Echoes Unfiltered

Jerry Heim, the voice behind Blue Cord CSM and the BootsandChutesUnfiltered podcast, joins Echoes Unfiltered to share his 30-year journey through the Marine Corps and Army, retiring as a Command Sergeant Major. We talk about combat, leadership, the transition home, and the reality many veterans face when the mission ends but the fight doesn’t. This is a raw conversation about service, identity, an...

I sit down with Kevin, also known as Lt. Fire Duck, who served in Ramadi during the same time period. We talk about his path into service, what he experienced overseas, and what life has looked like since coming home. This is an honest, unfiltered conversation about war, transition, and what it takes to keep moving forward. You can order my book, now available on Amazon: Echoes from the Sandbox by...

In Episode 37 of Echoes Unfiltered, Leo Beach joins me for a powerful conversation about trauma, healing, and why men need to start talking about the things we usually keep buried. Leo shares personal experiences and the lessons he’s learned about facing pain instead of hiding from it. Conversations like this remind us that none of us are carrying these burdens alone. You can order my book, now av...

In this episode I sit down with Army veteran Joe Nichols. Joe deployed to Afghanistan and opens up about something most men struggle to talk about. While he was deployed, his brother was killed in Afghanistan not far from where he was serving. We talk about loss, grief, brotherhood, and why keeping things bottled up doesn’t work. Joe shares his story honestly because he believes talking about it h...

In this episode, I sit down with John Levin for an honest conversation about service, life experiences, and the stories that stay with us long after the uniform comes off. Echoes Unfiltered is about real conversations with veterans, first responders, and people who have lived through extraordinary experiences. No scripts. No filters. Just honest dialogue. You can order my book, now available on Am...

In this episode, I’m joined by Army veteran and former platoon leader Lieutenant Alec Z. We served in different wars, but the brotherhood and the weight that follows are the same. We talk about route clearance in Afghanistan, leading soldiers in combat, coming home to a different kind of battle, and why the buddy checks don’t stop when the war ends. This is a real conversation about service, survi...

In Episode 33 of Echoes Unfiltered, I sit down with Marine veteran Seth Mahoney. Seth opens up about his deployment to Iraq, the struggles that followed after coming home, and the road that led him through addiction and prison. But this isn’t just a story about falling — it’s a story about redemption. We talk about faith, consequences, brotherhood, and the reality that no one is beyond a second ch...

This is a different kind of episode. For the first time, Sam and his wife Lynn sit down together and talk openly about their marriage, the years of silence, the truth that finally came out, and what it took to rebuild something that almost fell apart. This isn’t an interview. It’s a real conversation between two people who chose honesty when it would’ve been easier to stay quiet. If you’ve ever wo...

In this episode, I sit down with Marine veteran Dustin. We talk about why he joined at 17, deploying to Iraq, and what life looked like after coming home. Like many of us, his path didn’t end with the military. It carried into law enforcement and the long road of figuring out life after war. We get into the stuff most people don’t talk about. The shift in identity. The loss of brotherhood. Why tru...

Chief Warrant Officer Bill Hatounian flew UH-1 gunships in Vietnam with D Troop, 1/4 Cavalry — Darkhorse. We talk combat aviation, Hueys, life under fire, transitioning home, and continuing to serve through a career in law enforcement. Bill also shares about his writing and current work at mynoveltales.com. These are the stories that deserve to be heard. If you'd like to know more about my sto...

Jay is a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry machine gunner who deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 and later returned overseas as a contractor. In this conversation, he opens up about combat, ROE, ambushes, burn pits, health concerns, and the difficult transition back to civilian life. This is the kind of conversation many veterans never get to have out loud. Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered. You...

In this full-length episode, I sit down with Alex Sonnenfelt, a combat engineer and Husky driver who deployed to Afghanistan after our time together in Dodgeville. We talk about route clearance operations, GPR systems, working with coalition forces, and what it feels like to carry the responsibility of protecting your guys every single day. We also get real about coming home. The anger. The discon...

