Semper Try

Vietnam veteran and Army helicopter pilot Robert Mitchell survived the war. But leaving Vietnam didn't mean leaving the war behind. In Part 2 of our conversation, Robert shares what happened after he left the Army in 1970 and began a journey that would take him across Europe and ultimately change the direction of his life. Struggling with the psychological effects of war, Robert traveled through E...

Robert Mitchell didn’t go looking for war. In 1966, his student deferment disappeared and the draft was closing in. Instead of waiting to see where the Army would send him, Robert made a choice: if he was going to serve, he wanted to fly. That decision put him into the Army’s Warrant Officer Rotary Wing Aviation program and eventually behind the controls of helicopters headed for Vietnam. In Part...

This episode of the Semper Try Podcast is a little different. What started as a six-part Today in Military History series turned into a full deep dive into one of the most historic units in the United States Army: The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment :The Old Guard. This whole series started after I heard Army veteran David Weisenhorn on the Chat 62 Podcast, a fellow member of VET: Voices Empowering Tom...

In 034 P3, the final part of Eusebia “Chappy” Rios’ story, Chappy shares what happened after 33 years of military service. From searching for a massive cobra in Baghdad to surviving dangerous missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chappy brings humor to some of the hardest moments of her career. She also opens up about retirement, losing her mother, living with PTSD, and finally asking for the help she...

n Part 2 of my conversation with Eusebia “Chappy” Rios, we pick up her journey from enlisted Airman to Air Force chaplain—and the moments that shaped the way she showed up for the people around her. Chappy shares the advice that reminded her never to forget her enlisted roots, why she wanted people to see the cross before the rank, and how an unexpected conversation with a young Security Forces Ai...

On this Patriot Day, 25 years after September 11, 2001, four members of VET, all United States Marine Corps veterans, come together to remember where we were when America changed forever. We share our memories of that morning. We remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost, those who answered the call, and a country that came together. Never forget September 11, 2001.

Sometimes Plan B becomes the path you were supposed to be on all along. Eusebia “Chappy” Rios spent 33 years in the United States Air Force, but her story didn’t begin with plans for a military career. When college wasn’t financially possible, the Air Force became Plan B — and that decision changed the course of her life. Chappy started as an Airman Basic in the Dental Corps, eventually working in...

In Part 3 and the final part of my conversation with Marine veteran Clifford Sosamon, we talk about something a lot of veterans face after leaving the military  finding that next mission. Cliff shares how getting involved with the VFW and veteran organizations helped him rediscover the community, camaraderie, structure, and purpose he had been missing since leaving the Marine Corps. We also talk a...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Marine veteran Cliff Sosamon, we pick up his story as the Marine Corps starts taking him places he never expected. Cliff went from becoming an LAV mechanic — a job he never wanted — to deploying to Haiti as part of Operation Restore/Uphold Democracy. From there, his career took another turn when he became a Marine Security Guard. Cliff shares what it was really li...

  This week on the Semper Try Podcast, I sit down with fellow Marine veteran Cliff Sosamon for Part 1 of a three-part conversation. Cliff grew up in a small town in Illinois surrounded by military history. His dad served in the Air Force during Vietnam, and Cliff knew early on that college wasn't his path — he wanted to become a Marine. He shipped to MCRD San Diego in October 1992, and that's wher...

One wrong step. That's literally all it took to change the direction of Erik Monarca's Marine Corps career. In Part 3 and the final part of my conversation with Erik, he talks about a training accident that started with simply stepping the wrong way. What seemed like a foot injury he could push through eventually became something much more serious — doctors discovered two crushed bones in his foot...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Marine veteran Erik Monarca, the real test begins. After losing nearly 80 pounds just for the chance to become a Marine, Erik quickly discovered that earning the title would demand even more. Boot camp brought setback after setback, including a devastating rope-climb injury that tore the skin from both of his hands. Most people would have seen those moments as rea...

What happens when doubt becomes fuel? For Erik Monarca, that moment changed the course of his life. In Part 1, Marine veteran and Chat 62 Podcast host Erik Monarca, USMC, shares how an overweight teenager with little confidence made the decision to earn the title United States Marine. After being told he wasn't ready, Erik committed himself to losing nearly 80 pounds to make his dream a reality. B...

