Urban Valor: the podcast

• Army Combat Cameraman Captures the Horrors of War (Still Haunts Him)

  This week on Urban Valor, we hear the extraordinary story of Army Staff Sergeant Robert Ham—a combat videographer whose job was to document war through the lens. Serving from 2007 to 2017, Robert captured footage most Americans will never see—graphic, haunting, and real. But it wasn’t until he reviewed the footage later that the emotional weight truly hit him.In this week's episode of Urban Valor, Robert shares the reality of filming dying Afghans, surviving mortar attacks, and embedding with combat units across Afghanistan. He opens up about the toll that job took on his mental health and what happened after he came home. Despite enrolling at USC’s top-ranked film school, he struggled with depression, identity loss, and nearly took his own life.Now a filmmaker dedicated to preserving the stories of those who served, Robert is the creator behind Interpreters Wanted and Searching for Bergdahl. His story is one of service, trauma, survival, and healing.🔗 Watch Robert’s documentaries: https://www.hammrproductions.com📺 Watch “Interpreters Wanted” on VeteranTV.comUrban Valor is a platform that honors veterans through real stories, experiences, and lasting legacies.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video Chapters: 00:00 Filming Life and Death in Afghanistan00:28 Meet Robert Ham – Army Combat Videographer03:00 Growing Up with Artist Parents05:01 Witnessing 9/11 and a Shift Toward Service06:58 Joining the Army and Becoming Combat Camera08:59 Shocking Experiences in Basic Training10:45 Saving a Fellow Soldier on the Firing Range12:52 Discovering Hidden Talents in Fellow Recruits14:06 First Deployment with the 25th Infantry Brigade16:00 Winning Trust Through Film18:30 Why Combat Camera Was Essential21:00 Missions, Combat, and Creating PG-13 War Films24:00 Missing His Son’s First Year for Deployment26:00 The Confusion of the Afghanistan War Mission28:44 First Outside-the-Wire Mission: EOD Team30:50 Earning His Place with the Infantry34:00 Behind the Camera During Chaos and Combat35:54 CIA's Deadliest Day – Dec 30, 200940:00 The Cost of War and Raw Storytelling42:01 July 4th Base Attack – Telling the Story45:00 Searching for Bergdahl Documentary48:00 Remembering the Fallen – Patrick Devoe & Others51:00 Afghan Interpreters and Their Sacrifice54:00 What It Took to Leave Afghanistan57:00 Transitioning to Civilian Life After Service60:00 Getting into USC Film School on the GI Bill63:00 Why Telling Veteran Stories Matters65:00 His Grandmother Survived Genocide – Now He Tells Stories67:00 Robert’s Films and Work with the VA69:30 A Final Message to Veterans#military #warstories #urbanvalor #usarmy  #warstories

  --------  

  1:11:28
• Purple Heart Marine Survives Car Bomb But Battles PTSD

  Michael Allison is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who survived a devastating VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) attack in Iraq—but his toughest battles came after the war. In this episode of Urban Valor, Michael opens up about the trauma that followed his deployment, including PTSD, addiction, and divorce.Born in Jamaica and raised in America, Michael’s life was marked by adversity from the start. After joining the Marines at just 17, he was deployed to some of the most dangerous combat zones in the Middle East. When his convoy was hit by a deadly car bomb, he was awarded the Purple Heart. But it was life after service that nearly broke him.From losing close friends in combat to battling mental illness, alcoholism, and the collapse of his marriage, Michael faced rock bottom. In this episode, he shares the raw truth of what it's like to come home broken—and how he rebuilt his life, remarried his wife, reconnected with his children, and found healing through therapy and purpose.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video Chapters: 00:00 – Surviving a Deadly Car Bomb in Iraq00:30 – Childhood in Jamaica & Immigration to the U.S.06:39 – Life in Miami’s Overtown Projects17:40 – Football Dreams Lost & Joining the Marines23:50 – Boot Camp Struggles & Mental Resilience32:28 – Honoring Fallen Veterans on Burial Detail41:17 – Emotional Detachment Before Deployment53:25 – The Mission That Changed Everything58:03 – Ambush & Survivor’s Guilt After VBIED1:14:20 – PTSD Trigger After a Racist Attack1:21:36 – Job Loss After Seeking Mental Health Help1:23:53 – Divorce & Rock Bottom1:26:36 – Starting the Healing Journey1:28:49 – Remarriage & Rebuilding Family Bonds1:31:20 – Legacy, Redemption & Serving Others#military #warstories #urbanvalor #usmarines #marineveteran

