The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices

Andrew Cox
  • 5.0 (16)
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Mission The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and archiving first-person oral histories from U.S. military veterans across generations. These long-form interviews capture leadership, combat experiences, and personal reflections that rarely appear in official records. New episodes Daily - Monday thru Friday Live recordings on Sundays & Thursdays @ 7 PM Central Time (Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn) About the Project The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices is an independent oral-history initiative dedicated to preserving first-person accounts of U.S. military service, leadership, and veteran life. Through long-form conversations, the project captures unfiltered testimony from service members and veterans across ranks, roles, and generations. Unlike traditional history podcasts that interpret past events, this project creates primary historical sources by recording lived experience in real time — before memory fades and before stories are lost. With more than 580 recorded episodes, the collection represents one of the most extensive independently produced oral-history archives focused on modern American military and veteran culture. Episodes are publicly available and preserved to ensure long-term access by families, researchers, educators, and historians. All recordings from The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices, including FireSide Chats, Veteran Stories, and Jarhead Jabber, are being archived with the Marine Corps History Division, ensuring permanent historical preservation. This work serves not only as a record of individual service, but as documentation of evolving leadership philosophy, unit culture, transition experiences, and the broader social impact of military service in the 21st century. The project exists to ensure these voices are not summarized, edited out, or forgotten — but preserved as they were lived and spoken. Nonprofit Status The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices is officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This designation confirms that the project operates exclusively for educational and historical preservation purposes. Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law, and all funding directly supports the recording, production, and long-term archiving of veteran oral histories. Becoming a nonprofit strengthens the project’s sustainability, transparency, and ability to preserve veteran stories at scale. Two Segments. One Mission.🔥 Segment One: FireSide Chat The FireSide Chat is a relaxed, conversation-style segment focused on current veteran topics and community impact. These episodes often explore: • Issues affecting veterans today • Leadership, resilience, and mindset • Life after military service • The importance of community and accountability A key component of the FireSide Chat is highlighting veteran-owned businesses and organizations. This segment provides exposure to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and initiatives making a difference within the veteran community and beyond. 🎖 Segment Two: Veteran Stories Veteran Stories is a one-on-one interview format dedicated entirely to the individual. These episodes walk through the veteran’s life journey, including: • Background and upbringing • Decision to serve • Military experiences and defining moments • Challenges faced during and after service • Lessons learned and advice for others Each story is unique, personal, and preserved in the veteran’s own words. The goal is simple: capture the story before it’s lost. Mission The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and archiving first-person oral histories from U.S. military veterans across generations. These long-form interviews capture leadership, combat experiences, and personal reflections that rarely appear in official records. What We Do • Record long-form oral history i

  1. 5h ago ·  Video

    #736 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew; 14 Sep 2026

    #736 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew — Military Families Serve Too 13 September 2026 Host: AJ Cox Crew: Aaron Davis, Mike McNany & Jess Tonight’s FireSide Chat takes on a part of military service that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves — the families who serve alongside us. AJ and the Crew have a candid, funny, and at times serious conversation about marriage, spouses, relationships, deployments, leadership, financial pressures, raising families while serving, and what happens when the uniform finally comes off. The discussion starts with an old military saying: “If the military wanted you to have a spouse, they would have issued you one.” From there, the Crew shares their own experiences and perspectives on getting married while serving, the pressures military life can place on relationships, divorce, deployments, long hours, constant moves, and the realities families deal with back home. They also get into the role military leaders play in supporting the families of the people they lead. Sometimes checking on a spouse, helping with the kids, making sure a family has someone to call, or simply inviting someone into your home can have a lasting impact. The conversation also turns toward transitioning out of the military. Retirement and separation don’t just affect the veteran — the entire family transitions. Careers change, responsibilities shift, finances change, and couples have to learn what their new life together looks like without the structure of the military surrounding them. Through plenty of stories, laughs, disagreements, football talk, and the usual FireSide Chat rabbit holes, one message remains clear: The service member may wear the uniform, but the family serves too. Join AJ Cox and the Crew for another honest conversation about military life, relationships, family, and the lessons learned along the way. Preserving Voices. Protecting Legacies. The Lost Art Project

  2. 3d ago ·  Video

    #735 FireSide Chat w/ Dr. Adena Shaviva Blickstein of Family Mastery Academy & the Crew | 15 Sep 2026

