Earned Not Given - Alex Dobson

WEBVTT
00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:03.720
Wes:
Every marine had a life before
the war.
00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:08.080
Wes:
Normal problems, normal stress,
normal plans in Iraq happened
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Wes:
and nothing was normal again.
00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:13.359
Wes:
This episode is about that shift
in what comes after.
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Wes:
Welcome to earned not Given.
00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:25.160
Wes:
This show is about discipline,
work, and legacy, told through
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Wes:
real stories from people who
earned everything the hard way.
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Wes:
I'm your host, Wesley Warner,
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Wes:
Marine Corps veteran, small
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Wes:
business owner, husband and
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Wes:
father.
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Wes:
Today I'm sitting down with a
marine that I served with in
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Wes:
Iraq, Alex Dobson.
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Wes:
Alex, thanks for being here
today.
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Alex:
Hey. Thanks, buddy.
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Alex:
Good seeing you.
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Wes:
Alex. Before the Marine Corps.
00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:46.359
Wes:
Before Iraq.
00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:47.479
Wes:
Uh, where did you grow up?
00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:49.640
Wes:
And, uh, what kind of kid was
you?
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Alex:
Uh, grew up in a little town.
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Alex:
Indiana.
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Alex:
Angola, Indiana.
00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:56.399
Alex:
Uh, grew up in the lakes.
00:00:56.399 --> 00:00:59.950
Alex:
Um, when I wasn't getting in
trouble, I was usually working
00:00:59.950 --> 00:01:03.030
Alex:
for my grandfather, so I always
had a side job I was doing.
00:01:04.629 --> 00:01:08.510
Wes:
I was going to ask if you were
structured or free range.
00:01:08.510 --> 00:01:10.349
Wes:
It sounds like you were a little
bit of both.
00:01:10.349 --> 00:01:13.069
Wes:
Or was you competitive growing
up?
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Alex:
Uh, I would say more free range,
uh, competitive.
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Alex:
Played every sport, you know.
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Alex:
That's before they had the, you
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Alex:
know, the more structured as far
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Alex:
as one individual stays in the
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Alex:
sport.
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Alex:
You know, I played everything
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Alex:
track, football, baseball,
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Alex:
basketball.
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Alex:
I think I had to do was swim or
wrestle other men.
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Wes:
A lot of the small.
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Wes:
Did you come from a small
school?
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Alex:
Uh, I mean, it was our class was
two hundred, so, I mean, it
00:01:38.349 --> 00:01:40.909
Alex:
wasn't okay, but it was small
compared to you.
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Wes:
I got you.
00:01:41.390 --> 00:01:43.310
Wes:
Yeah. We didn't have a swim team
or nothing.
00:01:43.310 --> 00:01:46.989
Wes:
We came from a cornfield type
town.
00:01:46.989 --> 00:01:52.349
Wes:
Uh, so were you the kid that
people, the adults trusted or
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Wes:
they watched closely?
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Alex:
Yeah, they watched closely.
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Alex:
Because if they're.
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Alex:
If their kids were hanging out
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Alex:
with me, we usually got in
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Alex:
trouble.
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Alex:
Mischief?
00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:03.060
Alex:
I guess mischief would be a
better one.
00:02:03.659 --> 00:02:07.260
Wes:
Uh, looking back now, do you
think you were, uh, wired for
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Wes:
pressure, or do you think the
Marines built that?
00:02:09.939 --> 00:02:13.539
Alex:
Um, probably.
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Alex:
Probably both.
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Alex:
Uh, you know, I thrive under
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Alex:
chaos when there's a structured
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Alex:
stuff.
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Alex:
I don't I really don't know what
to do with myself.
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Alex:
So the more stressful, the more
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Alex:
chaos it gets, the better I
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Alex:
better I better I do, and it's
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Alex:
it's.
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Alex:
I've always been like that.
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Wes:
I think I can kind of relate.
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Wes:
I feel like, uh, someone was
telling me about you.
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Wes:
You like racing, I like racing.
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Wes:
There's something about when you
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Wes:
get to a certain RPM and the
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Wes:
gears just kind of float when
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Wes:
you shift and you don't need a
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Wes:
clutch it.
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Wes:
I feel like I kind of thrive in
that zone to that, uh, high
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Wes:
intensity, uh, range.
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Wes:
Would you say that?
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Alex:
Yeah. When a plan's not going
through, it's just.
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Alex:
All right, let's let's make it
up and go from there.
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Wes:
So out of all the options you
had, uh, why the Marine Corps?
00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:03.039
Alex:
Uh, well, you know, I was always
00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:03.680
Alex:
thought about joining the
00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:05.280
Alex:
military stuff, and, honestly,
00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:06.280
Alex:
my parents were getting a
00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:09.180
Alex:
divorce, and I said, f it, and
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Alex:
I'm leaving.
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Alex:
And I went to the recruiter.
00:03:11.240 --> 00:03:13.199
Alex:
I wanted to go to the Marines
because they're, you know, the
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Alex:
best at what they do.
00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:18.039
Alex:
Some people would argue, but I
went to Marine Corps and I said,
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Alex:
I want to combat.
00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:20.960
Alex:
They said, okay, combat arms.
00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:22.280
Alex:
I said, combat arms, I'll do.
00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:25.360
Alex:
And then when, when with open
contract.
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Alex:
And then I could swim.
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Alex:
So then I went, uh, they were
like, all right, you're going to
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Alex:
be a tracker.
00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:33.840
Wes:
So they got you with the open
contract, then they they was.
00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:37.159
Wes:
That's a tough one to you signed
up with an open contract.
00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:38.520
Speaker 3:
Yeah I got I, I said I wanted.
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Alex:
Combat, I wanted out and I said
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Alex:
I want combat and combat arms
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Alex:
open.
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Alex:
And then, you know a swim call
two.
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Alex:
And they're like, oh okay.
00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:47.199
Wes:
Okay. Yeah. So you picked within
the combat support field.
00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:47.919
Wes:
Okay, okay.
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Wes:
I thought you were went in as an
open contract.
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Wes:
I'm like, man, that's a big
risk.
00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:54.430
Wes:
I had a cousin they made a cook
about it.
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Alex:
It was combat arms.
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Wes:
Yeah. He was he was not happy
about that.
00:03:57.909 --> 00:04:02.110
Wes:
You know, he thought he was
going to be infantry and, uh.
00:04:02.110 --> 00:04:07.949
Wes:
Um. What do you what do you
think you were looking for in
00:04:07.949 --> 00:04:08.669
Wes:
the Marine Corps?
00:04:08.669 --> 00:04:09.830
Wes:
Like how accurate?
00:04:09.830 --> 00:04:12.110
Wes:
How accurate was the recruiter
you were talking while?
00:04:12.110 --> 00:04:13.710
Wes:
We're talking about the
recruiter.
00:04:14.270 --> 00:04:15.830
Alex:
The recruiter was easy for the
recruiter.
00:04:15.830 --> 00:04:18.350
Alex:
I walked in the Marine Corps
combat arms.
00:04:18.350 --> 00:04:20.949
Alex:
It was like, okay, you know,
alright, it's a done deal.
00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:24.029
Wes:
I remember, uh, I said the
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Wes:
gunnery sergeant the same thing
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Wes:
with me.
00:04:25.790 --> 00:04:29.149
Wes:
He tried to talk me into it, and
he got a pamphlet out, and he
00:04:29.149 --> 00:04:30.829
Wes:
was like selling the Marine
Corps to me.
00:04:30.829 --> 00:04:31.910
Wes:
And I'm like, I want in.
00:04:31.910 --> 00:04:33.709
Wes:
You know, I want in.
00:04:33.709 --> 00:04:33.949
Wes:
Let's.
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Wes:
Let's go.
00:04:34.629 --> 00:04:38.430
Wes:
You know, so you were probably
had the same attitude.
00:04:38.350 --> 00:04:39.750
Alex:
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:39.750 --> 00:04:41.589
Alex:
You know, war going on in
combat.
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Wes:
Um, so you went to basic and
then schools.
00:04:46.870 --> 00:04:50.310
Wes:
Our paths didn't cross until you
got into the fleet.
00:04:50.310 --> 00:04:54.379
Wes:
I think, uh, I was just off my
first deployment.
00:04:54.379 --> 00:04:57.980
Wes:
You remember anything about boot
camp or schools or anything?
00:04:59.339 --> 00:05:02.860
Alex:
You know, so, like, there's
always the boot camp stories and
00:05:02.860 --> 00:05:03.819
Alex:
shit like that.
00:05:03.819 --> 00:05:08.019
Alex:
Uh, you know, I, I was pretty
lucky.
00:05:08.019 --> 00:05:13.939
Alex:
I, uh, I was able to weasel my
way into being a late child.
00:05:13.939 --> 00:05:16.540
Alex:
So late child or early child?
00:05:16.540 --> 00:05:19.540
Alex:
There's always a guard at at at
the barracks in.
00:05:19.540 --> 00:05:21.500
Alex:
You know, I was pretty good at
what I did.
00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:24.579
Alex:
I wasn't a squad leader or
anything like that.
00:05:24.579 --> 00:05:26.139
Alex:
And, you know, they just they
put me there.
00:05:26.139 --> 00:05:29.420
Alex:
And this other guy wrinkle we
can talk about later.
00:05:29.420 --> 00:05:31.779
Alex:
Um, I think his last wrinkle.
00:05:31.779 --> 00:05:33.540
Alex:
Uh, so that, you know, that got
me promoted.
00:05:33.540 --> 00:05:35.180
Alex:
But, you know, it's just like.
00:05:35.180 --> 00:05:37.939
Alex:
Like I was the first rack.
00:05:37.939 --> 00:05:39.779
Alex:
Yeah, the first bunk the whole
time.
00:05:39.779 --> 00:05:45.740
Alex:
So even though I didn't fuck up,
my rack got tossed all the time.
00:05:45.620 --> 00:05:46.339
Wes:
You're visible.
00:05:46.339 --> 00:05:48.019
Wes:
The first one they're going
after?
00:05:47.860 --> 00:05:49.220
Alex:
Yeah, my rack every time.
00:05:49.220 --> 00:05:51.970
Alex:
So it's like, you know, I was
never in the pack.
00:05:51.970 --> 00:05:52.889
Alex:
I was always at the front.
00:05:52.889 --> 00:05:53.449
Alex:
It was just.
00:05:53.449 --> 00:05:54.970
Alex:
It was just how my stuff went.
00:05:54.970 --> 00:05:58.889
Alex:
And, you know, then you you do
00:05:58.889 --> 00:05:59.930
Alex:
that and then but then you
00:05:59.930 --> 00:06:01.250
Alex:
really start seeing stuff like,
00:06:01.250 --> 00:06:03.170
Alex:
we had a guy that just, you
00:06:03.170 --> 00:06:04.730
Alex:
know, fell over dead right there
00:06:04.730 --> 00:06:06.089
Alex:
in our squad bay just because he
00:06:06.089 --> 00:06:07.490
Alex:
lied about heart murmur and then
00:06:07.490 --> 00:06:08.970
Alex:
Hurricane Katrina.
00:06:09.970 --> 00:06:10.889
Wes:
Okay, okay.
00:06:10.850 --> 00:06:11.569
Alex:
I was at boot.
00:06:11.370 --> 00:06:12.129
Wes:
Camp, okay?
00:06:11.970 --> 00:06:14.290
Alex:
I was I didn't know any of that
stuff was going on.
00:06:14.089 --> 00:06:15.329
Wes:
I was in Okinawa.
00:06:15.329 --> 00:06:18.250
Wes:
I remember that there was, uh.
00:06:18.250 --> 00:06:19.529
Wes:
I forget what, gunnery sergeant.
00:06:19.529 --> 00:06:22.449
Wes:
He had a wife that was down
there, and that's how we knew
00:06:22.449 --> 00:06:23.329
Wes:
how bad it was.
00:06:23.329 --> 00:06:25.569
Wes:
Is they were talking about
people getting killed and.
00:06:25.569 --> 00:06:26.970
Wes:
Yeah, and stuff like that.
00:06:26.970 --> 00:06:27.529
Wes:
Yeah.
00:06:27.370 --> 00:06:28.930
Alex:
They're like, is anybody from
00:06:28.930 --> 00:06:30.769
Alex:
New Orleans in, like, two guys
00:06:30.769 --> 00:06:31.769
Alex:
raise their hand like, your
00:06:31.769 --> 00:06:32.490
Alex:
town's destroyed.
00:06:32.490 --> 00:06:34.329
Alex:
You have to come with us right
now.
00:06:34.329 --> 00:06:35.730
Alex:
So they they left and then.
00:06:35.730 --> 00:06:35.889
Alex:
Yeah.
00:06:35.889 --> 00:06:38.769
Alex:
And then we like there was
another platoon that it wasn't
00:06:38.769 --> 00:06:41.410
Alex:
our company, but they tried to
commit suicide, jumped off and
00:06:41.410 --> 00:06:42.370
Alex:
hit the pull up bars.
00:06:42.370 --> 00:06:42.850
Alex:
Pull up bar.
00:06:42.850 --> 00:06:46.290
Alex:
Saved their life, like
splattered all over and man.
00:06:46.290 --> 00:06:49.240
Alex:
And then, um, we had one guy
that jumped off the high dive.
00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:50.480
Alex:
He missed the pool.
00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:55.680
Alex:
Um. I you know, I didn't my
glasses because I, I.
00:06:56.680 --> 00:06:58.279
Speaker 4:
You didn't see it that well.
00:06:58.120 --> 00:06:59.519
Alex:
I couldn't see it that well.
00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:00.279
Speaker 4:
But you could definitely.
00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:02.439
Alex:
See him splattered on the on
the, on the concrete.
00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:07.120
Alex:
But it was like, so like, then
you do the obstacle course.
00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.279
Alex:
And the first time I did it, you
know, flew through it and I get
00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:11.680
Alex:
up to the rope and they're
fucking with me on the rope and
00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:14.920
Alex:
they're like, keep saying, well,
I couldn't hold him.
00:07:14.920 --> 00:07:15.519
Alex:
And I slid down.
00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.480
Alex:
I lost all the skin from both my
hands.
00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:20.800
Alex:
So I was so ever since then,
00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:22.160
Alex:
like, we would do the O course
00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:23.839
Alex:
and I would, I would not be the
00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:25.399
Alex:
first one, but I would time it
00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:26.819
Alex:
to the guys that I'd be
00:07:26.819 --> 00:07:27.839
Alex:
watching.
00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:30.399
Alex:
And when the guys would get off
the ropes, I would slip in.
00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:32.279
Alex:
I never did the ropes ever
again, and.
00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:33.279
Speaker 4:
I never got caught.
00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:36.319
Alex:
Because it's like, I'm not
fucking doing that again because
00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:38.639
Alex:
I lost all the skin on my hands.
00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:41.680
Alex:
And then, like, I had my rack
mate.
00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:43.360
Alex:
Still the first bonk, he went
UA.
00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:44.800
Alex:
He got caught halfway across the
00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:46.819
Alex:
airport and it was just, I don't
00:07:46.819 --> 00:07:47.779
Alex:
know, boot camp was just like a
00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:48.579
Alex:
weird thing.
00:07:48.819 --> 00:07:51.579
Wes:
Yeah. I think the people that
don't make it are a lot of the
00:07:51.579 --> 00:07:56.139
Wes:
kids that have never been away
from home, you know, like, uh,
00:07:56.139 --> 00:07:58.180
Wes:
it's not looking back on it.
00:07:58.180 --> 00:08:00.500
Wes:
I don't think boot camp was that
hard, you know what I mean?
00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:01.379
Wes:
It's, uh.
00:08:01.379 --> 00:08:03.939
Wes:
Look, you still got decent
sleep, you still got food.
00:08:03.939 --> 00:08:04.980
Wes:
You still.
00:08:04.980 --> 00:08:05.779
Wes:
You know.
00:08:05.899 --> 00:08:08.259
Alex:
I don't know, our days were kind
of psychopaths.
00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:09.339
Wes:
I think.
00:08:09.339 --> 00:08:12.019
Wes:
But I just always kind of saw it
as that's part of this is part
00:08:12.019 --> 00:08:12.779
Wes:
of the process.
00:08:12.779 --> 00:08:15.779
Wes:
You know, this is something I
got to put, you know.
00:08:15.980 --> 00:08:19.699
Alex:
Yeah. Then. And then I lost my
voice.
00:08:19.699 --> 00:08:20.579
Alex:
I don't know if I ever told you
this.
00:08:20.579 --> 00:08:23.339
Alex:
I lost my voice because, you
know, you're yelling stuff.
00:08:23.339 --> 00:08:25.459
Alex:
I fucking ad libbed the whole
time.
00:08:25.459 --> 00:08:26.519
Alex:
Like when everybody's yelling
00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:27.620
Alex:
other when they're in your face,
00:08:27.620 --> 00:08:28.379
Alex:
I would yell, but other than
00:08:28.379 --> 00:08:29.220
Alex:
that, I ad libbed the whole
00:08:29.220 --> 00:08:29.779
Alex:
time.
00:08:29.779 --> 00:08:31.139
Alex:
I'm like, I'm not fucking doing
this.
00:08:33.259 --> 00:08:35.500
Wes:
Uh oh.
00:08:35.500 --> 00:08:39.220
Wes:
Um, so I'm going to talk my, uh,
00:08:39.220 --> 00:08:42.080
Wes:
I remember you came to twenty
00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:43.659
Wes:
nine palms you probably weren't
00:08:43.659 --> 00:08:44.570
Wes:
excited about.
00:08:44.570 --> 00:08:45.730
Wes:
That's where all the training
00:08:45.730 --> 00:08:47.649
Wes:
goes on all the workups for the
00:08:47.649 --> 00:08:48.090
Wes:
Marine Corps.
00:08:48.090 --> 00:08:50.450
Wes:
It's not the most exciting duty
station.
00:08:50.450 --> 00:08:52.289
Wes:
What did you when they said in
00:08:52.289 --> 00:08:53.470
Wes:
schools you were going up twenty
00:08:53.470 --> 00:08:53.929
Wes:
nine palms?
00:08:53.929 --> 00:08:55.009
Wes:
What was that like?
00:08:54.850 --> 00:08:56.090
Alex:
I didn't know where the fuck
that was.
00:08:56.090 --> 00:08:56.490
Alex:
I was.
00:08:56.289 --> 00:08:56.850
Speaker 4:
Like.
00:08:57.330 --> 00:08:58.529
Alex:
Okay, so they're going through.
00:08:58.529 --> 00:09:00.929
Alex:
I remember I was Turek was with
me, you know, Turek and I went
00:09:00.929 --> 00:09:01.730
Alex:
to school together.
00:09:01.570 --> 00:09:02.649
Wes:
Okay, okay.
00:09:02.649 --> 00:09:03.649
Wes:
Turek with the saw.
00:09:03.649 --> 00:09:04.409
Wes:
Saw gunner.
00:09:04.250 --> 00:09:05.009
Speaker 4:
Yeah.
00:09:05.129 --> 00:09:07.970
Alex:
So we're sitting there, they're
going through like, blah, blah,
00:09:07.970 --> 00:09:11.289
Alex:
blah is going to Camp Lejeune,
blah, blah, blah, Camp
00:09:11.289 --> 00:09:13.809
Alex:
Pendleton, blah, blah, blah is
going to Hawaii.
00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:16.889
Alex:
And they go, Dobson, Turek and I
don't remember.
00:09:16.889 --> 00:09:17.730
Alex:
There was somebody else.
00:09:17.730 --> 00:09:18.730
Alex:
Twin palms.
00:09:18.730 --> 00:09:19.690
Alex:
Even the instructor.
00:09:19.529 --> 00:09:20.570
Speaker 4:
Oh yeah.
00:09:20.649 --> 00:09:21.970
Wes:
There's that audible.
00:09:21.809 --> 00:09:22.970
Speaker 4:
Oh yeah.
00:09:22.889 --> 00:09:25.409
Alex:
Man. So it's like, I don't even
know where that is.
00:09:25.409 --> 00:09:26.850
Alex:
That was the first time I ever
saw desert.
00:09:26.850 --> 00:09:28.250
Alex:
Like, what is this?
00:09:28.090 --> 00:09:30.610
Wes:
I believe I know exactly what
you're saying because I. We got
00:09:30.610 --> 00:09:32.409
Wes:
the same all everybody.
00:09:32.409 --> 00:09:33.169
Wes:
Yeah.
00:09:33.169 --> 00:09:36.370
Wes:
Um, my first impression, I, uh.
00:09:36.370 --> 00:09:37.889
Wes:
So you were actually the first.
00:09:37.889 --> 00:09:39.809
Wes:
You were on my, uh, vehicle,
right?
00:09:39.809 --> 00:09:40.210
Wes:
The first.
00:09:40.210 --> 00:09:41.370
Wes:
When you got into the fleet.
00:09:41.210 --> 00:09:41.610
Speaker 4:
You.
00:09:41.409 --> 00:09:42.250
Wes:
Were, uh.
00:09:42.049 --> 00:09:42.370
Speaker 4:
The.
00:09:42.169 --> 00:09:43.679
Alex:
Crew chief, and I was the
driver.
00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:46.720
Wes:
That was actually my first job
as being a crew chief.
00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:48.320
Wes:
They was like, you know, I was
00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:49.360
Wes:
starting to get into a
00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:50.440
Wes:
leadership position.
00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:54.399
Wes:
I got, you know, one, uh,
deployment behind me.
00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:56.240
Wes:
It was the natural progression.
00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:57.659
Wes:
I think the first thing I notice
00:09:57.659 --> 00:09:58.960
Wes:
is you're very mechanically
00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:00.440
Wes:
inclined guy, you know what I
00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:02.039
Wes:
mean is, have you always been
00:10:02.039 --> 00:10:02.960
Wes:
like that?
00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:03.639
Alex:
Uh, yeah.
00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:06.919
Alex:
So I guess even through high
00:10:06.919 --> 00:10:08.559
Alex:
school, I was always working on
00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:09.600
Alex:
stuff, always working on my own
00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:09.960
Alex:
cars.
00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:11.000
Alex:
I fucked up a lot of stuff.
00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:12.120
Alex:
But, you know, I always.
00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:12.879
Alex:
That was.
00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:14.000
Wes:
That's how you learn.
00:10:13.799 --> 00:10:15.139
Alex:
Yeah, that's how I. You know, I
00:10:15.139 --> 00:10:16.320
Alex:
kind of caught on to it pretty
00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:16.960
Alex:
early.
00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:20.679
Wes:
Okay. Yeah. That was one thing
that I noticed early on.
00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:24.600
Wes:
And my first impression is your,
your big, stout, robust dude.
00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:28.000
Wes:
So that always would be working
someone's advantage.
00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.000
Wes:
Um, but yeah.
00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:34.039
Wes:
And you've always had a good
humor about you.
00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:38.240
Wes:
Um, what's some, uh, stuff about
getting ready for Iraq?
00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:41.990
Wes:
We had a I feel like a good
mentor as is our squad leader.
00:10:41.990 --> 00:10:45.509
Wes:
Um, and talk about some of the
preparation.
00:10:45.350 --> 00:10:46.990
Alex:
You know, because I got to the
00:10:46.990 --> 00:10:51.090
Alex:
fleet and then that was in
00:10:51.090 --> 00:10:52.669
Alex:
whatever you guys got back from
00:10:52.669 --> 00:10:55.190
Alex:
Oakey, there wasn't a lot of
00:10:55.190 --> 00:10:55.350
Alex:
time.
00:10:55.350 --> 00:10:55.750
Alex:
So you get.
00:10:55.750 --> 00:10:56.710
Alex:
You get to the fleet.
00:10:56.710 --> 00:10:59.950
Alex:
And then it was literally all
right, we're going to start.
00:10:59.950 --> 00:11:05.950
Alex:
We're doing AUV stuff and then
the the unit out of here, the
00:11:05.950 --> 00:11:08.909
Alex:
Columbus guys, they hit the IED
in that track.
00:11:08.909 --> 00:11:10.350
Alex:
They were out of here.
00:11:10.190 --> 00:11:12.309
Wes:
Yes. The one twenty five.
00:11:12.309 --> 00:11:12.870
Wes:
Yeah.
00:11:12.710 --> 00:11:13.710
Alex:
It killed a bunch of guys.
00:11:13.710 --> 00:11:15.629
Alex:
And they're like, alright, no
more ATVs.
00:11:15.710 --> 00:11:16.309
Speaker 4:
Mhm.
00:11:16.149 --> 00:11:18.669
Alex:
And then there and then that's
when we switched to infantry.
00:11:18.669 --> 00:11:19.549
Alex:
They're like alright you guys
00:11:19.549 --> 00:11:20.389
Alex:
are going to be provisional
00:11:20.389 --> 00:11:20.950
Alex:
rifle company.
00:11:20.950 --> 00:11:24.149
Alex:
So it was like okay you know now
we're going to do this.
00:11:24.149 --> 00:11:29.190
Alex:
And um but we had, we had good
leaders and stuff from the first
00:11:29.190 --> 00:11:31.750
Alex:
initial invasion that really
helped guide us, you know,
00:11:31.750 --> 00:11:33.470
Alex:
because you don't know what to
expect, especially if you don't
00:11:33.470 --> 00:11:35.549
Alex:
have a lot of if you have, like,
green troops that haven't been
00:11:35.549 --> 00:11:37.149
Alex:
over there, you know.
00:11:37.950 --> 00:11:41.419
Wes:
Yeah. that's honestly, that's
the way our war is set up.
00:11:41.419 --> 00:11:43.299
Wes:
It's, uh, we're all green when
we go over.
00:11:43.299 --> 00:11:44.700
Wes:
We've had the best training.
00:11:44.700 --> 00:11:48.500
Wes:
We had, uh, you know, role
players, even the where the.
00:11:48.500 --> 00:11:49.820
Wes:
Like you said, the war changed.
00:11:49.820 --> 00:11:51.139
Wes:
We weren't invading.
00:11:51.139 --> 00:11:52.659
Wes:
We weren't training to invade.
00:11:52.659 --> 00:11:54.340
Wes:
But we learned with role
00:11:54.340 --> 00:11:56.379
Wes:
players, and, uh, there was
00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:57.659
Wes:
other people to prepare us
00:11:57.659 --> 00:11:59.179
Wes:
better than, I guarantee you,
00:11:59.179 --> 00:12:00.539
Wes:
better than people from Vietnam
00:12:00.539 --> 00:12:01.379
Wes:
because we learned from their
00:12:01.379 --> 00:12:02.740
Wes:
mistakes and.
00:12:02.820 --> 00:12:03.419
Speaker 4:
Not.
00:12:03.259 --> 00:12:04.779
Wes:
Even the way we set up our gear.
00:12:04.779 --> 00:12:05.539
Wes:
You know.
00:12:06.220 --> 00:12:08.700
Alex:
Nam, and we'll get to what I do
now.
00:12:08.700 --> 00:12:10.580
Alex:
I mean, a lot of those guys,
they were just replaced.
00:12:10.580 --> 00:12:12.679
Alex:
So they would do their one year
and they would get pumped in,
00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:13.419
Alex:
they'd get pumped out.
00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:16.220
Alex:
So you had guys that were always
there on the ground that had
00:12:16.220 --> 00:12:18.179
Alex:
that experience that you would
have to, you know.
00:12:18.179 --> 00:12:18.899
Alex:
So it wasn't.
00:12:18.700 --> 00:12:19.340
Speaker 4:
A it.
00:12:19.139 --> 00:12:20.659
Alex:
Wasn't a whole unit going over.
00:12:20.659 --> 00:12:20.860
Alex:
Yeah.
00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:22.539
Alex:
It was you would just you would
just cycle out.
00:12:22.539 --> 00:12:26.500
Alex:
So you had, you know, hardened
guys there and gals, there was a
00:12:26.500 --> 00:12:29.059
Alex:
few gals over there and, you
know, they could pass the
00:12:29.059 --> 00:12:31.899
Alex:
experience as you were going,
but it was hands on training
00:12:31.899 --> 00:12:33.620
Alex:
versus training as a unit.
00:12:33.419 --> 00:12:36.500
Wes:
Yeah. Nothing beats the
experience of being out doing it
00:12:36.500 --> 00:12:39.639
Wes:
and learning the sights, the
smell, what to look for.
00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:41.960
Wes:
But there's one thing about the
Viet Cong.
00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:45.779
Wes:
None of them were rotating out,
so they all the ones left were
00:12:45.779 --> 00:12:47.759
Wes:
had more experience.
00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:48.519
Speaker 4:
And it was.
00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:48.720
Alex:
Home.
00:12:48.519 --> 00:12:49.080
Speaker 4:
Turf.
00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:49.879
Wes:
Yeah, exactly.
00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:51.720
Wes:
And, uh, that's all the more
00:12:51.720 --> 00:12:53.679
Wes:
reason that our systems have to
00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:54.320
Wes:
be tighter.
00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.799
Wes:
And, um, I feel like our
training was good to, um, with
00:12:57.799 --> 00:13:01.279
Wes:
all the role players and stuff
that, uh, a matter of fact, uh,
00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:03.039
Wes:
do you remember Mojave Viper?
00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:05.080
Wes:
Um, that someone from thirty
00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:06.240
Wes:
eight actually had nervous
00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:09.000
Wes:
breakdown, uh, preparing for,
00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:09.720
Wes:
um.
00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:13.159
Alex:
I just remember how fucking hot
it was.
00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:14.320
Speaker 4:
That's all I remember.
00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:14.679
Alex:
So we did.
00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:16.320
Alex:
We did ARVs the first half of
it.
00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:19.919
Alex:
Then we swapped and we went
foot.
00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:22.620
Alex:
It was one hundred and thirty
00:13:22.620 --> 00:13:24.480
Alex:
five degrees because Verda was
00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:26.279
Alex:
doing the school, the language
00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:27.200
Alex:
school, and he was going to the
00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:27.559
Alex:
front gate.
00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:29.279
Alex:
He took a photo when we were
out, there was one hundred and
00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:30.279
Alex:
thirty five degrees.
00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:31.080
Wes:
I remember that.
00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:31.320
Speaker 4:
Yeah.
00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:34.080
Alex:
That's before you even get down
to Death Valley, where the
00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:36.509
Alex:
training ground was that day.
00:13:36.309 --> 00:13:40.190
Wes:
I remember that was I think I
think we fried all of our brains
00:13:40.190 --> 00:13:42.950
Wes:
that day because, remember,
Gunnery Sergeant Truman was
00:13:42.950 --> 00:13:44.389
Wes:
doing keg stands.
00:13:44.389 --> 00:13:48.029
Wes:
You know, you know, with with
Gatorade when we finally got it.
00:13:48.029 --> 00:13:49.029
Wes:
Yeah.
00:13:49.029 --> 00:13:50.230
Wes:
That was, uh.
00:13:50.190 --> 00:13:51.429
Alex:
Everybody had prickly heat.
00:13:51.429 --> 00:13:53.610
Alex:
You know, where the salt you
00:13:53.610 --> 00:13:54.629
Alex:
sweat so much, the salt
00:13:54.629 --> 00:13:56.669
Alex:
crystallizes in your pores, and
00:13:56.669 --> 00:13:57.710
Alex:
it's just like needles in your
00:13:57.710 --> 00:13:58.429
Alex:
back.
00:13:58.269 --> 00:14:01.470
Wes:
I think I remember old, uh, doc
rambling, shambling, telling us
00:14:01.470 --> 00:14:02.990
Wes:
to drink a Coke or something.
00:14:02.990 --> 00:14:07.389
Wes:
You know, the sugar was good for
us or something like that.
00:14:07.389 --> 00:14:11.470
Wes:
Um, let's talk about the the
first deployment.
00:14:11.470 --> 00:14:14.509
Wes:
Uh, what what did the the
00:14:14.509 --> 00:14:16.090
Wes:
missions, uh, what was it like
00:14:16.090 --> 00:14:16.710
Wes:
operating?
00:14:16.710 --> 00:14:18.350
Wes:
What did it actually feel like?
00:14:20.029 --> 00:14:24.710
Alex:
Um, I mean, you're just so in
it.
00:14:24.710 --> 00:14:26.070
Alex:
I think the hardest part was
00:14:26.070 --> 00:14:27.710
Alex:
learning how to function with no
00:14:27.710 --> 00:14:31.669
Alex:
sleep, you know, just not
00:14:31.669 --> 00:14:32.629
Alex:
sleeping.
00:14:32.629 --> 00:14:36.899
Alex:
You know, you might get two to
four hours of sleep a night and
00:14:36.899 --> 00:14:39.620
Alex:
then you were standing post or
your foot patrolling.
00:14:40.139 --> 00:14:41.259
Wes:
Right. Yeah. That's right.
00:14:41.259 --> 00:14:43.779
Wes:
We worked on a shift that
constantly rotated.
00:14:43.779 --> 00:14:45.620
Wes:
Uh, do you remember what it was?
