Vegas Veteran Voices

In their words

• “You go from having a mission every day to… just silence. And that silence is loud.”

  Juan ValdezU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Purple Heart

  Watch this story

• “I wasn’t fine. I just didn’t want to worry anybody.”

  Juan ValdezU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Purple Heart

  Watch this story

• “Nobody was really asking how the caretaker was doing.”

  AJ KehlU.S. Air Force Veteran, career firefighter

  Watch this story

• “There is an identity crisis that comes out of twenty plus years. You have to learn how to be a civilian.”

  AJ KehlU.S. Air Force Veteran, career firefighter

  Watch this story

• “I had sixteen hours to think, ‘What am I going to do now?’ My whole identity was military.”

  ClaytonU.S. Air Force Veteran, Red Tails Racing

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• “People need to hear our stories. We have generations of Veterans that are disappearing without their stories being told.”

  “Cheeks” AguillonU.S. Army Veteran

  Hear it at 1:30:10

• “As great as it is to put Veterans up on pedestals, that’s not what we need. I need to be wanted. I need to be needed.”

  Joe “Doc” WorleyU.S. Navy corpsman, Purple Heart

  Hear it at 13:37

• “I joined the Navy at 17 years old. I left at 37 and I didn’t know who I was.”

  Tommy NutzmannU.S. Navy Veteran, retired Chief

  Hear it at 43:39

• “A lot of these Veterans start to tell us their stories, and they want to talk because a lot of them don’t have other people to talk to.”

  Gina EliseFounder, Pin-Ups for Vets

  Hear it at 11:24

• “When you get out, it’s not the end of the book. It’s just the end of the chapter.”

  Randall ParkesU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, retired First Sergeant

  Hear it at 51:01

• “The fact that you build a moat around yourself and you don’t let people in is not helping you. It’s hurting you.”

  Joe “Doc” WorleyU.S. Navy corpsman, Purple Heart

  Hear it at 25:56

• “When that got taken away from me, I was devastated. I was depressed. You lose your identity. You lose your core.”

  Jason BrooksU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, medically retired

  Hear it at 35:50

• “You fall into isolation without even recognizing you fall into it.”

  JMachU.S. Marine Corps Veteran

  Hear it at 44:06

• “When we put the microphone in other people’s hands, they’re allowed to share their stories.”

  Curtez RiggsRetired U.S. Army First Sergeant, founder of the Military Influencer Conference

  Hear it at 51:56

• “Having a sense of purpose is the key for any Veteran to thrive.”

  Ross D. BryantU.S. Army Veteran, UNLV Military and Veteran Services

  Hear it at 52:03

• “A lot of times Veterans will start to cry because I think that they feel like they might have been forgotten.”

  Gina EliseFounder, Pin-Ups for Vets

  Hear it at 6:12

• “Everyone has a story. We’re not all Navy SEALs kicking in doors, but we can all tell whatever story it is.”

  Alfred BrennerU.S. Marine Corps K9 handler, Purple Heart

  Hear it at 52:12

• “The biggest thing that I want everybody to know is that you matter. You are enough.”

  Rachel VeronicaU.S. Army Veteran

  Hear it at 57:13

• “It’s given me hope. It’s helped me remember who I am.”

  Juan ValdezU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Purple Heart

  Hear it at 56:37

• “People need to realize that it’s okay to struggle.”

  Juan ValdezU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Purple Heart

  Hear it at 1:03:51

• “The military, they tell you to suppress. Push it down, push it down. Well, I got a lot of stuff I pushed down.”

  Delvin BournU.S. Army Veteran, 82nd Airborne

  Hear it at 41:19

• “At the end of the day, community is everything.”

  Emilio MackieU.S. Navy Veteran

  Hear it at 12:58

• “And man, did it hurt getting out of the military.”

  Emilio MackieU.S. Navy Veteran

  Hear it at 13:42

• “If you’re not plugged in with anyone right now, get plugged in with another Veteran, someone that can identify with what you’re going through.”

