Speaker 1: 0:14

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Son of a Blitch podcast. I'm your host, george Blitch, and today is Veterans Day, november 11th, 2024. And this is a very special day for me. I have so much love and respect and gratitude for those who have served our country and I just wanted to take a minute to recognize all of you and just wish you a happy Veterans Day. For all those who are serving, have served and those who have served in the past, this is something that really is near and dear to my heart. I have veterans on both sides of my family, come from a long line of those of service, and so, yeah, today, just always, is a very special day for me. I think about a lot of my family members and my history and those who have sacrificed so much, and some who have sacrificed all for us to be here today and enjoying the freedoms that we have. You know, I had an interview recently with Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann, a retired Green Beret who has done so many wonderful things, but he had a post the other day that talked about hey, on this Veterans Day, maybe we can listen to the stories and the feelings, thoughts, of those veterans and maybe that's a good way for us to honor them. And it kind of got me to thinking that maybe I'd go ahead and just share some of the veterans that I have interviewed on the podcast, in hopes that maybe you'll go and listen to some of these episodes and learn about them and all their sacrifice and all their bravery. And so I've had, I think, a little over a dozen. I've got many more lined up here in the future. I've had, I think, a little over a dozen, I've got many more lined up here. In the future I'm going to be putting out a podcast each week in November, kind of honoring what I call Veterans Month and trying to raise awareness for those. So, lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann was the first, dropped at the very beginning of November, this being number two, and I got a couple more, and then you have many other veteran organizations that I'll be, uh, you know releasing podcasts of in the next, you know, six months here too.

Speaker 1: 2:07

So I just want to kind of do a quick little rundown. Uh, you know, so you hear some of the veterans I've interviewed. If I've forgotten anyone, I apologize and I'll add them into the show notes list. Uh, first was Larry White. Uh, wild game gourmet. That was episode seven. Uh, he's an amazing chef. You guys got to go check that out. Uh, eric Morris from non-typical outdoorsman TV that was episode 23 also did a television show One of his episodes with him. Uh, my wife Meg and I uh were there as a uh here in Texas and a hog hunt um with Texas parks and wildlife bunch of other organizations. Jesse Griffiths chef uh was a part of that as well.

Speaker 1: 2:42

Curtis Bell episode 41. Curtis is a really amazing individual. I met him in line when Steve Rinella from Meat Eater was given a speech, kind of I guess it was more of a book signing, but he did speak for a little bit and that was up in the colony in Texas. And so got there a little bit early with my buddy, matthew Mitchell and ended up being in line next to Curtis Bell and talked to him about some of the organizations he works with and how he gives back to veterans and trying to help especially with mental health awareness. So really great guy. Episode 41, check that out Now.

Speaker 1: 3:18

Episode 42 was with Peter McDonald. He's a Navajo code talker. Now I did not interview him directly. I had a family friend who ended up sending me a video he took of Peter McDonald talking at an event. It was a big luncheon and so I just thought it was fun that he shared this with me and said, hey, why don't you figure out something to do with this world? He knew I did a lot of work with Native American elders in the past so he sent that over to me and so that's a really interesting conversation there to talking about the Navajo Code Talkers, world War II. Next up was Lance Lewis, another amazing chef. That was episode 43.

Speaker 1: 3:53

Moving on to episode 56 with Will Alt, other Side Ventures, will had a really incredible story that he shared. It was the first time he publicly ever shared it about his rock bottom experience and his suicide attempt and he had never talked about this publicly before. Only his close friends and family had known about that. But he really wanted to share that experience and talk about that level and depth of despair that he went to, because by going through that he was able to get to the other side of those struggles. And now he really focuses on doing just that for other people, especially veterans, first responders. So his goal is to take people out there and give them experiences and help them and try to have them get that community and that camaraderie to where they can overcome some of those struggles that many veterans face. So another one that raises awareness of mental health for veterans. Really a great episode.

Speaker 1: 4:59

Will's a very interesting guy, mark Green, who is a former Navy SEAL. He wrote the book Unsealed, which was a phenomenal bestselling book, loved it. That's episode 63. And he too talks about some of the struggles and kind of being at the very low point and needing to reach out and get some help. And I think that again is another example of you know how many different veterans you know and some first responders have a point where they feel like they're all alone and that there is just nothing left for them to be here for. I've heard this story countless times with veterans and I wanted to kind of shine that light on some folks today about realizing, hey, if you're a veteran, you're struggling with these things. There are people, there are agencies, there are groups, there are folks and friends that love you, that want you to be here and, you know, want you to continue to work through those struggles. And Mark Green kind of talks about a blueprint of that idea of transitioning out of the military and what that's like then, because that is a very difficult thing for many veterans.