00:14:45.620 --> 00:14:46.860
Wes:
I think we were.
00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:49.500
Wes:
We would do the quick reaction
force.
00:14:49.500 --> 00:14:50.220
Wes:
We were ready.
00:14:50.220 --> 00:14:53.100
Wes:
And then, uh, patrol for a
while.
00:14:53.100 --> 00:14:53.740
Wes:
And then.
00:14:53.580 --> 00:14:54.980
Speaker 4:
There was three locations we.
00:14:54.779 --> 00:14:55.860
Alex:
Had to do guard at.
00:14:55.860 --> 00:14:57.419
Alex:
So one of them was Overwatch on
the road.
00:14:57.419 --> 00:14:59.820
Alex:
That was just strictly post the
other.
00:14:59.659 --> 00:15:00.019
Wes:
That's right.
00:15:00.019 --> 00:15:00.659
Wes:
I didn't think about.
00:15:00.659 --> 00:15:02.700
Wes:
We were standing post at three
different places.
00:15:02.500 --> 00:15:03.700
Speaker 4:
The other one before.
00:15:03.539 --> 00:15:04.860
Alex:
Like halfway through it was just
00:15:04.860 --> 00:15:07.379
Alex:
post there would run patrols out
00:15:07.379 --> 00:15:09.200
Alex:
of and then it was post at the
00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.059
Alex:
third location.
00:15:11.059 --> 00:15:13.899
Alex:
If you weren't standing post,
then you were running foot
00:15:13.899 --> 00:15:17.100
Alex:
patrols, which would generally
be three to three during a day
00:15:17.100 --> 00:15:18.220
Alex:
and maybe one at night.
00:15:18.580 --> 00:15:19.340
Wes:
That's right.
00:15:19.179 --> 00:15:19.740
Speaker 4:
That's right.
00:15:19.580 --> 00:15:20.580
Alex:
four pumps.
00:15:20.659 --> 00:15:23.419
Wes:
So we were always I remember
being always out and I always
00:15:23.419 --> 00:15:25.500
Wes:
felt like we were being run
ragged, you know?
00:15:25.500 --> 00:15:26.019
Wes:
Yeah.
00:15:26.019 --> 00:15:27.059
Wes:
Like, uh.
00:15:27.059 --> 00:15:32.009
Wes:
Um, man, it's the amount of
weight that the armor.
00:15:32.009 --> 00:15:34.129
Wes:
I don't even know what our kit
00:15:34.129 --> 00:15:35.169
Wes:
weighed, but I know it was
00:15:35.169 --> 00:15:35.570
Wes:
heavy.
00:15:35.409 --> 00:15:36.169
Speaker 4:
You know what I mean?
00:15:36.769 --> 00:15:37.610
Wes:
Probably.
00:15:37.450 --> 00:15:38.129
Speaker 4:
And that was.
00:15:37.929 --> 00:15:39.490
Alex:
The older trifold jackets.
00:15:39.490 --> 00:15:41.690
Alex:
Half of my back was exposed the
whole time because it didn't
00:15:41.690 --> 00:15:43.730
Alex:
even fit me right, because I had
such a big back.
00:15:43.730 --> 00:15:45.850
Alex:
Half my back was the jacket was
even down on it.
00:15:45.850 --> 00:15:46.529
Alex:
It was like.
00:15:46.769 --> 00:15:50.409
Wes:
I think I got extra, I got large
sappy.
00:15:50.409 --> 00:15:53.370
Wes:
Everything was medium on me, but
I got like the larger plate.
00:15:53.370 --> 00:15:54.929
Wes:
I don't know, you know what I
mean?
00:15:54.929 --> 00:15:57.450
Wes:
I was like, going for the added
protection.
00:15:58.529 --> 00:16:06.529
Wes:
Um. So what's some, uh, patrols
that stand out with, uh, just
00:16:06.529 --> 00:16:10.970
Wes:
getting, getting operating at
different times of day.
00:16:10.970 --> 00:16:13.610
Wes:
And what are the normal mission
look like?
00:16:14.529 --> 00:16:15.610
Alex:
You'd have your patrol.
00:16:15.610 --> 00:16:16.009
Alex:
Patrol?
00:16:16.009 --> 00:16:16.690
Alex:
I was point man.
00:16:16.690 --> 00:16:17.970
Alex:
I think you were too, weren't
you?
00:16:17.809 --> 00:16:19.090
Speaker 4:
Yep. Yes, sir.
00:16:18.929 --> 00:16:20.970
Alex:
And I did a lot of patrols with
your squad too.
00:16:20.809 --> 00:16:21.450
Speaker 4:
Yes.
00:16:21.289 --> 00:16:22.129
Alex:
Because I was kind.
00:16:21.929 --> 00:16:22.370
Speaker 4:
Of.
00:16:22.250 --> 00:16:22.889
Wes:
With, like.
00:16:22.970 --> 00:16:23.889
Speaker 4:
With, uh, when.
00:16:23.690 --> 00:16:26.409
Alex:
You guys were short, you know,
they'd always our cycle.
00:16:26.409 --> 00:16:28.690
Alex:
I always come over and sub help
sub with you guys.
00:16:28.529 --> 00:16:28.970
Wes:
That's right.
00:16:28.970 --> 00:16:30.039
Wes:
You would go out there.
00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:30.759
Speaker 4:
And carry the.
00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:31.320
Alex:
Radio sometimes.
00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:32.720
Alex:
I hated that radio.
00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:33.080
Wes:
Oh, yeah.
00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:34.240
Wes:
For. Was it for Taylor?
00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:36.440
Wes:
Because Leach was our radio guy
when we.
00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:37.840
Wes:
Because we split to whatever.
00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:38.279
Speaker 4:
I would get.
00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:38.759
Alex:
Subbed out to you guys.
00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:41.080
Alex:
I'd get subbed out quite a bit
for foot patrols.
00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:42.480
Speaker 4:
So I did a lot more.
00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:44.960
Wes:
I, you know, I forgot about
that.
00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:46.279
Wes:
So you were out running it.
00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:48.679
Wes:
And I remember being always
around each other.
00:16:48.679 --> 00:16:50.279
Wes:
So I was in fourth squad.
00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:52.120
Wes:
You were in second squad.
00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:56.720
Wes:
And we within these squads we
broke up into two fire teams.
00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:01.220
Wes:
So a lot of times it was we
would have Iraqis or Iraqi
00:17:01.220 --> 00:17:05.579
Wes:
police integrated with one fire
team, you know, four to five
00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:10.880
Wes:
guys, you know, with a radio,
uh, uh, what's what do you
00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:14.359
Wes:
remember about working with some
of the IAS and IPS.
00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:15.640
Alex:
The IAS, they were all right.
00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:19.279
Alex:
The Army, you know, they were
they were from Nasiriyah and
00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:20.119
Alex:
they were pretty solid.
00:17:20.119 --> 00:17:21.599
Alex:
You know, you stand post with
them at night.
00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:25.480
Alex:
So it was half broken English,
half broken Arabic.
00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:27.579
Alex:
And after a while you got pretty
fluent in it.
00:17:27.579 --> 00:17:28.740
Alex:
and um, they were alright.
00:17:28.740 --> 00:17:31.180
Alex:
But the IPS, I mean, they were
just, they were crooks.
00:17:32.579 --> 00:17:33.940
Wes:
Yeah, I agree.
00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:34.660
Wes:
They were.
00:17:34.460 --> 00:17:34.819
Speaker 4:
Uh.
00:17:34.660 --> 00:17:35.779
Alex:
You can't trust them.
00:17:35.819 --> 00:17:39.779
Wes:
Exactly. I, um, I know we within
our squad.
00:17:39.779 --> 00:17:43.339
Wes:
I know we never depended on them
totally for security.
00:17:43.339 --> 00:17:46.700
Wes:
I know you guys were the same
because we stood our own post.
00:17:46.700 --> 00:17:47.259
Wes:
We never.
00:17:47.259 --> 00:17:49.700
Wes:
Yeah, we never relied on them
for anything.
00:17:49.700 --> 00:17:51.819
Wes:
Uh, you.
00:17:51.819 --> 00:17:53.779
Wes:
Because we we're not going to
sleep on post.
00:17:53.779 --> 00:17:56.359
Wes:
You know, if I'm watching out
for my brother, I'm not going to
00:17:56.359 --> 00:17:58.420
Wes:
fall asleep on guard duty.
00:17:58.579 --> 00:17:59.460
Alex:
That's a good way to get beat
00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:00.460
Alex:
with your rifle if you fall
00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:01.099
Alex:
asleep.
00:18:02.420 --> 00:18:07.839
Wes:
So I remember we I mostly would,
00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:09.619
Wes:
I would say was the main threat
00:18:09.619 --> 00:18:10.339
Wes:
for us.
00:18:10.339 --> 00:18:14.259
Wes:
What do you remember your first
one that you found?
00:18:14.900 --> 00:18:15.579
Speaker 4:
Yeah.
00:18:15.460 --> 00:18:19.380
Alex:
Uh, so it was.
00:18:19.380 --> 00:18:23.059
Alex:
We were they they faked a mortar
round hitting the ground.
00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:23.819
Alex:
It was an explosion.
00:18:23.819 --> 00:18:27.930
Alex:
So they sent our squad out to go
see what it was.
00:18:27.930 --> 00:18:31.490
Alex:
And we got to going and we we
knew something wasn't right.
00:18:31.490 --> 00:18:32.849
Alex:
So we reformed back up.
00:18:32.849 --> 00:18:35.369
Alex:
And for some reason, I wasn't
point man that time.
00:18:35.369 --> 00:18:37.250
Alex:
And it was the one that went off
00:18:37.250 --> 00:18:42.690
Alex:
in the, um, uh, in the graveyard
00:18:42.690 --> 00:18:43.170
Alex:
right there.
00:18:43.170 --> 00:18:46.130
Alex:
That was like a it was like a
small mushroom cloud.
00:18:46.130 --> 00:18:48.970
Alex:
Um, and I was standing right
next to him.
00:18:48.970 --> 00:18:50.410
Alex:
It blew me sideways.
00:18:50.410 --> 00:18:54.009
Alex:
Uh, Greenfield was behind it.
00:18:54.009 --> 00:18:54.890
Alex:
It blew him back.
00:18:54.890 --> 00:18:57.069
Alex:
It blew share, I think forward,
00:18:57.069 --> 00:18:58.650
Alex:
and I, I remember when it went
00:18:58.650 --> 00:19:01.769
Alex:
off like that scene from, uh,
00:19:01.769 --> 00:19:03.009
Alex:
Saving Private Ryan where
00:19:03.009 --> 00:19:03.650
Alex:
everything's just.
00:19:03.650 --> 00:19:05.930
Alex:
Your ears are ringing,
everything's slow.
00:19:05.930 --> 00:19:08.769
Alex:
I, I got up on my, you know, I
00:19:08.769 --> 00:19:09.930
Alex:
was knocked unconscious for a
00:19:09.930 --> 00:19:10.250
Alex:
second.
00:19:10.250 --> 00:19:13.130
Alex:
Got up, I got on my knees and
everybody was running around.
00:19:13.130 --> 00:19:15.650
Alex:
And I stood up and I fell back
over again.
00:19:15.650 --> 00:19:18.930
Alex:
I, I thought my legs were were
shredded because that's how
00:19:18.930 --> 00:19:19.650
Alex:
close it was.
00:19:19.650 --> 00:19:22.650
Alex:
And, and, uh, it was the one
time I actually wore my eye
00:19:22.650 --> 00:19:24.079
Alex:
protection because I can't see.
00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:26.519
Alex:
So I they'd be like checking you
00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:28.259
Alex:
out for eye protection and they
00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:28.920
Alex:
fucking suck.
00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:31.559
Alex:
So I walk out the door and I
take them off and I put my
00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:32.759
Alex:
normal glasses on.
00:19:33.319 --> 00:19:34.000
Speaker 4:
Okay.
00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:35.279
Alex:
So my glasses, glasses.
00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:38.559
Wes:
I, you know, I, I never wore
mine ballistic glasses.
00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:41.200
Wes:
I was always worried I would
miss a detail or something.
00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:41.559
Speaker 4:
So I'd.
00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:41.960
Wes:
Take them.
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:43.759
Speaker 4:
Off. And I was yeah.
00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:45.279
Wes:
I was trying to see everything.
00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:46.440
Speaker 4:
I gotta see them on.
00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:46.960
Alex:
And that thing blew off.
00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:48.880
Alex:
And I just remember rocks
hitting me in the face and
00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:50.200
Alex:
hitting the glasses.
00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:52.759
Alex:
And it was the one time that I
actually wore them.
00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:53.920
Alex:
They saved my eyes.
00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:56.119
Wes:
Thank fucking God. Yeah. You
don't.
00:19:55.960 --> 00:19:56.559
Speaker 4:
Yeah.
00:19:56.599 --> 00:19:59.079
Alex:
So I stand up, I fall back over
and it just goes.
00:19:59.079 --> 00:20:01.079
Alex:
I can't feel my legs.
00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:02.480
Alex:
I'm like, oh fuck, my legs are
gone.
00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:03.759
Alex:
And I stand back up again.
00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:05.319
Alex:
I just take off running, you
know?
00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:08.519
Alex:
And then then we get we form
back up and I was just I was
00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:10.000
Alex:
like, Holy fucking shit.
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:14.819
Alex:
And then we just we continued on
with the patrol, uh, fucking
00:20:14.819 --> 00:20:16.039
Alex:
adrenaline drop and shit.
00:20:16.039 --> 00:20:17.400
Alex:
So it was like, that was.
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:17.880
Speaker 4:
My first.
00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:19.079
Alex:
Experience.
00:20:19.079 --> 00:20:21.640
Alex:
I don't think we'd found any.
00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:25.190
Alex:
And then according where the,
uh, EOD come out.
00:20:25.190 --> 00:20:26.069
Alex:
But that was like the first one.
00:20:26.069 --> 00:20:27.710
Alex:
I remember it was getting blown
up.
00:20:27.549 --> 00:20:30.349
Wes:
Okay. Now do you was this the
time?
00:20:30.349 --> 00:20:33.970
Wes:
I okay, I remember you were
saying this and it just dawned
00:20:33.970 --> 00:20:37.369
Wes:
on me I wasn't there, but I
think I remember you coming in
00:20:37.369 --> 00:20:42.190
Wes:
to the cop lab and telling me,
hey, man, I just got peppered
00:20:42.190 --> 00:20:45.430
Wes:
with shrapnel and waking me up,
and I, uh.
00:20:45.430 --> 00:20:47.390
Wes:
Was that the same incident?
00:20:47.309 --> 00:20:48.029
Speaker 4:
Um.
00:20:49.789 --> 00:20:51.750
Alex:
That was that was I mostly got
hit with rocks.
00:20:51.750 --> 00:20:52.630
Alex:
There was another time I almost
00:20:52.630 --> 00:20:53.829
Alex:
had my hand cut off with another
00:20:53.829 --> 00:20:54.470
Alex:
piece flying.
00:20:54.470 --> 00:20:56.549
Wes:
I think it hit the shrapnel on
your gun.
00:20:56.390 --> 00:20:57.869
Speaker 4:
Yeah, that was that was another.
00:20:57.710 --> 00:20:58.750
Alex:
We were doing a control deck.
00:20:58.750 --> 00:21:00.109
Alex:
Well, it blew off.
00:21:00.109 --> 00:21:01.950
Alex:
And, you know, fossil was
standing right there.
00:21:01.950 --> 00:21:03.109
Alex:
I was standing there and we
00:21:03.109 --> 00:21:05.769
Alex:
stood back up and, you know, you
00:21:05.769 --> 00:21:07.029
Alex:
gotta give shrapnel a second
00:21:07.029 --> 00:21:08.029
Alex:
because it goes up in the air
00:21:08.029 --> 00:21:09.509
Alex:
and what goes up must come back
00:21:09.509 --> 00:21:10.150
Alex:
down.
00:21:10.269 --> 00:21:10.869
Speaker 4:
Yeah.
00:21:10.670 --> 00:21:13.150
Alex:
I always remember you guys
always used to make fun of me
00:21:13.150 --> 00:21:14.150
Alex:
because I put my rear side.
00:21:14.150 --> 00:21:15.950
Alex:
I'd put it on the front of my
rifle.
00:21:15.950 --> 00:21:17.390
Alex:
Yeah, because I was like, well,
it's.
00:21:17.190 --> 00:21:17.789
Speaker 4:
Gonna be.
00:21:17.589 --> 00:21:17.950
Wes:
The.
00:21:17.750 --> 00:21:19.309
Speaker 4:
Ironsides. Yeah. If I.
00:21:19.109 --> 00:21:19.750
Alex:
Need it, it's.
00:21:19.549 --> 00:21:20.819
Speaker 4:
Going to be right there.
00:21:20.819 --> 00:21:21.099
Speaker 4:
Oh.
00:21:20.940 --> 00:21:21.420
Alex:
That's stupid.
00:21:21.420 --> 00:21:22.900
Alex:
Well, I had my hand under there,
00:21:22.900 --> 00:21:24.140
Alex:
and that piece of shrapnel came
00:21:24.140 --> 00:21:26.259
Alex:
down, and that fucking rear iron
00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:27.579
Alex:
sight saved my hand from getting
00:21:27.579 --> 00:21:28.740
Alex:
cut off because it hit the rifle
00:21:28.740 --> 00:21:29.140
Alex:
so hard.
00:21:29.140 --> 00:21:30.859
Alex:
It broke it, and it just.
00:21:30.859 --> 00:21:32.779
Alex:
I was like, what the.
00:21:32.779 --> 00:21:33.700
Alex:
What the fuck was that?
00:21:33.700 --> 00:21:35.099
Alex:
And I was like, I couldn't feel
my hand.
00:21:35.099 --> 00:21:36.299
Alex:
Like, God, what the.
00:21:36.299 --> 00:21:36.779
Alex:
You know.
00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:38.220
Alex:
So it saved my hand.
00:21:38.740 --> 00:21:42.420
Wes:
Yeah, I and that was later on
because I remember you waking me
00:21:42.420 --> 00:21:44.700
Wes:
up and telling me, and I was we.
00:21:44.700 --> 00:21:48.420
Wes:
This stuff happened so much that
I. Once I realized you were okay
00:21:48.420 --> 00:21:51.460
Wes:
and everybody was good, I was
just like, oh, it's just another
00:21:51.460 --> 00:21:52.259
Wes:
thing, you know?
00:21:52.259 --> 00:21:55.140
Wes:
It's it's that was no, no big.
00:21:54.980 --> 00:21:55.539
Speaker 4:
Deal.
00:21:55.539 --> 00:21:57.339
Alex:
That blew up.
00:21:57.339 --> 00:22:01.500
Alex:
That got was his name craft?
00:22:02.180 --> 00:22:03.700
Wes:
I, uh yes.
00:22:03.579 --> 00:22:04.700
Speaker 4:
Blew him through the door.
00:22:04.539 --> 00:22:05.579
Wes:
Sergeant craft.
00:22:05.579 --> 00:22:06.339
Wes:
Yeah.
00:22:06.740 --> 00:22:08.220
Alex:
That IED that we blew up was the
00:22:08.220 --> 00:22:09.579
Alex:
second one that they had already
00:22:09.579 --> 00:22:11.099
Alex:
buried that we didn't know until
00:22:11.099 --> 00:22:12.420
Alex:
we found it later after that one
00:22:12.420 --> 00:22:13.380
Alex:
went off.
00:22:13.180 --> 00:22:17.500
Wes:
So I remember when craft,
because I was telling someone
00:22:17.500 --> 00:22:20.660
Wes:
one time, I'm like, I remember
the day that I learned what true
00:22:20.660 --> 00:22:25.359
Wes:
hate was because I was up on,
uh, the main EPB and I was
00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:28.440
Wes:
sitting up there and they
brought craft up to the remember
00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:32.180
Wes:
how they had the where we would
always extract the casualties
00:22:32.180 --> 00:22:35.599
Wes:
was back in that field behind
the and they brought him up past
00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:39.599
Wes:
the EPB and I was up on post and
I remember him seeing him up on
00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:42.039
Wes:
the hood over there all messed
up you know what I mean?
00:22:42.039 --> 00:22:43.359
Wes:
And he was in pain.
00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:44.839
Wes:
He's hurting and.
00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:45.240
Speaker 4:
Uh.
00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:49.059
Wes:
Yeah. And I remember like, my
blood just boiling, you know
00:22:49.059 --> 00:22:49.519
Wes:
what I mean?
00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:51.160
Wes:
I, I remember after that, that
00:22:51.160 --> 00:22:52.640
Wes:
was when I really was like, I
00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:53.640
Wes:
want to go find these
00:22:53.640 --> 00:22:55.160
Wes:
motherfuckers and kill them, you
00:22:55.160 --> 00:22:57.519
Wes:
know, like, I, I went from, you
00:22:57.519 --> 00:22:58.920
Wes:
know, trying to protect my
00:22:58.920 --> 00:23:00.900
Wes:
people and everybody be safe to
00:23:00.900 --> 00:23:02.079
Wes:
we I'm going to hunt these
00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:03.039
Wes:
people down.
00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:03.440
Speaker 4:
Yeah.
00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:07.480
Wes:
Um, do you remember when when
that was with craft?
00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:12.960
Wes:
Because that was one of the
first ones that I remember.
00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:15.559
Wes:
There was someone got really
injured and hurt.
00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:16.279
Speaker 4:
It was for.
00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:16.910
Alex:
The first three months.
00:23:16.910 --> 00:23:17.829
Alex:
It was every fucking day.
00:23:17.829 --> 00:23:19.789
Alex:
I mean, it was just fucking.
00:23:19.589 --> 00:23:20.470
Wes:
Yeah.
00:23:20.309 --> 00:23:22.430
Alex:
For the first three months, four
months, it was every day.
00:23:22.950 --> 00:23:24.789
Wes:
So people don't realize.
00:23:24.789 --> 00:23:26.630
Wes:
But yeah, a lot of times people
00:23:26.630 --> 00:23:28.269
Wes:
squads would go out and they
00:23:28.269 --> 00:23:30.349
Wes:
would, they would find, uh, one
00:23:30.349 --> 00:23:31.869
Wes:
ID and we'd, we would set up
00:23:31.869 --> 00:23:33.670
Wes:
what's known as a cordon and
00:23:33.670 --> 00:23:35.269
Wes:
call an EOD, and we'd set up the
00:23:35.269 --> 00:23:37.430
Wes:
cordon around it and we'd find
00:23:37.430 --> 00:23:39.869
Wes:
another one, you know, and then,
00:23:39.869 --> 00:23:43.190
Wes:
um, a matter of fact, one time I
00:23:43.190 --> 00:23:45.990
Wes:
remember the wait time on EOD,
00:23:45.990 --> 00:23:49.869
Wes:
um, kind of something that just
00:23:49.869 --> 00:23:51.150
Wes:
later in the game got where it
00:23:51.150 --> 00:23:52.289
Wes:
was kind of more of like a dark
00:23:52.289 --> 00:23:52.789
Wes:
humor.
00:23:52.789 --> 00:23:56.829
Wes:
But, uh, there was times that we
hated just even waiting on EOD,
00:23:56.829 --> 00:23:58.349
Wes:
having to wait around, you know?
00:23:58.349 --> 00:24:00.589
Wes:
And, uh, sometimes there'd be
like, maybe.
00:24:00.589 --> 00:24:02.269
Wes:
Can I just get rid of this
thing?
00:24:02.269 --> 00:24:04.509
Wes:
If you ever had any times like
that.
00:24:04.349 --> 00:24:04.670
Speaker 4:
Yeah.
00:24:04.509 --> 00:24:06.630
Alex:
Thompson I one time dug one up.
00:24:06.630 --> 00:24:07.589
Alex:
We come running out.
00:24:07.589 --> 00:24:08.630
Alex:
We got it, we got it, we got it.
00:24:08.630 --> 00:24:09.509
Alex:
Like we already called EOD.
00:24:09.509 --> 00:24:11.549
Alex:
So we had to go bury it back
again, and we're like, fuck.
00:24:13.910 --> 00:24:14.710
Wes:
Yeah.
00:24:14.859 --> 00:24:16.819
Alex:
Yeah. To the point where, like,
you just didn't want to wait
00:24:16.819 --> 00:24:18.859
Alex:
anymore because you just know
that was your time to just sit
00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:21.019
Alex:
down and like, fuck it, I'll do
it, I don't care.
00:24:22.579 --> 00:24:24.480
Wes:
The dark humor, you know,
00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:26.460
Wes:
civilians, they don't realize
00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:28.259
Wes:
how much humor exists in bad
00:24:28.259 --> 00:24:29.619
Wes:
situations.
00:24:29.619 --> 00:24:34.059
Wes:
Uh. Some jokes that shouldn't be
funny.
00:24:34.059 --> 00:24:38.700
Wes:
Uh, who who do you think had the
darkest humor in, uh, in.
00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:39.619
Wes:
How do you think?
00:24:39.619 --> 00:24:41.740
Wes:
Laughter kept people sane.
00:24:43.180 --> 00:24:46.019
Alex:
Were you over there when we had
that little disco party and we
00:24:46.019 --> 00:24:47.460
Alex:
were all grinding on each other?
00:24:47.619 --> 00:24:49.420
Wes:
No, the disc over.
00:24:49.420 --> 00:24:50.740
Wes:
I wasn't there, but I've seen
00:24:50.740 --> 00:24:51.980
Wes:
pictures and I've heard it was a
00:24:51.980 --> 00:24:52.700
Wes:
big event.
00:24:52.539 --> 00:24:53.740
Speaker 4:
Yeah, I put a wig on.
00:24:53.539 --> 00:24:54.900
Alex:
I put a mop on my head.
00:24:54.900 --> 00:24:55.700
Alex:
I was just grinding.
00:24:55.700 --> 00:24:56.779
Alex:
I was just laughing because it
00:24:56.779 --> 00:24:57.819
Alex:
was just like we were just
00:24:57.819 --> 00:24:58.940
Alex:
fucking.
00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:00.180
Alex:
Just trying to relieve some
stress.
00:25:00.180 --> 00:25:02.299
Alex:
Like, it sounds gay, but it was.
00:25:02.299 --> 00:25:03.900
Alex:
It was just like, fuck it, you
know?
00:25:03.900 --> 00:25:05.140
Alex:
Whatever.
00:25:05.140 --> 00:25:06.279
Alex:
We had a good time, but it was
00:25:06.279 --> 00:25:07.779
Alex:
it was just, you know, stupid
00:25:07.779 --> 00:25:08.940
Alex:
stuff like that just kept you
00:25:08.940 --> 00:25:09.619
Alex:
laughing.
00:25:09.900 --> 00:25:10.539
Speaker 4:
Yeah.
00:25:10.380 --> 00:25:13.130
Wes:
And I think, uh, I tend to be
like that.
00:25:13.130 --> 00:25:15.890
Wes:
I try to break moments of
tension with laughter.
00:25:15.890 --> 00:25:17.650
Wes:
I think you're similar because
00:25:17.650 --> 00:25:19.210
Wes:
you always have that positive
00:25:19.210 --> 00:25:20.009
Wes:
energy.
00:25:19.849 --> 00:25:20.730
Speaker 4:
Always goofing.
00:25:20.730 --> 00:25:21.650
Speaker 4:
Yes, you.
00:25:21.450 --> 00:25:21.970
Alex:
Gotta.
00:25:21.769 --> 00:25:22.289
Speaker 4:
Goof.
00:25:22.450 --> 00:25:25.990
Wes:
I think in, uh, if you find the
laughter in things, it makes a
00:25:25.990 --> 00:25:26.690
Wes:
lot of stuff.
00:25:26.690 --> 00:25:28.250
Wes:
It seems so much easier.
00:25:29.329 --> 00:25:33.730
Wes:
Um, so who do you think had the
darkest humor out of all of us?
00:25:34.970 --> 00:25:37.170
Alex:
I don't know, we were all pretty
dark.
00:25:38.369 --> 00:25:39.890
Alex:
We had the darkest humor.
00:25:39.890 --> 00:25:43.849
Alex:
I don't know, I. I can't
remember anybody that was.
00:25:46.529 --> 00:25:49.329
Alex:
Nothing that comes to mind that
was like, oh, you're sick.
00:25:51.049 --> 00:25:53.690
Wes:
Yet nothing that we can honestly
probably talk about.
00:25:53.690 --> 00:25:54.569
Wes:
I've, uh.
00:25:54.569 --> 00:25:56.309
Wes:
I can think of a couple
00:25:56.309 --> 00:25:57.690
Wes:
conversations when I'm hanging
00:25:57.690 --> 00:25:59.369
Wes:
out with you guys and we're
00:25:59.369 --> 00:26:00.890
Wes:
talking amongst our own, and
00:26:00.890 --> 00:26:02.069
Wes:
outsiders are kind of
00:26:02.069 --> 00:26:03.930
Wes:
eavesdropping, looking in, and
00:26:03.930 --> 00:26:05.210
Wes:
it's kind of funny to look at
00:26:05.210 --> 00:26:05.809
Wes:
their face.
00:26:05.809 --> 00:26:10.170
Wes:
You know, it's kind of shocking
because, uh, maybe it is.
00:26:10.170 --> 00:26:13.390
Wes:
I tell you, we laughed at things
that would, uh, it would have
00:26:13.390 --> 00:26:14.950
Wes:
got us fired back home.
00:26:15.789 --> 00:26:16.710
Speaker 4:
Yeah, yeah.
00:26:16.710 --> 00:26:17.509
Speaker 4:
For sure.
00:26:18.990 --> 00:26:20.029
Wes:
Let's, um.
00:26:21.430 --> 00:26:25.269
Wes:
I kind of want to talk about,
uh, while we're still in Iraq.
00:26:25.269 --> 00:26:27.549
Wes:
Uh, maybe some of the.
00:26:27.549 --> 00:26:30.829
Wes:
I didn't really personally have
that many gunfights.
00:26:30.829 --> 00:26:37.589
Wes:
I think, uh, you guys had a few
in, uh, few gunfights there.
00:26:37.589 --> 00:26:38.789
Wes:
They're not like Hollywood.
00:26:38.789 --> 00:26:43.430
Wes:
They're not like what we watch
in TV right now.
00:26:44.109 --> 00:26:47.309
Alex:
You know, you're just as shocked
as anybody else when you come
00:26:47.309 --> 00:26:49.549
Alex:
around the corner and there's a
dude there with a mask, and he's
00:26:49.549 --> 00:26:50.150
Alex:
staring at you.
00:26:50.150 --> 00:26:51.990
Alex:
You're staring at him, and you
00:26:51.990 --> 00:26:54.150
Alex:
both miss, you know, fifteen
00:26:54.150 --> 00:26:55.710
Alex:
feet away, because then you get
00:26:55.710 --> 00:26:58.109
Alex:
unloaded on and then or you're,
00:26:58.109 --> 00:26:59.430
Alex:
you're next to River and you get
00:26:59.430 --> 00:27:00.430
Alex:
a couple pop shots and then
00:27:00.430 --> 00:27:01.230
Alex:
you're unloading, and then
00:27:01.230 --> 00:27:02.269
Alex:
you're in a firefight, and then
00:27:02.269 --> 00:27:02.789
Alex:
you're done.
00:27:02.789 --> 00:27:04.829
Alex:
You know, it's you.
00:27:04.829 --> 00:27:06.470
Alex:
It's never what you think it is.
00:27:07.069 --> 00:27:07.509
Wes:
Right?
00:27:07.509 --> 00:27:13.700
Wes:
It happens fast and, uh,
there's, uh, I know.
00:27:13.700 --> 00:27:14.500
Wes:
Well, I know it does.
00:27:14.500 --> 00:27:15.259
Wes:
Did you what?
00:27:15.259 --> 00:27:15.619
Wes:
Notice.
00:27:15.619 --> 00:27:18.339
Wes:
What did you notice when in
those moments when the training
00:27:18.339 --> 00:27:19.460
Wes:
really takes over.
00:27:19.460 --> 00:27:19.980
Wes:
I mean.
00:27:19.779 --> 00:27:20.539
Speaker 4:
We just do.
00:27:20.339 --> 00:27:20.740
Alex:
It.
00:27:20.579 --> 00:27:21.220
Speaker 4:
You don't.
00:27:21.059 --> 00:27:21.500
Wes:
Exactly.
00:27:21.500 --> 00:27:22.660
Wes:
It's muscle memory.
00:27:22.460 --> 00:27:23.099
Alex:
You don't think.
00:27:22.900 --> 00:27:23.500
Speaker 4:
About it.
00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:23.940
Wes:
So.
00:27:23.900 --> 00:27:24.619
Alex:
You don't.
00:27:24.619 --> 00:27:25.099
Alex:
It's just.
00:27:25.099 --> 00:27:28.740
Alex:
It's just so ingrained in your
head, you just react the.