  Jason Lee MorrisonU.S. Marine Corps Veteran

  Hear it at 10:28

• “Conversations like this, to know that you’re not by yourself. There’s a lot of people there to cover your back.”

  Jacob “Stitch” DuranU.S. Air Force Veteran, cutman

  Hear it at 1:01:34

• “I thought, okay, I’m not alone. There’s other people who have gone through this before.”

  Lindsay GutierrezU.S. Air Force Veteran

  Hear it at 27:02

• “You don’t have to fake the funk and act like everything’s okay when it’s not. You don’t have to smile through the pain.”

  Nikki KrausU.S. Air Force Veteran

  Hear it at 48:46

• “The hard part for me was, that was my entire identity. I dropped everything about myself to go join the Air Force.”

  ClaytonU.S. Air Force Veteran, Red Tails Racing

  Hear it at 27:54

• “Now I have to be successful in this new chapter of my life and start completely over.”

  Caitlin DuffyU.S. Army Veteran

  Hear it at 36:31

• “Everybody has a purpose on this earth. You wouldn’t be born if you didn’t have a purpose.”

  Raivadus GillIraq combat Veteran, founder of Operation Battlecry

  Hear it at 13:06

• “You can’t take somebody else’s spot because the spot is yours.”

  Gretchen CatherwoodGold Star mother, founder of Darkhorse Lodge

  Hear it at 43:05

• “Reach back out to your local Marine Corps community. Let them know that you’re around.”

  Tom “Ghost” MartinU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, The Leatherneck Club

  Hear it at 20:29

• “I felt like I lost part of my soul.”

  Jason BrooksU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, medically retired

  Hear it at 36:14

• “The Marine Corps is a big part of who I am today, but it doesn’t define me in perpetuity.”

  Randall ParkesU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, retired First Sergeant

  Hear it at 51:18

• “That made me feel good, just letting you know about my pain and how I overcame it.”

  Letoi AdamsU.S. Army Veteran, Paralyzed Veterans of America

  Hear it at 17:44

• “To be recognized for the work that you do is really important, I think, for anybody who does their job.”

  Rob IngramMartial arts instructor and founder of McDojoLife (not a Veteran)

  Hear it at 48:56

• “I’m happy that I was able to make it through my enlistment and make it home safe because it don’t happen for everybody.”

  Serena MonaeComedian and U.S. Navy Veteran

  Hear it at 6:12

• “My family also gave me the confidence to be creative.”

  Serena MonaeComedian and U.S. Navy Veteran

  Hear it at 30:53

• “Be part of that community. It’s something we all have the inherent ability to do. It’s just whether we want to go do it.”

  Tom “Ghost” MartinU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Desert Storm

  Hear it at 21:15

• “I can speak to anybody about my Marine Corps history and I can do it with gusto and I can do it with pride.”

  Tom “Ghost” MartinU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Desert Storm

  Hear it at 21:25

• “When do I start pining for my history? When do I start discovering there’s something in my life I’m missing?”

  Tom “Ghost” MartinU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Desert Storm

  Hear it at 35:29

• “I love sharing my story because I represent people that don’t have the voice that I have, and it’s given me purpose again.”

  Joe “Doc” WorleyU.S. Navy corpsman, served with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines

  Hear it at 20:14

• “I went to therapy first and then content became my therapy.”

  JMachU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, combat engineer

  Hear it at 30:29

• “I’m not alone. I actually have people who understand what I’m going through.”

  Tommy NutzmannU.S. Navy Veteran, retired Chief

  Hear it at 37:01

• “Everything that happened to me gave me the absolute fortification and strength to go out and be a truth seeker and speaker.”

  Chelsey GrayU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, parachute rigger

  Hear it at 18:33

• “I’m very proud of myself because I held myself with integrity and I was able to say, you know what, you don’t get to treat me like that.”

