The Unsung Veteran

John N. Smith

The Unsung Veteran is a veteran-to-veteran interview platform focused on honest conversations about military service, transition, leadership, and life after the uniform. Each episode is a direct, unscripted conversation. There is no imposed narrative, no agenda, and no hero framing. The discussion belongs to the veteran. This podcast exists to document the lived experiences of those who served — across ranks, roles, and backgrounds — and to preserve the perspective that often goes unheard. Full episodes are available in video and audio formats.

  1. 4d ago

    Ep 22: Joe Gonzalez — Navy CB, Mother Ocean, and Finding Purpose

    Joe Gonzalez is a ten-year Navy veteran who served as a CB (Construction Battalion) and as an embarkation officer during Operation Desert Storm. Born in Ecuador and raised in Southern California, Joe was a scuba diver before he was a sailor — Mother Ocean was, in his words, his connection to sanity his whole life. He's now the founder of Mother Ocean Fund, a nonprofit using ocean-based programs to support veterans, ecological work, and youth outreach. This conversation covers a lot of ground. Joe walks through the injury he sustained during a Desert Storm deployment — a fuel explosion that threw his bus into a ditch and tore his lungs, leaving him with a pulmonary arteriovenous malformation that the Navy told him to walk off. He coughed up blood for fifteen years and went through six or seven VA denials before a doctor finally connected the injury to his service. He also opens up about the humanitarian deployment to Bangladesh following the early-90s tsunami — burying the dead, and the spiritual cost of that work. We get into his Miami motorcycle accident and the coma that followed, the opioid addiction that grew out of his pain management, and the meditation and ayahuasca programs that became part of his recovery. He shares The Landlord Theory — his framework for managing pain, addiction, anger, and PTSD as roommates in your head — and how Mother Ocean Fund became his purpose on the other side of it. For reflections between episodes, subscribe at https://theunsungveteran.substack.com/ Know a veteran whose story should be heard? Reach out: theunsungveteran@gmail.com

    40 min

  2. May 13

    Ep 19: Lavelle Lemonier — Deported Veterans and 25 Years of Service

    Lavelle Lemonier spent 25 years in the U.S. Army as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, serving as a nuclear, biological, and chemical specialist. His deployments span four decades of American military history — Operation Just Cause in Panama, the Black Hawk Down situation in Somalia, Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and Afghanistan. He retired in 2012 as an E-8 and has since built a career in film as a writer, actor, and director. In this episode, Lavelle talks about what it was like to be on the ground in Somalia during one of the most chaotic periods of that mission — young soldiers encountering a level of violence that had no American equivalent and being expected to come home and resume normal life. He reflects on jumping into Panama at 19 years old, hearing live rounds for the first time, and the difference between training and reality. The conversation turns to his current documentary project, Served in Exile, which follows non-citizen veterans who served honorably and were later deported. Lavelle walks through specific cases — veterans raised in the U.S. from childhood, who took the enlistment oath, served in combat, and were removed to countries they barely knew — and makes the case for legislation that would protect them. He and John also discuss the generational shift in military culture Lavelle watched unfold over 25 years, the difference between service as duty versus service as a job, and what the entertainment industry has offered him as both a creative outlet and a form of processing. For reflections between episodes, subscribe at https://theunsungveteran.substack.com/ Know a veteran whose story should be heard? Reach out: theunsungveteran@gmail.com