    🔥 #735 FireSide Chat w/ Dr. Adena Shaviva Blickstein of Family Mastery Academy & the Crew | 15 Sep 2026 🔥 What happens when we stop asking, “What’s wrong with you?” and start looking at what may be putting a person or family out of balance? On this episode of The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices, AJ is joined by Dr. Adena Shaviva Blickstein of Family Mastery Academy, along with crew members Jess Kindelspire and Mike McNany, for a powerful conversation about mental health, parenting, veterans, family relationships, and the difference between nurturing and coddling. Dr. Adena shares her approach to helping individuals and families better understand one another, while the conversation explores stress, communication, emotional vulnerability, parenting, and the challenges veterans can face when bringing a military mindset back into their family lives. The discussion also gets personal as the crew talks about how veterans express love, the emotional walls that can remain long after military service, fathers connecting with their children, relationships between veterans and their spouses, and why asking for help should be viewed as strength rather than weakness. 🎙️ Featuring: Dr. Adena Shaviva Blickstein – Special Guest, Family Mastery Academy AJ Cox – Host Jess Kindelspire – Crew Mike McNany – Crew This conversation goes well beyond mental health. It’s about family, connection, communication, vulnerability, parenting, and learning how to bring the person behind the uniform home. 🎧 Listen. Share. Start the conversation. 🇺🇸 The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices Preserving Voices. Protecting Legacies. Collect • Preserve • Educate • Inspire #TheLostArtProject #VeteransVoices #FireSideChat #FamilyMasteryAcademy #VeteranMentalHealth #MilitaryFamilies #MentalHealth #Parenting #Veterans #VeteranCommunity #PreservingVoices #ProtectingLegacies

  3. 5d ago ·  Video

    #734 Robert J Saunders Navy Veteran Interviewed by Dee Galvin; 9 Sep 2026

    #734 Veteran Story — Robert J. Saunders | U.S. Navy Veteran | 9 Sep 2026 On this episode of The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices, Historical Archivist Dee Galvin sits down with U.S. Navy Veteran Robert “Rob” J. Saunders to preserve the story of his military service and the life he built after leaving the Navy. Growing up in Ohio, Rob lived an active childhood and became heavily involved in Scouting, earning the rank of Eagle Scout at just 15 years old. After deciding college wasn't the right path for him at the time, he chose military service as an opportunity to gain training, experience, and potentially build a career. Rob entered the U.S. Navy in 1974, completing boot camp at Great Lakes, where an unexpected part of his experience was being selected for the Blue Jackets Choir. He originally enlisted under the Navy's nuclear power program and began electronics technician training before ultimately transitioning to the Operations Specialist rating, working with radar and radio navigation. His service took him aboard the USS Sylvania (AFS-2), homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, while the ship underwent overhaul in Newport News. Although Rob originally expected a six-year Navy career, circumstances surrounding his training resulted in an honorable discharge after approximately a year and seven or eight months of service. But Rob's story certainly didn't end with the Navy. He shares his transition back into civilian life, becoming an Emergency Medical Technician, working for private ambulance companies and serving on a fire department before moving into machining and eventually building a long career in quality control and quality management. That career ultimately took him around the world—including Japan, South Korea, China, and India—and eventually brought him to California. Throughout the conversation, Rob reflects on the lasting lessons he carried from military service: organization, preparation, punctuality, adaptability, and the importance of doing your research before signing on the dotted line. His advice to anyone considering military service is especially valuable: understand the job you're choosing, ask detailed questions, know the benefits available to you, and think about how the skills you gain will serve you when your military career eventually ends. And in Dee's rapid-fire questions, we learn a little more about Rob—including why he'd choose General George S. Patton as the military leader he'd want to be for a day and why a monkey might best describe part of his Navy experience. 🎙️ Historical Archivist: Dee Galvin 🇺🇸 Veteran: Robert J. Saunders ⚓ Branch: United States Navy 📅 Episode Date: 9 September 2026 🎧 Episode: #734 The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices Collect • Preserve • Educate • Inspire Preserving Voices. Protecting Legacies.

