On this special Veterans Day edition of the Son of a Blitch podcast, I am honored to celebrate the extraordinary individuals who have served our country. Drawing from a rich family history of service, I reflect on the significance of Veterans Day with profound gratitude.
Inspired by a recent post by Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann, a retired Green Beret, the episode encourages us to truly honor Veterans by listening to their stories and experiences.
As part of what I call "Veterans Month", I am dedicating weekly episodes throughout November to amplify their voices and sacrifices. This second installment is filled with personal anecdotes and insights from past guests, each bringing a unique perspective on resilience and dedication.
Here are some of the Veterans that have joined the Son of a Blitch Podcast:
Larry White - Wildgame Gourmet - Ep. 7
Eric Morris - Nontypical Outdoorsman TV - Ep. 23
Peter McDonald - Navajo Code Talker - Ep. 42
Lance Lewis - Tagged Out Kitchen - Ep. 43
Will Alt - Other Side Ventures - Ep. 56
Mark Greene - UNSEALED - Ep 63
Matty Nelson - former Green Beret - Ep. 71
Lt Col. Scott Mann - Ep 85
The above links are apple podcast links, but you can search and listen to these on ALL podcast platforms, or visit: Podcast.SonofaBlitch.com to listen to them, without the need to subscribe.
Or watch the video versions at:
YouTube.com/@sonofablitch
I hope you will check out these interviews and follow along with the various projects they are involved in.
Thank you for tuning in and a special THANK YOU to all our Veterans, past and present. You are my Heroes!
Learn more at:
SonofaBlitch.com
MapMyRanch.com
Podcast.SonofaBlitch.com
SonofaBlitch.com/reviews.html
Future podcast episodes coming up with the amazing Veterans:
Darrell Utt
Walt D
Episode Transcript
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 dayfor me.
I have so much love and respectand gratitude for those who
have served our country and Ijust wanted to take a minute to
recognize all of you and justwish you a happy Veterans Day.
(00:36):
For all those who are serving,have served and those who have
served in the past, this issomething that really is near
and dear to my heart.
I have veterans on both sidesof 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 myfamily members and my history
(00:56):
and those who have sacrificed somuch, and some who have
sacrificed all for us to be heretoday and enjoying the freedoms
that we have.
You know, I had an interviewrecently with Lieutenant Colonel
Scott Mann, a retired GreenBeret who has done so many
wonderful things, but he had apost the other day that talked
about hey, on this Veterans Day,maybe we can listen to the
(01:19):
stories and the feelings,thoughts, of those veterans and
maybe that's a good way for usto honor them.
And it kind of got me tothinking that maybe I'd go ahead
and just share some of theveterans that I have interviewed
on the podcast, in hopes thatmaybe you'll go and listen to
some of these episodes and learnabout them and all their
sacrifice and all their bravery.
(01:39):
And so I've had, I think, alittle over a dozen.
I've got many more lined uphere in the future.
I've had, I think, a littleover a dozen, I've got many more
lined up here.
In the future I'm going to beputting out a podcast each week
in November, kind of honoringwhat I call Veterans Month and
trying to raise awareness forthose.
So, lieutenant Colonel ScottMann was the first, dropped at
the very beginning of November,this being number two, and I got
(01:59):
a couple more, and then youhave many other veteran
organizations that I'll be, uh,you know releasing podcasts of
in the next, you know, sixmonths here too.
So I just want to kind of do aquick little rundown.
Uh, you know, so you hear someof the veterans I've interviewed
.
If I've forgotten anyone, Iapologize and I'll add them into
the show notes list.
Uh, first was Larry White.
Uh, wild game gourmet.
That was episode seven.
(02:20):
Uh, he's an amazing chef.
You guys got to go check thatout.
Uh, eric Morris fromnon-typical outdoorsman TV that
was episode 23 also did atelevision show One of his
episodes with him.
Uh, my wife Meg and I uh werethere as a uh here in Texas and
a hog hunt um with Texas parksand wildlife bunch of other
organizations.
Jesse Griffiths chef uh was apart of that as well.
(02:42):
Curtis Bell episode 41.
Curtis is a really amazingindividual.
I met him in line when SteveRinella from Meat Eater was
given a speech, kind of I guessit was more of a book signing,
but he did speak for a littlebit and that was up in the
colony in Texas.
And so got there a little bitearly with my buddy, matthew
(03:03):
Mitchell and ended up being inline next to Curtis Bell and
talked to him about some of theorganizations he works with and
how he gives back to veteransand trying to help especially
with mental health awareness.
So really great guy.
Episode 41, check that out Now.
Episode 42 was with PeterMcDonald.
He's a Navajo code talker.
Now I did not interview himdirectly.
(03:24):
I had a family friend who endedup sending me a video he took
of Peter McDonald talking at anevent.
It was a big luncheon and so Ijust 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 workwith Native American elders in
the past so he sent that over tome and so that's a really
interesting conversation thereto talking about the Navajo Code
(03:46):
Talkers, world War II.
Next up was Lance Lewis,another amazing chef.
That was episode 43.
Moving on to episode 56 withWill Alt, other Side Ventures,
will had a really incrediblestory that he shared.
It was the first time hepublicly ever shared it about
(04:08):
his rock bottom experience andhis suicide attempt and he had
never talked about this publiclybefore.
Only his close friends andfamily had known about that.
But he really wanted to sharethat experience and talk about
that level and depth of despairthat he went to, because by
(04:30):
going through that he was ableto get to the other side of
those struggles.