  Chelsey GrayU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, parachute rigger

  Hear it at 39:52

• “Where I found my sense of belonging, my purpose, was when I was with my platoon, with those boys on deployment, going through training in the fleet.”

  Travis JewellU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, 1/6 mortarman

  Hear it at 20:44

• “I promise you it could definitely change your life if you reach out and talk to someone.”

  Travis JewellU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, 1/6 mortarman

  Hear it at 47:48

• “Why I wanted to go back into film or just a creative world altogether is because that’s what I loved as a kid.”

  Alicia BorjaU.S. Air Force Veteran, security forces and OSI agent

  Hear it at 33:38

• “I’m ready to fully lean into the creative and let go of the military. But 20 years, you become institutionalized a little bit.”

  Alicia BorjaU.S. Air Force Veteran, security forces and OSI agent

  Hear it at 1:00:16

• “I wrote the book only because of therapy.”

  Alfred BrennerU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, K9 handler, Purple Heart recipient

  Hear it at 40:13

• “That’s all I want to do is just talk and travel and make an impact.”

  Alfred BrennerU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, K9 handler, Purple Heart recipient

  Hear it at 51:46

• “The worst part was that I lied to myself and I said, "I’ll just do it some other time."”

  Daniel CoffeenU.S. Army Veteran, Ranger School graduate

  Hear it at 30:30

• “I was a guy that did not struggle until I got out of the military.”

  Daniel CoffeenU.S. Army Veteran, Ranger School graduate

  Hear it at 45:51

• “I did not think I was going to be one of those people that had a rough transition. And I certainly was.”

  Daniel CoffeenU.S. Army Veteran, Ranger School graduate

  Hear it at 46:01

• “I became who I am today because I needed to see and do better.”

  Dr. Cornelius JonesU.S. Navy Veteran

  Hear it at 56:18

• “Anyone who has oxygen in their lungs still has an opportunity to make an impact and still should learn.”

  Dr. Cornelius JonesU.S. Navy Veteran

  Hear it at 1:06:03

• “If my education was free and I’m in a position to help somebody else get an education, it would be absolutely selfish to not give toward their future.”

  Dr. Cornelius JonesU.S. Navy Veteran

  Hear it at 1:07:08

• “The real world’s not consistent, and there’s a lot of alone time. There’s a lot of time by yourself.”

  Michael D’AngeloU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, machine gunner

  Hear it at 33:17

• “This is directed right at the GWOT generation. Our generation, the help is there.”

  Randall ParkesU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, retired First Sergeant

  Hear it at 58:36

• “Just because you’re not all American, all state, getting the Gatorade Player of the Year kind of awards, doesn’t mean your life stops right here.”

  Edward HainesU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, retired Master Sergeant

  Hear it at 1:09:29

• “You have to take the momentum for yourself. You have to create the momentum.”

  Edward HainesU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, retired Master Sergeant

  Hear it at 1:09:46

• “My purpose in life is to enhance other people’s lives.”

  Bruce CardenasU.S. Marine Corps Veteran and LAPD officer

  Hear it at 57:36

• “Look, man, you can’t quit. You got to always go that one more round.”

  Jacob “Stitch” DuranU.S. Air Force Veteran, legendary cutman

  Hear it at 59:13

• “Don’t ever give up, man. And when you ever have doubts, think about yourself and saying, you know what, Stitch says go that one more round.”

  Jacob “Stitch” DuranU.S. Air Force Veteran, legendary cutman

  Hear it at 1:12:23

• “Looking back throughout my career, I was the happiest and most content when I was working with kids.”

  Tarek “Joey Nobody” KadourahU.S. Army Veteran

  Hear it at 40:13

• “The only country that accepted us with open arms was the US. And as a thank you, I was like, "No, I got to do something."”

  Tarek “Joey Nobody” KadourahU.S. Army Veteran

  Hear it at 57:00

• “Not a single tear or a single scar is ever going to be wasted. It’s going to be used to bless the world.”

