Urban Valor: the podcast

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army veteran, Fernando Arroyo.  Fernando grew up in Bell Gardens, CA where he witnessed gang violence from a young age.  Since a kid, he’d been interested in joining the military, but the 9/11 attack on America solidified it. Fernando enlisted into the Army on a paratrooper contract. He’s conducted multiple combat deployments and speaks on the difficulty of...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant,  Robert Porter aka “Bar.”  Bar grew up in Albany, New York and was adopted as a child. He talks us through 21 years in the Marine Corps in occupations not limited to Military Police, criminal investigations, Drill Instructor, and Marine Combat Instructor of Water Survival. Upon transitioning, Bar began helping out with Toys...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine and Army veteran Jose  Valenzuela.  Jose was born in Mexicali, Mexico. He grew up in poverty and came to the United States around the age of 7.  In today's episode, Jose shares of his immigrant journey to the United States and the U.S. Military.  After Marine recruiters visited his high school, he was inspired to join the military.  Jose spent 1...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran Miguel Linares.  Miguel was born in Westminster, CA. He enlisted in the Marine Corps as an  Aviation Mechanic, but after 9/11, Miguel wanted to fight and changed his  job to Infantry Rifleman.  He got what he asked for and fought through Nasiriyah’s “Ambush Alley” during the Iraq invasion of 2003. Miguel recalls and shares vivid details of th...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran Gino Garcia. Gino was born and raised in Pomona, CA.  At the age of 14, he joined the Devil Pups program, which inspired him to want to become a United States Marine. Gino initially wanted to enlist in the infantry; however, some of his veteran family members convinced him to choose an occupation that would make for a smoother transition back...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran, Ryan Coughlin. Ryan grew up in North Brookfield Massachusetts. He was inspired to join the Marines by his Marine veteran grandfather who fought in Iwo Jima during WWII. Ryan served two combat deployments to Afghanistan. He talks about how his deployments made him appreciate his life in America.  Towards the end of his enlistment, Ryan succee...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran Nivardo Gonzalez.  Nivardo grew up in Long Beach, CA. He wasn’t interested in college, so he enlisted in the Marine Corp as an Infantry Rifleman. Nivardo conducted two combat deployments during his enlistment.  During one of those deployments, he and his unit were met with intense combat after occupying a Taliban stronghold known as the “Gree...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army Ranger veteran Brad Jacobson. Brad grew up in Washington State as a Mormon. Once he stopped attending church, his mom kicked him out of the house. While homeless, Brad enlisted in the Army to change his situation and became an Army Ranger. He would conduct multiple combat deployments. One of which involved the death and cover-up of former NFL player an...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran, Roland Vandenberg. Roland was born in Inglewood, CA and grew up in the desert of Lake Los Angeles. He came up in the party crew scene of the 90’s and was kicked out of multiple high schools. Roland made his way into the Marine  Corps and ended up on the frontlines during the Invasion of Iraq in March 2003. He would go on to conduct multiple...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Navy and Air Force veteran Gary Mathieson. Gary was born on Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, where his father was flying B-52s as a Bombardier Navigator. Growing up around pilots his entire life inspired him to enlist in the military, and when the Gulf War began, Gary felt the need to serve. Gary’s job required him to be prepared to survive being captur...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army veteran Travis Story. Travis grew up in Villa Park, CA. He was the youngest of five boys. His father’s rule for the boys was they had to leave the house at the age of 18, which was part of Travis’ inspiration for joining the Army. He enlisted as a Black Hawk Helicopter Mechanic and got married while on active duty. As Travis’ marriage fell apart, so di...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army veteran Luke Simianer. Luke was born in Nebraska, then moved to Virginia, and grew up in Section 8 housing.  The 9/11 attacks inspired him to enlist in the Army. Luke was only 17 when he went through Army Airborne school. He did a combat deployment to Afghanistan, where he had quite the experience with snipers, hard drives, and donkeys, to say the leas...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran Keene Sherburne. Keene grew up in California’s high desert. His Vietnam veteran father was a “prepper”, which led to law enforcement conducting 19 searches on their home. After Keene’s parents went to jail, he was forced to fend for himself at the age of 15. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and became an infantry machine gunner. While in Iraq,...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran Joel Ramirez. He grew up in Salem, Oregon, and found himself getting into many fights. Joel enlisted into the National Guard; however, his older brother was enlisted in the Marines and forced Joel to retract his enlistment so he could also go to the Marines. He enlisted into the Marine Corps as an 0311 Rifleman. Joel had a rough time as a new...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army Sergeant First Class, Umar  Arrastia. As of this interview, he’s served 23 years in the National Guard with the last 13 years being on active duty. Umar talks about his experience in the Army and being overseas in combat, however, he wanted to speak mostly about his late son, Jibreel Arrastia, who passed away in 2020 while enlisted in the Navy. Umar wa...