What happens after the shooting stops? In Part 2 of my conversation with Army veteran Buford Johnson, we go beyond the battlefield and into the lessons he carried home from Vietnam. Buford shares why he left active duty, continued serving for more than two decades in the Army Reserve, taught military leadership, and developed a lifelong passion for American history and the U.S. Constitution. Along...

Sometimes the best conversations happen when you least expect them. I attended a Memorial Day ceremony simply to record the event. I had no idea who the guest speaker was or that I was about to meet someone whose story deserved to be shared. After hearing Buford Johnson's powerful speech, I introduced myself and asked if he would sit down for a conversation. Thankfully, he said yes. In Part One, B...

At just 14 years old, Heinz Langbein found himself standing in a foxhole with four Panzerfausts, facing advancing Soviet T-34 tanks during the final weeks of World War II. In Part 2 of my conversation with Heidi Langbein-Allen, she shares the incredible true story of her father's first battle, the split-second decisions that saved his life, his capture by American forces, and the emotional journey...

At just 13 years old, Heinz Langbein was taken from his parents by the Nazi regime. What began as a promise of safety from Allied bombing quickly became a systematic effort to turn German boys into soldiers. Indoctrinated through the Hitler Youth, separated from his family, forced to endure starvation, and trained for war, Heinz watched his childhood disappear one day at a time. In Part 1 of this...

n Part 3 of our conversation with John Pietruszewski, we explore a side of service that often goes unnoticed the service that continues long after the military career ends. From earning the Green Beret to mentoring young people through Scouting, coaching youth sports, serving in the American Legion, and honoring veterans through the Color Guard, John shares how purpose, leadership, and commitment...

In Part 2 of my conversation with John Pietruszewski, we continue his incredible journey from Green Beret to community leader. John takes us inside life at Fort Bragg, shares what day-to-day service in Special Forces was really like, and tells the story of earning a chance to try out for the Army's elite Golden Knights parachute team. Competing for just five spots, John completed 50 jumps during t...

In 1971, John Pietruszewski faced a reality many young Americans knew all too well—the Vietnam draft. With a draft number of 26, he knew his chances of being called were high. Rather than wait, John made a decision that would change the course of his life: he enlisted in the Army with one goal in mind—earning the Green Beret. In Part 1 of this conversation, John shares his journey from growing up...

At 19 years old, Julie Becker returned home from a trip to Mexico and found a voicemail waiting for her. It was from a Navy recruiter. What started as a simple phone call led Julie from Phoenix, Arizona, to boot camp in Great Lakes, intelligence training in Pensacola, and eventually aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG-78) as a Cryptologic Technician and plank owner. In this episode...

In Episode 026 Part 2 of the Semper Try Podcast, Bill Lowe continues walking and talking with Army veteran Ray Reynoso somewhere along the back roads of Minnesota as Ray hikes the entire Mississippi River Trail from source to sea. This episode is raw and real. The camera mount failed, the audio cuts out at times, traffic flies by, and nothing about it feels polished — but honestly, that’s what mak...

Episode 26 Part 1 of the Semper Try Podcast is unlike anything we’ve done before. At 7:00 AM on Saturday morning, May 16th, I caught up with Army veteran Ray Reynoso in North Prairie, Minnesota, where he had spent the night tenting behind a church along the Mississippi River Trail Road. Ray is currently attempting to walk the entire Mississippi River Trail from source to sea — over 2,400 miles — l...

What started as a podcast interview turned into one of those conversations veterans know well — the kind where one story triggers another, then another, and suddenly you’re talking about fighter jets, aircraft carriers, PTSD, teamwork, terrible military flights, stolen couches in squadron spaces, and the moments that stick with you 20 years later. Marine Corps aviation maintainer Bill sits down wi...

In this episode of the Semper Try Podcast, Bill sits down with his new friend Steve, host of Even Though I Walk, for a powerful conversation about service, faith, trauma, healing, and the stories veterans carry home. Steve shares his journey from joining the Air Force at 17, serving as a firefighter, being called into ministry, and later spending 22 years as a Navy chaplain serving alongside sailo...