In this episode of Echoes Unfiltered , I sit down with Bill Christensen, a fellow Ramadi veteran, to talk about combat, survival, and the long road to healing after being critically injured by an IED. Bill shares what it was like to wake up with no memory of the blast, how recovery unfolded physically and mentally, and the role faith, family, and brotherhood played in rebuilding life after war. Th...

“22 veterans a day” gets repeated so often it loses its weight. This episode puts the weight back where it belongs. On the people. On the silence. On the truth about what many veterans carry long after the uniform comes off. This is a conversation about isolation, brotherhood, and why staying connected matters more than having the right words. If this reaches you at the right time, you’re not alon...

In this full episode of Echoes Unfiltered , Sam Stratton sits down with Jay Kroeplin , a Buffalo arm operator from Ramadi. Jay breaks down what it really meant to run the Buffalo, the level of trust inside a route clearance crew, and the mistakes that could get people hurt or killed. Jay also walks through the mission where Mitch, Ski, and Bill were hit, what he saw that day, and the moments that...

In Episode 27 of Echoes Unfiltered , I sit down with Army veteran Jason Madaus for an honest conversation about service, trauma, and rebuilding life after Iraq. Jason shares what it was like deploying early in the war, surviving a Christmas Day mortar attack, and living with lasting physical and mental injuries. We talk about the long road home, fitness as a coping tool, navigating the VA system,...

In Part Two of Sam’s conversation with Richard, the discussion moves from reflection into responsibility. This half focuses on faith, accountability, and what it looks like to move forward honestly when life does not offer clean answers or quick fixes. We talk about growth, integrity, and the long work of becoming who you are meant to be instead of staying stuck in who you have been. This is where...

At some point, every grown man has to face this truth: no one is coming to save you. Not the perfect timing. Not the right feeling. Not someone else stepping in to fix it. That realization isn’t hopeless. It’s empowering. When you stop waiting for permission, motivation, or rescue, you start moving. You start owning your choices, your discipline, and your next step. This Echo Short is a reminder t...

In Part One of Episode 25, Sam sits down with Richard for an honest, unfiltered conversation about the things we carry but rarely talk about. This is not a polished story or a highlight reel. It’s a real discussion about life, responsibility, faith, and the quiet weight that builds when hard truths go unspoken. We talk about showing up as you are, the cost of avoidance, and why healing begins with...

This episode was recorded at the cabin with my family and it’s a reminder that being present is part of the mission. We talk about slowing down, resisting the constant grind, and choosing moments that actually last. This week’s challenge: do one thing fully present. No phone. No multitasking. Just be there. Echoes Unfiltered Real Talk, Raw Faith, Stay Unfiltered Order my book on Amazon: Echoes fro...

In this episode, Sam sits down with his Aunt Mary for a powerful conversation about addiction, recovery, and the long road to rebuilding a life. Mary spent decades struggling with alcohol and drugs, and today she shares openly about the chaos, the consequences, and the moment she decided to change. She’s been clean and sober for five years, and her story is packed with honesty, pain, strength, and...

Sometimes the hardest thing isn’t pushing forward. It’s holding steady. Staying anchored. Not giving up when the noise gets loud and the pressure hits. This Echo Short is about resilience, faith, and choosing to stand firm when quitting would be easier. Real talk. Raw faith. Stay unfiltered. Order my book on Amazon: Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7J41G4F...

Today’s episode is something special. I’m joined by my brother from Iraq, David "DJ" Engel from Second Platoon. We rolled the same roads in Ramadi, faced the same threats, and carried home different battles afterward. David opens up about joining the military, serving alongside his brother Mitch, what they went through overseas, and how life has been since coming home. This is the first...

You can forgive someone and still have no place for them in your life today. That isn’t bitterness. That’s healing. In this Echo Short, Sam talks about closing the door on abuse, choosing freedom, and walking forward without carrying the weight of someone else’s sin. Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered. Order my book on Amazon: Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton https://www.amazon.com...

Today I sit down with Nick Polce , a former U.S. Army Green Beret, for real talk about service, sacrifice, healing, and faith. No politics — just two men being honest about the things we’ve carried and the work it takes to walk in freedom. If you’re struggling, trying to make sense of your story, or just need to hear a raw and unfiltered conversation between brothers, this episode is for you. If y...