  4. 6d ago ·  Video

    #733 Christopher Campbell Marine Veteran; 8 Sep 2026

    #733 Christopher Campbell — Marine Veteran In this Veteran Story, Andrew “AJ” Cox sits down with Christopher Campbell, a Marine veteran, Oklahoma native, physical therapist, Marine Corps League member, and the first Historical Archivist for The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices. Christopher grew up in Durant, Oklahoma, and initially had his sights set on college rather than military service. But after watching several friends choose the Marine Corps—and after college life began taking him in a different direction—he found himself back in a Marine recruiter’s office. What followed became a defining part of his life. Christopher shares the realities of Marine Corps boot camp, Marine Combat Training, and becoming a mechanic at Camp Johnson, North Carolina. He went on to serve roughly 12 years in the Marine Corps Reserve, taking on responsibilities that included maintenance administration, quality control, and serving as a lead mechanic. He talks openly about the pride he took in mastering his craft, the leaders who shaped him, and the brotherhood that developed inside his unit. He also discusses a complicated feeling many veterans understand—the question of whether their service “measured up” because they never deployed. Christopher explains how that weighed on him, especially after 9/11, and how family considerations ultimately influenced his decision to leave the Marine Corps. Later, determined to serve again, Christopher joined the Army National Guard, continuing a military journey that crossed service cultures and gave him an entirely new perspective. After military service, Christopher used the GI Bill to continue his education and became a practicing physical therapist. Years later, reconnecting with Marines through the Marine Corps League helped restore something he had been missing—the camaraderie, purpose, and sense of belonging that came with being part of a unit. Today, he serves as Junior Vice Commandant with his Marine Corps League detachment in Tulsa. That desire to continue serving veterans eventually led Christopher to The Lost Art Project, where he became our first Historical Archivist, helping preserve the stories of those who served so their experiences are not lost to time. Throughout the conversation, Christopher reflects on leadership, service, family, identity, brotherhood, and the lasting influence the Marine Corps has had on nearly every part of his life. When asked about his proudest military moment, Christopher points to receiving a Meritorious Mast alongside the Marines he served with—a moment that confirmed to him that their reserve unit had measured up. On the episode: 🎙️ Christopher Campbell — Marine Veteran / Historical Archivist 🎙️ Andrew “AJ” Cox — Host, The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices Collect • Preserve • Educate • Inspire Preserving Voices. Protecting Legacies.

  5. Sep 7 ·  Video

    #732 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew; 6 Sep 2026

    #732 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew — Brotherhood & Sisterhood After the Uniform | 6 Sep 2026 What happens to the brotherhood and sisterhood of military service when the uniform comes off? In this episode of FireSide Chat w/ the Crew, AJ and the crew have a candid conversation about one of the most difficult—and deeply personal—parts of leaving military service: finding connection, identity, friendship, and purpose on the other side. The crew shares very different experiences with transition. They discuss staying connected to former units and military communities, deliberately creating some separation after retirement, finding new purpose through work and service, and realizing that there is no single roadmap for life after the military. The conversation also digs into whether veterans sometimes romanticize the brotherhood and sisterhood they remember, why civilian friendships can feel different, and why some veterans immediately seek out organizations such as the Marine Corps League, VFW, American Legion, and other veteran communities while others initially want nothing to do with their military past. One point becomes clear throughout the discussion: leaving active duty doesn't erase the person military service helped shape. The challenge is figuring out where that part of your identity belongs in the next chapter of your life. The crew also talks about employment after service, translating military experience into the civilian workforce, education, leadership, friendships, and the importance of finding a new sense of purpose rather than trying to recreate exactly what existed while serving. For veterans still searching for that connection, the message is simple: the transition is different for everyone. Give yourself room to change, find the people and organizations that give you purpose, and don't be afraid to reconnect with the brothers and sisters who understand where you've been. On the episode: Andrew “AJ” Cox — Host Vick Ney — FireSide Chat Crew Mike McNany — FireSide Chat Crew Mark O’Loughlin — FireSide Chat Crew And as always, the episode closes with an important reminder: check on the people you served with. If you're struggling, reach out. If you're doing well, reach back and make sure your brothers and sisters are doing well too. The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices Collect • Preserve • Educate • Inspire Preserving Voices. Protecting Legacies.