Speaker 1: 5:59

If you guys are not aware, episode 70 with Jack Carr, former US Navy, turned a best-selling author. You know that one. We don't really dive in as much to his history. We do definitely talk about some of the things. Uh, you know that, that you know his career was in the military. Uh, talked a little bit more about, obviously, his books. Uh, you know, cause that was a. He was part of the book tour and I hosted that event here in Houston. But, uh, nonetheless, I think you guys need to go and check that one out as well. It's episode 70.

Speaker 1: 6:28

The next one up was Matty Nelson, a former Green Beret episode 71. He works with Seacons, precision, hat Creek Training. Matty definitely provided one of the more entertaining stories I've ever heard on the podcast and he is just the gem of a human being, wonderful, wonderful guy, and he is someone who I know has done a lot of work, uh, for veterans and with veterans and he's just a just amazing guy. I really hope you guys could check that episode out and follow all the things he's got going on with Seekins, precision and Hat Creek Training. Again, that's episode 71.

Speaker 1: 7:02

Uh, the next person I interviewed uh is Patrick Durkin. Uh, very well-known outdoor writer. Um has also uh been in service in the Navy. He is just an incredible, incredible individual. He's done a lot of work with meat eater you guys have probably seen his name. He's done a lot of articles there that have been released. Uh, just a wonderful guy and uh really enjoyed talking to him and we dive into a little bit of his service and him talking about going back to the 80th anniversary of D-Day. And also Jack Carr in episode 70 talks about his experience going back to D-Day and working with the Best Defense Foundation, which brought all the World War II veterans back to the site there in D-Day and they had a multiple week celebration. So both those gentlemen talk about that as well and I think that's a really good thing to hear about.

Speaker 1: 7:54

Um Don Bentley uh, he was a helicopter um pilot and and man he. He had some amazing stories that he shared Uh when him it was another live event here in Houston and he really writes a lot of those into his book which he was promoting there at the time and we just had a wonderful chat but he kind of dives in. You know it's a fictional book but it's based on. It's kind of what they call that I think Brad Thor called it faction right, you know, fiction meets facts and so there's a lot of stories there and he talks a lot about those who have served in the book and really kind of gives you a feeling for that idea, that camaraderie between veterans.

Speaker 1: 8:37

The last one that I just mentioned earlier was Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann, who has written so many amazing books and books. You know there's been so many bestsellers and international bestsellers that he's written and, yeah, that was a really, really incredible book that we spoke about no one is coming to save you a green berets guide of getting big shit done Phenomenal read. I think you guys definitely need to check that out. Whether you're a veteran or not, that just is a great, great book. But he really talked about a lot of rooftop leadership, especially us going through the idea of the churn, all the distractions and disengagement, so many things that are going on in our world today, divisiveness, and how to kind of overcome that and move forward. And you know there's just so many things that he shared through his time and as being a Green Beret and a lifetime service. So those are some individuals that I just wanted to shine a little spotlight on that are that were veterans that made an impact in my life, that were, you know, so generous with their time to come on to the podcast. Let me interview them and I just wanted to kind of, you know, let you guys know about those. So, if you haven't checked those out again, those are some incredible individuals.

Speaker 1: 9:54

That's Larry White, episode seven. Eric Morris, episode 23,. Curtis Bell, episode 41,. Peter McDonald, navajo Code Talker, episode 42,. Lance Lewis, amazing Chef, episode 43,. Will Ault, other Side Ventures, episode 56,. Mark Green, wrote Unsealed, episode 63. Jack Carr, episode 70. Maddie Nelson, episode 71. Pat Durkin, episode 77. Don Bentley, episode 78. And Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann, episode 85. So, guys, go check those out Again. The links will be in the show notes below.

Speaker 1: 10:24

And again, once more, I just want to thank all of you. You veterans, you've done so much for our wonderful country. I am forever indebted and appreciate everything that you have done. Uh, just like I said, it's near and dear to my heart and I just wanted to say thank you and happy veterans day. I hope you all, uh, thank a veteran that you may know, reach out and listen to their stories and anything you can do to help out veterans is an amazing task and something that I think we all need to do, especially raising awareness for mental health and doing everything we can to help those who have served and who continue to fight the good fight and give us these freedoms and liberties that we enjoy so much. Once again, thank you guys so much for tuning in the podcast. I hope you have a beautiful day. Happy Veterans Day everyone.