  Anisa PalmerU.S. Army Veteran, 82nd Airborne Division

  Hear it at 21:25

• “It makes me sad that some people don’t have a little piece of joy, a little piece of purpose that they’re living every day.”

  Anisa PalmerU.S. Army Veteran, 82nd Airborne Division

  Hear it at 36:37

• “How am I supposed to help people until I can help myself?”

  Anisa PalmerU.S. Army Veteran, 82nd Airborne Division

  Hear it at 54:05

• “It turned all the pain into purpose now.”

  Nikki KrausU.S. Air Force Veteran, weather forecaster

  Hear it at 40:25

• “I want to be able to give back to somebody. This is another way of continuing my service.”

  Lindsay GutierrezU.S. Air Force Veteran, Security Forces

  Hear it at 34:46

• “It was a rough transition because I’m getting out. I don’t have a job. I don’t have anything there for me. I have no family, no friends, nothing.”

  Lindsay GutierrezU.S. Air Force Veteran, Security Forces

  Hear it at 29:21

• “I definitely do what I want and I serve the community that I love and I do the best by my kids that I can.”

  Jennifer MarshallU.S. Navy Veteran, actress and firefighter EMT

  Hear it at 28:28

• “I think there’s something about Veterans that public service lines up with who we are as people.”

  Jennifer MarshallU.S. Navy Veteran, actress and firefighter EMT

  Hear it at 43:29

• “If you’re in the military and you have any type of goal, any type of dream, just go after it. Just take the first step.”

  2K KennyActive-duty U.S. Navy sailor and recording artist

  Hear it at 46:58

• “Every day is not gonna be perfect, but keep going. It sounds so cliche, but it’s very, very true.”

  2K KennyActive-duty U.S. Navy sailor and recording artist

  Hear it at 47:23

• “I don’t ever try to stop anybody from chasing their dreams. I always try to motivate people to do better.”

  2K KennyActive-duty U.S. Navy sailor and recording artist

  Hear it at 49:16

• “You are not alone. There’s a lot of people to help you tap into the benefits you deserve, the benefits you’ve earned.”

  Ross D. BryantU.S. Army Veteran (24 years), UNLV Military & Veteran Services Center

  Hear it at 1:26:21

• “You deserve to have the life, the American dream that everyone else is doing. You deserve it probably even more than most.”

  Ross D. BryantU.S. Army Veteran (24 years), UNLV Military & Veteran Services Center

  Hear it at 1:26:29

• “Find something that makes you smile that you can keep around you.”

  Raivadus GillIraq combat Veteran

  Hear it at 57:42

• “Find your purpose, bottle it up, put it in your brain, and just think about it every day.”

  Raivadus GillIraq combat Veteran

  Hear it at 58:16

• “Just lock that happiness in somewhere. We lock negative stuff in all the time. Make happiness loud.”

  Raivadus GillIraq combat Veteran

  Hear it at 58:36

• “To everybody out there struggling, understand you have a drive in you that is absolutely unstoppable.”

  Steve UlmanU.S. Army Veteran, actor and entrepreneur

  Hear it at 29:21

• “If you can just overcome the addiction, you’re not behind in life because you have the drive to get anything you want.”

  Steve UlmanU.S. Army Veteran, actor and entrepreneur

  Hear it at 29:41

• “In our first five years of marriage, we were away from each other for about half of it.”

  Cole WaterberryAir Force couple, married 16 years

  Hear it at 18:29

• “Just remember that when you come home from either a week or a year gone, things have changed. People had lives, your spouse had lives.”

  Cole WaterberryAir Force couple, married 16 years

  Hear it at 23:55

• “I think we really figure out difficult times really well together.”

  Jamie WaterberryAir Force couple, married 16 years

  Hear it at 20:38

• “What I realized in the moments when I was alone was that I never truly was.”

  Emilio MackieU.S. Navy Veteran, surface warfare officer

  Hear it at 11:31

• “The advice that I have is take a break. You’ve earned it.”