  --------  

  1:32:35
• Marine Veteran Survives Fighting the Enemy Up Close in Fallujah

  Marine veteran George Kite shares his account of close combat in Fallujah, the brutal realities of war, and the lifelong impact of PTSD in this week’s Urban Valor episode. From growing up poor in South Carolina—sometimes homeless—to enlisting on his 17th birthday, George’s journey is one of survival, grit, and raw honesty.He remembers the chaos of the First Battle of Fallujah, including rooftop firefights, mortar attacks, and moments that still haunt him decades later. George opens up about accidentally shooting a combatant, encountering child soldiers, losing friends in battle, and the emotional fallout that followed. His story captures what so many combat veterans face but rarely share publicly.George also describes life after war: working with the Army National Guard, battling depression, and discovering a new purpose by supporting fellow veterans through mental health challenges. From sniper school to urban warfare instructor to DC security assignments, George's Marine Corps career is filled with intense and emotional moments that every American should hear.This is not just a war story. It's a human story. One of courage, trauma, transformation, and the quiet fight that continues long after the battlefield.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video Chapters: 00:00 – Ambushed Before the Stairs00:22 – Enlisting After a Tough Childhood04:30 – Living in a Sharecropper’s Shack12:36 – Joining the Marines at 1720:22 – Boot Camp Breakdown & Reconnecting in Fallujah27:54 – Infantry School & Weekend Mayhem40:00 – DC Assignments & Watching Over the White House55:52 – “You're Not Going Back to Iraq” (But Then You Are)1:00:09 – Rockets Hit the Chow Hall1:08:02 – Close-Range Kill and Emotional Fallout1:24:36 – Urban Combat and Pigeon Coop Incident1:33:47 – PTSD, Rage, and Survivor’s Guilt1:59:27 – Losing His Mom, Betrayal, and Depression2:12:31 – Living With PTSD Minute by Minute2:21:02 – Sniper School and Being Ready Again2:29:58 – A Brief Escape to DC and Seeing the Sights2:37:47 – Meeting Nancy Pelosi and the Best Sandwich2:42:18 – Don’t Give Up!!#military #warstories #urbanvalor #usmarines #marineveteran

  --------  

  2:43:41
• Navy Vet Survives Near-Death Knife Attack - "He stabbed me in the back and cut my spinal cord"

  Navy Veteran Jesse Swalley shares his story of survival after a brutal knife attack left him paralyzed. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, Jesse enlisted in the U.S. Navy seeking a better life and served as an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate from 1980 to 1986. After navigating the dangers of the flight deck and the challenges of military life, Jesse faced his greatest battle on U.S. soil—stabbed multiple times trying to break up a fight. Despite a severed spinal cord, Jesse refused to let paralysis define him. Teaching himself how to skateboard again, he proves that resilience knows no limits. In this episode of Urban Valor, Jesse opens up about life at sea, overcoming addiction, surviving near-death, and reclaiming his spirit.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video Chapters: 00:00 — Jesse Swalley’s Near-Death Stabbing Incident00:42 — Growing Up Poor in San Fernando Valley02:16 — Choosing the Navy Over the Marines05:18 — Life on the Flight Deck: High-Risk Navy Jobs19:49 — Shipboard Accidents and Realities of Naval Life22:20 — Hazing Rituals and Crossing the Equator26:53 — Life After Service: Struggles and Addiction38:28 — Fighting to Protect a Friend43:27 — Stabbing Attack and Spinal Cord Injury55:18 — Learning to Walk Again and Rediscovering Purpose1:00:21 — Adaptive Skateboarding and Marathons1:10:02 — Finding Community and Healing Through Sports1:17:51 — Reflections on Resilience and Inspiration#military #warstories #urbanvalor #usnavy #navyveteran

  --------  

  1:20:00
• Marine’s In-Depth Account of the Bloodiest Battle of Iraq War

  Marine veteran Sam Williams reveals the brutal reality of close-quarters combat during the Iraq War, including the infamous Second Battle of Fallujah. In this Urban Valor episode, Sam shares his experiences from the frontlines of Iraq, where he and his unit were forced to retreat from Mosul after engaging a hostile crowd and later thrown into the bloodiest urban battle of the war.Born in a trailer park and raised on a Northern Michigan farm, Sam joined the Marines seeking a sense of purpose after losing his childhood home to a fire. Over 13 years of service, he faced deadly firefights, watched close friends fall, and learned what it truly means to survive war—and life after it.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction: Grenade Incident & Hearing Loss00:38 – Childhood & Redneck Upbringing04:12 – House Fire & Family Struggles11:35 – Confronting Racism & Early Anger15:38 – Joining the Marines & Choosing Infantry27:09 – Boot Camp Shock & Drill Instructor Brutality58:40 – Grenade Mishap in Combat1:10:16 – Landing in Iraq Under Cover of Darkness1:22:16 – Evacuation on Chicken Trucks Under Fire1:26:21 – Leading the Assault on Fallujah1:42:49 – Losing Fellow Marines in Battle2:07:23 – Eulogy & Emotional Reckoning2:11:45 – Post-Military Identity Crisis2:28:48 – Radical Honesty & Rebuilding Life2:32:46 – Helping Veterans Through Business#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #veteranmentalhealth #supportveterans

  --------  

  2:37:14

More TV & Film podcasts

Trending TV & Film podcasts

About Urban Valor: the podcast