00:27:28.579 --> 00:27:32.619
Wes:
Exactly I there is no I almost
can say we I could do the
00:27:32.619 --> 00:27:36.619
Wes:
functions that we needed to do
and not think about it.
00:27:36.619 --> 00:27:38.059
Wes:
You know, I just react.
00:27:38.339 --> 00:27:38.980
Speaker 4:
Grab it and.
00:27:38.779 --> 00:27:39.940
Alex:
For and sling it, you know.
00:27:39.779 --> 00:27:40.339
Speaker 4:
It's.
00:27:40.339 --> 00:27:43.079
Wes:
The quick reloads, the, uh, all
00:27:43.079 --> 00:27:44.660
Wes:
the gear just, uh, calling in
00:27:44.660 --> 00:27:45.500
Wes:
casa.
00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:46.220
Wes:
We had all of it.
00:27:46.220 --> 00:27:47.500
Wes:
We were set up the same.
00:27:47.500 --> 00:27:49.980
Wes:
Everybody knew what to do.
00:27:49.980 --> 00:27:54.140
Wes:
Um, I think our systems were so
tight that, uh.
00:27:54.140 --> 00:27:56.579
Wes:
I think I had confidence in that
alone.
00:27:56.420 --> 00:27:57.059
Speaker 4:
Yeah.
00:27:57.380 --> 00:28:02.539
Wes:
Um, the one thing I learned
about, uh, gunfights is, uh,
00:28:02.539 --> 00:28:07.220
Wes:
fire superiority is, uh, the
first thing you want to get.
00:28:07.730 --> 00:28:09.009
Speaker 4:
Right to establish.
00:28:08.849 --> 00:28:11.250
Alex:
You know, and then pin them down
so you can maneuver.
00:28:11.250 --> 00:28:13.130
Alex:
But I don't remember.
00:28:13.130 --> 00:28:17.009
Alex:
I can't remember if I was with
your squad or another squad.
00:28:17.009 --> 00:28:17.930
Alex:
I can't remember.
00:28:17.930 --> 00:28:20.049
Alex:
We were down there and they were
engaging.
00:28:20.049 --> 00:28:21.769
Alex:
Well, I was like I was the add
on.
00:28:21.769 --> 00:28:24.650
Alex:
I was the extra guy and I don't
remember who was with us.
00:28:24.650 --> 00:28:27.289
Alex:
It was some extra from Alice
Odd.
00:28:27.289 --> 00:28:28.529
Alex:
And I'm watching the rear
security.
00:28:28.529 --> 00:28:30.210
Alex:
I'm like fucking with him.
00:28:30.210 --> 00:28:30.930
Alex:
Everybody's shooting.
00:28:30.930 --> 00:28:32.849
Alex:
I'm just sitting there like you.
00:28:32.849 --> 00:28:34.890
Alex:
I can't remember if I had a
juice box in my thing.
00:28:34.890 --> 00:28:35.569
Alex:
I said, you want to.
00:28:35.569 --> 00:28:36.849
Alex:
You want some of this juice box?
00:28:36.849 --> 00:28:39.170
Alex:
And you could just see, like,
what is wrong with this guy?
00:28:39.170 --> 00:28:40.890
Alex:
And I was like, all right, man,
whatever.
00:28:40.890 --> 00:28:41.910
Alex:
And I just started drinking it,
00:28:41.910 --> 00:28:42.650
Alex:
you know, just sitting there
00:28:42.650 --> 00:28:43.710
Alex:
laughing, watching the rear,
00:28:43.710 --> 00:28:45.329
Alex:
just drinking this juice box as
00:28:45.329 --> 00:28:47.650
Alex:
firefights going on, like just
00:28:47.650 --> 00:28:48.490
Alex:
laughing.
00:28:48.849 --> 00:28:51.849
Wes:
It's something about being calm
and collected in chaos.
00:28:51.849 --> 00:28:52.529
Wes:
Yes.
00:28:52.329 --> 00:28:53.690
Speaker 4:
That's my juice box.
00:28:53.490 --> 00:28:55.369
Wes:
There's danger in that.
00:28:55.369 --> 00:28:56.210
Wes:
There's danger.
00:28:56.210 --> 00:28:59.890
Wes:
And I think, uh, our leader had
a little bit of that in him.
00:28:59.890 --> 00:29:01.490
Wes:
I remember you guys talking
00:29:01.490 --> 00:29:03.130
Wes:
about him just sitting out in
00:29:03.130 --> 00:29:04.769
Wes:
the open, you know, taking shots
00:29:04.769 --> 00:29:06.740
Wes:
at people, getting in a good
00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:08.960
Wes:
shooting stance and just going
00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:09.880
Wes:
at it.
00:29:09.720 --> 00:29:10.359
Alex:
Yeah.
00:29:10.359 --> 00:29:16.039
Wes:
And, uh, honestly, I think with
an AK in across the river, I
00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:19.079
Wes:
don't think I would have been
ever in danger anyways.
00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:20.839
Alex:
It would have been a luck shot.
00:29:20.920 --> 00:29:21.680
Wes:
Yeah.
00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:27.319
Alex:
They did have a dragon off over
there for a while.
00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:30.960
Wes:
Oh, I remember, yeah, we
captured.
00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:33.319
Wes:
We had one captured, but I
remember in it.
00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:34.119
Alex:
Yeah, they had one.
00:29:34.119 --> 00:29:35.759
Alex:
I mean, we, we got one of them
00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:37.400
Alex:
one time, but that was a dragon
00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:37.640
Alex:
off.
00:29:37.640 --> 00:29:38.519
Alex:
And the only reason I know that
00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:39.359
Alex:
is because I grew up with
00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:39.920
Alex:
weapons.
00:29:39.920 --> 00:29:43.400
Alex:
And like for Christmas, one time
I got a Russian Nagant, so I
00:29:43.400 --> 00:29:45.319
Alex:
knew what a seven point six two
by fifty four was.
00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:46.480
Alex:
I grew up with an SKS.
00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:49.799
Alex:
I had an AK like I had all these
weapons as a kid.
00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:52.779
Alex:
So I knew, you know, I had a I
had a lot of knowledge with that
00:29:52.779 --> 00:29:54.759
Alex:
and what the rounds sound like,
especially when they're coming
00:29:54.759 --> 00:29:56.079
Alex:
over your head.
00:29:56.240 --> 00:29:57.519
Wes:
Distinct sounds.
00:29:57.519 --> 00:29:58.279
Wes:
Yeah.
00:29:58.119 --> 00:29:58.640
Alex:
You know.
00:29:58.720 --> 00:30:00.119
Wes:
Snap, crackle.
00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:00.680
Alex:
And you know, the difference
00:30:00.680 --> 00:30:02.079
Alex:
between a fifty four versus a
00:30:02.079 --> 00:30:03.000
Alex:
thirty nine.
00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:06.710
Wes:
You know something I didn't
realize till later on is the way
00:30:06.710 --> 00:30:08.349
Wes:
we pull pits and stuff.
00:30:08.349 --> 00:30:10.289
Wes:
That's kind of trained us for
00:30:10.289 --> 00:30:11.849
Wes:
that, because I remember when we
00:30:11.849 --> 00:30:13.549
Wes:
were on the top of the EPB and
00:30:13.549 --> 00:30:15.309
Wes:
you hear shots crack over, it's
00:30:15.309 --> 00:30:16.750
Wes:
like, hey, this is like pulling
00:30:16.750 --> 00:30:17.069
Wes:
pits.
00:30:17.069 --> 00:30:19.789
Wes:
I know they're there within a
few feet of me.
00:30:19.789 --> 00:30:20.509
Wes:
You know.
00:30:20.549 --> 00:30:21.509
Alex:
That was close.
00:30:21.349 --> 00:30:30.829
Wes:
Yeah. Um, what, um, do you
remember any times, uh, moments
00:30:30.829 --> 00:30:34.789
Wes:
you thought that this either
works or it doesn't work?
00:30:36.109 --> 00:30:38.029
Alex:
I would say our night stuff.
00:30:38.029 --> 00:30:42.069
Alex:
And this is o threes are going
to hate this, like AUV guys.
00:30:42.069 --> 00:30:42.910
Alex:
Yeah, whatever.
00:30:42.910 --> 00:30:45.630
Alex:
You know, but we were so good
and so proficient towards the
00:30:45.630 --> 00:30:49.809
Alex:
end of our deployment I
remember, you know, we'd sof hit
00:30:49.809 --> 00:30:51.869
Alex:
a house at night and people
would be in it.
00:30:51.869 --> 00:30:55.470
Alex:
And I remember as we were
clearing this house, I'm
00:30:55.470 --> 00:30:59.390
Alex:
standing over this bed with his
wife and her husband, or, you
00:30:59.390 --> 00:31:01.970
Alex:
know, they were just laying
there sleeping, and I'm just
00:31:01.970 --> 00:31:04.930
Alex:
standing over them fully, you
know, just they're sleeping and
00:31:04.930 --> 00:31:06.009
Alex:
I'm just standing there.
00:31:06.009 --> 00:31:08.130
Alex:
Well, we went in the house,
cleared it everything.
00:31:08.130 --> 00:31:09.210
Alex:
And they didn't even know I was
there.
00:31:09.210 --> 00:31:11.009
Alex:
Like, we didn't like that's how
quiet were.
00:31:11.009 --> 00:31:11.930
Alex:
And they were just sleeping.
00:31:11.930 --> 00:31:14.609
Alex:
They just, you know, I was just
standing there and, you know, it
00:31:14.609 --> 00:31:18.250
Alex:
really puts perspective like,
you know, especially these guys
00:31:18.250 --> 00:31:19.450
Alex:
are top tier, tier one stuff.
00:31:19.450 --> 00:31:20.210
Alex:
It's like, holy shit.
00:31:20.210 --> 00:31:21.890
Alex:
You know, what can they do?
00:31:22.089 --> 00:31:26.569
Wes:
I yeah, I feel like we were
operating as pretty efficiently.
00:31:26.569 --> 00:31:28.089
Wes:
We were tightened up.
00:31:28.089 --> 00:31:28.970
Wes:
Can you imagine?
00:31:28.970 --> 00:31:29.930
Wes:
I thought about that.
00:31:29.930 --> 00:31:33.130
Wes:
I heard on the podcast and I
never even thought about it.
00:31:33.130 --> 00:31:38.089
Wes:
But imagine the perspective of
that, uh, Haji sitting in bed,
00:31:38.089 --> 00:31:41.529
Wes:
waking up to people with, uh,
green night vision goggles and
00:31:41.529 --> 00:31:43.210
Wes:
guns and all kitted out.
00:31:43.210 --> 00:31:45.410
Wes:
You know, they look like space
aliens, like.
00:31:45.329 --> 00:31:46.450
Alex:
Ntv7's.
00:31:46.369 --> 00:31:46.690
Wes:
You.
00:31:46.490 --> 00:31:47.569
Alex:
Know, monocles.
00:31:47.490 --> 00:31:48.930
Wes:
Right in your face.
00:31:49.769 --> 00:31:51.089
Alex:
No depth perception.
00:31:52.650 --> 00:31:56.849
Wes:
Oh, I know, I, uh, so I used to
have, uh, used.
00:31:56.849 --> 00:31:57.730
Wes:
And we all had the.
00:31:57.730 --> 00:31:59.289
Wes:
What was it, the seven Bravo.
00:31:59.130 --> 00:32:02.319
Alex:
Yeah, some guys had the fourteen
a single which was if you.
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:03.000
Wes:
Did squad leaders.
00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:03.759
Wes:
I think.
00:32:03.599 --> 00:32:05.400
Alex:
If you got to borrow that, that
was like hell.
00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:06.079
Wes:
Abbott had one.
00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:06.759
Wes:
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:06.759 --> 00:32:11.160
Wes:
So uh and I used to I remember
it's like equivalent of having a
00:32:11.160 --> 00:32:15.019
Wes:
cone on your head and looking
through it and seeing in green
00:32:15.019 --> 00:32:17.680
Wes:
is how you would describe it.
00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:20.680
Alex:
Not only did that I was blind,
so I had to wear my glasses
00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:22.160
Alex:
underneath the monocles.
00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:24.960
Wes:
Oh, God. So just to make it
even.
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:25.720
Alex:
Worse, like.
00:32:25.680 --> 00:32:26.359
Wes:
Okay.
00:32:26.200 --> 00:32:29.920
Alex:
So the monocles, I'd flip the it
was it was sucked.
00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:31.519
Wes:
In. Man, I bet that would be
00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:33.299
Wes:
because we used those a lot like
00:32:33.299 --> 00:32:35.400
Wes:
I between Stan and I probably
00:32:35.400 --> 00:32:36.039
Wes:
used them.
00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:36.920
Wes:
Uh, what do you think?
00:32:36.920 --> 00:32:39.039
Wes:
A few hours every night, at
least four or five.
00:32:38.839 --> 00:32:40.279
Alex:
I still see green eye.
00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:43.640
Wes:
So I had a nightmare that I had
00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:45.079
Wes:
a couple times, that I had them
00:32:45.079 --> 00:32:46.160
Wes:
stuck on my face, and I
00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:46.759
Wes:
couldn't.
00:32:46.759 --> 00:32:48.759
Wes:
I couldn't get it off, you know
what I mean?
00:32:48.759 --> 00:32:53.400
Wes:
But, uh, and what's crazy to
think is that's a blessing.
00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:54.799
Wes:
Can you imagine what the Vietnam
00:32:54.799 --> 00:32:56.480
Wes:
guys would kill to have that
00:32:56.480 --> 00:32:56.839
Wes:
stuff?
00:32:56.839 --> 00:32:57.880
Wes:
That technology.
00:32:57.880 --> 00:32:59.950
Alex:
It was the size of a fucking
telescope.
00:32:59.789 --> 00:33:01.990
Wes:
Like the all this, like the
starlight scope.
00:33:01.990 --> 00:33:03.349
Wes:
And, uh.
00:33:03.349 --> 00:33:04.710
Wes:
Uh, I think I've heard stories
00:33:04.710 --> 00:33:07.029
Wes:
of Carlos Hathcock, uh, taking
00:33:07.029 --> 00:33:07.789
Wes:
people out.
00:33:07.789 --> 00:33:08.269
Alex:
They had it.
00:33:08.269 --> 00:33:08.750
Alex:
They were just.
00:33:08.750 --> 00:33:09.869
Alex:
It was just larger.
00:33:12.910 --> 00:33:14.109
Wes:
What's, uh.
00:33:14.109 --> 00:33:17.150
Wes:
So we did that deployment, came
00:33:17.150 --> 00:33:18.430
Wes:
home, and, uh, you were still a
00:33:18.430 --> 00:33:18.990
Wes:
single guy.
00:33:18.990 --> 00:33:21.190
Wes:
Then you didn't have the family
or anything?
00:33:21.029 --> 00:33:26.430
Alex:
No, I you know, I stayed single,
and, um, we got back, uh, you
00:33:26.430 --> 00:33:27.829
Alex:
know, then we got.
00:33:27.829 --> 00:33:29.190
Alex:
You guys went down to Pendleton.
00:33:29.190 --> 00:33:30.589
Alex:
We were still in twenty nine.
00:33:30.589 --> 00:33:33.569
Alex:
I got, you know, out of that
deployment, I got combat
00:33:33.569 --> 00:33:34.990
Alex:
promoted to corporal.
00:33:35.430 --> 00:33:36.190
Wes:
Okay.
00:33:36.029 --> 00:33:38.589
Alex:
So I, I got a combat promotion.
00:33:38.789 --> 00:33:39.349
Wes:
Nice.
00:33:39.150 --> 00:33:40.029
Alex:
Which is kind of cool.
00:33:40.069 --> 00:33:40.789
Wes:
In the Marine Corps.
00:33:40.789 --> 00:33:41.549
Wes:
That's awesome.
00:33:41.549 --> 00:33:42.109
Wes:
Yeah.
00:33:42.549 --> 00:33:43.029
Alex:
That was like.
00:33:43.029 --> 00:33:44.829
Alex:
That's my most proudest rank.
00:33:44.789 --> 00:33:46.309
Wes:
Something you put on the wall?
00:33:46.150 --> 00:33:46.549
Alex:
Oh, yeah.
00:33:46.549 --> 00:33:48.269
Alex:
It's like, you know, corporal is
like.
00:33:48.269 --> 00:33:50.430
Alex:
Well, mine says combat, you
know?
00:33:50.430 --> 00:33:51.549
Alex:
So it's.
00:33:51.549 --> 00:33:52.910
Alex:
That was the special one for me.
00:33:52.910 --> 00:33:56.269
Alex:
And then, you know, I ended up
being like the.
00:33:58.180 --> 00:34:01.460
Alex:
The the I want to say top
corporal, but the meanest.
00:34:01.460 --> 00:34:03.539
Alex:
And then, you know, I was doing
the guide arm stuff, so I was
00:34:03.539 --> 00:34:06.079
Alex:
like the number one guy, like,
if you fucked up, I was gonna
00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:07.779
Alex:
fuck you up.
00:34:07.779 --> 00:34:09.619
Alex:
Yeah, with paperwork.
00:34:10.099 --> 00:34:15.099
Wes:
Like. So I went home, and then
00:34:15.099 --> 00:34:16.260
Wes:
you actually did a second
00:34:16.260 --> 00:34:16.739
Wes:
deployment.
00:34:16.739 --> 00:34:18.980
Wes:
I think I kind of, uh, moved.
00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:21.579
Wes:
I went to, uh, me and y and a
00:34:21.579 --> 00:34:23.579
Wes:
few guys went up to, uh, Camp
00:34:23.579 --> 00:34:24.059
Wes:
Pendleton.
00:34:24.059 --> 00:34:24.739
Wes:
Right.
00:34:24.739 --> 00:34:27.500
Wes:
And, uh, so you stayed in twenty
nine palms?
00:34:27.420 --> 00:34:30.500
Alex:
Yeah. So we did that, and we did
tracking for a while, and we I
00:34:30.500 --> 00:34:33.139
Alex:
actually got to go on a ship for
one day, which was kind of cool.
00:34:33.139 --> 00:34:34.500
Alex:
You know, I wish I would have
done the whole ship thing a
00:34:34.500 --> 00:34:35.340
Alex:
little bit more.
00:34:35.340 --> 00:34:37.179
Alex:
I tried going MSG duty.
00:34:37.179 --> 00:34:39.219
Alex:
Um, yeah, it got all that stuff
00:34:39.219 --> 00:34:40.500
Alex:
approved, but Delta wouldn't let
00:34:40.500 --> 00:34:41.539
Alex:
me go so that, you know, that
00:34:41.539 --> 00:34:42.219
Alex:
was really.
00:34:42.219 --> 00:34:42.460
Alex:
Yeah.
00:34:42.460 --> 00:34:43.179
Alex:
Like I was like.
00:34:43.019 --> 00:34:43.579
Wes:
Man.
00:34:43.420 --> 00:34:46.739
Alex:
I'll extend I'll do whatever I,
you know, that could have been
00:34:46.739 --> 00:34:48.019
Alex:
like, nope, you're not leaving.
00:34:48.099 --> 00:34:49.980
Wes:
How did Neibauer pull that off?
00:34:49.820 --> 00:34:51.619
Alex:
Then he re-enlisted.
00:34:51.699 --> 00:34:53.699
Wes:
Oh, so you weren't going to
okay.
00:34:53.539 --> 00:34:55.250
Alex:
No, it was like it was midway
there.
00:34:55.250 --> 00:34:58.530
Alex:
Like, yeah, you can you can move
right now, but the company won't
00:34:58.530 --> 00:34:59.289
Alex:
let me go.
00:34:59.250 --> 00:35:02.769
Wes:
Okay. So you had the you thought
of reenlisting.
00:35:02.730 --> 00:35:04.210
Alex:
At least extending.
00:35:04.050 --> 00:35:05.050
Wes:
Like, yeah.
00:35:04.889 --> 00:35:06.010
Alex:
You know, because I'd have to do
00:35:06.010 --> 00:35:07.809
Alex:
like a two year extension and,
00:35:07.809 --> 00:35:08.570
Alex:
um.
00:35:08.849 --> 00:35:09.809
Wes:
That would be worth it.
00:35:09.809 --> 00:35:12.769
Wes:
I think that would be one marine
embassy guard.
00:35:12.769 --> 00:35:13.449
Wes:
Yeah.
00:35:13.289 --> 00:35:14.929
Alex:
And then but then it was like
another year.
00:35:14.929 --> 00:35:15.849
Alex:
Then we went back in two
00:35:15.849 --> 00:35:18.170
Alex:
thousand and eight to nine, but
00:35:18.170 --> 00:35:20.670
Alex:
we were again eighteen thirty
00:35:20.670 --> 00:35:21.090
Alex:
three.
00:35:21.090 --> 00:35:24.869
Alex:
And we ended up being for
al-Assad, flying around and
00:35:24.869 --> 00:35:29.130
Alex:
fucking helicopters like we were
the QRF for al-Assad, really.
00:35:29.130 --> 00:35:31.050
Alex:
And third platoon was, yeah.
00:35:30.889 --> 00:35:32.369
Wes:
Man, I never got flown out.
00:35:32.369 --> 00:35:35.449
Wes:
So if you if someone got in
trouble, you flew out to them.
00:35:35.250 --> 00:35:36.449
Alex:
And that's what our job was.
00:35:36.449 --> 00:35:40.489
Alex:
So we were we were we were
literally you'd have a. Yeah.
00:35:40.489 --> 00:35:42.090
Alex:
So working up to that, like,
right.
00:35:42.090 --> 00:35:43.210
Alex:
You're gonna be infantry again.
00:35:43.210 --> 00:35:46.610
Alex:
So I went to combat, uh,
instructors course.
00:35:46.610 --> 00:35:47.889
Alex:
You know, I became an instructor
in that.
00:35:47.889 --> 00:35:49.050
Alex:
And then they're like, all
00:35:49.050 --> 00:35:49.690
Alex:
right, you're going to be in
00:35:49.690 --> 00:35:50.409
Alex:
fucking helicopters.
00:35:50.409 --> 00:35:52.510
Alex:
So we were training in Forty six
00:35:52.510 --> 00:35:54.070
Alex:
is like going to Pendleton and
00:35:54.070 --> 00:35:55.829
Alex:
do all this real fucking yellow
00:35:55.829 --> 00:35:56.829
Alex:
shit like.
00:35:56.989 --> 00:35:57.869
Wes:
So that's cool, man.
00:35:57.869 --> 00:35:59.349
Wes:
I missed out on that stuff.
00:35:59.190 --> 00:36:01.269
Alex:
Yeah, but it was it was just one
platoon.
00:36:01.269 --> 00:36:03.269
Alex:
Um, so everybody else had to
branch out again.
00:36:03.269 --> 00:36:06.469
Alex:
So I was on Al-saad, which was
fucking awesome.
00:36:06.630 --> 00:36:09.469
Wes:
You got the Burger King, you got
all the fast food.
00:36:09.469 --> 00:36:09.869
Wes:
Yeah.
00:36:09.869 --> 00:36:11.110
Wes:
Hot showers.
00:36:11.269 --> 00:36:12.429
Alex:
And, you know, because he would,
00:36:12.429 --> 00:36:13.590
Alex:
you'd have one squad that was
00:36:13.590 --> 00:36:15.329
Alex:
twenty four geared up, ready to
00:36:15.329 --> 00:36:16.269
Alex:
go.
00:36:16.269 --> 00:36:17.150
Alex:
You were sitting up there.
00:36:17.150 --> 00:36:17.789
Alex:
Where?
00:36:17.750 --> 00:36:19.869
Wes:
Okay. Yeah. Ready to roll.
00:36:19.869 --> 00:36:20.510
Wes:
Ready to roll.
00:36:20.429 --> 00:36:21.750
Alex:
Like you were geared up just
00:36:21.750 --> 00:36:22.510
Alex:
sitting there with all your
00:36:22.510 --> 00:36:22.909
Alex:
gear.
00:36:22.909 --> 00:36:24.269
Alex:
You didn't go anywhere.
00:36:24.269 --> 00:36:25.070
Alex:
And.
00:36:25.070 --> 00:36:26.909
Alex:
And then you're just waiting for
the call.
00:36:26.909 --> 00:36:28.789
Alex:
Then later towards the end, we
got there like, alright, we
00:36:28.789 --> 00:36:29.510
Alex:
don't need you anymore.
00:36:29.510 --> 00:36:30.670
Alex:
Then we, we got pushed out to
00:36:30.670 --> 00:36:32.630
Alex:
Korean Village and then I was
00:36:32.630 --> 00:36:33.550
Alex:
just doing.
00:36:33.550 --> 00:36:35.789
Alex:
It was nothing compared to six.
00:36:37.230 --> 00:36:37.869
Wes:
Yeah.
00:36:38.469 --> 00:36:41.309
Alex:
Even the, the trucks that were
coming in, it was not.
00:36:41.309 --> 00:36:43.989
Alex:
It was like a ghost town, like
the war was over.
00:36:43.989 --> 00:36:46.469
Alex:
Like because that that the surge
and I mean, there was some stuff
00:36:46.469 --> 00:36:49.110
Alex:
going on because I could see we
you were in front of the monitor
00:36:49.110 --> 00:36:51.139
Alex:
so you could see everything that
was going on in Iraq and there
00:36:51.139 --> 00:36:52.059
Alex:
was some stuff going off.
00:36:52.059 --> 00:36:54.539
Alex:
And yeah, like on the border of
Syria and shit, they were coming
00:36:54.539 --> 00:36:55.059
Alex:
down right there.
00:36:55.059 --> 00:36:57.019
Alex:
But other than that, it was
pretty quiet.
00:36:57.619 --> 00:37:00.059
Wes:
Okay. So things and I think oh
00:37:00.059 --> 00:37:01.260
Wes:
six when we were over, there was
00:37:01.260 --> 00:37:03.920
Wes:
a bigger year with a lot of, uh,
00:37:03.920 --> 00:37:05.179
Wes:
insurgency.
00:37:05.179 --> 00:37:07.719
Wes:
I know IEDs was off the we never
00:37:07.719 --> 00:37:09.000
Wes:
went more than a few days
00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:09.860
Wes:
without something.
00:37:10.340 --> 00:37:13.460
Alex:
October of two thousand and six
was the deadliest month of both
00:37:13.460 --> 00:37:15.059
Alex:
conflicts during the whole war.
00:37:15.059 --> 00:37:18.059
Alex:
October of oh six I deadliest
month.
00:37:17.900 --> 00:37:22.539
Wes:
I believe that because, uh,
that's when the IEDs in earlier
00:37:22.539 --> 00:37:27.139
Wes:
in the game, the IEDs weren't as
much in play as as is the.
00:37:27.139 --> 00:37:27.500
Wes:
Yeah.
00:37:27.500 --> 00:37:30.420
Wes:
Because, uh, I remember they
would bring in new vehicles and
00:37:30.420 --> 00:37:33.820
Wes:
they would find new ways to blow
them up every time that, uh,
00:37:33.820 --> 00:37:34.460
Wes:
what was that?
00:37:34.460 --> 00:37:37.219
Wes:
Was it the mRAP or vehicle that
they said?
00:37:37.219 --> 00:37:40.139
Wes:
It's undestroyable and they blew
the wheels off of it?
00:37:39.980 --> 00:37:42.619
Alex:
Yeah, the MRAPs were the MRAPs
were in the second deployment.
00:37:42.619 --> 00:37:44.980
Alex:
So, you know, obviously we
didn't have that in six.
00:37:44.980 --> 00:37:47.820
Alex:
I mean, your EOD guys, they had
the buffalo.
00:37:47.820 --> 00:37:48.340
Wes:
That was it.
00:37:48.340 --> 00:37:49.489
Wes:
That was the big buffalo.
00:37:49.489 --> 00:37:50.690
Wes:
They blew the wheels off.
00:37:50.690 --> 00:37:52.130
Wes:
Yeah, they rolled it.
00:37:52.130 --> 00:37:55.489
Wes:
They stuck like, one five fives
in a drainage ditch and blew the
00:37:55.489 --> 00:37:56.570
Wes:
wheels off of it.
00:37:56.849 --> 00:37:58.969
Alex:
I'm like, what the fuck is that
like?
00:37:58.809 --> 00:38:01.329
Wes:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the great big.
00:38:01.329 --> 00:38:02.769
Wes:
How would you describe that
thing?
00:38:02.769 --> 00:38:03.969
Wes:
It was crazy.
00:38:03.929 --> 00:38:05.530
Alex:
Big shovel on the front of it or
something.
00:38:05.369 --> 00:38:07.650
Wes:
Yeah, yeah, it had the big arm
that reaches out.
00:38:07.769 --> 00:38:10.130
Alex:
That was the first time I saw an
osprey over there to see one of
00:38:10.130 --> 00:38:10.769
Alex:
those things flying over.
00:38:10.769 --> 00:38:11.929
Alex:
You're like, what is that?
00:38:11.929 --> 00:38:14.769
Alex:
Like even like the fucking
helicopter.
00:38:14.769 --> 00:38:15.130
Alex:
Airplane?
00:38:15.130 --> 00:38:16.489
Alex:
Like, what is that thing flying
over?
00:38:16.329 --> 00:38:17.329
Wes:
It's super cool.
00:38:17.329 --> 00:38:19.530
Wes:
I, uh, yeah, some of the stuff
00:38:19.530 --> 00:38:20.989
Wes:
like that we never got to do,
00:38:20.989 --> 00:38:22.170
Wes:
uh, that's cool that you got to
00:38:22.170 --> 00:38:23.010
Wes:
do some stuff with the
00:38:23.010 --> 00:38:23.889
Wes:
helicopters.
00:38:23.889 --> 00:38:24.570
Wes:
And, uh.
00:38:24.409 --> 00:38:25.409
Alex:
I never flew on one of those.
00:38:25.409 --> 00:38:27.289
Alex:
And thank God they're real small
in there.
00:38:27.289 --> 00:38:29.409
Alex:
The fifty threes by far, are
badass.
00:38:29.409 --> 00:38:30.889
Alex:
Badass fucking helicopter.
00:38:30.730 --> 00:38:31.449
Wes:
Yeah.
00:38:31.369 --> 00:38:32.170
Alex:
Badass.
00:38:32.210 --> 00:38:33.530
Wes:
I know I was always jealous.
00:38:33.530 --> 00:38:37.409
Wes:
I remember watching, uh, we
would watch, like, we would do
00:38:37.409 --> 00:38:40.849
Wes:
Overwatch for the guys when they
would hit across the river and
00:38:40.849 --> 00:38:43.250
Wes:
they would fly in, in
helicopters, and they'd jump out
00:38:43.250 --> 00:38:46.840
Wes:
and raid a house, and then
they'd jump load up and be gone.
00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:47.480
Wes:
Yeah.
00:38:47.639 --> 00:38:48.960
Alex:
Right over the top of the ridge,
man.
00:38:49.320 --> 00:38:50.199
Wes:
Yeah, we.
00:38:50.199 --> 00:38:52.360
Wes:
That was always cool, man, to
see those guys.
00:38:52.360 --> 00:38:54.679
Wes:
And it was probably the Force
Recon.
00:38:54.679 --> 00:38:57.239
Wes:
Uh, those type marsoc guys.
00:38:57.239 --> 00:38:58.760
Wes:
Uh, you know, they went back
00:38:58.760 --> 00:39:00.219
Wes:
home and had a warm shower every
00:39:00.219 --> 00:39:00.800
Wes:
night.
00:39:00.800 --> 00:39:01.840
Alex:
For Force Recon.
00:39:01.840 --> 00:39:04.119
Alex:
They come over and they were
with us for a while in our fives
00:39:04.119 --> 00:39:06.039
Alex:
and stuff all around with them.
00:39:06.039 --> 00:39:07.239
Alex:
Yeah, they took care of us.
00:39:07.239 --> 00:39:08.719
Alex:
They really did, because we
were, remember?
00:39:08.719 --> 00:39:11.119
Alex:
We were like we were under
anybody, so we weren't getting
00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:11.800
Alex:
supplies or nothing.
00:39:11.800 --> 00:39:13.320
Alex:
They kind of took us under their
wing.
00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:14.639
Wes:
That's right.
00:39:14.840 --> 00:39:15.760
Alex:
Yeah. They would get a steak.
00:39:15.760 --> 00:39:17.079
Alex:
They got us all that steak and
stuff.
00:39:17.079 --> 00:39:17.960
Alex:
They were they were they were
00:39:17.960 --> 00:39:18.960
Alex:
taking care of us because nobody
00:39:18.960 --> 00:39:19.480
Alex:
was.
00:39:19.480 --> 00:39:19.920
Alex:
Yeah.
00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:21.159
Alex:
We were why we were going out
00:39:21.159 --> 00:39:22.159
Alex:
and getting food from the locals
00:39:22.159 --> 00:39:23.079
Alex:
so white could cook it, you
00:39:23.079 --> 00:39:23.599
Alex:
know.