And now he really focuses ondoing just that for other people
, especially veterans, firstresponders.
So his goal is to take peopleout there and give them
experiences and help them andtry to have them get that
community and that camaraderieto where they can overcome some
(04:51):
of those struggles that manyveterans face.
So another one that raisesawareness of mental health for
veterans.
Really a great episode.
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 ofthe struggles and kind of being
(05:13):
at the very low point andneeding to reach out and get
some help.
And I think that again isanother example of you know how
many different veterans you knowand some first responders have
a point where they feel likethey're all alone and that there
is just nothing left for themto be here for.
(05:33):
I've heard this story countlesstimes with veterans and I
wanted to kind of shine thatlight on some folks today about
realizing, hey, if you're aveteran, you're struggling with
these things.
There are people, there areagencies, there are groups,
there are folks and friends thatlove you, that want you to be
here and, you know, want you tocontinue to work through those
struggles.
And Mark Green kind of talksabout a blueprint of that idea
(05:54):
of transitioning out of themilitary and what that's like
then, because that is a verydifficult thing for many
veterans.
If you guys are not aware,episode 70 with Jack Carr,
former US Navy, turned abest-selling author.
You know that one.
We don't really dive in as muchto his history.
We do definitely talk aboutsome of the things.
Uh, you know that, that youknow his career was in the
(06:15):
military.
Uh, talked a little bit moreabout, obviously, his books.
Uh, you know, cause that was a.
He was part of the book tourand I hosted that event here in
Houston.
But, uh, nonetheless, I thinkyou guys need to go and check
that one out as well.
It's episode 70.
The next one up was Matty Nelson, a former Green Beret episode
71.
He works with Seacons,precision, hat Creek Training.
Matty definitely provided oneof the more entertaining stories
(06:39):
I've ever heard on the podcastand he is just the gem of a
human being, wonderful,wonderful guy, and he is someone
who I know has done a lot ofwork, uh, for veterans and with
veterans and he's just a justamazing guy.
I really hope you guys couldcheck that episode out and
follow all the things he's gotgoing on with Seekins, precision
and Hat Creek Training.
(07:00):
Again, that's episode 71.
Uh, the next person Iinterviewed uh is Patrick Durkin
.
Uh, very well-known outdoorwriter.
Um has also uh been in servicein the Navy.
He is just an incredible,incredible individual.
He's done a lot of work withmeat eater you guys have
probably seen his name.
He's done a lot of articlesthere that have been released.
(07:20):
Uh, just a wonderful guy and uhreally enjoyed talking to him
and we dive into a little bit ofhis service and him talking
about going back to the 80thanniversary of D-Day.
And also Jack Carr in episode70 talks about his experience
going back to D-Day and workingwith the Best Defense Foundation
, which brought all the WorldWar II veterans back to the site
(07:44):
there in D-Day and they had amultiple week celebration.
So both those gentlemen talkabout that as well and I think
that's a really good thing tohear about.
Um Don Bentley uh, he was ahelicopter um pilot and and man
he.
He had some amazing storiesthat he shared Uh when him it
(08:06):
was another live event here inHouston and he really writes a
lot of those into his book whichhe was promoting there at the
time and we just had a wonderfulchat but he kind of dives in.
You know it's a fictional bookbut it's based on.
It's kind of what they callthat I think Brad Thor called it
faction right, you know,fiction meets facts and so
(08:26):
there's a lot of stories thereand he talks a lot about those
who have served in the book andreally kind of gives you a
feeling for that idea, thatcamaraderie between veterans.
The last one that I justmentioned earlier was Lieutenant
Colonel Scott Mann, who haswritten so many amazing books
and books.
(08:46):
You know there's been so manybestsellers and international
bestsellers that he's writtenand, yeah, that was a really,
really incredible book that wespoke about no one is coming to
save you a green berets guide ofgetting big shit done
Phenomenal read.
I think you guys definitelyneed to check that out.
(09:08):
Whether you're a veteran or not, that just is a great, great
book.
But he really talked about alot of rooftop leadership,
especially us going through theidea 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 somany things that he shared
(09:29):
through his time and as being aGreen Beret and a lifetime
service.
So those are some individualsthat I just wanted to shine a
little spotlight on that arethat 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 Ijust wanted to kind of, you know
, let you guys know about those.
(09:50):
So, if you haven't checkedthose out again, those are some
incredible individuals.
That's Larry White, episodeseven.
Eric Morris, episode 23,.
Curtis Bell, episode 41,.
Peter McDonald, navajo CodeTalker, 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.
(10:11):
Maddie Nelson, episode 71.
Pat Durkin, episode 77.
Don Bentley, episode 78.
And Lieutenant Colonel ScottMann, episode 85.
So, guys, go check those outAgain.
The links will be in the shownotes below.
And again, once more, I justwant to thank all of you.
You veterans, you've done somuch for our wonderful country.
I am forever indebted andappreciate everything that you
(10:35):
have done.
Uh, just like I said, it's nearand dear to my heart and I just
wanted to say thank you andhappy veterans day.
I hope you all, uh, thank aveteran that you may know, reach
out and listen to their storiesand anything you can do to help
out veterans is an amazing taskand something that I think we
all need to do, especiallyraising awareness for mental
health and doing everything wecan to help those who have
(10:57):
served and who continue to fightthe good fight and give us
these freedoms and libertiesthat we enjoy so much.
Once again, thank you guys somuch for tuning in the podcast.
I hope you have a beautiful day.
Happy Veterans Day everyone.
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