Urban Valor: the podcast

Former U.S. Marine Michael Delery joins us on Urban Valor to share a powerful and haunting story from his time in Iraq. During the 2003 invasion, Mike’s unit was approached by a young Iraqi boy who led them to a shallow grave—revealing the remains of four missing American soldiers. Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Mike faced nonstop pressure to join gangs. Instead, he chose the Marine Corps and built a life of service and sacrifice. In this episode, he recounts the intensity of Marine Corps Security Forces training, the chaos of combat deployments, and the moment that would stay with him forever. He also opens up about the emotional weight carried by veterans after service—navigating PTSD, losing friends to suicide, and the harsh reality of returning home. From sleeping on a living room floor weeks after deployment to the frustrations of Marine Corps recruiting, Mike offers an unfiltered look at military life before and after combat. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Video Chapters:  00:00 – Iraqi Boy Leads Marines to a Shocking Discovery   01:12 – Reflecting on the First Ever Urban Valor Interview   01:29 – Life at Banger: Security Forces & Nuclear Protocols   03:45 – Peer Pressure and Gangs in South Central LA   10:12 – Brotherhood and Discipline in the Marines   20:46 – Losing Friends in Combat & Harrowing Iraq Memories   26:59 – 9/11 and the Chain Reaction that Led to War   30:08 – Fast Roping, Field Ops & Overseas Deployment   43:34 – Coming Home: Homeless with a Family Weeks After Iraq   50:19 – The Mental Toll of Marine Recruiting Duty   1:03:10 – Leaving the Corps for His Family’s Future   1:16:33 – Civilian Life as a Cop: Danger, Trauma, & Tension   1:33:21 – PTSD, Suicide, and the Tragic Loss of Marco Sanchez   1:46:28 – Stories of Camaraderie and Marine Brotherhood   #military #warstories #urbanvalor #usmarines #warstories

This week on Urban Valor, we hear the extraordinary story of Army Staff Sergeant Robert Ham—a combat videographer whose job was to document war through the lens. Serving from 2007 to 2017, Robert captured footage most Americans will never see—graphic, haunting, and real. But it wasn’t until he reviewed the footage later that the emotional weight truly hit him. In this week's episode of Urban Valor, Robert shares the reality of filming dying Afghans, surviving mortar attacks, and embedding with combat units across Afghanistan. He opens up about the toll that job took on his mental health and what happened after he came home. Despite enrolling at USC’s top-ranked film school, he struggled with depression, identity loss, and nearly took his own life. Now a filmmaker dedicated to preserving the stories of those who served, Robert is the creator behind Interpreters Wanted and Searching for Bergdahl. His story is one of service, trauma, survival, and healing. 🔗 Watch Robert’s documentaries: https://www.hammrproductions.com 📺 Watch “Interpreters Wanted” on VeteranTV.com Urban Valor is a platform that honors veterans through real stories, experiences, and lasting legacies. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Video Chapters:  00:00 Filming Life and Death in Afghanistan 00:28 Meet Robert Ham – Army Combat Videographer 03:00 Growing Up with Artist Parents 05:01 Witnessing 9/11 and a Shift Toward Service 06:58 Joining the Army and Becoming Combat Camera 08:59 Shocking Experiences in Basic Training 10:45 Saving a Fellow Soldier on the Firing Range 12:52 Discovering Hidden Talents in Fellow Recruits 14:06 First Deployment with the 25th Infantry Brigade 16:00 Winning Trust Through Film 18:30 Why Combat Camera Was Essential 21:00 Missions, Combat, and Creating PG-13 War Films 24:00 Missing His Son’s First Year for Deployment 26:00 The Confusion of the Afghanistan War Mission 28:44 First Outside-the-Wire Mission: EOD Team 30:50 Earning His Place with the Infantry 34:00 Behind the Camera During Chaos and Combat 35:54 CIA's Deadliest Day – Dec 30, 2009 40:00 The Cost of War and Raw Storytelling 42:01 July 4th Base Attack – Telling the Story 45:00 Searching for Bergdahl Documentary 48:00 Remembering the Fallen – Patrick Devoe & Others 51:00 Afghan Interpreters and Their Sacrifice 54:00 What It Took to Leave Afghanistan 57:00 Transitioning to Civilian Life After Service 60:00 Getting into USC Film School on the GI Bill 63:00 Why Telling Veteran Stories Matters 65:00 His Grandmother Survived Genocide – Now He Tells Stories 67:00 Robert’s Films and Work with the VA 69:30 A Final Message to Veterans #military #warstories #urbanvalor #usarmy  #warstories