  Emilio MackieU.S. Navy Veteran, surface warfare officer

  Hear it at 31:28

• “I think everybody needs that on some level, a safe place that you can decompress from that experience and kind of become a civilian again.”

  Maximilian UriarteU.S. Marine Corps infantry Veteran, creator of Terminal Lance

  Hear it at 1:25:36

• “If you’re a Veteran, if you’re in the military, you learn a certain way of being and it can be really hard to decompress from that.”

  Maximilian UriarteU.S. Marine Corps infantry Veteran, creator of Terminal Lance

  Hear it at 1:24:06

• “At the end of the day, waking up for something is way better than not going to bed for anything.”

  Nick MerrickFormer U.S. Army Green Beret, Green Beret Racing

  Hear it at 10:55

• “I don’t care what you want to do. Just do something. So when life gets tough after this, you have a thing to look forward to.”

  Nick MerrickFormer U.S. Army Green Beret, Green Beret Racing

  Hear it at 10:10

• “I think the big thing is just to open up your mind to different possibilities.”

  Lucky LopezArmy National Guard Veteran

  Hear it at 49:33

• “Once you start moving, it gets easier. And you stay moving, then it becomes super simple.”

  Lucky LopezArmy National Guard Veteran

  Hear it at 1:01:09

• “It helped me realize my job’s bigger than cutting a generator on. People actually need my job.”

  SSgt Nicholas MilsapActive-duty U.S. Marine Corps recruiter

  Hear it at 37:24

• “The Marine Corps is a different beast. But those people that do join, it’s a brotherhood.”

  SSgt Nicholas MilsapActive-duty U.S. Marine Corps recruiter

  Hear it at 1:03:45

• “It’s just that Veteran to Veteran bond that is really magical.”

  Gina EliseFounder of Pin Up for Vets

  Hear it at 6:52

• “I think not only is it beneficial for the patients, but it’s also beneficial for our ambassadors that are getting to find purpose again after getting out.”

  Gina EliseFounder of Pin Up for Vets

  Hear it at 9:34

• “If you don’t trust anyone, you will never find a trustworthy friend.”

  Jason Lee MorrisonU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, writer and poet

  Hear it at 6:03

• “Connection is how this whole humanity thing works. So don’t give that up. That’s your greatest power.”

  Jason Lee MorrisonU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, writer and poet

  Hear it at 52:57

• “I’m going through great pain, but that I can have a purpose for. I can use it or I can just feel it.”

  Jason Lee MorrisonU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, writer and poet

  Hear it at 24:58

• “When I did get out though, it was difficult. I wanted to get back in.”

  Erik SchreinerU.S. Marine Corps Veteran

  Hear it at 10:53

• “If we wrote these stories the day after boot camp, we’re going to be victims in those stories.”

  Greg Cope WhiteU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, author of The Pink Marine

  Hear it at 2:03

• “You can step back, you find the funny and you find the moments and you think, "Oh, yeah. I don’t have to just be a victim."”

  Greg Cope WhiteU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, author of The Pink Marine

  Hear it at 2:11

• “There’s always something you’re going to be dealing with, but you have to know that that’s not the end for you. You can push through it.”

  Jason BrooksU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Marine Recon instructor

  Hear it at 38:12

• “I didn’t go through all of this to be strong, just to come out here to be weak.”

  Jason BrooksU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Marine Recon instructor

  Hear it at 39:50

• “My purpose is to serve others, that’s what it is in my heart. I’m supposed to be here to help others heal.”

  Rachel VeronicaU.S. Army Veteran and clinical hypnotherapist

  Hear it at 1:41

• “It’s okay for me to forgive myself and from today on forward, I can just be a little bit better every single day.”

  Rachel VeronicaU.S. Army Veteran and clinical hypnotherapist

  Hear it at 52:31

• “In the back of your mind, you know who you are. You just don’t want to admit it because then that would require change.”