    1h 2m

  3. May 6

    Ep 18: Scott DeLuzio — Losing a Brother in Afghanistan

    Scott DeLuzio served as an Army infantryman — 11 Bravo — with the Connecticut Army National Guard, deploying to Afghanistan to a small base near the Pakistan border. His younger brother Stephen, an infantryman with the Vermont Army National Guard, deployed to the same country at the same time. They were stationed about eighty miles apart, and in the mountains of Afghanistan, that might as well have been a different continent. In this conversation, Scott walks through the deployment in detail — the border security work, the village-clearing missions alongside the Afghan Army during Ramadan, the work with interpreters, the stretches of complacency between contacts, and the small ways soldiers stay sane when they're far from home. He also talks honestly about coming home with no brother, no roadmap, and a young family waiting for him to be the husband and father he wanted to be. We get into the worst day of his deployment — getting word about his brother and being back in a firefight fifteen minutes later. We talk about lying through the post-deployment mental health screenings, the moment six months later when he didn't recognize himself in the mirror, and the phone call to the Vet Center that started his way back. Scott is also the author of Surviving Son and the host of Drive On Podcast, where he's recorded close to 600 conversations with fellow veterans. He's a fellow with the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation as well. For reflections between episodes, subscribe at https://theunsungveteran.substack.com/ Know a veteran whose story should be heard? Reach out: theunsungveteran@gmail.com

    1h 20m

  4. Apr 29

    Ep 17: Lee Ettinger — From Shore Party Marine to Netflix Survival Show to Supplement Founder

    Lee Ettinger joined the Marine Corps in 1985 as a teenager trying to outrun a serious drug habit. What followed was eight years of service that most Marines never see — shore party beach breaching operations, special operations cross-training under the early MEU-SOC buildup, and Army Airborne School at Fort Benning as one of only four Marines in a class of nearly 700. He left as a corporal with no transition support, a cab ride to the airport, and no plan. In this conversation, Lee and host John "Goofy" Smith cover what that abrupt separation actually looked like for a Marine trained for combat and given nothing on the other side — and the two years of relapse that followed. Lee talks openly about PTSD without combat exposure, the moment something unexplainable broke his drug use cold, and how a veteran overlanding group called Homeward for Heroes finally helped him name what he'd been carrying for decades. They also dig into Lee's post-service career arc: teaching English for the Japanese government's JET program, selling independent films to international buyers, and eventually landing on Netflix's Outlast survival series — which he applied for after seeing a Facebook ad while sitting at his kitchen counter in Montana. Lee shares what the production didn't show: the bear guards, the ten days sequestered in a hotel room during a hurricane, five days without food, and the real reason he tapped out. The episode closes on his current mission — DrinkPowerPlus.com, a supplement combining pain relief and energy that took five years of R&D and twelve Amazon rejections before becoming the first supplement allowed to carry a pain relief label claim on the platform. For reflections between episodes, subscribe at https://theunsungveteran.substack.com/ Know a veteran whose story should be heard? Reach out: theunsungveteran@gmail.com

    1h 35m
  5. Ep 16: Ron Cooper — 300 Combat Missions and the F-4 in Vietnam

    Apr 22

    Ep 16: Ron Cooper — 300 Combat Missions and the F-4 in Vietnam

    Ron Cooper served 22 years in the Air Force as an F-4 Phantom pilot and commander, flying over 300 combat missions during 18 months in Vietnam. In this conversation, Ron walks John through what it actually looked like to fly fighters out of Udorn Royal Thai Air Base with the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron — the missions, the strategy, the frustrations of an undeclared war, and the teamwork that still defines him decades later. Ron opens up about the four men whose words transformed a quiet farm kid who once believed he was "too stupid" to fly into a valedictorian pilot training graduate. He talks through air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, MiG CAP over the Linebacker One and Linebacker Two bombing campaigns, and being part of the May 10, 1972 rescue of Roger Locker — the downed F-4 backseater who survived 23 days on the ground in North Vietnam before 119 aircraft were dedicated to bringing him home. Ron also reflects on coming home to a country that was told not to wear its uniform in the airport, and the quiet power of the phrase "welcome home" among Vietnam veterans. In the back half, Ron shifts to his current work with The Cooper Culture, helping small and mid-sized businesses translate military camaraderie into civilian team performance — critical thinking from the cockpit, trust and respect as leadership fundamentals, and his hard-won advice to transitioning veterans: don't chase the money, interview the company, and find a culture where you can flourish. For reflections between episodes, subscribe at https://theunsungveteran.substack.com/ Know a veteran whose story should be heard? Reach out: theunsungveteran@gmail.com

    1h 7m
  6. "People First, Mission Second" — Army SFC Rich Lamonica on Leading and Starting Over

    Apr 15

    "People First, Mission Second" — Army SFC Rich Lamonica on Leading and Starting Over