00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:25.000
Wes:
Oh, I remember, yeah.
00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:27.480
Wes:
The, uh, chicken from Jordan.
00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:27.639
Wes:
Yeah.
00:39:27.639 --> 00:39:30.480
Wes:
I remember doing the cooking
some chickens up.
00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:32.519
Wes:
Uh, at at op fourteen.
00:39:32.519 --> 00:39:36.320
Wes:
I remember making a little oven
and, uh, taking studs out of the
00:39:36.320 --> 00:39:38.320
Wes:
post to cook our little oven.
00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:40.679
Wes:
I think we were cooking Hot
Pockets or something.
00:39:40.639 --> 00:39:42.000
Alex:
We got shot at out there.
00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:46.369
Wes:
Yeah, that man, that place was
kind of spooky out in, uh, op
00:39:46.369 --> 00:39:50.630
Wes:
fourteen was what it was the
gateway to the town, right?
00:39:50.630 --> 00:39:51.949
Wes:
It's just an outpost.
00:39:51.789 --> 00:39:54.190
Alex:
And that was that was that
firefight before we got there?
00:39:54.190 --> 00:39:54.750
Alex:
That was.
00:39:54.750 --> 00:39:55.630
Alex:
Who was it?
00:39:55.630 --> 00:39:56.110
Alex:
Bravo.
00:39:56.110 --> 00:39:58.030
Alex:
Um, it's one of the two.
00:39:58.829 --> 00:40:02.309
Wes:
I can't remember exactly who we
did do the turnover with.
00:40:02.150 --> 00:40:03.590
Alex:
Yeah, they engaged those guys.
00:40:03.590 --> 00:40:05.750
Alex:
You can still find that video on
YouTube.
00:40:05.550 --> 00:40:07.110
Wes:
We were just talking about that.
00:40:07.110 --> 00:40:08.590
Wes:
They rolled up in front of it.
00:40:08.590 --> 00:40:11.909
Wes:
Their big plan to roll up on
these guys.
00:40:11.909 --> 00:40:14.349
Wes:
And, uh, what was spooky about
00:40:14.349 --> 00:40:15.670
Wes:
that place is we always ran the
00:40:15.670 --> 00:40:17.989
Wes:
generator so you couldn't hear
00:40:17.989 --> 00:40:18.789
Wes:
shit.
00:40:18.789 --> 00:40:19.710
Wes:
You remember that?
00:40:19.710 --> 00:40:21.869
Wes:
Like, I remember sitting up
there?
00:40:21.869 --> 00:40:22.590
Wes:
Yeah, like.
00:40:22.590 --> 00:40:23.989
Wes:
Like you could just walk through
the desert.
00:40:23.989 --> 00:40:25.829
Wes:
You would never hear unless you
seen them.
00:40:25.829 --> 00:40:27.789
Wes:
Uh, yeah.
00:40:27.789 --> 00:40:29.909
Wes:
I always thought that place was
kind of an odd.
00:40:32.070 --> 00:40:33.789
Wes:
So anything, um.
00:40:35.630 --> 00:40:38.230
Wes:
You remember about, uh, the
00:40:38.230 --> 00:40:39.590
Wes:
first deployment and second
00:40:39.590 --> 00:40:40.269
Wes:
deployment?
00:40:40.269 --> 00:40:42.989
Wes:
What was the what was the
difference?
00:40:42.989 --> 00:40:43.690
Wes:
You said.
00:40:43.690 --> 00:40:47.389
Wes:
Uh, we always had a lot more
IDs, and you were sitting kind
00:40:47.389 --> 00:40:49.170
Wes:
of SCF duty.
00:40:49.130 --> 00:40:49.730
Alex:
Yeah.
00:40:49.570 --> 00:40:51.329
Wes:
So you weren't operating.
00:40:51.449 --> 00:40:52.170
Alex:
Not.
00:40:52.090 --> 00:40:53.250
Wes:
Not getting sleep.
00:40:53.050 --> 00:40:55.010
Alex:
Not getting what we were the
first time.
00:40:54.849 --> 00:40:57.570
Wes:
Not being your buddies aren't
getting blown up.
00:40:57.570 --> 00:40:58.449
Wes:
You know what I mean?
00:40:58.289 --> 00:40:59.730
Alex:
Yeah, it was nothing.
00:40:59.730 --> 00:41:00.449
Alex:
The second one was.
00:41:00.449 --> 00:41:01.849
Alex:
It was pretty legit, but they
almost.
00:41:01.849 --> 00:41:02.769
Alex:
We we had it.
00:41:02.769 --> 00:41:05.210
Alex:
We were doing training halfway
through that deployment.
00:41:05.210 --> 00:41:07.769
Alex:
We were in Iraq going off Al
00:41:07.769 --> 00:41:09.590
Alex:
Assad to go to a training course
00:41:09.590 --> 00:41:11.610
Alex:
in Iraq.
00:41:11.610 --> 00:41:13.329
Alex:
We were training in Iraq.
00:41:13.170 --> 00:41:14.570
Wes:
Training in the war zone.
00:41:14.409 --> 00:41:16.050
Alex:
Yeah. I'm not making this up.
00:41:15.889 --> 00:41:16.610
Wes:
Yeah.
00:41:16.650 --> 00:41:20.610
Alex:
So but they because that's when
in nine.
00:41:20.449 --> 00:41:22.289
Wes:
That's Marine Corps way man.
00:41:22.289 --> 00:41:23.010
Alex:
That was in nine.
00:41:23.010 --> 00:41:24.809
Alex:
That's when Afghanistan was
really starting to kick off.
00:41:24.809 --> 00:41:26.130
Alex:
So they they were taking they
00:41:26.130 --> 00:41:27.889
Alex:
almost took us and bring us over
00:41:27.889 --> 00:41:29.769
Alex:
to Afghanistan.
00:41:29.769 --> 00:41:30.730
Alex:
So here I am towards the end.
00:41:30.730 --> 00:41:32.610
Alex:
Like I'm getting out, like
you're gonna send me to
00:41:32.610 --> 00:41:34.969
Alex:
Afghanistan like, fuck, I don't
want to do this.
00:41:35.210 --> 00:41:36.969
Wes:
Yeah, I could see.
00:41:37.449 --> 00:41:38.570
Alex:
That because guys were there was
00:41:38.570 --> 00:41:40.010
Alex:
units over there getting, you
00:41:40.010 --> 00:41:41.639
Alex:
know, um, combat ineffective
00:41:41.639 --> 00:41:42.679
Alex:
because they were getting hit so
00:41:42.679 --> 00:41:43.199
Alex:
hard.
00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:46.599
Wes:
And then especially on your
second and you're like in four
00:41:46.599 --> 00:41:48.880
Wes:
years and go to somewhere else,
that's a lot, man.
00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:50.719
Wes:
That's a lot to deal with.
00:41:50.719 --> 00:41:54.679
Wes:
Um, that's not a way you would
want to start a career.
00:41:54.679 --> 00:41:55.119
Wes:
Yeah.
00:41:55.119 --> 00:42:02.440
Wes:
Um, what was the difference in
responsibility and pressure?
00:42:02.440 --> 00:42:04.719
Wes:
And because, you know, you you
really.
00:42:04.719 --> 00:42:08.000
Wes:
Lance, now you're a
non-commissioned officer.
00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:10.239
Wes:
You're, uh, got more
responsibilities.
00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:11.400
Wes:
The second deployment.
00:42:11.239 --> 00:42:13.159
Alex:
We got to the second one I
picked up, Sergeant.
00:42:13.559 --> 00:42:16.440
Wes:
Okay, so you you were sergeant
before you got out?
00:42:16.280 --> 00:42:17.440
Alex:
Yeah, I was okay.
00:42:17.440 --> 00:42:19.039
Alex:
When we went over for our next
deployment.
00:42:19.039 --> 00:42:20.079
Alex:
I was a sergeant.
00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:22.280
Wes:
Oh, before you deployed on the
second?
00:42:22.119 --> 00:42:24.159
Alex:
No, when we when we got in
country I. Yeah.
00:42:24.159 --> 00:42:29.159
Alex:
My that's when I, I picked up
corporal officially in Iraq.
00:42:29.159 --> 00:42:32.840
Alex:
And then when I went back, I got
promoted to sergeant in Iraq.
00:42:32.679 --> 00:42:34.239
Wes:
Like okay, okay.
00:42:34.239 --> 00:42:35.000
Wes:
That's awesome.
00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:35.480
Wes:
Yeah.
00:42:35.320 --> 00:42:39.349
Alex:
So it was, but it was, you know,
a little bit different.
00:42:39.349 --> 00:42:42.710
Alex:
Um, you know, I, I had my one
00:42:42.710 --> 00:42:43.989
Alex:
squad at a time when I was a
00:42:43.989 --> 00:42:45.510
Alex:
corporal, and I got that taken
00:42:45.510 --> 00:42:47.210
Alex:
care of, taken away, and then,
00:42:47.210 --> 00:42:47.670
Alex:
you know.
00:42:47.670 --> 00:42:49.750
Alex:
So I always wanted to be a squad
leader, but it just seemed like
00:42:49.750 --> 00:42:52.510
Alex:
it was, you know, it is what it
is, I guess.
00:42:52.630 --> 00:42:56.030
Wes:
Yeah. What about, uh, work?
00:42:56.030 --> 00:42:59.190
Wes:
Did you ever run a, like, a crew
chief or tracks or.
00:42:59.190 --> 00:43:02.469
Wes:
You guys probably didn't do much
training on it or the mission.
00:43:02.550 --> 00:43:03.829
Alex:
Yeah, I was I was a crew chief
00:43:03.829 --> 00:43:04.909
Alex:
on a on a track because I got
00:43:04.909 --> 00:43:06.369
Alex:
moved to third platoon and then,
00:43:06.369 --> 00:43:07.309
Alex:
um.
00:43:08.429 --> 00:43:09.469
Alex:
Yeah, we we did that.
00:43:09.469 --> 00:43:14.190
Alex:
You know, I was a crew chief,
and, uh, we did water ops one
00:43:14.190 --> 00:43:16.469
Alex:
time down in Pendleton, which
was was it was a blast.
00:43:16.469 --> 00:43:19.030
Alex:
Like it was actually do what we,
you know, wanted to do.
00:43:19.030 --> 00:43:20.429
Alex:
And I mean, you're on a you're
00:43:20.429 --> 00:43:22.269
Alex:
on a beach that has water, I
00:43:22.269 --> 00:43:23.130
Alex:
guess, twenty nine palms, a
00:43:23.130 --> 00:43:25.510
Alex:
beach with no water, but just
00:43:25.510 --> 00:43:26.429
Alex:
going on the ship and doing
00:43:26.429 --> 00:43:27.070
Alex:
that.
00:43:27.070 --> 00:43:31.309
Alex:
Other than the Navy parking the
other side of the kelp field,
00:43:31.309 --> 00:43:33.269
Alex:
the first track that went
through that kelp field had so
00:43:33.269 --> 00:43:35.710
Alex:
much kelp wrapped up, it twisted
the drive shafts.
00:43:35.909 --> 00:43:36.429
Wes:
Yeah.
00:43:36.789 --> 00:43:38.619
Alex:
Yeah. Twisted taking on water.
00:43:38.460 --> 00:43:39.500
Wes:
Would be like, uh.
00:43:39.340 --> 00:43:40.940
Alex:
So I was the last vehicle.
00:43:40.780 --> 00:43:41.260
Wes:
Yeah.
00:43:41.099 --> 00:43:41.659
Alex:
So we had to.
00:43:41.659 --> 00:43:44.300
Alex:
We turned on our tracks and we
tracked the whole way to it.
00:43:44.300 --> 00:43:45.539
Alex:
So it was like.
00:43:45.539 --> 00:43:46.659
Alex:
It was like three hours.
00:43:46.659 --> 00:43:47.659
Alex:
Some shit.
00:43:47.500 --> 00:43:50.099
Wes:
Yeah, it's way slower doing the
tracks only.
00:43:50.099 --> 00:43:50.300
Wes:
Yeah.
00:43:50.300 --> 00:43:50.900
Wes:
What do you.
00:43:50.739 --> 00:43:51.340
Alex:
We get on.
00:43:51.139 --> 00:43:53.739
Wes:
Ships go from eight knots to
maybe four or five.
00:43:54.139 --> 00:43:55.019
Alex:
Freezing.
00:43:55.019 --> 00:43:57.340
Alex:
And all you want is something to
eat and you go in there.
00:43:57.340 --> 00:43:59.019
Alex:
You never been on a ship and.
00:43:59.460 --> 00:44:00.500
Wes:
You don't know where to go.
00:44:00.500 --> 00:44:01.219
Wes:
You don't know where to go.
00:44:01.219 --> 00:44:02.659
Wes:
Yeah, the place is confusing.
00:44:02.460 --> 00:44:05.780
Alex:
And I sit down, I remember I'm
eating and then I go to take my
00:44:05.780 --> 00:44:07.739
Alex:
tray up and some sailor was.
00:44:07.739 --> 00:44:10.340
Alex:
I was trying to be nice, like,
hey, where do I do my tray?
00:44:10.340 --> 00:44:11.619
Alex:
She goes, yeah, fucking put it
right here.
00:44:11.619 --> 00:44:14.219
Alex:
And I was like, oh yeah, I
fucking threw it all over and
00:44:14.219 --> 00:44:18.019
Alex:
walked off like, it's just, you
know, being a shit.
00:44:18.019 --> 00:44:21.699
Alex:
But, you know, I was just it was
exhausting.
00:44:22.860 --> 00:44:26.539
Wes:
You know, um, I want to pause
here.
00:44:26.539 --> 00:44:30.159
Wes:
Uh, a lot of people listening
are veterans or they live with
00:44:30.159 --> 00:44:32.059
Wes:
their in work with them.
00:44:32.059 --> 00:44:34.780
Wes:
Uh, let's try to do something
00:44:34.780 --> 00:44:36.730
Wes:
practical when, uh, when marine
00:44:36.730 --> 00:44:38.909
Wes:
comes home and, uh, things feel
00:44:38.909 --> 00:44:39.329
Wes:
off.
00:44:39.329 --> 00:44:39.849
Wes:
Sleep.
00:44:39.849 --> 00:44:40.329
Wes:
Anger.
00:44:40.329 --> 00:44:40.809
Wes:
Focus.
00:44:40.809 --> 00:44:42.010
Wes:
Purpose.
00:44:42.010 --> 00:44:45.090
Wes:
What's the first thing you wish
they understood?
00:44:45.090 --> 00:44:45.650
Wes:
Um.
00:44:45.489 --> 00:44:47.610
Alex:
Getting going, getting help.
00:44:47.610 --> 00:44:49.809
Alex:
There's nothing wrong with it.
00:44:49.809 --> 00:44:52.050
Alex:
Getting, um, therapy and stuff
like that.
00:44:52.050 --> 00:44:53.050
Alex:
I don't know if you remember.
00:44:53.050 --> 00:44:53.929
Alex:
You you don't.
00:44:53.730 --> 00:44:54.570
Wes:
But that is true.
00:44:54.570 --> 00:44:57.130
Wes:
I have that macho man mentality
right.
00:44:56.969 --> 00:44:58.969
Alex:
When we got back from the first
deployment.
00:44:58.809 --> 00:44:59.530
Wes:
Mhm.
00:45:00.050 --> 00:45:01.289
Alex:
I don't you were gone.
00:45:01.289 --> 00:45:03.289
Alex:
I don't know if our barracks
00:45:03.289 --> 00:45:05.230
Alex:
beat up CLB seven or tanks or
00:45:05.230 --> 00:45:05.849
Alex:
seventh Marines.
00:45:05.849 --> 00:45:08.369
Alex:
Something happened with barracks
and barracks brawl.
00:45:08.369 --> 00:45:09.969
Alex:
So they come and they did a
psych eval.
00:45:09.969 --> 00:45:11.949
Alex:
It was like when this stuff
started happening, these guys
00:45:11.949 --> 00:45:13.730
Alex:
get back like, hey, something's
wrong with them.
00:45:14.889 --> 00:45:18.250
Alex:
I got flagged and so I was
getting I had to go to therapy.
00:45:18.250 --> 00:45:20.289
Alex:
I was going to therapy twice a
week.
00:45:20.289 --> 00:45:22.809
Alex:
And I was diagnosed with
post-traumatic stress while in
00:45:22.809 --> 00:45:23.570
Alex:
the Marine Corps.
00:45:23.570 --> 00:45:25.090
Alex:
And I was receiving treatment.
00:45:24.929 --> 00:45:25.449
Wes:
Okay.
00:45:25.289 --> 00:45:25.650
Alex:
They had me.
00:45:25.650 --> 00:45:26.849
Alex:
I was on Ambien.
00:45:26.969 --> 00:45:29.769
Wes:
So people were afraid of that
while they're on active duty.
00:45:29.769 --> 00:45:30.050
Wes:
Right.
00:45:30.050 --> 00:45:32.690
Wes:
Because that's like, you're
worried about your what how it's
00:45:32.690 --> 00:45:33.849
Wes:
going to affect your career.
00:45:33.690 --> 00:45:34.269
Alex:
Yeah, I was.
00:45:34.269 --> 00:45:35.949
Alex:
I was diagnosed and getting
treatment.
00:45:35.949 --> 00:45:36.269
Alex:
Yeah.
00:45:36.269 --> 00:45:38.510
Alex:
The second deployment, I had to
go back to the rear every so
00:45:38.510 --> 00:45:40.190
Alex:
often to go get therapy.
00:45:40.190 --> 00:45:43.429
Alex:
Yeah, but there was one I had I
got pulled back to go to a
00:45:43.429 --> 00:45:46.070
Alex:
doctor on like, Army base.
00:45:46.070 --> 00:45:46.670
Alex:
He's like, you're good.
00:45:46.670 --> 00:45:47.869
Alex:
I'm like, yeah, I'm good.
00:45:48.909 --> 00:45:49.710
Wes:
So you.
00:45:49.590 --> 00:45:49.989
Alex:
Yeah.
00:45:49.789 --> 00:45:50.869
Wes:
So early on.
00:45:50.869 --> 00:45:51.429
Wes:
Yeah, yeah.
00:45:51.429 --> 00:45:51.989
Wes:
Go ahead.
00:45:51.829 --> 00:45:55.670
Alex:
So receive treatment I mean and
I'll talk about this a little
00:45:55.670 --> 00:45:56.670
Alex:
bit later, but it's.
00:45:56.670 --> 00:45:58.030
Alex:
This ain't nothing new.
00:45:58.030 --> 00:45:59.789
Alex:
This has been going on since the
Romans.
00:45:59.789 --> 00:46:02.309
Alex:
It's just been clinically
diagnosed.
00:46:02.309 --> 00:46:04.429
Alex:
Like it's there's nothing to be
ashamed about.
00:46:05.269 --> 00:46:07.869
Wes:
Yeah, I think, uh, that's true.
00:46:07.869 --> 00:46:09.070
Wes:
It's it's not a new thing.
00:46:09.070 --> 00:46:09.869
Wes:
It's a matter of fact.
00:46:09.869 --> 00:46:11.230
Wes:
It's just human behavior.
00:46:11.230 --> 00:46:13.389
Wes:
It's how humans react to these
00:46:13.389 --> 00:46:14.989
Wes:
type of situations, not just
00:46:14.989 --> 00:46:15.590
Wes:
combat.
00:46:15.590 --> 00:46:18.789
Wes:
I mean, all kinds of different
stuff in your life.
00:46:18.789 --> 00:46:23.570
Wes:
Um, in how did you, when you
00:46:23.570 --> 00:46:24.869
Wes:
came home and everything, how
00:46:24.869 --> 00:46:26.110
Wes:
did you start getting involved
00:46:26.110 --> 00:46:28.630
Wes:
with, uh, your work with the VA
00:46:28.630 --> 00:46:30.590
Wes:
and helping veterans connect
00:46:30.590 --> 00:46:31.630
Wes:
with benefits?
00:46:31.469 --> 00:46:33.619
Alex:
So when I got back, I got on a
motorcycle.
00:46:33.619 --> 00:46:36.179
Alex:
Like, that was my therapy as I'd
get on the Harley and I'd go,
00:46:36.179 --> 00:46:37.139
Alex:
right, Amboy Road.
00:46:37.139 --> 00:46:37.579
Wes:
Okay.
00:46:37.940 --> 00:46:39.739
Alex:
So that was kind of, you want to
00:46:39.739 --> 00:46:41.460
Alex:
talk like how I got from where I
00:46:41.460 --> 00:46:42.340
Alex:
was to.
00:46:42.179 --> 00:46:44.420
Wes:
Yeah, I skipped the whole thing.
00:46:44.420 --> 00:46:45.780
Wes:
You got out and used.
00:46:45.780 --> 00:46:47.619
Wes:
You used the Montgomery GI Bill.
00:46:47.619 --> 00:46:47.860
Wes:
Yeah.
00:46:47.860 --> 00:46:50.820
Wes:
So to go to MMI for MMI.
00:46:50.659 --> 00:46:52.059
Alex:
Yeah, I was out riding.
00:46:52.059 --> 00:46:53.739
Alex:
I was like, this is what I want
to do.
00:46:53.739 --> 00:46:56.059
Alex:
Uh, went and did that uh, got
00:46:56.059 --> 00:47:00.099
Alex:
out graduated January fifteenth
00:47:00.099 --> 00:47:02.760
Alex:
or January first of twenty
00:47:02.760 --> 00:47:03.659
Alex:
eleven.
00:47:03.659 --> 00:47:06.099
Alex:
And then literally two weeks
later I was working on Harley
00:47:06.099 --> 00:47:07.260
Alex:
Shop over in Elkhart.
00:47:07.340 --> 00:47:08.780
Wes:
Okay. So that was your first job
00:47:08.780 --> 00:47:09.940
Wes:
when you got out in the Marine
00:47:09.940 --> 00:47:10.300
Wes:
Corps.
00:47:10.300 --> 00:47:10.820
Wes:
Okay.
00:47:10.699 --> 00:47:11.260
Speaker 5:
So again.
00:47:11.219 --> 00:47:12.699
Wes:
So something you like doing and
00:47:12.699 --> 00:47:14.500
Wes:
you went to school was you used
00:47:14.500 --> 00:47:16.699
Wes:
your, uh, education, you got
00:47:16.699 --> 00:47:17.619
Wes:
some education.
00:47:17.619 --> 00:47:19.900
Wes:
So you're making the right
moves.
00:47:19.900 --> 00:47:20.340
Wes:
Yeah.
00:47:20.260 --> 00:47:21.380
Speaker 5:
It was before.
00:47:22.059 --> 00:47:23.019
Alex:
You couldn't use tactical
00:47:23.019 --> 00:47:23.980
Alex:
schools on your post nine
00:47:23.980 --> 00:47:24.699
Alex:
eleven.
00:47:25.699 --> 00:47:26.380
Wes:
Okay.
00:47:26.179 --> 00:47:27.219
Alex:
They changed that towards the
end.
00:47:27.219 --> 00:47:28.059
Alex:
I was like, can I go back?
00:47:28.059 --> 00:47:28.980
Alex:
They're like, nope.
00:47:29.300 --> 00:47:32.050
Wes:
Okay. So at first you couldn't
use it for those?
00:47:31.889 --> 00:47:34.730
Alex:
Yeah. So I took out I took out
student loans, and I just lived
00:47:34.730 --> 00:47:35.849
Alex:
off the Montgomery.
00:47:35.730 --> 00:47:38.909
Wes:
I've heard of people getting
right for tools and stuff now
00:47:38.909 --> 00:47:42.090
Wes:
like the, the it covers all
kinds of stuff.
00:47:42.210 --> 00:47:42.650
Alex:
Rehab.
00:47:42.650 --> 00:47:45.329
Alex:
Once you if you go and do your
voc rehab, they'll cover that
00:47:45.329 --> 00:47:45.849
Alex:
kind of stuff.
00:47:45.849 --> 00:47:47.530
Alex:
But the the post nine eleven.
00:47:47.530 --> 00:47:48.090
Alex:
No.
00:47:48.289 --> 00:47:49.090
Wes:
Okay.
00:47:49.050 --> 00:47:52.769
Alex:
But so I do that and then I go,
I go to my first Harley shop and
00:47:52.769 --> 00:47:57.769
Alex:
everybody, all the technicians,
they all leave.
00:47:57.769 --> 00:47:59.250
Alex:
So it's just me in the back like
00:47:59.250 --> 00:48:00.929
Alex:
I have no fucking experience
00:48:00.929 --> 00:48:02.170
Alex:
like.
00:48:02.170 --> 00:48:03.949
Alex:
So I go and do that and then I
00:48:03.949 --> 00:48:06.170
Alex:
build up and start to perform
00:48:06.170 --> 00:48:06.730
Alex:
there again.
00:48:06.730 --> 00:48:08.130
Alex:
I go to be a service writer
00:48:08.130 --> 00:48:09.690
Alex:
slash slash technician, and then
00:48:09.690 --> 00:48:10.969
Alex:
I ended up being the service
00:48:10.969 --> 00:48:11.690
Alex:
manager.
00:48:13.250 --> 00:48:18.769
Alex:
So I'm fucking running the shop
at twenty three or four.
00:48:18.769 --> 00:48:20.369
Alex:
And I mean, you want to talk as
00:48:20.369 --> 00:48:21.349
Alex:
close as the military you can
00:48:21.349 --> 00:48:22.690
Alex:
you back there born cylinders,
00:48:22.690 --> 00:48:24.050
Alex:
smoking a cigarette like it was
00:48:24.050 --> 00:48:25.889
Alex:
big boy rules back there like
00:48:25.889 --> 00:48:26.489
Alex:
that was.
00:48:26.489 --> 00:48:27.650
Alex:
That was that was fun.
00:48:27.650 --> 00:48:28.840
Alex:
And, um.
00:48:30.360 --> 00:48:31.159
Wes:
That's good, man.
00:48:31.159 --> 00:48:32.280
Wes:
That's cool job.
00:48:32.119 --> 00:48:33.400
Alex:
Yeah. So I'm doing that.
00:48:33.400 --> 00:48:37.519
Alex:
And then I quit that because I
started going to trying to get
00:48:37.519 --> 00:48:39.719
Alex:
my education, my bachelor's, and
I'm doing that.
00:48:39.719 --> 00:48:41.960
Alex:
I'm working full time and I'm
getting my education.
00:48:41.960 --> 00:48:44.599
Alex:
In the last year, I leave the
Harley shop because the pay and
00:48:44.599 --> 00:48:46.400
Alex:
stuff was it wasn't working out.
00:48:46.400 --> 00:48:48.800
Alex:
And I'm like, long story.
00:48:48.800 --> 00:48:51.639
Alex:
So then I'm drinking at American
00:48:51.639 --> 00:48:54.519
Alex:
Legion and this guy comes up
00:48:54.519 --> 00:48:56.039
Alex:
very he's still involved with
00:48:56.039 --> 00:48:56.599
Alex:
Legion.
00:48:56.599 --> 00:48:58.559
Alex:
Um, Jim Penick, Vietnam veteran.
00:48:58.559 --> 00:49:04.119
Alex:
Um, he's like, hey, uh, they're
hiring for a veteran service
00:49:04.119 --> 00:49:05.920
Alex:
officer of the county.
00:49:05.920 --> 00:49:06.480
Alex:
I said, oh, yeah.
00:49:06.480 --> 00:49:07.199
Alex:
He's like, yeah.
00:49:07.199 --> 00:49:08.519
Alex:
So I drink my beer.
00:49:08.519 --> 00:49:10.480
Alex:
I put it down, I drive up to the
county building, I get an
00:49:10.480 --> 00:49:11.800
Alex:
application, I fill it out.
00:49:11.920 --> 00:49:12.519
Wes:
Um.
00:49:12.880 --> 00:49:17.539
Alex:
And then I, I got hired in and
I, I, I started there at twenty
00:49:17.539 --> 00:49:22.000
Alex:
fifteen as part time as a county
veteran service officer.
00:49:22.119 --> 00:49:24.920
Wes:
Okay. So this was a part time
gig starting now.
00:49:24.760 --> 00:49:25.559
Alex:
Yeah. So in the.
00:49:25.360 --> 00:49:26.119
Wes:
Meantime.
00:49:25.960 --> 00:49:27.869
Alex:
I also got a job working for.
00:49:27.670 --> 00:49:29.829
Wes:
Clients doing the Harley shop.
00:49:29.670 --> 00:49:31.949
Alex:
Well, no. No. So I'm working for
cloth synthetics.
00:49:31.949 --> 00:49:33.150
Alex:
If you don't know what clots is.
00:49:33.309 --> 00:49:33.949
Wes:
Oh, yeah.
00:49:33.949 --> 00:49:34.389
Wes:
The oil.
00:49:34.389 --> 00:49:35.750
Wes:
I used it for racing.
00:49:35.750 --> 00:49:36.909
Wes:
Yeah, for two stroke.
00:49:36.909 --> 00:49:38.510
Wes:
That's the oil they use.
00:49:38.510 --> 00:49:39.150
Wes:
John.
00:49:38.989 --> 00:49:40.030
Alex:
John. Clots.
00:49:39.869 --> 00:49:41.190
Wes:
Yeah. Okay, okay.
00:49:41.030 --> 00:49:43.309
Alex:
So I, I'm a I'm a dino guy.
00:49:43.309 --> 00:49:44.389
Alex:
I understand dino tune.
00:49:44.389 --> 00:49:45.269
Alex:
That was my bread and butter.
00:49:45.269 --> 00:49:49.349
Alex:
So I so he's like I put an
application at the same time I
00:49:49.349 --> 00:49:55.489
Alex:
was, I was doing this and he's
like, you want to go down to the
00:49:55.489 --> 00:49:59.030
Alex:
Carolinas and do some dyno
tuning and watch some stuff?
00:49:59.030 --> 00:50:00.710
Alex:
I said, yeah, I'll go.
00:50:00.710 --> 00:50:03.389
Alex:
So literally I get there at
Clots and old school.
00:50:03.389 --> 00:50:05.190
Alex:
Uh, I can't explain this.
00:50:05.190 --> 00:50:07.429
Alex:
He's eighty at this old school.
00:50:07.429 --> 00:50:09.150
Alex:
And the the history that you
00:50:09.150 --> 00:50:10.150
Alex:
learn, I learned from him was
00:50:10.150 --> 00:50:11.670
Alex:
amazing.
00:50:11.670 --> 00:50:14.130
Alex:
They opened the van door up and
00:50:14.130 --> 00:50:16.829
Alex:
there's a lawn chair sitting
00:50:16.829 --> 00:50:17.510
Alex:
there.
00:50:17.510 --> 00:50:18.710
Alex:
So I sit in this.
00:50:18.510 --> 00:50:19.190
Wes:
Lawn chair.
00:50:19.030 --> 00:50:20.010
Alex:
All the way down the fucking
00:50:20.010 --> 00:50:22.389
Alex:
Carolinas to go do this dyno
00:50:22.389 --> 00:50:23.309
Alex:
tuning stuff.
00:50:23.309 --> 00:50:23.670
Alex:
Yeah.
00:50:23.670 --> 00:50:24.789
Alex:
And, um.
00:50:26.809 --> 00:50:27.329
Alex:
Yeah.
00:50:27.329 --> 00:50:27.769
Alex:
Old school.
00:50:27.769 --> 00:50:29.409
Alex:
Like, right in this launch, all
the way down there, the
00:50:29.409 --> 00:50:33.050
Alex:
cardboard was middle of winter
and like, okay, like I was doing
00:50:33.050 --> 00:50:33.889
Alex:
homework in the back.
00:50:33.889 --> 00:50:34.489
Alex:
Like.
00:50:34.650 --> 00:50:37.250
Wes:
I remember one time you, I
talked to you and you were like,
00:50:37.250 --> 00:50:38.210
Wes:
I'm getting a dyno.
00:50:38.210 --> 00:50:38.769
Wes:
I'm gonna.
00:50:38.769 --> 00:50:40.170
Wes:
I'm gonna start tuning bikes.
00:50:40.010 --> 00:50:40.809
Alex:
Yeah, yeah.
00:50:40.809 --> 00:50:41.769
Alex:
And, um.
00:50:41.730 --> 00:50:43.449
Wes:
So, yeah, you were big into the.
00:50:44.449 --> 00:50:46.050
Wes:
That's a cool job too, man.
00:50:46.050 --> 00:50:47.570
Wes:
What, uh, why why Harleys?
00:50:47.570 --> 00:50:47.929
Wes:
What?
00:50:47.929 --> 00:50:48.409
Wes:
Uh.
00:50:48.929 --> 00:50:50.449
Alex:
Harleys are the oil.
00:50:50.570 --> 00:50:51.489
Wes:
Just the oil.
00:50:51.489 --> 00:50:53.170
Wes:
The oil brand and just.