  6. Sep 4 ·  Video

    #731 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew; 3 Sep 2026

    #731 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew — 3 Sep 2026 Sometimes the best conversations are the ones that don’t go according to plan. Tonight’s FireSide Chat was originally scheduled to feature Trunnis Goggins of the 4Ps Podcast, but a delayed flight kept Trunnis from joining us. We heard from him during the show, and we’ll be getting him rescheduled for a future FireSide Chat. Instead, AJ Cox, Mike McNany, and Mark O’Loughlin did what the FireSide Chat crew does best—sat down, talked, laughed, and let the conversation go wherever it needed to go. The crew talked about everything from the heat in Georgia and the price of gas in California to life aboard ship and what Marines actually do during long deployments at sea. Mark shared his experience from more than four years of sea time, including the constant training, physical fitness, weapons maintenance, cross-training, and the challenge of keeping Marines engaged during extended time aboard ship. The conversation also turned toward life after the military, including work-life balance, continuing your education, using the GI Bill, making yourself more marketable in the civilian workforce, and continuing to grow after taking off the uniform. AJ also previewed some things coming up on The Lost Art Project, including the next FireSide Chat discussion on brotherhood and sisterhood after military service and the upcoming Jarhead Jabber Q&A. And, as always, there was plenty of good-natured trash talk and laughter mixed in along the way. Mike closed the evening with a simple but powerful thought on teamwork: “None of us is as smart as all of us.” That pretty well summed up the night. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and whether we’re serving in uniform or navigating life afterward, we’re better when we have good people around us. On the show: 🎙️ Andrew “AJ” Cox — Host 🎙️ Mike McNany — FireSide Chat Crew 🎙️ Mark O’Loughlin — FireSide Chat Crew The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices Collect • Preserve • Educate • Inspire Preserving Voices. Protecting Legacies.

  7. Sep 1 ·  Video

    #730 Karen Oakes Marine Veteran; 1 Sep 2026

    🎙️ EPISODE #730 — KAREN OAKES | U.S. MARINE CORPS VETERAN In this episode of The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices, host Andrew “AJ” Cox sits down with Marine Corps Veteran Karen Oakes for a candid story about service, perseverance, difficult chapters after the uniform, and the lasting impact of becoming a Marine. Karen was born in San Diego and later grew up in the small community of Anacortes, Washington. With a father who had served as a Marine, she ultimately chose the Marine Corps herself and enlisted in 1986. Six months after first approaching her recruiter—after recovering from ankle surgery—she shipped off to recruit training at Parris Island. After earning the Eagle, Globe and Anchor, Karen entered the communications field and trained at Twenty-Nine Palms before receiving orders to Okinawa. Her service came during a period when women in the Marine Corps were continuing to break barriers and establish themselves in traditionally male-dominated environments. Karen speaks openly about some of the treatment she experienced as a female Marine, the challenges she encountered overseas and later at MCAS El Toro, and the toll those experiences took on her. Eventually she was moved to the squadron headquarters, where she worked directly in support of the command. By the end of her active-duty service, the Marine Corps was trying hard to keep her. Opportunities including embassy duty and Marine One were discussed, but Karen ultimately chose to leave active duty and return to Washington. Her story did not become easier after taking off the uniform. Karen continued serving through the Reserve and National Guard while building a civilian life and raising a family. She shares an extremely personal account of spending seventeen years in an abusive and controlling marriage, eventually reaching the point where law enforcement became involved and she fought her way through divorce and a new beginning. Years later, Karen reconnected with her high school sweetheart—a Navy Veteran—and today they have been married for more than eleven years. Karen now owns Peninsula Signatures, a mobile notary business serving her Western Washington community. She also continues the Veteran-helping-Veteran mentality: if a Veteran in her area needs something notarized, she offers to do it free of charge. When asked about her proudest military accomplishment, Karen’s answer was simple: 🇺🇸 Earning her Eagle, Globe and Anchor. And knowing everything she knows today, would she still become a Marine? “Abso-frickin-lutely.” Karen’s story is one of a generation of female Marines who served during a changing era of the Corps. They endured challenges, pushed through barriers, and helped pave the way for the Marines who followed them. 🎙️ Host: Andrew “AJ” Cox 🇺🇸 Guest: Karen Oakes — U.S. Marine Corps Veteran 📍 Business: Peninsula Signatures — Mobile Notary Services The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices Preserving Voices. Protecting Legacies. #VeteransVoices #MarineCorps #USMC #WomenMarines #MarineVeteran #VeteranStories #MilitaryHistory #Veterans #SemperFi #TheLostArtProject