    Rich Lamonica spent 22 years in the U.S. Army as a Chemical Operations Specialist and Sergeant First Class. He led soldiers through deployments, built teams, and mastered the mission. Then he retired — and spent the next year not recognizing himself. In this episode, Rich breaks down the leadership philosophy that defined his service, the "Stacking Victories" framework he built to regain momentum after transition, and why he launched The MisFitNation Podcast to give veterans a place to belong after the uniform comes off. If you've ever felt lost after leaving the military — or you're still serving and want to lead better — this one's worth your time. 🎙️ Connect with Rich: https://www.themisfitnation.com/ 📖 The Unsung Veteran on Substack: https://substack.com/@theunsungveteran

    1h 6m
  7. Evan Poling | "Your Idea Is Worthless" – What 2.5 Years Building a Business Taught Him

    Apr 8

    Evan Poling | "Your Idea Is Worthless" – What 2.5 Years Building a Business Taught Him

    enzkBwqA1UU2eKPDByOT Army National Guard combat medic Evan Poling spent 6 years in service, then built a business to fix how small businesses get bought and sold in America. Evan served alongside Heath Robinson — the soldier whose death helped pass the PACT Act for burn pit victims. He went on to investigate financial crimes and money laundering before founding BizRetire.com, a marketplace connecting business buyers and sellers. Two and a half years in, no profit yet, still building. This is that conversation. Topics Discussed: - Serving with Heath Robinson and the fight to get burn pit veterans covered under the PACT Act - The "soldier switch" — the mental shift before and after every drill weekend - Investigating terrorist financing and money laundering, and what that taught him about how businesses actually work - Why 80% of profitable businesses that go to market never sell — bad books, bad valuations, and owners who run out of time - Two and a half years building BizRetire with no profit, and choosing to stay in it - How faith, community, and vulnerability changed the direction of his business Why This Matters: A lot of veterans get out and hear they should start a business or buy one — but nobody tells you what it actually looks like when you're in it. Evan's still in it. No tidy ending, no success story wrapped up with a bow. Just a guy who used his service the way he said he would, learned from financial crimes work how businesses actually tick, and is now grinding through the part nobody posts about. If you're thinking about starting something, buying something, or you know what it feels like to keep pushing when the feedback stops — this one's for you. If you've been through your own version of this — drop it in the comments. This channel exists for those conversations. Connect with Evan at bizretire.com or find him on LinkedIn under Evan Poling. Final Advice – Your Idea Is Worthless. Execution Isn't. 1:08:58 Where to Find Evan – BizRetire.com Subscribe and follow The Unsung Veteran for more porch-style, veteran-to-veteran conversations. #VeteranEntrepreneur #UnsungVeteran #ArmyNationalGuard #CombatMedic #VeteranOwnedBusiness #VeteranTransition #SmallBusinessTips #PACTAct #BurnPits #MilitaryToCivilian #VeteranStories #BizRetire

    1h 9m
  8. Tyler Muniz | Marine Officer Transition to Big Tech

    Apr 2

    Tyler Muniz | Marine Officer Transition to Big Tech

    In this episode, John is joined by Tyler Muniz, a Marine Veteran and former Captain, to discuss the unfiltered reality of transitioning from a high-tempo military unit to a career in Big Tech. Tyler shares his "moment of awakening" when he realized that technical military expertise doesn't always translate immediately to civilian job descriptions. Whether you are currently in the TRS process or looking for your next career move, Tyler’s insights on networking and upskilling are essential for a successful transition.

    1h 2m
See All (20)

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Unsung Veteran is a veteran-to-veteran interview platform focused on honest conversations about military service, transition, leadership, and life after the uniform. Each episode is a direct, unscripted conversation. There is no imposed narrative, no agenda, and no hero framing. The discussion belongs to the veteran. This podcast exists to document the lived experiences of those who served — across ranks, roles, and backgrounds — and to preserve the perspective that often goes unheard. Full episodes are available in video and audio formats.

Information

  • Creator
    John N. Smith
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © John N. Smith
  • Show Website
    The Unsung Veteran