Michael Allison is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who survived a devastating VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) attack in Iraq—but his toughest battles came after the war. In this episode of Urban Valor, Michael opens up about the trauma that followed his deployment, including PTSD, addiction, and divorce. Born in Jamaica and raised in America, Michael’s life was marked by adversity from the start. After joining the Marines at just 17, he was deployed to some of the most dangerous combat zones in the Middle East. When his convoy was hit by a deadly car bomb, he was awarded the Purple Heart. But it was life after service that nearly broke him. From losing close friends in combat to battling mental illness, alcoholism, and the collapse of his marriage, Michael faced rock bottom. In this episode, he shares the raw truth of what it's like to come home broken—and how he rebuilt his life, remarried his wife, reconnected with his children, and found healing through therapy and purpose. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Video Chapters:  00:00 – Surviving a Deadly Car Bomb in Iraq 00:30 – Childhood in Jamaica & Immigration to the U.S. 06:39 – Life in Miami’s Overtown Projects 17:40 – Football Dreams Lost & Joining the Marines 23:50 – Boot Camp Struggles & Mental Resilience 32:28 – Honoring Fallen Veterans on Burial Detail 41:17 – Emotional Detachment Before Deployment 53:25 – The Mission That Changed Everything 58:03 – Ambush & Survivor’s Guilt After VBIED 1:14:20 – PTSD Trigger After a Racist Attack 1:21:36 – Job Loss After Seeking Mental Health Help 1:23:53 – Divorce & Rock Bottom 1:26:36 – Starting the Healing Journey 1:28:49 – Remarriage & Rebuilding Family Bonds 1:31:20 – Legacy, Redemption & Serving Others #military #warstories #urbanvalor #usmarines #marineveteran

Marine veteran George Kite shares his account of close combat in Fallujah, the brutal realities of war, and the lifelong impact of PTSD in this week’s Urban Valor episode. From growing up poor in South Carolina—sometimes homeless—to enlisting on his 17th birthday, George’s journey is one of survival, grit, and raw honesty. He remembers the chaos of the First Battle of Fallujah, including rooftop firefights, mortar attacks, and moments that still haunt him decades later. George opens up about accidentally shooting a combatant, encountering child soldiers, losing friends in battle, and the emotional fallout that followed. His story captures what so many combat veterans face but rarely share publicly. George also describes life after war: working with the Army National Guard, battling depression, and discovering a new purpose by supporting fellow veterans through mental health challenges. From sniper school to urban warfare instructor to DC security assignments, George's Marine Corps career is filled with intense and emotional moments that every American should hear. This is not just a war story. It's a human story. One of courage, trauma, transformation, and the quiet fight that continues long after the battlefield. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Video Chapters:  00:00 – Ambushed Before the Stairs 00:22 – Enlisting After a Tough Childhood 04:30 – Living in a Sharecropper’s Shack 12:36 – Joining the Marines at 17 20:22 – Boot Camp Breakdown & Reconnecting in Fallujah 27:54 – Infantry School & Weekend Mayhem 40:00 – DC Assignments & Watching Over the White House 55:52 – “You're Not Going Back to Iraq” (But Then You Are) 1:00:09 – Rockets Hit the Chow Hall 1:08:02 – Close-Range Kill and Emotional Fallout 1:24:36 – Urban Combat and Pigeon Coop Incident 1:33:47 – PTSD, Rage, and Survivor’s Guilt 1:59:27 – Losing His Mom, Betrayal, and Depression 2:12:31 – Living With PTSD Minute by Minute 2:21:02 – Sniper School and Being Ready Again 2:29:58 – A Brief Escape to DC and Seeing the Sights 2:37:47 – Meeting Nancy Pelosi and the Best Sandwich 2:42:18 – Don’t Give Up!! #military #warstories #urbanvalor #usmarines #marineveteran

Navy Veteran Jesse Swalley shares his story of survival after a brutal knife attack left him paralyzed. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, Jesse enlisted in the U.S. Navy seeking a better life and served as an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate from 1980 to 1986.  After navigating the dangers of the flight deck and the challenges of military life, Jesse faced his greatest battle on U.S. soil—stabbed multiple times trying to break up a fight. Despite a severed spinal cord, Jesse refused to let paralysis define him. Teaching himself how to skateboard again, he proves that resilience knows no limits.  In this episode of Urban Valor, Jesse opens up about life at sea, overcoming addiction, surviving near-death, and reclaiming his spirit. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Video Chapters:  00:00 — Jesse Swalley’s Near-Death Stabbing Incident 00:42 — Growing Up Poor in San Fernando Valley 02:16 — Choosing the Navy Over the Marines 05:18 — Life on the Flight Deck: High-Risk Navy Jobs 19:49 — Shipboard Accidents and Realities of Naval Life 22:20 — Hazing Rituals and Crossing the Equator 26:53 — Life After Service: Struggles and Addiction 38:28 — Fighting to Protect a Friend 43:27 — Stabbing Attack and Spinal Cord Injury 55:18 — Learning to Walk Again and Rediscovering Purpose 1:00:21 — Adaptive Skateboarding and Marathons 1:10:02 — Finding Community and Healing Through Sports 1:17:51 — Reflections on Resilience and Inspiration #military #warstories #urbanvalor #usnavy #navyveteran