Urban Valor: the podcast

He joined the Army to escape his past…
But it followed him anyway.

This is this episode of Urban Valor, we talk about childhood trauma, abuse, anger, and transformation through the military. 

Ernie Mariscal shares what happened to him at just 5 years old… and how that moment shaped everything... from becoming a violent kid, to running the streets, to eventually joining the United States Army in 1991 searching for a way out.

For a while, the military gave him exactly that:
structure, discipline, purpose.

But the truth is…
you don’t escape trauma — you carry it with you.

Into basic training.
Into deployments.
Into war.

We talk about:
- Growing up with childhood abuse and unresolved trauma
- How anger turned into violence, drugs, and survival mode
- The reality of joining the Army to change your life
- Experiences during deployment and Iraq war stories
- What it feels like coming home with a completely different mindset

This is about what happens before the uniform… and after it comes off.

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🗣️ 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.

Chapters: 
0:00 Gun to His Face
0:47 Hitting Rock Bottom
1:13 Meet Ernie (Army Veteran)
2:00 Childhood Trauma
7:49 Kicked Out at 16
9:56 Gunpoint Incident
11:44 Decision to Join the Army
16:49 Chaos of Basic Training
23:31 Becoming a Soldier
34:25 First Deployment (Iraq)
36:37 War Reality Hits
38:42 Coming Home Changed
39:27 Drinking & Numbness
45:22 Soldier Goes Missing
52:24 Leadership & Loyalty
57:25 Preparing to Retire
59:50 Life After the Army

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #army  #warstories

Juan Perez’s story doesn’t start in the military… it starts in the streets.

Before the Marine Corps, he was involved with gangs, running with the wrong crowd, and heading down a path that only ends one way. Then he made a decision that changed everything...he joined the U.S. Marines and became an infantryman deployed to Afghanistan.

During one mission, an IED detonated just feet from his team.

One of his closest friends was hit... losing both legs in the blast.

Juan shares what that moment was really like… the chaos, the adrenaline, carrying his friend out, and the reality of war that most people will never understand.

But this story isn’t just about the explosion.

It’s about what comes after.

The brotherhood. The guilt. The memories that don’t go away when you come home. And the reality that a lot of veterans don’t know how to ask for help.

If you take anything from this...check on your people!

👍 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.

Chapters:

This one’s heavy.

We’ve heard a lot of military stories over the years… but this one stuck with us.

Rick served in the U.S. Navy during the late 80s, and during a deployment in the South China Sea, they got a call about a stranded refugee boat.

What they found when they got there… was nothing like they expected.

There were bodies everywhere. Survivors that couldn’t even stand. People so far gone they had to be carried onto the ship.

And the part that really messes with you… what those people had to do to stay alive.

It’s the kind of story you don’t forget.

But what hit us just as hard wasn’t just what happened out there. It’s what came after.

We talk about the transition out of the military, losing that sense of purpose, and how moments like this don’t just disappear when you come home.

A lot of guys carry this stuff for years… and never say a word.

👍 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.

Chapters: 
00:00 – Brutal Navy Shellback Initiation
00:40 – “They Beat the Hell Out of You”
01:16 – Who Is Rick Estrada? (Navy Background)
03:26 – Why He Joined the Navy
04:15 – Boot Camp Reality vs Expectations
06:39 – Cold War Deployment & Russian Encounters
10:26 – Crossing the Equator Ceremony (Full Story)
14:18 – Mission Redirected: Refugee Distress Call
14:54 – Finding the Boat… Something Was Wrong
15:43 – Bodies Everywhere (First Discovery)
16:09 – 107 People… Only 57 Survived
16:41 – Signs of Cannibalism
17:20 – Carrying Survivors Onto the Ship
18:01 – The Most Disturbing Moment
18:50 – Burning the Boat
19:15 – Searching for More Survivors
20:12 – Dropping Them Off & Moving On
20:23 – Port Calls & Wild Deployment Stories
22:07 – “Peso Show” Culture Shock
27:40 – Wanting to Go to War (Desert Storm)
28:44 – Life After the Navy
29:28 – Losing Purpose After Service
30:40 – Reuniting With Shipmates
31:48 – Trauma From the Rescue Mission
32:34 – Getting Help & VA Struggles
33:31 – Advice to Veterans

Ryan Spadafore grew up surrounded by chaos.

His father, a former LAPD officer, was eventually caught running a drug manufacturing operation that exploded and triggered a federal investigation. Soon the DEA, FBI, and federal prosecutors were involved, and Ryan found himself caught in the fallout of a criminal case that shattered his family.

At the same time, his older brother was battling addiction during the height of the OxyContin epidemic, creating a violent and unpredictable environment inside their home. Ryan describes growing up in constant fear, dealing with threats, family breakdown, and the psychological toll of living in a house filled with instability and danger.

Trying to escape the chaos, Ryan eventually turned to the military. He enlisted on an Army 18X contract, entering the pipeline designed for candidates pursuing the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets).

Although his military path didn’t unfold exactly how he planned, the experience gave him the discipline and direction he needed to rebuild his life.

Today Ryan is working in the firearms industry, developing new technology and products that have sparked lawsuits, controversy, and intense debate among some of the largest companies in the industry.

In this episode of Urban Valor, Ryan shares the full story of growing up in a violent household, the moment his father’s drug lab brought federal agents to his door, the death threats that followed, and how joining the Army became his way out!

👍 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.

Chapters: 

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #usarmy  #warstories

Former Marine Raider Prime Hall shares his unbelievable journey from growing up in South Texas, surviving childhood trauma, and getting involved in the drug world, to eventually becoming a U.S. Marine Corps Infantryman and Marine Raider (MARSOC).

On today's episode of the Urban Valor Podcast, Prime breaks down the reality of Marine Corps boot camp, the mindset required to survive Marine Raider selection, and the leadership differences between traditional Marine infantry units and special operations teams. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to become a Marine Raider, how elite operators prepare mentally and physically, or what life is like inside the U.S. Marine Corps during the Iraq War era, this episode gives you a close look.

Prime also talks about the discipline, mistakes, and personal transformation that shaped his career — including losing rank twice in the Marines, struggling with alcohol, and rebuilding himself through extreme physical training before earning his place in the Raider community.

This is one of the most honest conversations you'll hear about Marine Corps culture, special operations leadership, and the mindset required to survive!

👍 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.

Chapters: 
0:00 Taliban Uses a Child to Deliver a Motorcycle Bomb
1:05 Prime Hall Introduction – Marine Raider Background
1:44 Growing Up in South Texas
5:03 Sent to Marine Military Academy
7:31 Sneaking Out of School to Party in Mexico
9:43 Selling Drugs as a Teen
11:08 The Drug Deal Robbery
14:57 Why He Joined the Marines
20:07 Marine Corps Boot Camp Begins
31:44 Losing His Rank Twice in the Marines
37:06 Quitting Alcohol and Rebuilding Himself
42:26 Marine Raider Selection
53:07 Joining First Raider Battalion
1:01:47 Deploying to Afghanistan
1:02:54 Mass Casualty Bombing in Afghanistan
1:06:36 The Insider Attack That Haunted Him
1:22:14 Forced Medical Retirement from the Marines
1:27:00 The Healing Experience That Changed His Life
1:33:00 Losing Two Teammates
1:50:56 Writing the Book “Permission to Heal”

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines  #warstories