Welcome to this week's episode of Urban Valor, featuring Marine veteran Zach Sales. Despite enduring a traumatic upbringing and frequently moving from place to place, Zach was inspired by his Marine infantry veteran father to enlist in the military. He served in the US Marine Corps from 2009 to 2017 and now runs a thriving military skateboard community that helps other veterans cope with thei...

In the latest episode of the Urban Valor podcast, Marine Corps officer Daisy Romero shares her incredible story of serving her country despite facing numerous challenges. Daisy grew up in South Central LA, where she was exposed to poverty and gang violence. Despite these obstacles, she was determined to make a better life for herself and her family, and this led her to join the Marine Corps. Throu...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army First Sergeant Jon Bakaian. Jon grew up in Southern New Hampshire. He was close to his brother, Jeremy Bakaian, an Army combat veteran who enlisted into the infantry 6 months before he did. Jon conducted multiple combat deployments to Iraq. He speaks about the tragic loss of several comrades in combat and from suicide while battling PTSD. Additionally,...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Arcand. Daniel grew up near the twin cities in Minnesota. He enlisted into the Marine Corps as an infantryman and conducted 7 deployments during his service, 6 of which were combat. Combat veteran Daniel Arcand discusses the struggle with his mental health as an active duty Marine and using alcohol to cope with his mem...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran Rebekah Dorko. Rebekah grew up poor in San Diego with four sisters and was homeless for a period. She talks about her mother having a mental breakdown, loading all 5 girls in a vehicle, and attempting to run people over at a gas station.  Rebekah experienced physical and mental abuse from her biological parents and in the foster care system....

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Korean war veteran, Victor Real. Victor grew up in Santa Monica, CA during the Great Depression.  To make money he picked cotton, grapes, and cleared out walnut fields. When the harvest ended, and there was no money to be made, Victor decided to enlist in the Marines.  Shortly after enlisting, he requested to go to aviation school where he finished in the t...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features retried Marine First Sergeant Randall Parkes. Randall grew up in Hemet, CA, and frequently moved due to his father's enlistment in the Navy. He served in the Infantry, Security Forces, First Reconnaissance Battalion, Marine Special Operations Command, and the drill field as a Drill Instructor. Randall talks about his deployment to  Afghanistan with MAR...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran Jessica Quezada. Jess grew up in Dallas, Texas. Her mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol and passed away in 2017. She enlisted in the Marines to do photojournalism and took advantage of her time in service to travel the world. However, Jess states she had difficulty building camaraderie and connecting with other Marines. She became depend...

Welcome to today's episode of Urban Valor! We're honored to feature the inspiring story of Army combat veteran Robert Perez. Robert was raised in the gang-filled streets of East Los Angeles and came from a family with a rich military heritage.  He joined the Army National Guard as a Motor Transport Operator and was deployed to Iraq for two combat tours. Despite his challenges and dangers...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features MARSOC veteran and retired Master Sergeant, Danny Santos. Danny grew up in the rampart district of South-Central Los Angeles. He enlisted in the Marine Corps to escape the gang-infested streets of LA. His parents migrated to the U.S. from El Salvador in the 1970s and at the age of 10, Danny had to endure his father taking his own life.  As a young Lance Cor...