00:50:53.170 --> 00:50:53.730
Wes:
Yeah.
00:50:53.570 --> 00:50:54.889
Alex:
Yeah. So, you know that the
00:50:54.889 --> 00:50:56.170
Alex:
technical side carried over to
00:50:56.170 --> 00:50:56.289
Alex:
that.
00:50:56.289 --> 00:50:57.489
Alex:
I was tech services there.
00:50:57.489 --> 00:50:58.610
Alex:
And then with my bachelor, I
00:50:58.610 --> 00:51:00.690
Alex:
ended up being, like, helping
00:51:00.690 --> 00:51:02.809
Alex:
the manufacturing area get that
00:51:02.809 --> 00:51:03.329
Alex:
tuned in.
00:51:03.329 --> 00:51:05.369
Alex:
And then we went to a new
system.
00:51:05.369 --> 00:51:05.929
Alex:
But then.
00:51:05.769 --> 00:51:06.570
Wes:
Okay.
00:51:06.690 --> 00:51:09.889
Alex:
But so like the big thing was
create engines like you can't do
00:51:09.889 --> 00:51:11.809
Alex:
anything with engines, but you
can run different chemicals and
00:51:11.809 --> 00:51:12.289
Alex:
stuff like that.
00:51:12.289 --> 00:51:14.690
Alex:
So that really opened my eyes to
fuel and oil.
00:51:14.690 --> 00:51:16.769
Alex:
So like how that stuff works.
00:51:16.769 --> 00:51:17.809
Alex:
Because there's a difference.
00:51:17.809 --> 00:51:19.010
Alex:
I mean, it's not just snake oil.
00:51:19.010 --> 00:51:20.170
Alex:
There's there's difference in
stuff.
00:51:20.170 --> 00:51:22.684
Alex:
Like you, it was literally you
put the oil in there, you'd gain
00:51:22.684 --> 00:51:23.880
Alex:
twenty five horsepower.
00:51:23.800 --> 00:51:24.440
Wes:
What?
00:51:24.440 --> 00:51:24.840
Wes:
Yeah, just.
00:51:24.840 --> 00:51:26.159
Wes:
Just in the oil.
00:51:26.159 --> 00:51:27.219
Alex:
Twenty five, twenty five
00:51:27.219 --> 00:51:28.199
Alex:
horsepower, twenty five foot
00:51:28.199 --> 00:51:28.599
Alex:
pounds.
00:51:28.599 --> 00:51:30.000
Alex:
Just by changing the oil.
00:51:30.119 --> 00:51:33.760
Wes:
Now, I have heard there's a that
it robs horsepower if you use,
00:51:33.760 --> 00:51:37.460
Wes:
like, too much oil or like, some
of the drag guys, I think we'd
00:51:37.460 --> 00:51:38.719
Wes:
go, like, a quart less.
00:51:38.719 --> 00:51:42.599
Wes:
I think if I remember rolling
reflection or friction.
00:51:42.599 --> 00:51:43.360
Alex:
Um.
00:51:44.079 --> 00:51:44.880
Wes:
I didn't know.
00:51:44.679 --> 00:51:45.760
Alex:
Run a dry sump.
00:51:46.559 --> 00:51:47.119
Wes:
Okay.
00:51:47.159 --> 00:51:48.280
Alex:
It's not an oil bath in there
00:51:48.280 --> 00:51:49.199
Alex:
where it pumps it and pumps it
00:51:49.199 --> 00:51:49.320
Alex:
out.
00:51:49.320 --> 00:51:51.679
Alex:
Harley Davidson it's a dry sump
system.
00:51:51.519 --> 00:51:52.119
Wes:
Okay.
00:51:51.960 --> 00:51:53.039
Alex:
It's a wet sump.
00:51:53.039 --> 00:51:55.000
Alex:
Um, it's a parasitic drag.
00:51:55.000 --> 00:51:55.960
Alex:
I forget what they call it.
00:51:55.960 --> 00:51:57.880
Alex:
You know, there's windage trays
that kicks it up and it turns
00:51:57.880 --> 00:51:59.639
Alex:
like a slush in there.
00:52:00.440 --> 00:52:03.440
Wes:
You definitely learned your
stuff in MMI, huh?
00:52:03.440 --> 00:52:06.000
Wes:
Yeah, a lot of expensive.
00:52:06.000 --> 00:52:07.400
Wes:
I think that's one thing I do
00:52:07.400 --> 00:52:09.480
Wes:
like about your pretty, uh, no
00:52:09.480 --> 00:52:11.539
Wes:
nonsense get to the root cause
00:52:11.539 --> 00:52:12.639
Wes:
of things.
00:52:12.639 --> 00:52:13.519
Wes:
What now?
00:52:13.519 --> 00:52:15.320
Wes:
The VA benefits.
00:52:15.320 --> 00:52:16.840
Wes:
What?
00:52:16.840 --> 00:52:18.320
Wes:
The VA benefits system.
00:52:18.320 --> 00:52:20.119
Wes:
It feels like it scares people
off.
00:52:20.119 --> 00:52:21.349
Wes:
What?
00:52:21.349 --> 00:52:23.630
Wes:
What do veterans get wrong about
it?
00:52:25.070 --> 00:52:27.110
Alex:
A you don't have to pay somebody
00:52:27.110 --> 00:52:28.969
Alex:
to help fill out your benefits
00:52:28.969 --> 00:52:30.030
Alex:
pension.
00:52:31.030 --> 00:52:31.949
Wes:
Uh, that's a good one.
00:52:31.949 --> 00:52:35.269
Wes:
Yeah. You see those people on TV
again?
00:52:35.110 --> 00:52:36.510
Alex:
There's nothing wrong with doing
it.
00:52:36.510 --> 00:52:39.789
Alex:
Um, but just every county in the
00:52:39.789 --> 00:52:41.949
Alex:
nation has a county veterans
00:52:41.949 --> 00:52:43.349
Alex:
service officer.
00:52:43.349 --> 00:52:45.590
Alex:
We are free.
00:52:45.590 --> 00:52:46.150
Alex:
Right?
00:52:46.150 --> 00:52:47.309
Alex:
That's what the taxpayers.
00:52:47.309 --> 00:52:48.869
Alex:
Every county's got to have one.
00:52:48.869 --> 00:52:50.230
Alex:
Uh, I know some states do it
different.
00:52:50.230 --> 00:52:52.190
Alex:
Kentucky's district and.
00:52:52.190 --> 00:52:52.989
Alex:
But just.
00:52:52.989 --> 00:52:56.630
Alex:
Or your American Legion's your
VFW, your Davs, your AmVets.
00:52:56.630 --> 00:52:59.269
Alex:
They have veteran service
officers.
00:52:59.269 --> 00:53:01.150
Alex:
That's why you pay your dues
that do this.
00:53:01.150 --> 00:53:02.469
Alex:
So just I would give them the
00:53:02.469 --> 00:53:04.409
Alex:
opportunity to I'm like a help
00:53:04.409 --> 00:53:04.670
Alex:
desk.
00:53:04.670 --> 00:53:05.429
Alex:
So you come to me.
00:53:05.429 --> 00:53:09.670
Alex:
I'm I'm no where at least point
00:53:09.670 --> 00:53:10.710
Alex:
you in the right direction, let
00:53:10.710 --> 00:53:12.030
Alex:
alone if I'd be able to help
00:53:12.030 --> 00:53:12.269
Alex:
you.
00:53:12.269 --> 00:53:16.110
Alex:
So you, county veterans service
officer, go.
00:53:16.110 --> 00:53:19.659
Alex:
I'm Joe schmo live in this
county.
00:53:19.659 --> 00:53:20.780
Alex:
County veteran service officer.
00:53:20.780 --> 00:53:22.739
Alex:
Their number will come up or
somebody around.
00:53:22.739 --> 00:53:25.440
Alex:
You know, there's going to be
somebody around in your county
00:53:25.440 --> 00:53:26.820
Alex:
that'll be able to direct you.
00:53:29.539 --> 00:53:32.599
Wes:
Yeah, that's a good thing is
00:53:32.599 --> 00:53:33.699
Wes:
people don't know how where to
00:53:33.699 --> 00:53:34.500
Wes:
contact.
00:53:34.500 --> 00:53:35.980
Wes:
That's that's good comment.
00:53:35.980 --> 00:53:39.099
Wes:
Uh, and it's isn't about
handouts.
00:53:39.099 --> 00:53:40.780
Wes:
It's it's, uh, earned support.
00:53:40.780 --> 00:53:44.860
Wes:
I think a lot of people also
think, uh, for one, they don't
00:53:44.860 --> 00:53:46.659
Wes:
know where to find this stuff.
00:53:46.659 --> 00:53:50.699
Wes:
And the other people I talked to
that the people that should get
00:53:50.699 --> 00:53:53.219
Wes:
it the most is the ones that are
like, oh, I don't need it.
00:53:53.219 --> 00:53:56.619
Wes:
Or, you know, they they feel
like it's a handout or it's not,
00:53:56.619 --> 00:53:58.219
Wes:
it's it's, uh, earned support.
00:53:58.219 --> 00:53:59.179
Wes:
How would you.
00:53:59.179 --> 00:53:59.460
Wes:
Yeah.
00:53:59.460 --> 00:54:00.860
Wes:
So what would you say to those
people?
00:54:00.699 --> 00:54:02.659
Speaker 6:
We'll just we'll just use the
healthcare.
00:54:02.659 --> 00:54:04.380
Alex:
Um, and I've heard this a
00:54:04.380 --> 00:54:06.860
Alex:
hundred times, like, I, I'm not
00:54:06.860 --> 00:54:07.579
Alex:
physically injured.
00:54:07.579 --> 00:54:08.579
Alex:
I have good insurance.
00:54:08.579 --> 00:54:08.980
Alex:
Now.
00:54:08.980 --> 00:54:12.139
Alex:
I want to save it for people who
really need it.
00:54:13.179 --> 00:54:16.260
Alex:
If you have that mentality, you
are.
00:54:16.260 --> 00:54:18.570
Alex:
Everyone is a bean.
00:54:18.570 --> 00:54:21.570
Alex:
The less beans we have for the
bean counters in DC, the less
00:54:21.570 --> 00:54:22.289
Alex:
money we have.
00:54:22.289 --> 00:54:25.250
Alex:
So by you not enrolling into
possible benefits even if you
00:54:25.250 --> 00:54:29.690
Alex:
use it or not, uh, it's less
federal funding that that
00:54:29.690 --> 00:54:31.730
Alex:
location is going to get because
you're you're not getting
00:54:31.730 --> 00:54:32.809
Alex:
counted as being.
00:54:33.730 --> 00:54:36.329
Wes:
That's true. Yeah. So I see what
you're saying.
00:54:36.329 --> 00:54:36.690
Wes:
Yeah.
00:54:36.690 --> 00:54:37.050
Wes:
By you.
00:54:37.050 --> 00:54:38.289
Wes:
Not if we don't know about you.
00:54:38.289 --> 00:54:39.130
Wes:
You're not going to.
00:54:39.130 --> 00:54:41.530
Wes:
You're the squeaky wheel gets
the grease.
00:54:41.369 --> 00:54:42.050
Alex:
Yeah. By you.
00:54:42.050 --> 00:54:47.050
Alex:
Not saving it for somebody else
is not saving it because it's
00:54:47.050 --> 00:54:48.449
Alex:
less federal dollars.
00:54:48.449 --> 00:54:49.650
Alex:
You know, they don't the you
00:54:49.650 --> 00:54:50.849
Alex:
know, there's so much, so much
00:54:50.849 --> 00:54:52.349
Alex:
money out there for taxpayers
00:54:52.349 --> 00:54:53.090
Alex:
that's collected.
00:54:53.090 --> 00:54:55.969
Alex:
It's like, well, we have a
downgrade because veteran
00:54:55.969 --> 00:54:56.849
Alex:
population is getting smaller.
00:54:56.849 --> 00:54:57.929
Alex:
It's not getting larger.
00:54:58.409 --> 00:54:59.650
Wes:
That is true.
00:54:59.650 --> 00:55:02.289
Wes:
There's there's less people
joining and less and less
00:55:02.289 --> 00:55:05.650
Wes:
through the years, uh, from
World War two to Vietnam.
00:55:05.650 --> 00:55:06.210
Wes:
Yeah.
00:55:06.050 --> 00:55:08.590
Alex:
Now they used to build roads,
electricity and all that stuff,
00:55:08.590 --> 00:55:10.849
Alex:
you know, they did everything,
and now it's all swapped out.
00:55:10.690 --> 00:55:11.809
Wes:
Like the Corps of Engineers.
00:55:11.809 --> 00:55:13.530
Wes:
Yeah, they do a whole deal.
00:55:13.409 --> 00:55:15.199
Alex:
More your combat stuff now and
00:55:15.199 --> 00:55:16.510
Alex:
focus on combat, which, you
00:55:16.510 --> 00:55:18.510
Alex:
know, it makes sense, but you
00:55:18.510 --> 00:55:21.030
Alex:
know, by that's why you have
00:55:21.030 --> 00:55:22.869
Alex:
that mentality.
00:55:22.869 --> 00:55:25.909
Alex:
You know, it's it's not helping
everybody out.
00:55:25.909 --> 00:55:27.670
Alex:
And I understand like the the
00:55:27.670 --> 00:55:28.829
Alex:
big thing right now is the whole
00:55:28.829 --> 00:55:30.030
Alex:
fraud thing.
00:55:30.030 --> 00:55:32.070
Alex:
Like yeah there's fraud out
there.
00:55:32.070 --> 00:55:35.070
Alex:
And and I would say it mostly
comes from these pension
00:55:35.070 --> 00:55:38.429
Alex:
poachers because they, it's they
get their bang for their buck.
00:55:38.829 --> 00:55:39.429
Wes:
Yeah.
00:55:39.309 --> 00:55:40.389
Alex:
They'll take everything they'll
00:55:40.389 --> 00:55:42.190
Alex:
throw like, what's wrong with
00:55:42.190 --> 00:55:42.309
Alex:
you?
00:55:42.309 --> 00:55:43.309
Alex:
And like, oh yeah, throw
00:55:43.309 --> 00:55:44.389
Alex:
everything against the wall, see
00:55:44.389 --> 00:55:44.949
Alex:
what sticks.
00:55:44.949 --> 00:55:45.989
Alex:
And it just.
00:55:46.670 --> 00:55:49.230
Wes:
And they're more it's not just
the it's everything.
00:55:49.230 --> 00:55:51.190
Wes:
So people should be aware of.
00:55:51.190 --> 00:55:52.469
Wes:
But I'm glad you highlighted
00:55:52.469 --> 00:55:55.190
Wes:
that is uh, don't go after the
00:55:55.190 --> 00:55:56.869
Wes:
people that it shouldn't cost
00:55:56.869 --> 00:55:58.210
Wes:
you money to get these benefits,
00:55:58.210 --> 00:55:58.590
Wes:
right.
00:55:58.590 --> 00:55:59.989
Wes:
No, no, it's.
00:55:59.869 --> 00:56:01.670
Alex:
It's illegal for them to do
that.
00:56:01.670 --> 00:56:03.030
Alex:
It's called consulting fees.
00:56:03.030 --> 00:56:04.110
Alex:
The consulting you.
00:56:04.110 --> 00:56:05.949
Alex:
You're filling the paperwork out
anyways.
00:56:07.110 --> 00:56:11.750
Wes:
And basically, I mean, you think
you're going to do a better job
00:56:11.750 --> 00:56:13.659
Wes:
than these guys that are trying
to get money.
00:56:13.659 --> 00:56:15.900
Wes:
You know, there's no benefit,
there's no incentive.
00:56:15.900 --> 00:56:16.699
Wes:
That's what I'm saying.
00:56:16.699 --> 00:56:18.820
Wes:
You you care about their best
interest.
00:56:18.659 --> 00:56:21.539
Alex:
Yeah, I, I am I am not going to
lie to you.
00:56:21.539 --> 00:56:23.699
Alex:
Like I'm just going to shoot you
straight.
00:56:23.699 --> 00:56:24.659
Alex:
Like sleep apnea.
00:56:24.659 --> 00:56:27.820
Alex:
Sleep apnea is like people don't
fall for sleep apnea.
00:56:27.820 --> 00:56:28.699
Alex:
Okay.
00:56:28.699 --> 00:56:30.340
Alex:
How does that relate to your
military service?
00:56:30.340 --> 00:56:31.699
Alex:
I don't know, I think it does.
00:56:31.699 --> 00:56:33.219
Alex:
Okay, well, let's try to figure
this out.
00:56:33.219 --> 00:56:37.380
Alex:
I haven't seen a study anywhere
that links sleep apnea directly
00:56:37.380 --> 00:56:37.980
Alex:
to the military.
00:56:37.980 --> 00:56:39.079
Alex:
There's a lot of secondaries
00:56:39.079 --> 00:56:40.219
Alex:
like rhinitis and stuff like
00:56:40.219 --> 00:56:41.219
Alex:
that because your sinuses are
00:56:41.219 --> 00:56:41.739
Alex:
jacked.
00:56:41.739 --> 00:56:44.539
Alex:
You can file that as a
secondary, but as a primary.
00:56:44.539 --> 00:56:45.099
Wes:
Yeah.
00:56:44.940 --> 00:56:48.159
Alex:
I had a Navy veteran that
literally had got diagnosed with
00:56:48.159 --> 00:56:51.539
Alex:
sleep apnea back in the
nineties, like six months after
00:56:51.539 --> 00:56:54.500
Alex:
he got out, like, and you could
see it in his military records
00:56:54.500 --> 00:56:56.019
Alex:
and it was like denied.
00:56:56.900 --> 00:56:57.900
Wes:
Yeah.
00:56:57.780 --> 00:56:58.579
Alex:
Like, what.
00:56:58.380 --> 00:56:59.059
Speaker 6:
Are you talking about?
00:56:59.059 --> 00:57:00.420
Speaker 6:
It's all there.
00:57:00.420 --> 00:57:01.460
Speaker 6:
The Nexus.
00:57:01.340 --> 00:57:04.059
Alex:
Uh, the diagnosis and the VA's
like.
00:57:04.059 --> 00:57:04.780
Alex:
Nope.
00:57:04.780 --> 00:57:06.300
Alex:
So we ended up getting it
overturned.
00:57:06.300 --> 00:57:08.159
Alex:
We had to go to law, judge, get
it overturned, which you never
00:57:08.159 --> 00:57:08.500
Alex:
want to do.
00:57:08.500 --> 00:57:10.380
Alex:
You want to try to keep it out
of that?
00:57:10.380 --> 00:57:12.489
Alex:
And, um.
00:57:12.489 --> 00:57:14.969
Alex:
but it's just sometimes it's
like the most obvious stuff and
00:57:14.969 --> 00:57:15.650
Alex:
it gets denied.
00:57:15.650 --> 00:57:16.570
Alex:
You're like, what?
00:57:16.889 --> 00:57:18.409
Wes:
Why do you think that is?
00:57:18.409 --> 00:57:22.409
Wes:
What's, uh, so obvious to what
exactly do you mean?
00:57:22.409 --> 00:57:24.090
Wes:
It's about obvious stuff that,
00:57:24.090 --> 00:57:25.429
Wes:
uh, they should be getting
00:57:25.429 --> 00:57:26.449
Wes:
benefits.
00:57:26.530 --> 00:57:28.369
Alex:
Like it's a it happened while in
service.
00:57:28.369 --> 00:57:29.409
Alex:
Like it's obvious.
00:57:29.250 --> 00:57:30.730
Wes:
It's definitely service
connected.
00:57:30.730 --> 00:57:31.329
Wes:
It's definitely.
00:57:31.329 --> 00:57:32.329
Wes:
I guess I've seen the memes.
00:57:32.329 --> 00:57:32.690
Wes:
Yeah.
00:57:32.690 --> 00:57:35.369
Wes:
People like parachuting and
falling on top of something.
00:57:35.369 --> 00:57:35.809
Wes:
Oh, yeah.
00:57:35.809 --> 00:57:37.809
Wes:
Not service connected or
something.
00:57:37.650 --> 00:57:38.090
Alex:
Airborne.
00:57:38.090 --> 00:57:41.449
Alex:
Guys, you guys are something
special.
00:57:41.849 --> 00:57:43.010
Wes:
A lot of wear and tear.
00:57:43.010 --> 00:57:43.489
Wes:
Yeah.
00:57:43.329 --> 00:57:45.610
Alex:
It's like, oh, I was, I was, I
jumped out of air.
00:57:45.610 --> 00:57:46.809
Alex:
Oh. How's your hips and knees.
00:57:46.809 --> 00:57:47.650
Alex:
Oh they're jacked.
00:57:47.650 --> 00:57:48.610
Alex:
Did you complain about them.
00:57:48.610 --> 00:57:50.130
Alex:
No. You know obviously I know
00:57:50.130 --> 00:57:50.809
Alex:
they're coming out of the
00:57:50.809 --> 00:57:51.130
Alex:
parachute.
00:57:51.130 --> 00:57:52.489
Alex:
I don't know how fast.
00:57:52.489 --> 00:57:53.769
Alex:
They're not made to get you
softly.
00:57:53.769 --> 00:57:54.849
Alex:
They're made to get you on the
ground.
00:57:54.849 --> 00:57:56.090
Alex:
And statistically, so many of
00:57:56.090 --> 00:57:57.010
Alex:
them are going to make it out of
00:57:57.010 --> 00:57:57.289
Alex:
it.
00:57:57.289 --> 00:57:59.969
Alex:
But you see, the things where
dudes are hitting Humvees,
00:57:59.969 --> 00:58:03.210
Alex:
hitting power lines, it's like,
Jesus Christ, like, what's wrong
00:58:03.210 --> 00:58:03.690
Alex:
with you guys?
00:58:03.690 --> 00:58:05.409
Alex:
Like they say, we're we're
stupid Marines.
00:58:05.409 --> 00:58:08.170
Alex:
It's like you guys would jump
out of airplanes, man.
00:58:08.170 --> 00:58:09.170
Alex:
Good on you.
00:58:11.400 --> 00:58:13.679
Wes:
All right, so, um, another thing
00:58:13.679 --> 00:58:15.320
Wes:
that I also liked about you,
00:58:15.320 --> 00:58:17.820
Wes:
that, uh, you kind of keep that,
00:58:17.820 --> 00:58:20.460
Wes:
uh, link with the community and
00:58:20.460 --> 00:58:23.039
Wes:
that, uh, unity is the American
00:58:23.039 --> 00:58:23.920
Wes:
Legion.
00:58:23.920 --> 00:58:26.239
Wes:
Uh, why why does the Legion
matter?
00:58:26.559 --> 00:58:27.880
Alex:
The Legion matters to me, and
00:58:27.880 --> 00:58:32.360
Alex:
I'm involved at my post and, um,
00:58:32.360 --> 00:58:33.639
Alex:
fourth district, which is the
00:58:33.639 --> 00:58:34.119
Alex:
district.
00:58:34.119 --> 00:58:35.039
Alex:
And then, you know, we were
00:58:35.039 --> 00:58:37.000
Alex:
supposed to have state this this
00:58:37.000 --> 00:58:37.639
Alex:
weekend.
00:58:37.639 --> 00:58:38.719
Alex:
We did have state.
00:58:39.840 --> 00:58:41.239
Alex:
I had some family issues that
came up.
00:58:41.239 --> 00:58:42.239
Alex:
So I had to deal with that.
00:58:42.239 --> 00:58:47.760
Alex:
Um. The it's always a bunch of
00:58:47.760 --> 00:58:48.599
Alex:
old guys sitting around
00:58:48.599 --> 00:58:49.000
Alex:
drinking.
00:58:49.000 --> 00:58:50.440
Alex:
No it ain't, it's there's
00:58:50.440 --> 00:58:51.860
Alex:
programs out there like, we give
00:58:51.860 --> 00:58:53.719
Alex:
back more money to the community
00:58:53.719 --> 00:58:56.039
Alex:
than any non-for-profit in our
00:58:56.039 --> 00:58:56.800
Alex:
county.
00:58:56.800 --> 00:58:59.280
Alex:
We on average, is quarter
million dollars.
00:58:59.280 --> 00:59:02.159
Alex:
There's a vet that has an issue
or a spouse or, you know, we're
00:59:02.159 --> 00:59:02.960
Alex:
going to take care of you.
00:59:02.960 --> 00:59:04.039
Alex:
That's that's why we're there.
00:59:04.039 --> 00:59:06.420
Alex:
It's it's that, you know, that
00:59:06.420 --> 00:59:08.610
Alex:
that tribe that People look for
00:59:08.610 --> 00:59:09.550
Alex:
those vfws.
00:59:09.550 --> 00:59:10.909
Alex:
And you know, I'm more of a
legion.
00:59:10.909 --> 00:59:14.630
Alex:
I'm a life member of VFW and
Legion DAV.
00:59:14.630 --> 00:59:16.610
Alex:
But the Legion to me, you know,
00:59:16.610 --> 00:59:18.150
Alex:
if you look up the history, it's
00:59:18.150 --> 00:59:20.349
Alex:
not a I mean, it's veteran
00:59:20.349 --> 00:59:21.590
Alex:
benefits now, but it was never
00:59:21.590 --> 00:59:21.909
Alex:
like that.
00:59:21.909 --> 00:59:24.409
Alex:
It was one hundred percent
Americanism from coming from
00:59:24.409 --> 00:59:26.070
Alex:
because everything that's
happened with the socialism
00:59:26.070 --> 00:59:29.230
Alex:
communism stuff, it was
happening back in the twenties.
00:59:29.230 --> 00:59:30.030
Alex:
It's the same thing.
00:59:30.030 --> 00:59:31.909
Alex:
It's just repeating, like there
was communist parties.
00:59:31.909 --> 00:59:33.789
Alex:
So the American Legion come out
and they're like.
00:59:33.630 --> 00:59:35.030
Wes:
Stop the spread economy.
00:59:35.030 --> 00:59:35.630
Wes:
We're going to.
00:59:35.750 --> 00:59:37.030
Alex:
Kick a Communist in the face.
00:59:37.030 --> 00:59:37.510
Alex:
And it was.
00:59:37.510 --> 00:59:39.349
Alex:
And that's I was like, all
right, cool.
00:59:39.349 --> 00:59:40.730
Alex:
Then you then you go because
00:59:40.730 --> 00:59:42.150
Alex:
it's it's it's based out of
00:59:42.150 --> 00:59:43.630
Alex:
Indianapolis American Legion
00:59:43.630 --> 00:59:44.670
Alex:
national headquarters.
00:59:44.469 --> 00:59:45.230
Wes:
Really?
00:59:45.070 --> 00:59:45.909
Alex:
Oh yeah.
00:59:45.750 --> 00:59:46.309
Wes:
Man.
00:59:46.150 --> 00:59:47.949
Alex:
And next time you're down there,
you gotta go.
00:59:47.949 --> 00:59:49.349
Wes:
You guys have a nice legion.
00:59:49.349 --> 00:59:49.550
Wes:
Yeah.
00:59:49.550 --> 00:59:51.030
Wes:
Where you're at, man, on the
lake.
00:59:50.869 --> 00:59:51.269
Alex:
And it's.
00:59:51.269 --> 00:59:52.309
Alex:
Yeah. It's beautiful.
00:59:52.150 --> 00:59:54.110
Wes:
It's like a it's a thriving
business.
00:59:54.110 --> 00:59:55.590
Wes:
Yeah, it's open to the public.
00:59:55.429 --> 00:59:57.710
Alex:
I was just down in Venice and
went to their American.
00:59:57.710 --> 00:59:59.670
Alex:
I like American Legion VFW
hopping like that.
00:59:59.670 --> 01:00:00.710
Alex:
That's fun to me.
01:00:01.030 --> 01:00:01.670
Wes:
Yeah.
01:00:01.510 --> 01:00:02.190
Alex:
You know.
01:00:02.030 --> 01:00:03.869
Wes:
I and you meet the same kind of
01:00:03.869 --> 01:00:05.349
Wes:
people that we like hanging out
01:00:05.349 --> 01:00:05.710
Wes:
with.
01:00:05.710 --> 01:00:06.690
Wes:
Talk about same.
01:00:06.690 --> 01:00:07.849
Wes:
Similar.
01:00:07.849 --> 01:00:09.090
Wes:
Uh, why wouldn't you?
01:00:09.090 --> 01:00:10.809
Wes:
I think the one thing it does
01:00:10.809 --> 01:00:13.650
Wes:
is, uh, I think the worst thing
01:00:13.650 --> 01:00:14.929
Wes:
we can do is veterans is
01:00:14.929 --> 01:00:15.409
Wes:
isolate.
01:00:15.409 --> 01:00:16.250
Wes:
You know what I mean?
01:00:16.250 --> 01:00:18.849
Wes:
Is, like, the ones that I see is
the worst shapes.
01:00:18.849 --> 01:00:19.969
Wes:
They don't have anybody.
01:00:19.969 --> 01:00:21.010
Wes:
They don't have.
01:00:21.010 --> 01:00:25.730
Wes:
And I'm like, it's amazing that
in the Marine Corps we had like
01:00:25.730 --> 01:00:30.869
Wes:
a chef, you had that support and
you get out and you gotta you
01:00:30.869 --> 01:00:32.010
Wes:
gotta build your own support.
01:00:32.010 --> 01:00:34.329
Wes:
Now you you got to not be alone.
01:00:34.329 --> 01:00:34.849
Wes:
You know what?
01:00:34.849 --> 01:00:38.210
Wes:
What do you think happens when
veterans isolate?
01:00:38.409 --> 01:00:39.570
Alex:
I can tell you exactly.
01:00:39.570 --> 01:00:45.090
Alex:
Uh, um, you know, I kind of it
was it's twenty fifteen.
01:00:45.090 --> 01:00:45.889
Alex:
It was like.
01:00:45.889 --> 01:00:50.289
Alex:
So. Did you come up with your
boat that time?
01:00:50.610 --> 01:00:51.449
Wes:
Yes.
01:00:51.250 --> 01:00:53.610
Alex:
So it was right after Wolf
killed himself.
01:00:53.449 --> 01:00:54.449
Wes:
I shredded a belt.
01:00:54.449 --> 01:00:55.130
Wes:
Yeah, yeah.
01:00:55.130 --> 01:00:55.849
Wes:
When he.
01:00:55.690 --> 01:00:57.130
Alex:
It was the first live.
01:00:57.170 --> 01:00:57.929
Wes:
Yes.
01:00:57.769 --> 01:00:59.889
Alex:
Facebook Live that somebody
committed suicide.
01:00:59.969 --> 01:01:01.369
Wes:
Very traumatic event.
01:01:01.369 --> 01:01:03.409
Wes:
Yeah. And it was on a public
platform.
01:01:03.409 --> 01:01:03.769
Wes:
Yeah.
01:01:03.889 --> 01:01:07.679
Alex:
GQ did a write up on Lance
Corporal Wolfe, GQ magazine.
01:01:07.679 --> 01:01:08.280
Alex:
It'll come up.
01:01:08.280 --> 01:01:10.039
Alex:
And that was when I saw that.
01:01:10.039 --> 01:01:10.679
Alex:
I'm like, shit.
01:01:10.679 --> 01:01:12.440
Alex:
You know, that's one thing.
01:01:12.440 --> 01:01:13.480
Alex:
I didn't sit with him directly.
01:01:13.480 --> 01:01:14.619
Alex:
He was another platoon, and I
01:01:14.619 --> 01:01:15.559
Alex:
kind of went over to third
01:01:15.559 --> 01:01:16.159
Alex:
afterwards.
01:01:16.159 --> 01:01:18.440
Alex:
And then I was like, that's it.
01:01:18.440 --> 01:01:22.840
Alex:
I got everybody together and I
had you come down and, uh, we
01:01:22.840 --> 01:01:23.639
Alex:
had a couple other guys.
01:01:23.639 --> 01:01:25.639
Alex:
I was just calling people like,
hey, I'm having a party at my
01:01:25.639 --> 01:01:26.639
Alex:
house, and we went out there.
01:01:26.639 --> 01:01:30.079
Alex:
Then we might have started a
small riot at the sandbar.
01:01:30.079 --> 01:01:33.400
Alex:
Um, that was when dubstep was
pretty big.
01:01:33.400 --> 01:01:34.639
Alex:
Were you out there for that one?
01:01:34.719 --> 01:01:35.320
Wes:
Uh.
01:01:35.920 --> 01:01:37.000
Alex:
People, we were like, trying.
01:01:37.000 --> 01:01:38.280
Alex:
They were like, splashing all
the equipment.
01:01:38.280 --> 01:01:39.440
Alex:
I had generator out there.
01:01:39.239 --> 01:01:39.679
Wes:
Oh, yeah.
01:01:39.679 --> 01:01:41.519
Wes:
We had you guys put the on the.
01:01:41.519 --> 01:01:41.679
Wes:
Yeah.