  Rachel VeronicaU.S. Army Veteran and clinical hypnotherapist

  Hear it at 10:33

• “We miss those things because we’re overseas and then when we get back we get to hear about it, but we didn’t get to really witness it.”

  Jo MTU.S. Air Force Veteran and stand-up comedian

  Hear it at 18:04

• “I love being here in the Veteran community.”

  Jo MTU.S. Air Force Veteran and stand-up comedian

  Hear it at 37:58

• “Especially in the Veteran community, because if you don’t have something to do, our minds wander.”

  Delvin BournU.S. Army Veteran, 82nd Airborne

  Hear it at 34:17

• “When you get back from combat and things like that, they don’t teach you how to do it. You got to figure it out yourself.”

  Delvin BournU.S. Army Veteran, 82nd Airborne

  Hear it at 34:32

• “I spent a lot of time away from my kiddos when I was younger and so I’m trying to some degree make up for all that.”

  Dean Goble Jr.Retired U.S. Army Green Beret Warrant Officer

  Hear it at 5:55

• “I always knew that I wanted to continue to serve in some degree.”

  Dean Goble Jr.Retired U.S. Army Green Beret Warrant Officer

  Hear it at 8:51

• “I really didn’t care what I was doing as long as I was with people that I wanted to be with doing it.”

  Dean Goble Jr.Retired U.S. Army Green Beret Warrant Officer

  Hear it at 11:48

• “As long as I had a good crew with me, everything else is great.”

  Dean Goble Jr.Retired U.S. Army Green Beret Warrant Officer

  Hear it at 12:06

• “There’s a brotherhood, unspoken brotherhood, between soldiers and ex-soldiers.”

  Sandra “Sharklife” VidrequinNorwegian Army Veteran and conflict photographer

  Hear it at 20:26

• “We don’t even need to talk about it. We just know it as brothers and sisters.”

  Sandra “Sharklife” VidrequinNorwegian Army Veteran and conflict photographer

  Hear it at 20:56

• “Giving back is just so rewarding for me.”

  Sandra “Sharklife” VidrequinNorwegian Army Veteran and conflict photographer

  Hear it at 21:06

• “I did that because I wanted the stories to get out there.”

  Sandra “Sharklife” VidrequinNorwegian Army Veteran and conflict photographer

  Hear it at 1:00:33

• “We chose combat Veterans because they are in a unique position to understand what the other one has gone through.”

  Gretchen CatherwoodGold Star mother, Darkhorse Lodge

  Hear it at 0:26

• “It’s super cool to have guys who’ve never met before come together and realize, there’s more that we have in common than what separates us.”

  Gretchen CatherwoodGold Star mother, Darkhorse Lodge

  Hear it at 18:03

• “What I can do for the sons and daughters of other mothers is nothing less than I would have done for my own son if he were here.”

  Gretchen CatherwoodGold Star mother, Darkhorse Lodge

  Hear it at 46:03

• “As long as it’s Veteran related, military related, Christmas related, where I can do good, I’ll try and help out if I can.”

  Robert “Gunny Claus” PorterU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, 21 years of service

  Hear it at 23:28

• “I believe we all need to know our past to understand where we are in the present and where we want to go in the future.”

  Jennifer BennieU.S. Navy Veteran, former Navy pilot and historian

  Hear it at 2:22

• “I fell in love with my country the most when I left it.”

  Jennifer BennieU.S. Navy Veteran, former Navy pilot and historian

  Hear it at 4:30

• “I’m a very proud American, but I don’t pretend that America’s perfect.”

  Jennifer BennieU.S. Navy Veteran, former Navy pilot and historian

  Hear it at 8:33

• “I don’t believe history repeats, but I believe it echoes.”

  Jennifer BennieU.S. Navy Veteran, former Navy pilot and historian

  Hear it at 8:50

• “The more that I tried to be helpful to others, the more that I healed.”

  Jessica Jay DeeU.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant

  Hear it at 19:27

• “When I left, I wanted my own identity. I didn’t want to be known as the Gunny.”

