be just as dangerous as combat itself and how Race to Erase 22 is fighting back.

Jan 16, 2026

Finding Your Voice After the Uniform | Serena Monay USN VET

In this episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, comedian and United States Navy Veteran Serena Monae sits down with Ronnie Long, USMC Veteran, for a real, unfiltered conversation about identity after the military, finding your voice again, and using humor as a survival tool when life gets heavy.

Jan 2, 2026

Comedy, MREs, and the Cost of Military Life w/ Jo MT

This episode of Vegas Veteran Voices is exactly what happens when you put a 20 year Air Force bomb loader and stand up comedian in a room and just let it go. Starts funny and then quietly gets heavy in a way most Veteran conversations do.

Nov 28, 2025

The REAL Story of GUNNY CLAUS (You’re Not Ready)

Ronnie sits down with Robert “Gunny Claus” Porter, the Marine who somehow managed to combine Marine Corps discipline, law enforcement precision, Toys for Tots chaos, and a Christmas beard that could pass a urinalysis with flying colors. Before the red suit ever touched his shoulders, Porter served 21 years in the United States Marine Corps.

Nov 21, 2025, with full article

Wounded Warrior Project: From Afghanistan to Finding Purpose with Juan Valdez

In this Washington DC episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, Marine Veterans sit down with Juan Valdez, a Purple Heart recipient, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, law-school graduate, and Veteran advocate with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), for one of the most raw, honest, and emotional conversations we’ve ever filmed. Juan survived multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, including being shot in the chest by a sniper in 2006, and he opens up about trauma, identity loss, purpose, and the long road to rebuilding a life after warfare.

Oct 25, 2025, with full article

Wings of Honor: Stories from the Pueblo Weisbrod Aviation Museum

We were supposed to be filming somewhere in Vegas… but somehow ended up 700 miles away in Pueblo, Colorado. Call it a wrong turn, call it divine intervention, but it landed us at one of the most incredible places we’ve ever filmed the Pueblo Weisbrod Aviation Museum.

Oct 3, 2025

From Navy to the Trades: How NTI Builds Careers For Veterans

What does it take to go from serving in the U.S. Navy to leading a classroom and shaping the next generation of tradesmen? Meet Campus Director Kodi Wilson and alumni turned instructor, Navy Veteran Randy Nichols, two voices driving the mission of National Technical Institute in Las Vegas & Henderson.

Sep 26, 2025

From 50 Cal Gunner to VA Loan Nerd | Caitlin Duffy’s Veteran Story

From the turret of a Humvee in Iraq to helping Veterans navigate homeownership, Army Veteran Caitlin Duffy has lived one of the wildest transitions you’ll hear. In this episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, Caitlin shares her journey from a 50 cal gunner to becoming the “VA Loan Nerd,” breaking down military life, the struggles of civilian transition, and the truth about VA loan myths every Veteran should know.

Sep 19, 2025

She Paved The Way For Women In The Air Force | Bobi Pike-Oates | US Military

Senior Master Sergeant (Ret.) Bobi Pike-Oates is a trailblazer who proved the U.S. Air Force wrong. From being told she didn’t belong on the flight line, to standing up the first Predator UAV Reconnaissance Squadron, to leading ceremonies for unaccompanied Veterans every Thursday in Nevada, Bobi’s story is one of resilience, defiance, and honor.

Sep 12, 2025

Cheeks on Set: From Barracks to Behind the Camera

Cheeks went from Army chaplain’s assistant to Hollywood crew dog, trading formation runs for film sets and finding a new mission behind the camera. His first project was the Veteran-made cult film Range 15, and since then he’s stacked credits on Guy’s Grocery Games, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, national commercials, indie features, and even Post Malone’s “Circles” music video.

Aug 29, 2025

Adaptive Sports Saved My Life | Letoi Adams’ Journey

Letoi Adams’ story is one of resilience, grit, and unshakable courage. A U.S. Army Veteran, truck driver, and now Vice President of Paralyzed Veterans of America, Letoi faced stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that left her in a wheelchair. Instead of giving up, she turned her pain into power becoming a competitive adaptive athlete, motivational speaker, and community leader in Las Vegas.

Aug 1, 2025

CHAMPS 2025 : Mental Health, Cannabis Reform & Marine Grit w/ JAY

In this powerful on-site episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, we hit the floor of the CHAMPS Trade Show in Las Vegas with Marine Corps Veteran Jay, co-founder of Stoned Earth, ( https://stonedearth.com/ ) a sustainable accessory company shaking up the paraphernalia space. We dig deep into how cannabis can be used responsibly for pain, PTSD, and anxiety, how Veterans are uniquely positioned to lead in this industry, and what it really means to transition from military life to entrepreneurship.

Jul 11, 2025

Can a Union Save Your Life? | Carpenters, Mental Health & Helping Homeless Vets

Wyatt isn’t your average carpenter. He’s the warranty director at Martin-Harris Construction, a long-time volunteer with Harvison House, and a man who credits his union with saving his life. In this powerful episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, Wyatt gets real about suicide, purpose, faith, and what it means to rebuild from the ground up literally.

Jun 13, 2025

From Iraq to Iconic: The Wild Story Behind Envision Footwear | Vegas Veteran Voices

In this episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, we sit down with Ureal Irving, Army Veteran and the visionary founder of Envision Footwear one of the most unique Veteran-owned fashion brands making waves in streetwear and custom sneakers. Ureal shares his powerful story of military transition, entrepreneurship, and using design as a way to express identity, purpose, and legacy.

Jun 6, 2025

Chicken Wings w/ Antonio

Ever wonder what it takes to become a viral food content creator? In this episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, I team up with Antonio from Antonio Loves Wings a U.S. Air Force Veteran turned Las Vegas food icon to get hands-on training in the art of food reviews, camera angles, lighting tricks, and how to pull off the perfect wingbone flex. We break down what makes great food content pop online, share laughs over military-style humor, and dive deep into how food brings community together.