01:01:41.679 --> 01:01:44.039
Wes:
You set up, uh, Aldridge's, uh,
01:01:44.039 --> 01:01:46.860
Wes:
rig on the DJ and rig on the on
01:01:46.860 --> 01:01:47.480
Wes:
the, uh.
01:01:47.320 --> 01:01:48.320
Alex:
Trying to leave and.
01:01:48.119 --> 01:01:49.159
Wes:
Like, the pontoon boat.
01:01:49.159 --> 01:01:50.599
Wes:
That was awesome, dude.
01:01:50.440 --> 01:01:51.679
Alex:
Like, people were like.
01:01:51.480 --> 01:01:52.000
Wes:
Don't.
01:01:51.840 --> 01:01:52.159
Alex:
Leave.
01:01:52.159 --> 01:01:52.760
Alex:
They're, like.
01:01:52.559 --> 01:01:53.280
Wes:
Hanging like.
01:01:53.199 --> 01:01:54.519
Alex:
Pontoons, like sinking under the
water.
01:01:54.519 --> 01:01:57.280
Alex:
And I'm, like, driving people
back and forth on the rocks.
01:01:57.280 --> 01:01:58.960
Wes:
And dude, that was awesome.
01:01:58.960 --> 01:02:00.880
Wes:
Yeah, your lake up there is
awesome.
01:02:00.880 --> 01:02:02.454
Wes:
It has, like, a sandbar and
01:02:02.454 --> 01:02:05.210
Wes:
everybody parks and they just
01:02:05.210 --> 01:02:05.670
Wes:
hang out.
01:02:05.670 --> 01:02:06.510
Wes:
It's a big party.
01:02:06.510 --> 01:02:07.710
Wes:
It's awesome.
01:02:07.550 --> 01:02:08.829
Alex:
The best part about that is that
01:02:08.829 --> 01:02:10.510
Alex:
pontoon was I'm doing trips back
01:02:10.510 --> 01:02:12.829
Alex:
and forth and I'm sober air
01:02:12.829 --> 01:02:16.590
Alex:
quotes and, um, I, I'm passing
01:02:16.590 --> 01:02:17.909
Alex:
this pontoon with everybody in
01:02:17.909 --> 01:02:18.110
Alex:
it.
01:02:18.110 --> 01:02:19.550
Alex:
There's nobody driving it.
01:02:20.909 --> 01:02:23.030
Alex:
Everybody's passed out and
they're just pontoon like
01:02:23.030 --> 01:02:24.389
Alex:
nobody's driving this pontoon.
01:02:24.389 --> 01:02:25.269
Alex:
Like what?
01:02:25.269 --> 01:02:27.389
Alex:
What the f is going on?
01:02:27.389 --> 01:02:29.670
Alex:
And then finally somebody like,
oh, shit, you know.
01:02:29.949 --> 01:02:31.389
Wes:
Gets gets at the helm.
01:02:31.389 --> 01:02:31.869
Wes:
Yeah.
01:02:31.710 --> 01:02:32.710
Alex:
Oh my God.
01:02:33.110 --> 01:02:34.349
Wes:
It's like that scene.
01:02:34.349 --> 01:02:37.230
Wes:
Uh, it's on cruise control in
anchorman.
01:02:37.230 --> 01:02:38.510
Wes:
Yeah.
01:02:38.510 --> 01:02:40.030
Wes:
Uh, man, the only that.
01:02:40.030 --> 01:02:43.269
Wes:
Yeah, that is a super cool, uh,
hanging out at that lake.
01:02:43.269 --> 01:02:43.829
Wes:
The only.
01:02:43.829 --> 01:02:45.230
Wes:
So when I first got in the
01:02:45.230 --> 01:02:46.989
Wes:
fleet, we rented a boat in Lake
01:02:46.989 --> 01:02:49.030
Wes:
Havasu, and it was during, like,
01:02:49.030 --> 01:02:50.429
Wes:
spring break, and it was the
01:02:50.429 --> 01:02:51.429
Wes:
craziest weekend.
01:02:51.429 --> 01:02:52.190
Wes:
That's the only.
01:02:52.190 --> 01:02:54.869
Wes:
Yeah, probably Boat Fest that
was bigger than that.
01:02:54.869 --> 01:02:55.670
Wes:
That's awesome.
01:02:55.670 --> 01:02:56.949
Wes:
Out there in Indiana.
01:02:57.070 --> 01:02:59.190
Alex:
And that was the first time that
I had gotten guys together.
01:02:59.190 --> 01:03:00.579
Alex:
That's what kind of got me into
this.
01:03:00.579 --> 01:03:02.139
Alex:
like, hey, we're going to start
calling it.
01:03:02.139 --> 01:03:02.900
Alex:
We're pretty.
01:03:02.900 --> 01:03:05.300
Alex:
We're pretty unique that our
group still stays together and
01:03:05.300 --> 01:03:07.739
Alex:
contact pretty close because a
lot of guys don't have that.
01:03:07.739 --> 01:03:08.260
Alex:
They're like, get out!
01:03:08.260 --> 01:03:09.780
Alex:
And they're like, I don't talk
to.
01:03:09.579 --> 01:03:10.619
Wes:
Them, don't talk to anybody.
01:03:10.619 --> 01:03:13.699
Wes:
Yeah. And that's I feel like we
have tightened up a lot and that
01:03:13.699 --> 01:03:16.059
Wes:
I'm, uh, glad we do that, man.
01:03:16.059 --> 01:03:19.139
Wes:
It's something that we I know we
all look forward to it.
01:03:19.139 --> 01:03:20.860
Wes:
And I'm glad we started doing.
01:03:20.860 --> 01:03:24.099
Wes:
You know, we've kind of kept in
touch, but I feel like it is
01:03:24.099 --> 01:03:25.420
Wes:
it's amazing that.
01:03:25.260 --> 01:03:27.099
Alex:
We have kids, you know, that's,
you know.
01:03:27.019 --> 01:03:27.619
Wes:
Little kids.
01:03:27.420 --> 01:03:29.940
Alex:
So it's like, oh, you know, you
01:03:29.940 --> 01:03:32.059
Alex:
know that kind of you're just
01:03:32.059 --> 01:03:32.539
Alex:
busy.
01:03:32.619 --> 01:03:33.940
Wes:
Yeah. Oh yeah.
01:03:33.940 --> 01:03:36.500
Wes:
And uh, I think it was amazing.
01:03:36.500 --> 01:03:40.380
Wes:
Like last year we the whole
squad when, uh, the whole second
01:03:40.380 --> 01:03:42.699
Wes:
squad got pretty much back
together, you know what I mean?
01:03:42.699 --> 01:03:45.500
Wes:
And hung out and we're we're
doing it again this year.
01:03:45.500 --> 01:03:47.340
Wes:
And, uh, heck, I'm looking
01:03:47.340 --> 01:03:48.460
Wes:
forward to hanging out with all
01:03:48.460 --> 01:03:48.980
Wes:
the guys.
01:03:48.940 --> 01:03:51.300
Alex:
Those guys I haven't seen in
twenty years.
01:03:51.300 --> 01:03:52.300
Alex:
There was like two or three that
01:03:52.300 --> 01:03:53.820
Alex:
was on my list and then force
01:03:53.820 --> 01:03:54.820
Alex:
retired out.
01:03:55.019 --> 01:03:56.219
Wes:
So that's true.
01:03:56.219 --> 01:03:57.860
Wes:
Like Cher and Sawyer?
01:03:57.860 --> 01:03:58.219
Wes:
Yeah.
01:03:58.219 --> 01:04:00.409
Wes:
You like guys you think about
all the time?
01:04:00.409 --> 01:04:00.690
Wes:
Yeah.
01:04:00.690 --> 01:04:02.570
Wes:
There in Texas, we don't ever.
01:04:02.570 --> 01:04:04.769
Wes:
It's cool to be able to all hang
out.
01:04:04.769 --> 01:04:05.730
Wes:
And, uh.
01:04:06.530 --> 01:04:06.929
Alex:
We did it.
01:04:06.929 --> 01:04:08.449
Alex:
We did another time.
01:04:08.449 --> 01:04:09.849
Alex:
Did you go down to Gatlinburg?
01:04:10.289 --> 01:04:12.530
Wes:
No, I missed, uh, yeah, I
missed.
01:04:12.969 --> 01:04:15.010
Alex:
You know, there was another time
in twenty eighteen.
01:04:15.010 --> 01:04:16.929
Alex:
They were like, fuck it, let's
get a bunch of guys together.
01:04:16.929 --> 01:04:19.289
Alex:
Doc and everybody from Delta.
01:04:19.289 --> 01:04:21.489
Alex:
We got a bunch of guys together
running the house down there.
01:04:21.489 --> 01:04:22.329
Alex:
Like, you just got to do it.
01:04:22.329 --> 01:04:23.530
Alex:
Like, just fuck it.
01:04:23.849 --> 01:04:24.650
Wes:
Just reach out.
01:04:24.650 --> 01:04:26.409
Wes:
Yeah, I think you're right, man.
01:04:26.250 --> 01:04:27.050
Alex:
Like, who's going to reach out
01:04:27.050 --> 01:04:28.409
Alex:
to me if nobody's gonna reach
01:04:28.409 --> 01:04:28.489
Alex:
out?
01:04:28.489 --> 01:04:29.570
Alex:
You got to be the guy to go
reach out.
01:04:29.570 --> 01:04:29.929
Alex:
It's that.
01:04:29.929 --> 01:04:30.650
Alex:
It's that simple.
01:04:30.650 --> 01:04:31.530
Alex:
Be the one.
01:04:31.369 --> 01:04:31.849
Wes:
That's.
01:04:31.650 --> 01:04:34.449
Alex:
True. That's the American Legion
motto right now is be the one.
01:04:34.449 --> 01:04:35.210
Alex:
You know that, buddy.
01:04:35.210 --> 01:04:35.449
Alex:
Check.
01:04:35.449 --> 01:04:36.849
Alex:
Go out there and you know I'm
01:04:36.849 --> 01:04:37.789
Alex:
going to be the guy that's going
01:04:37.789 --> 01:04:39.630
Alex:
to guy or gal because the the
01:04:39.630 --> 01:04:40.690
Alex:
female vets, they get left
01:04:40.690 --> 01:04:42.369
Alex:
behind quite a bit, you know,
01:04:42.369 --> 01:04:43.449
Alex:
because they really don't have
01:04:43.449 --> 01:04:44.530
Alex:
that support.
01:04:44.530 --> 01:04:46.010
Alex:
And, you know, we never served
with them.
01:04:46.010 --> 01:04:46.769
Alex:
So that, you know, that's a
01:04:46.769 --> 01:04:48.210
Alex:
little bit different for me that
01:04:48.210 --> 01:04:50.170
Alex:
I because we were in a combat
01:04:50.170 --> 01:04:51.329
Alex:
arms and this is before the
01:04:51.329 --> 01:04:52.170
Alex:
transition.
01:04:52.050 --> 01:04:53.489
Wes:
Yeah. Whereas all male.
01:04:53.489 --> 01:04:53.849
Wes:
Yeah.
01:04:53.690 --> 01:04:56.090
Alex:
Yeah. You know I don't
understand that because I didn't
01:04:56.090 --> 01:04:58.590
Alex:
serve With females.
01:04:58.590 --> 01:05:02.110
Alex:
Um, nothing, I said, I just I
just don't know.
01:05:01.949 --> 01:05:03.349
Wes:
Does it bother you to think that
01:05:03.349 --> 01:05:04.469
Wes:
a woman could do your job
01:05:04.469 --> 01:05:05.789
Wes:
better?
01:05:05.789 --> 01:05:08.150
Wes:
Well, I mean, I think it bothers
me.
01:05:08.150 --> 01:05:10.909
Wes:
I don't want to be outdone by a
woman.
01:05:10.909 --> 01:05:12.710
Wes:
I don't want him to come in and
be a run.
01:05:12.710 --> 01:05:14.309
Wes:
An Amtrak better than me.
01:05:14.150 --> 01:05:16.349
Alex:
I think I'm more upset than the
fact that I didn't get served
01:05:16.349 --> 01:05:18.750
Alex:
with women because it was all
dudes all the time.
01:05:18.750 --> 01:05:20.269
Wes:
Yeah. That's true.
01:05:20.230 --> 01:05:24.750
Alex:
It is like if if I was able to
serve with a with a woman
01:05:24.750 --> 01:05:27.429
Alex:
marine, like, I'd be like, maybe
I didn't have to put the wig on.
01:05:27.429 --> 01:05:29.949
Alex:
You know, maybe I didn't have to
play that role.
01:05:29.949 --> 01:05:30.670
Alex:
You know.
01:05:30.510 --> 01:05:34.150
Wes:
Maybe you wouldn't have so many
homosexual tendencies.
01:05:34.150 --> 01:05:34.789
Wes:
Yeah.
01:05:35.389 --> 01:05:39.070
Alex:
You know, you know, if they can
do the job, that's.
01:05:39.070 --> 01:05:39.789
Alex:
That's fine.
01:05:39.789 --> 01:05:41.469
Alex:
You know, whatever.
01:05:41.469 --> 01:05:44.190
Alex:
But it might have been something
else to look at.
01:05:45.110 --> 01:05:48.909
Speaker 7:
So what about, um, like, we're.
01:05:48.710 --> 01:05:51.190
Wes:
Talking to the American Legion
and stuff that helps.
01:05:52.030 --> 01:05:52.750
Speaker 7:
Um.
01:05:53.429 --> 01:05:56.019
Wes:
What's things that help veterans
get their footing.
01:05:56.019 --> 01:05:57.059
Wes:
You know, when they're getting
01:05:57.059 --> 01:06:00.360
Wes:
out or, uh, you know, just kind
01:06:00.360 --> 01:06:00.820
Wes:
of.
01:06:00.860 --> 01:06:01.659
Alex:
Go talk to.
01:06:01.659 --> 01:06:03.739
Alex:
County veterans service officer.
01:06:03.739 --> 01:06:04.780
Alex:
County veteran service officer,
01:06:04.780 --> 01:06:05.619
Alex:
if you have your benefits,
01:06:05.619 --> 01:06:06.099
Alex:
doesn't matter.
01:06:06.099 --> 01:06:07.860
Alex:
Go reach out to your county
veterans service officer.
01:06:07.860 --> 01:06:09.579
Alex:
Start the report there.
01:06:09.380 --> 01:06:10.539
Wes:
Definitely touch base.
01:06:10.340 --> 01:06:11.980
Alex:
Because each state is different.
01:06:11.980 --> 01:06:14.699
Alex:
The state of Indiana, if you
enlisted prior to twenty eleven,
01:06:14.699 --> 01:06:17.219
Alex:
you have a ten percent or more
service connection or you have a
01:06:17.219 --> 01:06:18.420
Alex:
five year residency.
01:06:18.659 --> 01:06:21.619
Wes:
Okay. So these benefits are
different for for different
01:06:21.619 --> 01:06:23.500
Wes:
state different places.
01:06:23.539 --> 01:06:24.659
Alex:
College for free.
01:06:25.019 --> 01:06:25.780
Wes:
Really.
01:06:25.619 --> 01:06:28.199
Alex:
Yeah. So like IU that's
01:06:28.199 --> 01:06:29.380
Alex:
apparently a football school
01:06:29.380 --> 01:06:30.019
Alex:
right now.
01:06:29.860 --> 01:06:30.739
Wes:
Oh yeah.
01:06:30.579 --> 01:06:32.219
Alex:
That's a state school like my
big.
01:06:32.019 --> 01:06:33.460
Wes:
Yeah yeah my Indiana.
01:06:33.699 --> 01:06:35.099
Alex:
My kids can go to IU.
01:06:35.059 --> 01:06:37.380
Wes:
Yeah. For free man that is
amazing.
01:06:37.219 --> 01:06:38.119
Alex:
Yeah. So I don't know what
01:06:38.119 --> 01:06:39.500
Alex:
Ohio's benefits are but each
01:06:39.500 --> 01:06:40.139
Alex:
state's different.
01:06:40.139 --> 01:06:43.579
Alex:
Like, uh, Michigan because I'm
so close to Michigan.
01:06:43.579 --> 01:06:45.900
Alex:
If you're one hundred percent do
not pay property tax like.
01:06:46.420 --> 01:06:47.739
Wes:
Ohio is like that.
01:06:47.739 --> 01:06:50.340
Wes:
If one hundred percent it's a
reduced property tax.
01:06:50.340 --> 01:06:51.340
Alex:
You get a deduction.
01:06:51.340 --> 01:06:53.050
Alex:
Each state's different other
than federal benefits.
01:06:53.050 --> 01:06:55.010
Alex:
So you might move somewhere and
you're like, oh, I got my
01:06:55.010 --> 01:06:57.690
Alex:
federal benefits, but I might
not know what my local ah.
01:07:01.210 --> 01:07:01.769
Wes:
What?
01:07:01.769 --> 01:07:07.530
Wes:
Um, now, how have you like
finding purpose in work?
01:07:07.530 --> 01:07:08.530
Wes:
I feel like that's a very
01:07:08.530 --> 01:07:10.050
Wes:
important aspect, having a
01:07:10.050 --> 01:07:10.690
Wes:
purpose.
01:07:10.690 --> 01:07:14.010
Wes:
And a lot of times we don't have
that when we're getting out.
01:07:14.010 --> 01:07:15.530
Wes:
Uh, even guys that stay in a
01:07:15.530 --> 01:07:16.409
Wes:
long time, they almost lose
01:07:16.409 --> 01:07:17.090
Wes:
their identity.
01:07:17.090 --> 01:07:19.690
Wes:
Imagine if you've been in a long
time.
01:07:19.530 --> 01:07:21.409
Alex:
And I'm blessed because I've
been doing this.
01:07:21.409 --> 01:07:22.769
Alex:
This is my twelfth year.
01:07:22.769 --> 01:07:24.409
Alex:
And, you know, guys might talk
01:07:24.409 --> 01:07:25.610
Alex:
to vets like once every so
01:07:25.610 --> 01:07:25.969
Alex:
often.
01:07:25.969 --> 01:07:27.849
Alex:
I talk to them every effing day.
01:07:27.889 --> 01:07:28.650
Wes:
Yeah.
01:07:28.650 --> 01:07:29.650
Alex:
You know so that's been my
01:07:29.650 --> 01:07:31.090
Alex:
therapy is talking with other
01:07:31.090 --> 01:07:31.610
Alex:
veterans.
01:07:31.610 --> 01:07:33.050
Alex:
And really you know last year I
01:07:33.050 --> 01:07:34.210
Alex:
really come through with, you
01:07:34.210 --> 01:07:35.769
Alex:
know, my treatment stuff that's
01:07:35.769 --> 01:07:36.250
Alex:
really helped.
01:07:36.250 --> 01:07:40.489
Alex:
And, um, you know, I've had that
blessing.
01:07:40.489 --> 01:07:41.510
Alex:
But, you know, the most
01:07:41.510 --> 01:07:42.710
Alex:
rewarding thing to me, I mean,
01:07:42.710 --> 01:07:44.530
Alex:
because I've, I'm on a cycle
01:07:44.530 --> 01:07:45.289
Alex:
where I've been doing this so
01:07:45.289 --> 01:07:47.010
Alex:
long, I've done a lot of
01:07:47.010 --> 01:07:48.130
Alex:
funerals.
01:07:48.130 --> 01:07:49.610
Alex:
Like, I know I'll do your claim,
01:07:49.610 --> 01:07:50.550
Alex:
but I'll be I'll be there to
01:07:50.550 --> 01:07:51.199
Alex:
bury you.
01:07:51.199 --> 01:07:51.920
Alex:
Barrier to.
01:07:51.920 --> 01:07:53.800
Alex:
So you start meeting vets.
01:07:53.800 --> 01:07:54.480
Alex:
World War two.
01:07:54.480 --> 01:07:57.719
Alex:
I met quite a few guys and
became pretty, pretty good
01:07:57.719 --> 01:07:58.320
Alex:
friends with them.
01:07:58.320 --> 01:07:59.639
Alex:
And they're they're dead.
01:07:59.639 --> 01:08:03.159
Alex:
So I've, you know he just.
01:08:03.159 --> 01:08:03.960
Alex:
And then you're dealing with the
01:08:03.960 --> 01:08:05.239
Alex:
family, you know, after losing a
01:08:05.239 --> 01:08:06.960
Alex:
loved one.
01:08:06.960 --> 01:08:12.760
Alex:
And um, so it's the end of life
to, you know, helping that widow
01:08:12.760 --> 01:08:16.000
Alex:
get that, that dependency
because her husband served in
01:08:16.000 --> 01:08:19.479
Alex:
Vietnam, had Agent Orange
exposure and had lung cancer.
01:08:19.479 --> 01:08:20.399
Alex:
You know, it's a presumptive.
01:08:20.399 --> 01:08:22.479
Alex:
So, you know, it's helping her
make sure that she's taking care
01:08:22.479 --> 01:08:23.199
Alex:
of the rest of her life.
01:08:23.199 --> 01:08:25.079
Alex:
And looking at the vet, I was
01:08:25.079 --> 01:08:25.920
Alex:
just trying to think of this
01:08:25.920 --> 01:08:26.199
Alex:
guy.
01:08:26.199 --> 01:08:28.800
Alex:
He, uh, he just passed.
01:08:30.600 --> 01:08:32.000
Alex:
He had lung cancer.
01:08:32.000 --> 01:08:33.239
Alex:
Stage four.
01:08:33.239 --> 01:08:33.800
Alex:
Come in.
01:08:33.800 --> 01:08:35.000
Alex:
I was like, I'm gonna get you.
01:08:35.000 --> 01:08:35.920
Alex:
But he knew.
01:08:35.920 --> 01:08:37.359
Alex:
He knew he wasn't gonna make it.
01:08:37.359 --> 01:08:38.479
Alex:
I could see his face.
01:08:38.319 --> 01:08:38.960
Wes:
Yeah.
01:08:38.800 --> 01:08:41.880
Alex:
And, you know, looking at him
like, you know what?
01:08:41.880 --> 01:08:42.800
Alex:
What's his name?
01:08:43.880 --> 01:08:44.399
Alex:
I'll think of it.
01:08:44.399 --> 01:08:44.880
Alex:
I can see it.
01:08:44.880 --> 01:08:45.359
Alex:
I can see him.
01:08:45.359 --> 01:08:46.319
Alex:
I can see his wife.
01:08:46.319 --> 01:08:47.079
Alex:
Um.
01:08:47.239 --> 01:08:50.750
Wes:
Yeah. The names get tied up
Sometimes I look down.
01:08:50.750 --> 01:08:52.310
Wes:
We're talking about a lot here.
01:08:52.149 --> 01:08:52.869
Alex:
I said, I know you're going to
01:08:52.869 --> 01:08:53.630
Alex:
be going through a lot of stuff
01:08:53.630 --> 01:08:54.149
Alex:
right now.
01:08:54.149 --> 01:08:56.750
Alex:
Um, just know I'm gonna make
01:08:56.750 --> 01:08:57.630
Alex:
sure your wife's taken care of
01:08:57.630 --> 01:08:58.189
Alex:
afterwards.
01:08:58.189 --> 01:08:58.909
Alex:
He's like, all right.
01:08:58.909 --> 01:08:59.989
Alex:
And you can just see it like
that.
01:08:59.989 --> 01:09:01.550
Alex:
Relief like that.
01:09:01.550 --> 01:09:05.189
Alex:
That right there makes it, uh,
for what I do.
01:09:05.189 --> 01:09:08.630
Alex:
You know, it's it's like knowing
that if I'm going to have an
01:09:08.630 --> 01:09:11.350
Alex:
issue that my family's taken
care of, and it's given that.
01:09:11.350 --> 01:09:13.350
Wes:
That's what you would want
someone to do for you.
01:09:13.350 --> 01:09:14.350
Wes:
You know what I mean?
01:09:14.390 --> 01:09:15.189
Alex:
I got you, man.
01:09:15.189 --> 01:09:18.189
Alex:
That's that's really what I
enjoy doing, you know?
01:09:18.029 --> 01:09:19.390
Wes:
And I know exactly what you
01:09:19.390 --> 01:09:21.710
Wes:
mean, because, uh, I think it's
01:09:21.710 --> 01:09:23.149
Wes:
there's something in the service
01:09:23.149 --> 01:09:24.569
Wes:
of people that there's
01:09:24.569 --> 01:09:25.430
Wes:
gratitude.
01:09:25.430 --> 01:09:26.229
Wes:
You know what I mean?
01:09:26.229 --> 01:09:30.390
Wes:
Whenever you whenever you help,
you know, in a private providing
01:09:30.390 --> 01:09:32.029
Wes:
a service or helping someone.
01:09:31.869 --> 01:09:33.109
Alex:
Yeah, it's it's anything.
01:09:32.949 --> 01:09:33.789
Wes:
It's fulfilling.
01:09:33.789 --> 01:09:34.949
Wes:
You know what I mean?
01:09:34.789 --> 01:09:35.670
Alex:
It's giving back.
01:09:35.670 --> 01:09:37.750
Alex:
And I think we really lack that.
01:09:38.350 --> 01:09:39.149
Wes:
I think you're right.
01:09:39.149 --> 01:09:41.029
Wes:
Especially the Synod as people
are.
01:09:41.029 --> 01:09:42.670
Wes:
It's you forget you.
01:09:42.510 --> 01:09:43.189
Alex:
Me, me, me.
01:09:43.189 --> 01:09:44.529
Alex:
Yeah. Once you're like, oh,
01:09:44.529 --> 01:09:45.770
Alex:
shit, I can go out and help
01:09:45.770 --> 01:09:46.750
Alex:
other people.
01:09:46.750 --> 01:09:48.569
Alex:
There's some gratification to
that.
01:09:49.170 --> 01:09:49.689
Wes:
I think.
01:09:49.689 --> 01:09:51.810
Wes:
And that's one thing I've
noticed, like when I've gotten
01:09:51.810 --> 01:09:54.409
Wes:
out, is we're used to being a
part of teams.
01:09:54.409 --> 01:09:57.569
Wes:
That man, we'll do anything for
the team to get to the goal.
01:09:57.569 --> 01:09:58.810
Wes:
And you know what I mean?
01:09:58.810 --> 01:09:59.930
Wes:
We all play our part.
01:09:59.930 --> 01:10:00.489
Wes:
You know?
01:10:00.569 --> 01:10:01.649
Alex:
I was like, yep, I'm driving
01:10:01.649 --> 01:10:02.569
Alex:
four hours down, four hours
01:10:02.569 --> 01:10:03.010
Alex:
back.
01:10:02.850 --> 01:10:03.810
Wes:
Exactly.
01:10:03.649 --> 01:10:04.250
Alex:
Let's get it.
01:10:04.050 --> 01:10:05.010
Wes:
Done. Let's do it.
01:10:05.010 --> 01:10:07.569
Wes:
Uh, same thing about how we
operate.
01:10:07.569 --> 01:10:09.369
Wes:
And teams don't operate like
that.
01:10:09.369 --> 01:10:11.369
Wes:
Like, uh, I've noticed another
01:10:11.369 --> 01:10:13.210
Wes:
thing when I, you know, if we
01:10:13.210 --> 01:10:15.489
Wes:
was a marine in our combat unit
01:10:15.489 --> 01:10:16.449
Wes:
would just say, hey, you're
01:10:16.449 --> 01:10:17.090
Wes:
messed up.
01:10:17.090 --> 01:10:17.689
Wes:
Fix it.
01:10:17.689 --> 01:10:20.369
Wes:
You know, we're you don't have
to explain anything, you know?
01:10:20.369 --> 01:10:23.010
Wes:
And you tighten it up, and we
move on.
01:10:23.010 --> 01:10:26.329
Wes:
Now, like when I'm trying to,
uh, coach people through.
01:10:26.329 --> 01:10:29.529
Wes:
You got to explain why you need
to do this, and you got to tell
01:10:29.529 --> 01:10:32.770
Wes:
them a couple good things, and
you can't just.
01:10:32.770 --> 01:10:35.989
Wes:
It's almost being too hard to
just directly say, hey, this is
01:10:35.989 --> 01:10:37.529
Wes:
the this is the problem.
01:10:37.529 --> 01:10:39.050
Wes:
Let's fix it.
01:10:39.050 --> 01:10:42.689
Wes:
So I think I kind of miss that,
uh, a lot.
01:10:42.689 --> 01:10:45.609
Wes:
What, um, you touched on, um.
01:10:47.119 --> 01:10:53.319
Wes:
spouses in, uh, what should
spouses and leaders know that
01:10:53.319 --> 01:10:55.359
Wes:
veterans won't say out loud?
01:10:55.239 --> 01:10:58.600
Alex:
I you know, you might have one
of us knuckleheads that you're
01:10:58.600 --> 01:11:01.199
Alex:
married to or boyfriend, and you
might think you're really one.
01:11:01.199 --> 01:11:04.920
Alex:
Just know that all spouses like
once, because we all get
01:11:04.920 --> 01:11:07.199
Alex:
together and our spouses get
together, and then they realize
01:11:07.199 --> 01:11:11.579
Alex:
that they're, you know, they're
not dealing with the only tard
01:11:11.579 --> 01:11:13.939
Alex:
out there that all of our
spouses are dealing with our
01:11:13.939 --> 01:11:14.760
Alex:
their own tards.
01:11:14.760 --> 01:11:17.000
Alex:
And then they get together like,
oh, you have a tart too.
01:11:17.000 --> 01:11:17.720
Alex:
Like, yeah.
01:11:18.319 --> 01:11:19.000
Wes:
Yeah.
01:11:19.359 --> 01:11:19.880
Alex:
We're over there.
01:11:19.880 --> 01:11:20.479
Alex:
We're all over there.
01:11:20.479 --> 01:11:21.680
Alex:
Like, we look like little kids
01:11:21.680 --> 01:11:22.819
Alex:
at the little playground or
01:11:22.819 --> 01:11:24.079
Alex:
whatever, like, oh, there's our
01:11:24.079 --> 01:11:26.039
Alex:
husband because they're they're
01:11:26.039 --> 01:11:27.500
Alex:
just dumb like the other ones
01:11:27.500 --> 01:11:27.880
Alex:
like.
01:11:27.880 --> 01:11:30.239
Alex:
And then that, that support
within.
01:11:30.239 --> 01:11:31.000
Alex:
And because, you know, they
01:11:31.000 --> 01:11:32.600
Alex:
really are like they, they have
01:11:32.600 --> 01:11:33.640
Alex:
to deal with our stuff, our
01:11:33.640 --> 01:11:34.479
Alex:
emotions.
01:11:37.199 --> 01:11:40.640
Wes:
With, um, some warning signs,
maybe.
01:11:40.640 --> 01:11:44.590
Wes:
What not to say or or how to
help without pushing.
01:11:45.189 --> 01:11:46.189
Alex:
To help somebody.
01:11:46.149 --> 01:11:50.670
Wes:
Yeah. Like from spouses or
leaders point of view.
01:11:50.710 --> 01:11:54.949
Alex:
Um. You know, just saying
01:11:54.949 --> 01:11:56.229
Alex:
there's there's nothing wrong
01:11:56.229 --> 01:11:56.510
Alex:
with it.
01:11:56.510 --> 01:11:58.989
Alex:
There's no pride in this, you
know, pride.
01:11:58.989 --> 01:12:00.710
Alex:
You have to keep this stuff
under the wraps.
01:12:00.710 --> 01:12:03.350
Alex:
This isn't, you know, nineteen
forty where you got to keep
01:12:03.350 --> 01:12:05.270
Alex:
everything in, just, you know,
go talk to somebody.
01:12:05.270 --> 01:12:06.069
Alex:
The VA is very good.
01:12:06.069 --> 01:12:09.310
Alex:
I mean, the VA therapy, I mean,
those guys are, what?
01:12:09.310 --> 01:12:12.829
Alex:
My therapist, uh, you know, he
was a marine.
01:12:12.829 --> 01:12:13.710
Alex:
He's a nurse practitioner.
01:12:13.710 --> 01:12:14.229
Alex:
He was a marine.
01:12:14.229 --> 01:12:15.069
Alex:
You know, I go there and I'm.
01:12:15.069 --> 01:12:15.909
Alex:
I'm his therapy.
01:12:15.909 --> 01:12:17.869
Alex:
You know, it's at the VA.
01:12:17.869 --> 01:12:18.630
Alex:
You know, he talks to me.
01:12:18.630 --> 01:12:20.989
Alex:
He never gets to talk to anybody
because he is the guy.
01:12:20.989 --> 01:12:22.430
Alex:
And he, uh, he got.
01:12:22.430 --> 01:12:23.270
Alex:
That's true.
01:12:23.270 --> 01:12:25.710
Alex:
And then went to, um, Iraq, and
01:12:25.710 --> 01:12:27.210
Alex:
he got hit with a, I think a
01:12:27.210 --> 01:12:27.590
Alex:
vbd.
