The Veteran Experience Podcast with Judge Johnson

On January 31, 1945, Pvt. Eddie Slovik became the first American soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion-and the only one who suffered such a fate during World War II. This podcast episode tells his story.

Pvt. Eddie Slovik was a draftee. Originally classified 4-F because of a prison record (grand theft auto), he was reclassified 1-A when draft standards were lowered to meet growing personnel needs. In January 1944,...

According to Tommy Anderson, "Our best days are ahead of us...You can do whatever you want to do. There's no excuse."

Tommy Anderson is a multiple best-selling author and screenwriter.  Tommy enjoys his role as a motivational speaker and Host of "The Real Tommy Unleashed" on the IQ Podcast Network in San Diego.  Tommy's show is heard on multiple streaming platforms, iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Ap...

Bill Lauper: "As a society, it's all about the future, and it starts with our children. We teach them right, our society is going to be just  fine."

Retired Navy Commander William "Bill" Lauper has devoted his life to mentoring American youth. After serving all over the world, he retired to his wife's home state of California. He was not ready, however, to rest on his laurels.  As a man accust...

As the Auditor-Controller for Riverside County, California, Paul Angulo manages a budget in the tens of billions of dollars, amounts larger than the operating budget of half the U.S. States. His responsibilities are immense. 

Enlisting in the Army at age 18, Auditor-Controller Angulo attributes a great deal of his later success to lessons in leadership and ethical behavior he learned in the United States Army from 1971-197...

Greg Coker, retired Army Command Sergeant Major and a previous guest on The Veteran Experience, returns to discuss the impact of 9/11 on the U.S. and on Greg and his family. 

Sergeant Major Coker has devoted his life to helping veterans. Through his role as CEO of the Reaching New Heights Foundation and as chief mentor of the Riverside and San Bernardino County Veterans Treatment Courts, SGM Coker has been able to touch in...

Navy Veteran Greg Sanchez's life was at rock bottom. His drinking was out of control. He was hospitalized 6 times in one year for alcohol poisoning. He was "couch-surfing" and living on the streets. Arrested, incarcerated and facing serious felony criminal charges, Greg asked himself. "What is it that I am living for?" That was in 2018.

After a great deal ofsoul-searching in jail, Greg answered th...

Judge Randy Stamen is a hero to veterans in the Inland Empire. Since January 2020, Judge Stamen has presided over the Riverside County Veterans Court. In this role, he is charged with rehabilitating hundreds of justice involved veterans.

A Riverside  native, he brings a firm and just hand to guiding veterans through the veterans court and military diversion programs. Judge Stamen is no stranger to adversity. Once suffering...

Attorney Virginia Blumenthal is a Riverside icon. The first woman attorney in Riverside, Virginia has risen to fame as  one of the undisputed best lawyers in the United States. Virginia has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to her community by the Riverside Mayor and City Council; the Riverside County Board of Supervisors; the California Governor and Assembly; and the President of the United States. 

Virgin...

Sandy Duchac of "Veteran Sisters " is an American hero. Serving honorably in the United States navy, Sandy was the victim of Military Sexual Trauma.  Sandy turned the scourge of MST into a source of strength. Now, this remarkable woman devotes her life to assisting victims of MST as an advocate and in healing. 

Listen as she describes her journey. 

Veteran Sisters can be contacted at veteransisters.org. ...

This is a followup to our third podcast episode where we discussed raising claims for burn pit exposure. Grant Gautsche, director of the Riverside Office of Veterans Affairs returns to discuss exciting new developments. Since that episode was broadcast, the Senate has passed the 2022 PACT Act, the largest expansion of benefits for our veterans in US history. 

On the thumbnail is a hero for all our veterans, Riverside Congr...

Greg Coker, retired Army CSM, and Judge Johnson have the privilege of interviewing Felix "The Nighthawk" Giles.

Giles, also know as the 'Nighthawk', was the first Black person in history to race the world famous Baja 1000 Offroad Desert Race in Baja, Mexico. This race is famous for it's grueling one thousand mile trek through the treacherous Baja Desert Pennisula, where nearly half of the field doe...

Starting with a discussion of the Vanessa Guillen murder, which rocked the military, Judge Johnson details the scourge of Military Sexual Trauma in our military ranks. Since the closing years of the Vietnam War, the percentage of women serving in our Armed Services has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, sexual assault perpetrated on our sisters in uniform has increase dramatically as well. 

Judge Johnson discusses how ...

Greg Coker is an American hero. Retiring from the Army as a Command Sergeant Major in 2014, Greg immediately started the Reaching New Heights Foundation, a 501(C)(3) charity devoted to helping veterans heal from trauma suffered during the military. Greg helps veterans with housing, finding work, and setting a mission for their lives. Greg's personal motto is "Serving Those  Who Served."

Greg also serves as c...

Burn pits were large open air pits where everything-- literally everything, i.e. human waste, batteries, plastic, tires, oil, etc.--was burned. Illegal in the US, they were often used in Iraq and Afghanistan to dispose of waste. These pits were ignited using jet or diesel fuel and allowed to burn for days. 

Tens of thousands of military personnel were exposed to the fumes from these pits, which were as large as ten acres a...

Grant Gautsche, disabled Navy Veteran and Director of the Riverside County Veteran Services Office, has devoted his life to helping veterans successfully present disability claims with the VA. Listen to Grant as he walks you through the VA claims process and advises you of the steps YOU need to take to be successful on your claim. 

For assistance, contact the Riverside County Department of Veteran's Affairs at (951) 9...

Judge M.E. (Mark) Johnson introduces himself and discusses why you should listen to his podcast. 

Judge Johnson is a retired Army Colonel, an Iraq war veteran, and a California Superior Court judge who has presided over the Riverside County Veterans Treatment Court for nearly a decade. The judge has a wealth of experience helping veterans heal, be heard and reclaim their life mission. In this first episode, he will discuss...