  8. Aug 31 ·  Video

    #729 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew; 30 Aug 2026

    FireSide Chat w/ the Crew — Episode 729 What Does Service Look Like After the Uniform? Tonight’s FireSide Chat w/ the Crew tackled a question that hits home for a lot of Veterans: Does your service really end when the uniform comes off? Joining the discussion were Andrew “AJ” Cox, Chris Campbell, Jess Kindelspire, and Vick Ney. The Crew talked about how military service becomes part of who we are and how that desire to serve often follows us long after active duty. Service after the military can look completely different—it may mean mentoring the next generation, serving your community, raising a family, joining a Veteran organization, teaching, volunteering, preserving history, or simply being there for another Veteran. The conversation explored finding a new mission and sense of purpose, how that mission changes depending on where you are in life, and why Veterans can continue making a difference without trying to recreate their time in uniform. The Crew also discussed Veteran organizations, preserving history, connecting generations of Veterans, leadership, embracing new ideas, and the importance of organizations continuing to evolve rather than becoming stagnant. As always, there were plenty of laughs, stories, rabbit holes, and the completely unscripted conversation that makes FireSide Chat w/ the Crew what it is. The uniform may come off. The mission may change. But the opportunity to serve never really goes away. 🔥 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew 🎙️ Episode 729 📅 30 August 2026 Featuring: Andrew “AJ” Cox Chris Campbell Jess Kindelspire Vick Ney The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices Preserving Voices. Protecting Legacies. #VeteransVoices #FireSideChat #Veterans #Military #LifeAfterService #VeteranCommunity #Purpose #TheLostArtProject

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About

Mission The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and archiving first-person oral histories from U.S. military veterans across generations. These long-form interviews capture leadership, combat experiences, and personal reflections that rarely appear in official records. New episodes Daily - Monday thru Friday Live recordings on Sundays & Thursdays @ 7 PM Central Time (Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn) About the Project The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices is an independent oral-history initiative dedicated to preserving first-person accounts of U.S. military service, leadership, and veteran life. Through long-form conversations, the project captures unfiltered testimony from service members and veterans across ranks, roles, and generations. Unlike traditional history podcasts that interpret past events, this project creates primary historical sources by recording lived experience in real time — before memory fades and before stories are lost. With more than 580 recorded episodes, the collection represents one of the most extensive independently produced oral-history archives focused on modern American military and veteran culture. Episodes are publicly available and preserved to ensure long-term access by families, researchers, educators, and historians. All recordings from The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices, including FireSide Chats, Veteran Stories, and Jarhead Jabber, are being archived with the Marine Corps History Division, ensuring permanent historical preservation. This work serves not only as a record of individual service, but as documentation of evolving leadership philosophy, unit culture, transition experiences, and the broader social impact of military service in the 21st century. The project exists to ensure these voices are not summarized, edited out, or forgotten — but preserved as they were lived and spoken. Nonprofit Status The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices is officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This designation confirms that the project operates exclusively for educational and historical preservation purposes. Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law, and all funding directly supports the recording, production, and long-term archiving of veteran oral histories. Becoming a nonprofit strengthens the project’s sustainability, transparency, and ability to preserve veteran stories at scale. Two Segments. One Mission.🔥 Segment One: FireSide Chat The FireSide Chat is a relaxed, conversation-style segment focused on current veteran topics and community impact. These episodes often explore: • Issues affecting veterans today • Leadership, resilience, and mindset • Life after military service • The importance of community and accountability A key component of the FireSide Chat is highlighting veteran-owned businesses and organizations. This segment provides exposure to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and initiatives making a difference within the veteran community and beyond. 🎖 Segment Two: Veteran Stories Veteran Stories is a one-on-one interview format dedicated entirely to the individual. These episodes walk through the veteran’s life journey, including: • Background and upbringing • Decision to serve • Military experiences and defining moments • Challenges faced during and after service • Lessons learned and advice for others Each story is unique, personal, and preserved in the veteran’s own words. The goal is simple: capture the story before it’s lost. Mission The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and archiving first-person oral histories from U.S. military veterans across generations. These long-form interviews capture leadership, combat experiences, and personal reflections that rarely appear in official records. What We Do • Record long-form oral history i

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