01:12:27.590 --> 01:12:28.710
Alex:
And he got shrapnel through his
01:12:28.710 --> 01:12:30.630
Alex:
neck and stuff, and dude, like,
01:12:30.630 --> 01:12:32.229
Alex:
he but he's definitely mangled
01:12:32.229 --> 01:12:32.789
Alex:
up.
01:12:33.229 --> 01:12:34.470
Wes:
And it's that's.
01:12:34.470 --> 01:12:36.989
Wes:
Yeah, I'm glad you found people
like that because that same kind
01:12:36.989 --> 01:12:39.710
Wes:
of people I want to talk to,
too, and a lot of someone that's
01:12:39.710 --> 01:12:42.579
Wes:
helping other people might not
have, like, you're saying
01:12:42.579 --> 01:12:43.739
Wes:
someone to talk to.
01:12:43.739 --> 01:12:47.180
Wes:
Uh, um, it's good that you have
that.
01:12:47.180 --> 01:12:49.460
Wes:
Let's, um, I think that's.
01:12:49.460 --> 01:12:51.699
Wes:
Is there anything you want to
add more to that could help
01:12:51.699 --> 01:12:55.180
Wes:
veterans or someone listening to
the show that.
01:12:55.140 --> 01:12:55.779
Alex:
Um.
01:12:55.739 --> 01:12:59.300
Wes:
Maybe has benefits or struggling
with tough stuff or.
01:12:59.300 --> 01:13:00.819
Alex:
County veteran service officer?
01:13:00.819 --> 01:13:02.340
Alex:
I can't stress that enough.
01:13:02.340 --> 01:13:03.779
Alex:
You know, you hear somebody, a
01:13:03.779 --> 01:13:04.579
Alex:
brother or something like that,
01:13:04.579 --> 01:13:05.340
Alex:
like, hey, have you reached out
01:13:05.340 --> 01:13:06.420
Alex:
to your county veteran service
01:13:06.420 --> 01:13:07.420
Alex:
officer?
01:13:07.420 --> 01:13:08.140
Alex:
No, I haven't.
01:13:08.140 --> 01:13:10.880
Alex:
And just call them if they if
that individual doesn't pick up,
01:13:10.880 --> 01:13:11.619
Alex:
call somebody else.
01:13:11.619 --> 01:13:15.859
Alex:
But that should be your first
line is, you know, I don't know
01:13:15.859 --> 01:13:16.260
Alex:
where to go.
01:13:16.260 --> 01:13:17.579
Alex:
Go to your county veterans
service officer.
01:13:17.579 --> 01:13:19.380
Alex:
They'll always direct you.
01:13:19.380 --> 01:13:20.220
Alex:
I don't know where that is.
01:13:20.220 --> 01:13:21.100
Alex:
Go to your local post.
01:13:21.100 --> 01:13:23.180
Alex:
They'll they'll tell you exactly
where to go.
01:13:23.180 --> 01:13:25.699
Alex:
Um, but I can't stress that one
enough.
01:13:28.819 --> 01:13:36.180
Wes:
Uh, so now, more recently, uh,
you've got into jet ski racing.
01:13:36.180 --> 01:13:37.579
Wes:
Uh, you I call you up.
01:13:37.579 --> 01:13:40.100
Wes:
You're talking about how you
looking at the rules?
01:13:40.100 --> 01:13:45.000
Wes:
If you can run a bigger
supercharger, you got into jet
01:13:45.000 --> 01:13:46.239
Wes:
ski racing, I guess.
01:13:46.239 --> 01:13:48.960
Wes:
Uh. Com hobbies weren't an
option, right?
01:13:48.800 --> 01:13:53.720
Alex:
Yeah. No. Uh, so I got off
motorcycles when I started
01:13:53.720 --> 01:13:56.319
Alex:
having kids, and I was like, you
just can't do it, you know?
01:13:56.319 --> 01:13:57.600
Alex:
I gotta have something.
01:13:57.600 --> 01:13:59.140
Alex:
And being on the lake the night
01:13:59.140 --> 01:14:01.739
Alex:
they, uh, seadoo had this Rxp
01:14:01.739 --> 01:14:03.359
Alex:
three hundred limited edition,
01:14:03.359 --> 01:14:05.199
Alex:
um, apex.
01:14:05.199 --> 01:14:06.359
Alex:
I was like, this is it.
01:14:06.359 --> 01:14:07.439
Alex:
I gotta have this.
01:14:07.439 --> 01:14:09.279
Alex:
So I buy it, order it from the
factory.
01:14:09.279 --> 01:14:10.359
Alex:
It's badass.
01:14:10.359 --> 01:14:11.319
Alex:
It's racing green.
01:14:11.319 --> 01:14:13.279
Alex:
It's three hundred horsepower.
01:14:13.279 --> 01:14:14.079
Alex:
And I got into it.
01:14:14.079 --> 01:14:15.140
Alex:
Well, I got to fall in these
01:14:15.140 --> 01:14:16.439
Alex:
these race series and stuff, and
01:14:16.439 --> 01:14:17.319
Alex:
I'm like, oh, man, it's kind of
01:14:17.319 --> 01:14:18.159
Alex:
cool.
01:14:18.159 --> 01:14:19.000
Alex:
I wish, you know.
01:14:19.000 --> 01:14:20.319
Alex:
And I was just kind of kicking
it around.
01:14:20.319 --> 01:14:23.359
Alex:
And finally I was like, last
year, I'm like, I'm not
01:14:23.359 --> 01:14:24.800
Alex:
drinking, I'm training.
01:14:24.800 --> 01:14:26.880
Alex:
You know, it gave me a reason to
get back in shape.
01:14:26.880 --> 01:14:29.399
Alex:
And I'm I'm going to go race.
01:14:29.399 --> 01:14:30.439
Alex:
You know, I don't have anybody
01:14:30.439 --> 01:14:31.840
Alex:
to I had nobody I had nobody
01:14:31.840 --> 01:14:33.000
Alex:
that had experience in this
01:14:33.000 --> 01:14:33.920
Alex:
area.
01:14:33.920 --> 01:14:35.840
Alex:
And then I found this great race
series.
01:14:35.840 --> 01:14:39.270
Alex:
Um, it's this, uh, Great Lakes
Watercross, which was awesome
01:14:39.270 --> 01:14:40.310
Alex:
group of people.
01:14:40.310 --> 01:14:41.909
Alex:
You know, a lot of vets do it
01:14:41.909 --> 01:14:43.390
Alex:
like a lot of like I think all
01:14:43.390 --> 01:14:43.789
Alex:
Marines.
01:14:43.789 --> 01:14:46.189
Alex:
There was a couple Army guys,
but it was mostly Marines.
01:14:46.029 --> 01:14:46.670
Wes:
Yeah.
01:14:46.510 --> 01:14:47.390
Alex:
And, um.
01:14:47.229 --> 01:14:48.270
Wes:
That's awesome.
01:14:48.109 --> 01:14:49.510
Alex:
Yeah. It's, uh.
01:14:52.510 --> 01:14:55.449
Alex:
And I actually finished second
last year, you know, out of out
01:14:55.449 --> 01:14:57.470
Alex:
of everybody from my class.
01:14:57.470 --> 01:14:58.590
Alex:
Now, I made it to every race.
01:14:58.590 --> 01:15:00.510
Alex:
I might not have been the
fastest, but I was.
01:15:00.590 --> 01:15:01.989
Wes:
Consistency pays off.
01:15:01.989 --> 01:15:02.989
Wes:
I got all the points.
01:15:02.989 --> 01:15:03.590
Wes:
Yeah.
01:15:03.750 --> 01:15:04.310
Alex:
I got.
01:15:04.109 --> 01:15:04.550
Wes:
second.
01:15:04.550 --> 01:15:06.550
Wes:
Yeah, I did the same thing, man.
01:15:06.550 --> 01:15:09.109
Wes:
The, uh, veteran, uh, racing
01:15:09.109 --> 01:15:10.750
Wes:
series is where I shine in
01:15:10.750 --> 01:15:11.869
Wes:
racing series.
01:15:11.869 --> 01:15:12.109
Wes:
Yeah.
01:15:12.109 --> 01:15:13.430
Wes:
And if I went to all of them.
01:15:13.430 --> 01:15:13.789
Wes:
Yeah.
01:15:13.789 --> 01:15:14.829
Wes:
You definitely.
01:15:14.710 --> 01:15:15.390
Alex:
I got into it.
01:15:15.390 --> 01:15:16.550
Alex:
And that was my rookie year.
01:15:16.550 --> 01:15:18.750
Alex:
And then this year I'm like, all
right, I'm going to go even.
01:15:18.750 --> 01:15:21.510
Alex:
You know, I was moving equipment
around and got a truck, got a
01:15:21.510 --> 01:15:23.390
Alex:
camper toy hauler.
01:15:23.390 --> 01:15:27.029
Wes:
And that's the progression of
racing you get then you end up
01:15:27.029 --> 01:15:27.869
Wes:
with all that.
01:15:27.710 --> 01:15:28.909
Alex:
But it's funny because my wife's
01:15:28.909 --> 01:15:29.989
Alex:
like, this is the first time
01:15:29.989 --> 01:15:31.130
Alex:
you've actually been able to
01:15:31.130 --> 01:15:33.029
Alex:
save money.
01:15:33.029 --> 01:15:35.069
Alex:
I'm like, yeah, because I gotta
have money to race.
01:15:35.069 --> 01:15:35.710
Alex:
So she's.
01:15:35.510 --> 01:15:36.350
Wes:
Like, you're not.
01:15:36.149 --> 01:15:38.220
Alex:
Spending a stupid ass shit.
01:15:38.060 --> 01:15:38.579
Wes:
You're just like.
01:15:38.579 --> 01:15:39.659
Wes:
We gotta tighten it up.
01:15:39.659 --> 01:15:40.180
Wes:
Tighten it up.
01:15:40.180 --> 01:15:40.979
Wes:
I don't know if we.
01:15:40.779 --> 01:15:41.140
Alex:
Can.
01:15:40.939 --> 01:15:41.659
Wes:
Eat there.
01:15:42.020 --> 01:15:42.819
Alex:
three days a week.
01:15:42.819 --> 01:15:43.819
Alex:
I gotta quit drinking.
01:15:43.819 --> 01:15:46.020
Alex:
That's three hundred bucks I can
put over here.
01:15:46.020 --> 01:15:47.939
Alex:
And then that should buy me fuel
to get down there.
01:15:47.939 --> 01:15:49.779
Alex:
So we have a race series coming
up in Florida.
01:15:49.779 --> 01:15:52.420
Alex:
It's like a it's East Coast
watercross.
01:15:52.420 --> 01:15:56.260
Alex:
It's down in, um, Lake Alfred,
Florida.
01:15:56.260 --> 01:15:57.739
Alex:
And that's in like four weeks.
01:15:57.739 --> 01:15:58.180
Alex:
Five weeks.
01:15:58.180 --> 01:16:00.659
Alex:
I'm going down to racing
weekend, flying back, going down
01:16:00.659 --> 01:16:02.060
Alex:
and racing again, coming back.
01:16:02.060 --> 01:16:03.939
Alex:
And then there's all of like
01:16:03.939 --> 01:16:05.640
Alex:
there's one I seen out in San
01:16:05.640 --> 01:16:06.979
Alex:
Diego which is thirty three
01:16:06.979 --> 01:16:07.539
Alex:
hours.
01:16:07.340 --> 01:16:08.819
Wes:
Oh man.
01:16:08.659 --> 01:16:09.859
Alex:
It's out there in the bay.
01:16:09.699 --> 01:16:11.420
Wes:
Like yeah, it'd be cool.
01:16:11.420 --> 01:16:16.739
Wes:
Okay. We saw, uh, Red bull do,
uh, the, uh, flying pylon.
01:16:16.739 --> 01:16:17.420
Wes:
Oh, yeah.
01:16:17.420 --> 01:16:19.220
Wes:
Where they fly through the
pylon.
01:16:19.220 --> 01:16:20.180
Wes:
Stuff through there.
01:16:20.380 --> 01:16:21.939
Alex:
But like the National.
01:16:21.779 --> 01:16:22.739
Wes:
That would be cool.
01:16:22.579 --> 01:16:23.340
Alex:
Ski racing thing.
01:16:23.340 --> 01:16:25.020
Alex:
It's it's held at Lake Havasu.
01:16:25.020 --> 01:16:26.539
Wes:
Yeah, that'd be awesome.
01:16:26.539 --> 01:16:28.060
Wes:
That's like, that is super cool.
01:16:27.979 --> 01:16:30.380
Alex:
I they say I've talked to a
couple.
01:16:30.220 --> 01:16:31.140
Wes:
That's a big commitment.
01:16:31.140 --> 01:16:32.260
Wes:
The West Coast series.
01:16:32.260 --> 01:16:32.779
Wes:
Yeah.
01:16:32.579 --> 01:16:34.380
Alex:
They say you're guaranteed to
get a hole in your boat if you
01:16:34.380 --> 01:16:35.689
Alex:
go out there.
01:16:35.689 --> 01:16:36.970
Alex:
Guarantee you can hold your
boat.
01:16:36.970 --> 01:16:37.890
Alex:
Because that's all.
01:16:37.890 --> 01:16:40.770
Alex:
You're just banging side by side
the whole time.
01:16:40.609 --> 01:16:41.210
Wes:
Damn.
01:16:41.050 --> 01:16:42.689
Alex:
Yeah. And you're my skis.
01:16:42.689 --> 01:16:43.850
Alex:
You know, twenty thousand
dollars.
01:16:43.850 --> 01:16:45.930
Alex:
I don't fuck, I can't afford
that.
01:16:45.970 --> 01:16:46.409
Wes:
We can.
01:16:46.409 --> 01:16:47.250
Wes:
We can figure out how to.
01:16:47.250 --> 01:16:47.890
Wes:
Fiberglass.
01:16:47.890 --> 01:16:48.210
Wes:
Yeah, that's.
01:16:48.210 --> 01:16:48.970
Wes:
I'm like, I don't know about
01:16:48.970 --> 01:16:50.850
Wes:
painting, but we could get it
01:16:50.850 --> 01:16:52.569
Wes:
watertight again.
01:16:52.569 --> 01:16:55.930
Wes:
Um, I feel I do better with the
01:16:55.930 --> 01:16:57.609
Wes:
little controlled risk I. Uh,
01:16:57.609 --> 01:16:59.350
Wes:
how does how does the racing
01:16:59.350 --> 01:16:59.649
Wes:
help?
01:16:59.649 --> 01:17:02.289
Wes:
I mean, I can see you get
excited about it.
01:17:02.289 --> 01:17:04.090
Wes:
I get excited about racing.
01:17:03.930 --> 01:17:06.409
Alex:
I would say that it gave me
purpose to focus again.
01:17:06.970 --> 01:17:08.909
Wes:
The. Yes, I focus when there is
01:17:08.909 --> 01:17:10.890
Wes:
yes or doing a race or doing
01:17:10.890 --> 01:17:11.329
Wes:
this.
01:17:11.170 --> 01:17:14.130
Alex:
You're doing your daily stuff
and you're going through life
01:17:14.130 --> 01:17:16.329
Alex:
and you're like, oh fuck, I
don't have no purpose.
01:17:16.329 --> 01:17:18.250
Alex:
Well, racing gave me a purpose
again.
01:17:18.250 --> 01:17:20.930
Alex:
And not and not saying I didn't
have a purpose, but just like it
01:17:20.930 --> 01:17:24.689
Alex:
gave me something to put my
focus on to, like, training.
01:17:24.689 --> 01:17:26.050
Alex:
Um, you know what?
01:17:26.050 --> 01:17:26.890
Alex:
What can I do?
01:17:26.890 --> 01:17:28.689
Alex:
It's literally all I could think
about last year.
01:17:28.689 --> 01:17:30.729
Alex:
And especially watercross.
01:17:30.729 --> 01:17:32.090
Alex:
It's like.
01:17:32.090 --> 01:17:34.439
Alex:
So I'm sitting there at Racine,
sitting there, and you're
01:17:34.439 --> 01:17:37.960
Alex:
sitting on a beach all day like
you're on a beach.
01:17:39.079 --> 01:17:40.199
Wes:
Like, yeah.
01:17:40.039 --> 01:17:40.840
Alex:
Like this sucks.
01:17:40.840 --> 01:17:42.640
Alex:
Like, no, it doesn't.
01:17:42.640 --> 01:17:47.119
Alex:
And, um, so like that, that
risk.
01:17:47.119 --> 01:17:50.779
Alex:
Well, I come off the ski, it was
the third one up in Harbor
01:17:50.779 --> 01:17:52.359
Alex:
Beach, and my.
01:17:52.359 --> 01:17:54.319
Alex:
I almost killed myself in front
of my kids.
01:17:54.319 --> 01:17:57.920
Alex:
I have the video, um, the ski
kicked out, and I was standing
01:17:57.920 --> 01:17:58.239
Alex:
up on it.
01:17:58.239 --> 01:17:59.880
Alex:
I hit the water doing, like,
sixty.
01:17:59.960 --> 01:18:01.600
Wes:
Dang. It's like it's not water.
01:18:01.600 --> 01:18:04.000
Wes:
It's more like pavement at that
point.
01:18:04.000 --> 01:18:04.600
Wes:
Sixty.
01:18:04.439 --> 01:18:07.180
Alex:
Apparently I did two flips up in
the air and when I come down, I
01:18:07.180 --> 01:18:11.199
Alex:
tore both back parts of my legs.
01:18:11.199 --> 01:18:12.279
Alex:
Both of them.
01:18:12.279 --> 01:18:14.680
Alex:
The left one, you know, because
the water's not that deep.
01:18:14.680 --> 01:18:16.000
Alex:
It's only like four foot usually
01:18:16.000 --> 01:18:17.359
Alex:
when you're racing, so I. Okay,
01:18:17.359 --> 01:18:18.720
Alex:
I spun around when I come around
01:18:18.720 --> 01:18:19.239
Alex:
again.
01:18:19.239 --> 01:18:19.479
Alex:
Yeah.
01:18:19.479 --> 01:18:20.159
Alex:
My leg come down.
01:18:20.159 --> 01:18:21.439
Alex:
I felt a pop in the backside of
01:18:21.439 --> 01:18:23.279
Alex:
my leg and I come out of the
01:18:23.279 --> 01:18:23.560
Alex:
water.
01:18:23.560 --> 01:18:26.880
Alex:
I was, I think I hit the I don't
know what the fuck, I was dazed,
01:18:26.880 --> 01:18:29.159
Alex:
I had to be carted off like they
stopped the race like this.
01:18:29.159 --> 01:18:29.880
Alex:
Dudes.
01:18:29.880 --> 01:18:32.100
Alex:
I didn't know if my leg was
broken.
01:18:32.100 --> 01:18:33.779
Alex:
You know, like, they're, like,
carrying the ambulance.
01:18:33.779 --> 01:18:34.420
Alex:
They're like.
01:18:35.779 --> 01:18:37.659
Alex:
They're like, you want to go to
the hospital?
01:18:37.659 --> 01:18:39.539
Alex:
Can I just sit down for a.
01:18:39.659 --> 01:18:42.539
Wes:
second and just see what is
happening?
01:18:43.220 --> 01:18:46.100
Alex:
And I was able to stand on it,
so I knew it wasn't broke.
01:18:46.100 --> 01:18:48.859
Alex:
Yeah, but I, I couldn't walk,
so.
01:18:48.859 --> 01:18:49.420
Alex:
Oh, God.
01:18:49.420 --> 01:18:51.619
Alex:
And I just had my diesel and
it's a clutch.
01:18:51.619 --> 01:18:52.779
Alex:
So here I were driving back.
01:18:52.779 --> 01:18:54.659
Alex:
I'm just clutching which kind of
01:18:54.659 --> 01:18:55.859
Alex:
kept my leg, you know, from
01:18:55.859 --> 01:18:56.420
Alex:
locking up.
01:18:56.420 --> 01:18:59.060
Alex:
But it was, it was, it was bad.
01:18:59.060 --> 01:19:01.899
Alex:
But that's that that risk you
take because it's racing.
01:19:01.899 --> 01:19:03.819
Alex:
That's not racing is racing.
01:19:03.699 --> 01:19:04.579
Wes:
It is.
01:19:04.380 --> 01:19:06.699
Alex:
You are going to like, you know,
you dirt bike and you miss a
01:19:06.699 --> 01:19:07.300
Alex:
jump or something.
01:19:07.300 --> 01:19:08.899
Alex:
You're fucking handlebars.
01:19:08.739 --> 01:19:09.340
Wes:
Oh yeah.
01:19:09.340 --> 01:19:09.939
Wes:
It's you.
01:19:09.939 --> 01:19:12.619
Wes:
Either you commit to it and if
you do, you commit fully.
01:19:12.619 --> 01:19:15.140
Wes:
You don't, uh, you don't partway
do it.
01:19:15.140 --> 01:19:15.859
Wes:
Yeah.
01:19:15.939 --> 01:19:16.819
Alex:
But that was the biggest
01:19:16.819 --> 01:19:18.140
Alex:
learning curve for my first race
01:19:18.140 --> 01:19:19.300
Alex:
to the second was actually
01:19:19.300 --> 01:19:20.619
Alex:
learning how to turn a ski
01:19:20.619 --> 01:19:22.140
Alex:
because, you know, fucking
01:19:22.140 --> 01:19:23.340
Alex:
driving a lake, going in a
01:19:23.340 --> 01:19:23.819
Alex:
straight line.
01:19:23.819 --> 01:19:24.060
Alex:
Yeah.
01:19:24.060 --> 01:19:24.500
Alex:
Okay.
01:19:24.500 --> 01:19:25.699
Alex:
You don't know?
01:19:25.699 --> 01:19:27.220
Alex:
I didn't know I grew up on skis
01:19:27.220 --> 01:19:28.779
Alex:
and I didn't know what it what
01:19:28.779 --> 01:19:29.649
Alex:
it took.
01:19:29.489 --> 01:19:30.289
Wes:
Yeah.
01:19:30.130 --> 01:19:30.810
Alex:
You know.
01:19:30.930 --> 01:19:31.609
Wes:
It's funny.
01:19:31.609 --> 01:19:35.970
Wes:
So, like, racing and a lot of
stuff in life is, uh, in those
01:19:35.970 --> 01:19:39.210
Wes:
moments that are tense is you
actually gotta throttle out,
01:19:39.210 --> 01:19:40.329
Wes:
like, is in your mind.
01:19:40.329 --> 01:19:41.489
Wes:
You think I should let off the
01:19:41.489 --> 01:19:42.729
Wes:
throttle and you should do the
01:19:42.729 --> 01:19:43.329
Wes:
opposite.
01:19:43.329 --> 01:19:46.090
Wes:
Give it more gas to make it the
01:19:46.090 --> 01:19:47.850
Wes:
suspension stabilize through the
01:19:47.850 --> 01:19:50.050
Wes:
corner or hit that jump a little
01:19:50.050 --> 01:19:52.569
Wes:
harder, or, uh, you know, if you
01:19:52.569 --> 01:19:53.890
Wes:
land with a little bit on the
01:19:53.890 --> 01:19:55.130
Wes:
gas, the dirt bikes going to
01:19:55.130 --> 01:19:55.890
Wes:
straighten up.
01:19:55.890 --> 01:19:56.810
Wes:
And, uh.
01:19:56.810 --> 01:20:00.289
Alex:
We were at Racine and that was
they were doing P1, which is
01:20:00.289 --> 01:20:01.609
Alex:
endurance stuff north of us.
01:20:01.609 --> 01:20:03.170
Alex:
And that was the this year that
01:20:03.170 --> 01:20:04.210
Alex:
they got like fourteen inches of
01:20:04.210 --> 01:20:04.409
Alex:
rain.
01:20:04.409 --> 01:20:05.850
Alex:
So the storm was feeding and we
01:20:05.850 --> 01:20:08.289
Alex:
were able to race Racine's north
01:20:08.289 --> 01:20:08.810
Alex:
of Chicago.
01:20:08.810 --> 01:20:09.930
Alex:
We were able to race, but the
01:20:09.930 --> 01:20:11.329
Alex:
storm was just feeding the
01:20:11.329 --> 01:20:11.569
Alex:
water.
01:20:11.569 --> 01:20:12.729
Alex:
So you'd go out there.
01:20:12.729 --> 01:20:17.770
Alex:
There was like, I don't six to
six to seven foot swells.
01:20:18.050 --> 01:20:19.369
Speaker 8:
And you're like, man, that's
pretty.
01:20:19.170 --> 01:20:20.010
Wes:
Big for.
01:20:19.850 --> 01:20:21.489
Speaker 8:
Oh yeah, jet ski racing.
01:20:21.489 --> 01:20:22.010
Speaker 8:
Yeah.
01:20:22.250 --> 01:20:24.210
Alex:
You would go out there and
they'd be there and you'd come
01:20:24.210 --> 01:20:24.850
Alex:
back around again.
01:20:24.850 --> 01:20:25.970
Alex:
They wouldn't be there and you
01:20:25.970 --> 01:20:27.359
Alex:
come back around like you either
01:20:27.359 --> 01:20:28.880
Alex:
commit where you have to make
01:20:28.880 --> 01:20:29.279
Alex:
the next.
01:20:29.279 --> 01:20:30.920
Alex:
Because coming down on a wave,
01:20:30.920 --> 01:20:32.239
Alex:
on a ski, you're eating your
01:20:32.239 --> 01:20:32.920
Alex:
handlebars.
01:20:32.920 --> 01:20:35.319
Alex:
Yeah, I got I don't have enough
experience on that stuff.
01:20:35.319 --> 01:20:37.640
Alex:
I said, I'm not killing myself
doing this.
01:20:37.960 --> 01:20:38.439
Wes:
It is.
01:20:38.439 --> 01:20:39.319
Wes:
I think you learn.
01:20:39.319 --> 01:20:41.159
Wes:
Yeah, a little go a little
faster, a little.
01:20:41.159 --> 01:20:42.600
Wes:
You don't learn until you wreck.
01:20:42.600 --> 01:20:45.600
Wes:
Like you don't learn what the
limits are until you are ready.
01:20:45.439 --> 01:20:46.279
Alex:
That was one of those times.
01:20:46.279 --> 01:20:46.720
Alex:
Like, you know what?
01:20:46.720 --> 01:20:49.000
Alex:
I'm just going to hang out in
the back and watch these guys
01:20:49.000 --> 01:20:52.039
Alex:
go, because I am not fucking
eating my handlebars.
01:20:53.760 --> 01:20:59.680
Wes:
So, uh, how does that compare to
the the combat adrenaline, the
01:20:59.680 --> 01:21:01.000
Wes:
same adrenaline you had?
01:21:01.000 --> 01:21:02.239
Wes:
It's I.
01:21:03.399 --> 01:21:06.039
Alex:
I don't think it's the same.
01:21:06.039 --> 01:21:09.720
Alex:
I mean, having adrenaline drop
truly drop like that.
01:21:09.520 --> 01:21:10.920
Speaker 8:
I don't think so either.
01:21:10.760 --> 01:21:11.359
Alex:
No.
01:21:11.359 --> 01:21:11.800
Speaker 8:
Uh.
01:21:11.600 --> 01:21:12.359
Alex:
It's close.
01:21:12.359 --> 01:21:16.239
Alex:
It's like a numb feeling, but
having a true adrenaline drop.
01:21:16.239 --> 01:21:18.359
Alex:
There ain't nothing.
01:21:18.359 --> 01:21:18.960
Alex:
You know?
01:21:18.960 --> 01:21:19.760
Alex:
It's a true thing.
01:21:19.760 --> 01:21:21.039
Alex:
It's adrenaline drop.
01:21:21.039 --> 01:21:24.960
Alex:
I remember when we stopped
having so many, um.
01:21:24.960 --> 01:21:26.090
Alex:
When we stopped stop becoming so
01:21:26.090 --> 01:21:27.390
Alex:
active with with enemy
01:21:27.390 --> 01:21:28.909
Alex:
combatants that you stop losing
01:21:28.909 --> 01:21:30.130
Alex:
that adrenaline drop every day
01:21:30.130 --> 01:21:30.989
Alex:
and you start going through
01:21:30.989 --> 01:21:32.210
Alex:
withdrawals, it's a real fucking
01:21:32.210 --> 01:21:32.789
Alex:
thing.
01:21:33.109 --> 01:21:33.789
Wes:
You're waiting.
01:21:33.789 --> 01:21:36.029
Wes:
You want that feeling back?
01:21:35.869 --> 01:21:37.069
Alex:
It's a real thing.
01:21:36.909 --> 01:21:41.069
Wes:
Um, I think a lot of people, the
risk type behavior, you know
01:21:41.069 --> 01:21:41.590
Wes:
what I mean?
01:21:41.590 --> 01:21:42.869
Wes:
That comes from that.
01:21:42.869 --> 01:21:43.149
Wes:
Yeah.
01:21:43.149 --> 01:21:44.590
Wes:
I need to have a little risk.
01:21:44.590 --> 01:21:45.590
Wes:
I need to have a little.
01:21:46.069 --> 01:21:47.750
Alex:
I mean, it really clears your
head.
01:21:47.750 --> 01:21:50.390
Alex:
I mean, I don't know, doing just
something.
01:21:50.229 --> 01:21:51.550
Wes:
I think it does.
01:21:51.550 --> 01:21:53.689
Wes:
It's a way, uh, and it's the a
01:21:53.689 --> 01:21:54.989
Wes:
lot healthier than some things
01:21:54.989 --> 01:21:56.329
Wes:
you could be doing, you know,
01:21:56.329 --> 01:21:57.510
Wes:
like I.
01:21:57.789 --> 01:22:01.189
Alex:
You get off a ski off eight,
eight foot or eight minute moto.
01:22:01.189 --> 01:22:02.829
Alex:
You can't stand up.
01:22:02.829 --> 01:22:04.189
Alex:
You've just used all your
01:22:04.189 --> 01:22:05.710
Alex:
muscles like you are just so
01:22:05.710 --> 01:22:06.390
Alex:
exhausted.
01:22:06.390 --> 01:22:06.949
Alex:
Yeah.
01:22:06.949 --> 01:22:09.789
Alex:
And and that's that's a good
point because I, I know that
01:22:09.789 --> 01:22:13.069
Alex:
this is the first summer, this
last summer racing is the first
01:22:13.069 --> 01:22:15.149
Alex:
time I was I didn't feel angry.
01:22:15.149 --> 01:22:17.270
Alex:
I wasn't angry at all.
01:22:17.270 --> 01:22:17.590
Alex:
Yeah.
01:22:17.590 --> 01:22:20.710
Alex:
I had no anger towards anybody
or anything because you just
01:22:20.710 --> 01:22:22.229
Alex:
went out there and beat the piss
out of yourself.
01:22:22.229 --> 01:22:24.140
Alex:
You're like, I got nothing left.
01:22:23.979 --> 01:22:26.939
Wes:
Then you got other priorities to
focus on.
01:22:26.939 --> 01:22:28.380
Wes:
The bigger supercharger.
01:22:28.380 --> 01:22:28.699
Wes:
How to.
01:22:28.699 --> 01:22:30.380
Wes:
How to run the course faster.
01:22:30.539 --> 01:22:32.579
Alex:
Not let off the throttle around
the corner.
01:22:32.579 --> 01:22:34.020
Wes:
I think, yeah, if we keep
01:22:34.020 --> 01:22:36.039
Wes:
ourselves busy, a lot of that
01:22:36.039 --> 01:22:37.979
Wes:
the problems, a lot of the
01:22:37.979 --> 01:22:40.100
Wes:
depression, other whatever
01:22:40.100 --> 01:22:41.300
Wes:
people deal with, it starts
01:22:41.300 --> 01:22:42.300
Wes:
fading away.
01:22:42.140 --> 01:22:46.140
Alex:
It it being worried about
something.
01:22:46.140 --> 01:22:49.180
Alex:
You can be worried it ain't
gonna change nothing.
01:22:49.180 --> 01:22:50.060
Alex:
It's still going to be there.
01:22:50.060 --> 01:22:51.159
Alex:
I mean, there's no sense of
01:22:51.159 --> 01:22:52.260
Alex:
yeah, you can be worried about
01:22:52.260 --> 01:22:53.359
Alex:
something, but don't let it
01:22:53.359 --> 01:22:54.300
Alex:
depress you.
01:22:54.300 --> 01:22:56.180
Alex:
Yeah, there's it ain't going to
change.
01:22:55.979 --> 01:22:57.920
Wes:
You can't change or dwell on
01:22:57.920 --> 01:22:59.180
Wes:
things that might not ever
01:22:59.180 --> 01:22:59.659
Wes:
happen.
01:22:59.659 --> 01:23:00.260
Wes:
Yeah.
01:23:00.220 --> 01:23:01.020
Alex:
Or things that did happen.
01:23:01.020 --> 01:23:04.060
Alex:
You know, it's it's unfortunate,
but you have to move.