  Jessica Jay DeeU.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant

  Hear it at 30:43

• “Ultimately, I’m grateful for every new day.”

  Billy WilandU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, attorney and gym owner

  Hear it at 36:55

• “I train youngsters. I train elderly and I meet them where they’re at.”

  Billy WilandU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, attorney and gym owner

  Hear it at 37:33

• “Why not live every day with not only purpose but with the energy to do that?”

  Billy WilandU.S. Marine Corps Veteran, attorney and gym owner

  Hear it at 41:42

• “I treated the people like I would want to be treated.”

  Mike SumidaU.S. Air Force Veteran, 30 years of service

  Hear it at 21:41

• “I love the opportunity to tell a couple of the stories that were near and dear to my heart.”

  Mike SumidaU.S. Air Force Veteran, 30 years of service

  Hear it at 22:38

• “Signing that paper was so easy. Walking out of the building was the hard part.”

  ClaytonU.S. Air Force Veteran, founder of Red Tails Racing

  Hear it at 29:29

• “I didn’t know how to value my military career as a civilian until now. It took years to figure that out.”

  ClaytonU.S. Air Force Veteran, founder of Red Tails Racing

  Hear it at 30:41

• “I’ll tell you this, I learned calm is contagious.”

  AJ KehlU.S. Air Force Veteran, 22 years of service, and career firefighter

  Hear it at 30:39

• “I deepen relationships with people when we’re talking real.”

  AJ KehlU.S. Air Force Veteran, 22 years of service, and career firefighter

  Hear it at 47:32

• “I struggled even telling people that I was a Veteran for a little while because I really wanted to immerse myself in that civilian life.”

  Caitlin DuffyU.S. Army Veteran

  Hear it at 34:19

• “I was able to go back in and be a proud Veteran, but I probably spent two or three years as a civilian focusing on that.”

  Caitlin DuffyU.S. Army Veteran

  Hear it at 34:50

• “I’d have to work three times as hard to prove myself, but that’s what I did.”

  Bobi Pike-OatesRetired U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sergeant

  Hear it at 20:32

• “It’s not about you. It’s about a bigger calling. It’s taking care of our nation.”

  Bobi Pike-OatesRetired U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sergeant

  Hear it at 56:56

• “You’re going to learn most of your lessons that you learn by going for it. It’s going to be through failure.”

  “Cheeks” AguillonU.S. Army Veteran, former chaplain's assistant

  Hear it at 1:32:42

• “You can’t be afraid to ask for help.”

  Don LoganPresident of the Las Vegas Aviators

  Hear it at 35:42

• “That’s our obligation. And I put Veterans at the top of the list.”

  Don LoganPresident of the Las Vegas Aviators

  Hear it at 43:12

• “It took me about four or five years to get through my depression, learn how to live again in a wheelchair.”

  Letoi AdamsU.S. Army Veteran, Vice President of Paralyzed Veterans of America

  Hear it at 6:03

• “It was because I was afraid that people would see my chair and not me.”

  Letoi AdamsU.S. Army Veteran, Vice President of Paralyzed Veterans of America

  Hear it at 27:05

• “I wouldn’t be where I’m at now if someone didn’t put something in my ear.”

  Letoi AdamsU.S. Army Veteran, Vice President of Paralyzed Veterans of America

  Hear it at 29:29

• “I do again go back to the military. I believe that was the really big driving force for me to know not to give up, to keep forging.”

  Evelyn PachecoU.S. Army Veteran, founder of Nevada Women in Trades

  Hear it at 3:59

• “Very humbled, very proud of what I’m doing and who I’m helping.”

  Evelyn PachecoU.S. Army Veteran, founder of Nevada Women in Trades

  Hear it at 25:34

• “I can be there for them and mentor them and talk with them and be on the same level as them, because I’ve been through it.”

  Evelyn PachecoU.S. Army Veteran, founder of Nevada Women in Trades

  Hear it at 26:27