01:23:04.060 --> 01:23:07.739
Alex:
You can either dwell on it and
affect you for the rest of your
01:23:07.739 --> 01:23:11.819
Alex:
life or just it happened and it
is what it is.
01:23:12.539 --> 01:23:15.779
Wes:
That's, you know, that's true
because I've the people that are
01:23:15.779 --> 01:23:19.260
Wes:
healthy, they always just keep
moving on and attacking things.
01:23:19.260 --> 01:23:22.020
Wes:
And the people that, uh, have
trouble with that, They're hung
01:23:22.020 --> 01:23:25.840
Wes:
up on something that happened to
them so long ago that.
01:23:25.680 --> 01:23:28.399
Alex:
Uh, but that's also a reverse
side of it, too, because some
01:23:28.399 --> 01:23:30.800
Alex:
guys that are hiding or gals
that are hiding from something,
01:23:30.800 --> 01:23:34.100
Alex:
they'll drive themselves so much
that they don't have time,
01:23:34.100 --> 01:23:37.520
Alex:
they'll make themselves not have
time to open that closet.
01:23:37.520 --> 01:23:37.840
Alex:
Like so.
01:23:37.840 --> 01:23:38.600
Alex:
It's a reverse side.
01:23:38.600 --> 01:23:40.319
Alex:
So versus like, oh, I can't do
nothing.
01:23:40.319 --> 01:23:42.560
Alex:
Yeah, I know a couple
individuals.
01:23:42.560 --> 01:23:45.439
Alex:
Marine um, that he drives seven
days a week.
01:23:45.439 --> 01:23:47.500
Alex:
He does not stop because if he
01:23:47.500 --> 01:23:48.800
Alex:
finds that he keeps himself so
01:23:48.800 --> 01:23:50.579
Alex:
busy that he doesn't have time
01:23:50.579 --> 01:23:51.520
Alex:
to dwell.
01:23:51.800 --> 01:23:52.479
Wes:
Yeah.
01:23:52.279 --> 01:23:54.760
Alex:
And that's just, you know,
you're doing the same thing.
01:23:54.760 --> 01:23:56.119
Alex:
You're just not sitting down and
actually.
01:23:56.119 --> 01:23:56.800
Alex:
All right.
01:23:57.159 --> 01:23:59.239
Wes:
You're just not facing your, uh,
stuff.
01:23:59.239 --> 01:24:00.720
Wes:
You're just not dealing with it.
01:24:00.560 --> 01:24:02.760
Alex:
And I will tell you that this
will never go away.
01:24:02.760 --> 01:24:05.720
Alex:
Uh, World War two.
01:24:05.720 --> 01:24:07.199
Alex:
He was my great grandfather's
best friend.
01:24:07.199 --> 01:24:08.239
Alex:
He was a B-17 pilot.
01:24:08.239 --> 01:24:09.239
Alex:
He just passed a couple of years
ago.
01:24:09.239 --> 01:24:09.840
Alex:
His name was Bob.
01:24:09.840 --> 01:24:10.960
Alex:
Tiffany.
01:24:10.960 --> 01:24:11.840
Alex:
Good dude.
01:24:12.840 --> 01:24:14.720
Alex:
Flew the whole fucking war at
the beginning of the war.
01:24:14.720 --> 01:24:16.319
Alex:
Two B-17 pilot.
01:24:16.319 --> 01:24:17.680
Wes:
Man. So those not.
01:24:17.680 --> 01:24:18.960
Wes:
Yeah. They didn't make it very.
01:24:18.960 --> 01:24:19.199
Wes:
Yeah.
01:24:19.199 --> 01:24:20.430
Wes:
They didn't make it very long.
01:24:20.430 --> 01:24:20.869
Wes:
Yeah.
01:24:20.710 --> 01:24:22.989
Alex:
They weren't they weren't having
escort fighters at that time.
01:24:23.109 --> 01:24:25.710
Wes:
Yeah. They weren't lasted long.
01:24:26.149 --> 01:24:29.149
Alex:
So I'd go over and check on him,
make sure he wasn't dead.
01:24:29.149 --> 01:24:29.829
Alex:
I did.
01:24:30.869 --> 01:24:32.989
Alex:
Bob, are you alive in here?
01:24:32.989 --> 01:24:34.510
Alex:
And he come running out of his
room.
01:24:34.510 --> 01:24:36.029
Alex:
He's like ninety eight at this
time.
01:24:36.029 --> 01:24:38.510
Alex:
He's like, oh, fuck, I thought I
was still over in Germany.
01:24:38.510 --> 01:24:40.710
Alex:
You know, he's, you know, he's
that old.
01:24:40.510 --> 01:24:41.750
Wes:
It's never left him.
01:24:41.750 --> 01:24:43.069
Wes:
It's never left, man.
01:24:43.029 --> 01:24:44.989
Alex:
But he you just learn to deal
with it.
01:24:45.789 --> 01:24:49.390
Wes:
And, uh, I, you know, that's
when you you're right.
01:24:49.390 --> 01:24:51.909
Wes:
When, you know, when you when
you look at something with the
01:24:51.909 --> 01:24:55.989
Wes:
understanding, it does take a
lot of clarity to it's calming
01:24:55.989 --> 01:24:58.869
Wes:
when you're like, hey, I'm going
to I'm going to deal with this.
01:24:58.869 --> 01:25:00.710
Wes:
I'm just going to find the right
way to deal with it.
01:25:00.710 --> 01:25:01.229
Wes:
Yeah.
01:25:01.229 --> 01:25:06.590
Wes:
And so, Alex, you, uh, man,
you've built a great family.
01:25:06.590 --> 01:25:07.590
Wes:
I think that's.
01:25:07.590 --> 01:25:09.829
Wes:
You got a wife, two kids.
01:25:09.829 --> 01:25:10.869
Wes:
How, um.
01:25:12.109 --> 01:25:13.430
Wes:
How did they ground you?
01:25:13.430 --> 01:25:13.989
Wes:
How do they.
01:25:13.989 --> 01:25:14.630
Wes:
What?
01:25:15.869 --> 01:25:16.949
Alex:
I don't know.
01:25:16.949 --> 01:25:20.819
Alex:
Uh, they know I had to be
responsible.
01:25:20.819 --> 01:25:21.859
Alex:
Like I can't.
01:25:22.460 --> 01:25:23.260
Wes:
Yeah.
01:25:23.100 --> 01:25:25.100
Alex:
You know. Bastard. Dad. You
know, I don't want to.
01:25:25.100 --> 01:25:26.100
Alex:
I don't want to.
01:25:26.100 --> 01:25:26.539
Alex:
Because they.
01:25:26.539 --> 01:25:26.819
Alex:
They know.
01:25:26.819 --> 01:25:27.380
Alex:
They remember.
01:25:27.380 --> 01:25:29.539
Alex:
I don't want to do that to them.
01:25:29.539 --> 01:25:30.699
Alex:
And, um.
01:25:33.819 --> 01:25:34.699
Alex:
It's it's a lot of work.
01:25:34.699 --> 01:25:36.020
Alex:
Like, I mean, you know.
01:25:36.340 --> 01:25:37.300
Wes:
Yes.
01:25:37.659 --> 01:25:38.260
Alex:
Are you trying to keep.
01:25:38.260 --> 01:25:38.899
Alex:
You gotta feed them.
01:25:38.899 --> 01:25:41.060
Alex:
You gotta make sure they they
take a shower.
01:25:41.060 --> 01:25:43.100
Alex:
You know, you got a lot of stuff
involved.
01:25:42.939 --> 01:25:46.140
Wes:
I barely get through myself.
01:25:45.979 --> 01:25:47.140
Alex:
Yeah. Yeah, like I got.
01:25:47.140 --> 01:25:50.100
Alex:
I barely can dress myself, let
alone another person.
01:25:50.100 --> 01:25:52.859
Alex:
And, um, they keep you on your
toes, you know?
01:25:52.859 --> 01:25:57.180
Alex:
So you're not getting punched in
the nuts, or, you know, they
01:25:57.180 --> 01:25:58.300
Alex:
keep you on your toes.
01:25:58.300 --> 01:25:58.859
Alex:
It's good.
01:25:58.859 --> 01:26:00.039
Alex:
I mean, if you haven't had kids
01:26:00.039 --> 01:26:02.020
Alex:
and you're missing out, you
01:26:02.020 --> 01:26:02.739
Alex:
really are.
01:26:02.859 --> 01:26:05.060
Wes:
Mm. What, uh.
01:26:06.460 --> 01:26:08.899
Wes:
What do you hope your kids
inherit from you?
01:26:09.659 --> 01:26:10.539
Alex:
Hard work.
01:26:11.779 --> 01:26:12.979
Wes:
Man. That's good.
01:26:12.979 --> 01:26:13.699
Wes:
Yeah.
01:26:13.739 --> 01:26:14.460
Alex:
You know, I've been working.
01:26:14.460 --> 01:26:17.729
Alex:
You know, it's It just.
01:26:17.729 --> 01:26:19.729
Alex:
Just working, you know, just
getting out there.
01:26:19.729 --> 01:26:21.090
Alex:
It's okay to get your hands
dirty.
01:26:21.090 --> 01:26:22.289
Alex:
Like I have no problem putting
01:26:22.289 --> 01:26:23.590
Alex:
my hands inside of a toilet like
01:26:23.590 --> 01:26:24.170
Alex:
it's.
01:26:24.170 --> 01:26:25.369
Alex:
It's work.
01:26:25.369 --> 01:26:29.810
Alex:
You know, you get dirty and
washes off, you know?
01:26:29.810 --> 01:26:31.210
Alex:
Nothing wrong with with cleaning
01:26:31.210 --> 01:26:33.409
Alex:
the toilet, picking up trash,
01:26:33.409 --> 01:26:34.569
Alex:
getting dirty.
01:26:34.569 --> 01:26:36.369
Alex:
There's nothing wrong with that
type of work.
01:26:40.170 --> 01:26:42.130
Wes:
Yeah, I think, I mean, I've had
it.
01:26:42.130 --> 01:26:43.930
Wes:
My dad's a similar type thing.
01:26:43.930 --> 01:26:47.850
Wes:
Work has always been a presence
in our life, too, I think.
01:26:47.850 --> 01:26:50.329
Wes:
I think family's always been a
big.
01:26:50.329 --> 01:26:51.449
Wes:
Family's always been big.
01:26:51.449 --> 01:26:53.930
Wes:
In your book, you come from a
decent sized family, right?
01:26:53.930 --> 01:26:56.689
Wes:
You guys are always very
engaged.
01:26:56.489 --> 01:26:58.970
Alex:
And so I haven't told you this.
01:26:58.770 --> 01:27:00.409
Wes:
You're just carrying on the
legacy.
01:27:00.489 --> 01:27:05.050
Alex:
I had told you this, but, um.
01:27:05.050 --> 01:27:05.810
Alex:
Let's see.
01:27:06.970 --> 01:27:08.369
Alex:
We do a thing at my dad's last
01:27:08.369 --> 01:27:09.489
Alex:
weekend, and he's like, hey, by
01:27:09.489 --> 01:27:10.369
Alex:
the way, grandma's not doing
01:27:10.369 --> 01:27:10.489
Alex:
well.
01:27:10.489 --> 01:27:11.170
Alex:
She's in the hospital.
01:27:11.170 --> 01:27:12.289
Alex:
So like that I said, oh, okay.
01:27:12.289 --> 01:27:13.010
Alex:
You know, she's always in the
01:27:13.010 --> 01:27:13.930
Alex:
hospital about every other
01:27:13.930 --> 01:27:14.250
Alex:
month.
01:27:14.250 --> 01:27:14.520
Alex:
off.
01:27:14.520 --> 01:27:17.800
Alex:
Um, but so they're like, oh,
she's not doing well.
01:27:17.800 --> 01:27:18.760
Alex:
You know, you might want to
check on her.
01:27:18.760 --> 01:27:21.680
Alex:
So Friday, my brothers and I go
up to Jackson, Michigan.
01:27:21.680 --> 01:27:22.840
Alex:
So there's two other brothers,
01:27:22.840 --> 01:27:24.640
Alex:
and we go up there and it's my
01:27:24.640 --> 01:27:25.479
Alex:
grandmother.
01:27:25.640 --> 01:27:26.199
Wes:
Mhm.
01:27:26.039 --> 01:27:30.180
Alex:
And literally in an hour and a
half she goes from talking to,
01:27:30.180 --> 01:27:31.840
Alex:
you know her spirit left.
01:27:31.840 --> 01:27:35.000
Alex:
And so we were up there and we
call her like you might because
01:27:35.000 --> 01:27:37.039
Alex:
we were just going to say hey
what's going on.
01:27:37.039 --> 01:27:39.720
Alex:
And uh, you know, we, we were up
there and then she passed that
01:27:39.720 --> 01:27:42.840
Alex:
morning, like, so you really got
to sit there and watch your
01:27:42.840 --> 01:27:45.619
Alex:
grandmother and, you know, you
watch her from going to talking
01:27:45.619 --> 01:27:48.960
Alex:
to non-responsive like that was
Friday night, so.
01:27:48.960 --> 01:27:49.239
Alex:
Mhm.
01:27:49.239 --> 01:27:51.640
Alex:
And that was you know, but it
01:27:51.640 --> 01:27:53.000
Alex:
was a weird thing was, is the
01:27:53.000 --> 01:27:54.680
Alex:
doctor that was up there because
01:27:54.680 --> 01:27:56.119
Alex:
we're, we're three, three of us
01:27:56.119 --> 01:27:57.439
Alex:
are in there and my dad, my
01:27:57.439 --> 01:27:59.560
Alex:
uncle and my cousins, they all
01:27:59.560 --> 01:28:00.720
Alex:
come up there and there's, you
01:28:00.720 --> 01:28:01.600
Alex:
know, there's like ten of us in
01:28:01.600 --> 01:28:01.840
Alex:
this room.
01:28:01.840 --> 01:28:03.960
Alex:
And he's like, this is she must
have been a special lady.
01:28:03.960 --> 01:28:07.760
Alex:
Like, yeah, my grandmother, he's
he's like, this is pretty rare
01:28:07.760 --> 01:28:10.760
Alex:
for people to be up here like
this, to watch somebody pass.
01:28:10.760 --> 01:28:12.539
Alex:
And I and I still.
01:28:12.539 --> 01:28:13.859
Alex:
because it just happened Friday.
01:28:13.859 --> 01:28:16.380
Alex:
So I'm still trying to
comprehend what I saw, what she
01:28:16.380 --> 01:28:17.699
Alex:
was saying, how she was.
01:28:17.539 --> 01:28:18.899
Wes:
Having this Friday.
01:28:18.739 --> 01:28:19.500
Alex:
Yeah.
01:28:19.460 --> 01:28:20.500
Wes:
Oh, man.
01:28:20.500 --> 01:28:21.260
Wes:
Yeah. Okay.
01:28:21.100 --> 01:28:22.300
Alex:
I keep on driving down here.
01:28:22.300 --> 01:28:22.619
Alex:
I'm like.
01:28:22.619 --> 01:28:25.659
Alex:
Because the stuff that she was
saying, they, you know, because
01:28:25.659 --> 01:28:26.619
Alex:
you you watch somebody.
01:28:26.619 --> 01:28:28.340
Alex:
I'm religious and believe in
01:28:28.340 --> 01:28:29.979
Alex:
Jesus and God and you watch
01:28:29.979 --> 01:28:31.260
Alex:
somebody like, slip in and out
01:28:31.260 --> 01:28:32.680
Alex:
of this dimension in this world
01:28:32.680 --> 01:28:33.340
Alex:
and stuff.
01:28:33.340 --> 01:28:38.539
Alex:
They're saying like, it's it is
you.
01:28:38.539 --> 01:28:40.619
Alex:
I think everybody should go and
watch it.
01:28:40.619 --> 01:28:43.539
Alex:
And it's not a horrible thing.
01:28:43.539 --> 01:28:45.699
Alex:
I mean, it's horrible to watch.
01:28:45.699 --> 01:28:49.579
Alex:
But as we come to this earth,
you know, we have to leave.
01:28:49.579 --> 01:28:52.779
Alex:
And and watching somebody go
through that, it's it is
01:28:52.779 --> 01:28:54.659
Alex:
something to watch.
01:28:54.659 --> 01:28:59.600
Alex:
And so yeah, that that's fresh
like when you called like, hey,
01:28:59.600 --> 01:29:00.100
Alex:
what are you doing?
01:29:00.100 --> 01:29:02.619
Alex:
I'm like, I'm on my dad's like,
that was just to make sure my
01:29:02.619 --> 01:29:03.460
Alex:
dad was okay.
01:29:03.300 --> 01:29:04.939
Wes:
Yeah, man, I'm sorry to hear.
01:29:04.939 --> 01:29:06.659
Alex:
Yeah, yeah.
01:29:06.659 --> 01:29:11.409
Alex:
You know, it's just like I'm
still trying to process that.
01:29:11.409 --> 01:29:14.930
Alex:
Like I've seen people go and
I've seen people, you know, I
01:29:14.930 --> 01:29:16.449
Alex:
had a son, my son, that passed.
01:29:16.449 --> 01:29:18.010
Alex:
You know, I got to hold him for
01:29:18.010 --> 01:29:19.529
Alex:
four hours before he finally
01:29:19.529 --> 01:29:19.850
Alex:
went on.
01:29:19.850 --> 01:29:21.250
Alex:
And that was that was different
01:29:21.250 --> 01:29:22.689
Alex:
watching, you know, then you had
01:29:22.689 --> 01:29:24.210
Alex:
to go bury one of your own kids
01:29:24.210 --> 01:29:26.810
Alex:
and then, um, it's just
01:29:26.810 --> 01:29:27.569
Alex:
different, you know, from the
01:29:27.569 --> 01:29:27.970
Alex:
military.
01:29:27.970 --> 01:29:30.449
Alex:
The military really helped keep
my head on straight during this
01:29:30.449 --> 01:29:33.369
Alex:
stuff, you know, because my wife
was losing it, you know?
01:29:33.369 --> 01:29:36.369
Alex:
You know, just keep your head,
keep it focused.
01:29:36.369 --> 01:29:37.689
Alex:
But, you know, you have to sit
01:29:37.689 --> 01:29:38.329
Alex:
back, and that's what I'm
01:29:38.329 --> 01:29:38.609
Alex:
telling you.
01:29:38.609 --> 01:29:39.329
Alex:
You can't hide this stuff.
01:29:39.329 --> 01:29:41.050
Alex:
You have to sit back, and you
have to process it like, all
01:29:41.050 --> 01:29:41.930
Alex:
right, what did I just see?
01:29:41.930 --> 01:29:43.210
Alex:
What did I just witness?
01:29:43.250 --> 01:29:43.890
Wes:
Yeah.
01:29:43.729 --> 01:29:46.609
Alex:
And, um, you know, learning how
to deal with that.
01:29:47.649 --> 01:29:49.010
Wes:
Yeah, it is a lot.
01:29:49.010 --> 01:29:51.609
Wes:
I just, uh, was was your grandma
last year?
01:29:51.609 --> 01:29:52.729
Wes:
Your grandparents?
01:29:52.529 --> 01:29:53.329
Alex:
No, I actually.
01:29:53.170 --> 01:29:53.810
Wes:
She's.
01:29:53.689 --> 01:29:54.770
Alex:
We've been very blessed.
01:29:54.770 --> 01:29:56.689
Alex:
She's my first one to go.
01:29:56.770 --> 01:29:57.409
Wes:
Really?
01:29:57.250 --> 01:29:58.210
Alex:
You know, we just buried my.
01:29:58.210 --> 01:29:58.810
Alex:
Great.
01:29:58.649 --> 01:29:59.529
Wes:
So you guys are four?
01:29:59.529 --> 01:30:00.409
Wes:
Yeah, I just lost.
01:30:00.409 --> 01:30:01.050
Wes:
We're young.
01:30:00.890 --> 01:30:01.850
Alex:
We're a young family.
01:30:01.689 --> 01:30:02.649
Wes:
Like, okay, okay.
01:30:02.449 --> 01:30:03.850
Alex:
Twenty, twenty, you're twenty
years old.
01:30:03.850 --> 01:30:04.289
Alex:
You have a kid.
01:30:04.289 --> 01:30:04.930
Alex:
You know, I had.
01:30:04.930 --> 01:30:09.840
Alex:
Yeah, I had my first one at, um,
thirty three And that's old.
01:30:09.640 --> 01:30:10.119
Wes:
So my.
01:30:10.119 --> 01:30:11.119
Wes:
That's how my dad was.
01:30:11.119 --> 01:30:12.399
Wes:
He was thirty when he had me.
01:30:12.399 --> 01:30:13.720
Wes:
So he's a little bit older.
01:30:13.720 --> 01:30:15.319
Wes:
My grandparents are little, but
01:30:15.319 --> 01:30:17.020
Wes:
I feel like they were more well
01:30:17.020 --> 01:30:17.680
Wes:
established.
01:30:17.680 --> 01:30:20.319
Wes:
I think that probably benefited
me.
01:30:20.319 --> 01:30:20.800
Wes:
You know.
01:30:20.640 --> 01:30:23.039
Alex:
It does because, you know, when
I was born, my dad was only
01:30:23.039 --> 01:30:25.479
Alex:
twenty one, my mom was eighteen
or nineteen, and we were poor.
01:30:25.319 --> 01:30:28.159
Wes:
I was an idiot when I was twenty
one, too, you know what I mean?
01:30:28.159 --> 01:30:32.039
Wes:
I was not very equipped to take
care of myself, let alone a kid.
01:30:32.319 --> 01:30:34.359
Alex:
Yeah, and we'll just we'll leave
it at that.
01:30:34.359 --> 01:30:36.199
Alex:
You know, it's versus me being a
01:30:36.199 --> 01:30:37.079
Alex:
little bit older, you know, I
01:30:37.079 --> 01:30:38.359
Alex:
have a house and stuff like
01:30:38.359 --> 01:30:38.880
Alex:
that.
01:30:38.720 --> 01:30:39.680
Wes:
More established.
01:30:39.680 --> 01:30:41.119
Wes:
Yeah. You're stable.
01:30:41.079 --> 01:30:45.199
Alex:
But then I'm thirty nine and my
sons run around trying to punch
01:30:45.199 --> 01:30:45.680
Alex:
me in my nuts.
01:30:45.680 --> 01:30:47.079
Alex:
Like, I'm like, oh, my back.
01:30:47.079 --> 01:30:48.800
Alex:
You know, it's like there's a
trade off.
01:30:48.800 --> 01:30:50.239
Alex:
Like, you can do it while you're
young and.
01:30:50.039 --> 01:30:51.560
Speaker 9:
Be right, I gotcha.
01:30:51.399 --> 01:30:54.319
Alex:
Or, you know, it's there's
definitely trade off.
01:30:57.079 --> 01:31:02.600
Wes:
Would, um, is there anything
else that you want to say, uh,
01:31:02.600 --> 01:31:04.640
Wes:
before we start closing out?
01:31:04.479 --> 01:31:06.159
Alex:
No, I appreciate this.
01:31:06.159 --> 01:31:08.229
Alex:
You know, just if if everybody
01:31:08.229 --> 01:31:09.829
Alex:
needs help, just there's help
01:31:09.829 --> 01:31:10.310
Alex:
out there.
01:31:10.310 --> 01:31:11.189
Alex:
Don't be ashamed.
01:31:11.189 --> 01:31:12.270
Alex:
The government's not going to
come.
01:31:12.270 --> 01:31:13.430
Alex:
Take your guns away.
01:31:13.430 --> 01:31:14.149
Alex:
That's bullshit.
01:31:14.149 --> 01:31:15.710
Alex:
You know, there's only one case
01:31:15.710 --> 01:31:17.670
Alex:
that if you're under immediate
01:31:17.670 --> 01:31:18.710
Alex:
harm or immediate harm to
01:31:18.710 --> 01:31:20.770
Alex:
yourself or others, you know,
01:31:20.770 --> 01:31:22.189
Alex:
that's that's where there'd be
01:31:22.189 --> 01:31:22.470
Alex:
an issue.
01:31:22.470 --> 01:31:23.449
Alex:
But you don't you're not going
01:31:23.449 --> 01:31:24.750
Alex:
to get talk about it, because
01:31:24.750 --> 01:31:26.130
Alex:
that's what I want to talk
01:31:26.130 --> 01:31:26.310
Alex:
about.
01:31:26.310 --> 01:31:27.229
Alex:
I want to take my guns away.
01:31:27.229 --> 01:31:29.869
Alex:
Nobody's gonna take your guns
like, oh, that's not true.
01:31:29.869 --> 01:31:30.470
Alex:
Okay.
01:31:30.470 --> 01:31:32.789
Alex:
What cases have you seen around
01:31:32.789 --> 01:31:33.989
Alex:
that people are getting their
01:31:33.989 --> 01:31:35.189
Alex:
guns taken away like your
01:31:35.189 --> 01:31:35.710
Alex:
firearms.
01:31:35.710 --> 01:31:38.390
Alex:
Like, you know, if you're
immediate harm to yourself.
01:31:38.390 --> 01:31:39.750
Alex:
Yeah, probably.
01:31:39.750 --> 01:31:41.550
Alex:
Probably shouldn't have a gun.
01:31:41.550 --> 01:31:44.909
Alex:
But yet again, like, your guns
are bad, but I. I just drove
01:31:44.909 --> 01:31:47.670
Alex:
here in a two ton tank that I
put gasoline in.
01:31:47.670 --> 01:31:48.710
Alex:
Highly explosive.
01:31:48.710 --> 01:31:50.189
Alex:
Like, it's just it's individual.
01:31:50.189 --> 01:31:51.909
Alex:
It's not the the firearm.
01:31:51.909 --> 01:31:53.909
Alex:
You know, I drive a freaking,
you know, you drive a truck and
01:31:53.909 --> 01:31:54.949
Alex:
it becomes a missile.
01:31:55.029 --> 01:31:56.670
Wes:
I, I have the stance and I'm
01:31:56.670 --> 01:31:58.109
Wes:
pretty sure you're similar about
01:31:58.109 --> 01:32:00.710
Wes:
firearms is, uh, you gotta know
01:32:00.710 --> 01:32:02.109
Wes:
how to use them and be confident
01:32:02.109 --> 01:32:03.550
Wes:
in use them then it's just a
01:32:03.550 --> 01:32:03.829
Wes:
tool.
01:32:03.829 --> 01:32:04.430
Wes:
It's not.
01:32:04.430 --> 01:32:05.180
Wes:
Yeah.
01:32:05.180 --> 01:32:06.539
Wes:
If you know the basic safety
01:32:06.539 --> 01:32:07.619
Wes:
rules, you're not going to have
01:32:07.619 --> 01:32:08.300
Wes:
problems.
01:32:08.300 --> 01:32:08.979
Wes:
Yeah.
01:32:09.340 --> 01:32:12.420
Alex:
I get it's an easier it lowers
that.
01:32:12.420 --> 01:32:13.619
Alex:
I guess the thing with firearms
01:32:13.619 --> 01:32:16.020
Alex:
is it lowers the threshold of
01:32:16.020 --> 01:32:17.939
Alex:
knowing how to be proficient at
01:32:17.939 --> 01:32:18.220
Alex:
one.
01:32:18.220 --> 01:32:19.659
Alex:
Like if if you had a dude that
01:32:19.659 --> 01:32:20.960
Alex:
was running around with a bow,
01:32:20.960 --> 01:32:22.460
Alex:
he'd have to be pretty good with
01:32:22.460 --> 01:32:23.060
Alex:
a bow.
01:32:24.060 --> 01:32:25.260
Wes:
Right?
01:32:25.260 --> 01:32:26.300
Wes:
Higher skill set.
01:32:26.100 --> 01:32:28.220
Alex:
Or a guy with a sword that's
running around.
01:32:28.060 --> 01:32:31.979
Wes:
Danny DeVito just coming out,
blasting Jack, running around.
01:32:31.779 --> 01:32:33.659
Alex:
There's some skill that has to
come with that.
01:32:33.659 --> 01:32:36.260
Alex:
You know, the gun, the firearm
does lower that threshold, but
01:32:36.260 --> 01:32:37.220
Alex:
it's still the individual.
01:32:37.220 --> 01:32:39.420
Alex:
That's the psychopath, you know.
01:32:39.659 --> 01:32:41.619
Wes:
Yes. That you know.
01:32:41.619 --> 01:32:43.819
Wes:
And yeah, you're the people like
that.
01:32:43.819 --> 01:32:45.140
Wes:
They have no care about you.
01:32:45.140 --> 01:32:46.659
Wes:
They don't think anything of
your.
01:32:46.659 --> 01:32:47.300
Wes:
Yeah they don't.
01:32:47.300 --> 01:32:51.300
Wes:
They operate on different, uh,
realm than we do.
01:32:51.300 --> 01:32:54.699
Wes:
Um, man, you shared a lot of
stuff with us, man.
01:32:54.699 --> 01:32:57.140
Wes:
I appreciate you, uh, talking
about what works.
01:32:57.140 --> 01:33:00.579
Wes:
And, uh, another thing that I
didn't think I talked about that
01:33:00.579 --> 01:33:02.260
Wes:
you touched is, uh.
01:33:02.260 --> 01:33:06.380
Wes:
I think faith is an important
part of your aspect of your
01:33:06.380 --> 01:33:07.840
Wes:
being so resilient.
01:33:07.840 --> 01:33:08.800
Wes:
You know what I mean?
01:33:08.800 --> 01:33:12.520
Wes:
I, I think the strongest people
I've met are men of faith.
01:33:12.520 --> 01:33:12.840
Wes:
Yeah.
01:33:12.840 --> 01:33:14.000
Wes:
So I won't.
01:33:13.920 --> 01:33:15.800
Alex:
And I'll leave it at this, you
know.
01:33:15.800 --> 01:33:19.859
Alex:
Well, I don't understand why no
God would make this stuff and
01:33:19.859 --> 01:33:23.239
Alex:
all this horrible stuff that
happens in this world.
01:33:23.239 --> 01:33:25.800
Alex:
I don't understand why somebody
like we.
01:33:25.800 --> 01:33:27.920
Alex:
We put the blame on something
else.
01:33:27.920 --> 01:33:32.039
Alex:
When the blame ultimately falls
on us, you know, it's it's.
01:33:33.039 --> 01:33:37.960
Alex:
If you seek him, he will find
you, I promise you that.
01:33:37.960 --> 01:33:38.199
Alex:
Okay.
01:33:38.199 --> 01:33:41.880
Alex:
I'm going to give this a try and
put my faith in Jesus.
01:33:41.880 --> 01:33:45.399
Alex:
They he will find you.
01:33:45.399 --> 01:33:46.960
Alex:
You'll start seeing things.
01:33:46.960 --> 01:33:48.239
Alex:
It's out there.
01:33:48.239 --> 01:33:52.159
Alex:
You I, I have seen things and
seen things happen in Iraq.
01:33:52.159 --> 01:33:53.939
Alex:
How you can have a whole ark
01:33:53.939 --> 01:33:56.279
Alex:
unloaded on you, all around you,
01:33:56.279 --> 01:33:58.079
Alex:
and you walk away like there's
01:33:58.079 --> 01:33:59.520
Alex:
only so much probability of
01:33:59.520 --> 01:34:02.590
Alex:
chance that can only happen, you
01:34:02.590 --> 01:34:03.229
Alex:
know?
01:34:03.229 --> 01:34:04.310
Alex:
Things happen for a reason.
01:34:04.310 --> 01:34:05.109
Alex:
You don't know what it is.
01:34:05.109 --> 01:34:07.390
Alex:
It might be horrible, but it
might be able to correct you or
01:34:07.390 --> 01:34:08.189
Alex:
correct somebody else.
01:34:08.189 --> 01:34:10.829
Alex:
It just, you know, give it a
chance.
01:34:13.310 --> 01:34:14.670
Wes:
Man. That's powerful.
01:34:14.670 --> 01:34:20.630
Wes:
I, uh, Alex, what stands out
isn't just what we live through.
01:34:20.630 --> 01:34:22.390
Wes:
It's how you carried it forward.
01:34:22.390 --> 01:34:25.949
Wes:
From normal life to chaos to
purpose again.
01:34:25.949 --> 01:34:27.710
Wes:
I'm proud to call you my
brother.
01:34:29.550 --> 01:34:32.609
Wes:
If you're a veteran listening
right now and carrying more than
01:34:32.609 --> 01:34:34.750
Wes:
you're saying, reach out.
01:34:34.750 --> 01:34:37.510
Wes:
Walk into a legion, ask
questions.
01:34:37.510 --> 01:34:39.109
Wes:
Benefits you earned.
01:34:39.109 --> 01:34:42.390
Wes:
If this episode hit you, share
it with someone who lived it.
01:34:42.390 --> 01:34:44.310
Wes:
This is how we take care of our
own.