The VetsConnection Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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We sit down with Marine veteran James Jackson to talk about the “creep up” of stress, stigma, and silence that can follow veterans long after service. We also unpack how Call On Me Foundation responds when the unthinkable happens by delivering immediate financial support and staying present for surviving families.
• James’ path from Virginia to the Marine Corps and Iraq deployment work on ordnance 
• Why comparing trauma shuts down veterans’ stories and delays healing 
• The hard reality of transition after service and finding a new career lane 
• How Call On Me Foundation starts by helping one fallen Marine’s family 
• The foundation’s mission to provide immediate assistance after unexpected loss with a focus on suicide 
• What it feels like to call a grieving spouse and hear the full story 
• PTSD, anxiety, depression and the danger of letting it all boil over 
• Finding the right mental health support when the first provider is not a fit 
• Building partnerships with other veteran nonprofits for referrals and resources 
• Fundraising through events, corporate sponsors, and recurring donations that fuel rapid response 
go to the website and give them your money. 
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Once again I record live from Herd Foundation in Delray Beach during a veteran barbecue that shows how grants, community partners, and horses come together to create real healing. We hear why equine assisted services build patience, calm, and connection, plus why a handmade Quilt of Valor can break through walls that nothing else touches. 

• partnering with Delray Beach Elks Lodge to fund Herd programming through a $10,000 grant 
• why locals miss the ranch even after decades nearby 
• veterans describing equine assisted services as calming and life changing 
• lessons from the arena about stories we make up and self regulation 
• the meaning of Quilts of Valor and why they feel different than awards 
• nonprofit collaboration, referrals, and supporting veteran families after loss 
• Herd Foundation growth, upcoming spring dinner, and expanded support for families and kids 
• patience defined as not letting emotions drive actions 

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We record live at Fall at the Farm, where veterans, families, and neighbors gather to celebrate HERD Foundation’s Freedom Patch program. Short conversations show how horses teach presence, why aftercare keeps people connected, and how community partners expand the work.

• live fundraiser energy and purpose
• overview of Freedom Patch equine-assisted services
• veteran reflections on reading horse signals
• skepticism turning into trust and change
• Tiffany on camps, families, and Fallen Friday aftercare
• Carly on mutual relationships with horses
• Glenn on legacy of service and nonprofit impact
• Rhonda on founding HERD and a place to belong
• Do Good Delray partnerships building awareness and funds
• city perspective on a hidden community gem
• kids’ joy with pony rides and minis
• alumni veteran return and the power of welcome

Join us for our many events at Do Good Delray

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We look at how WVRF delivers urgent financial aid and critical dental care across Florida, why 85% of veterans cannot access VA dental, and how focused partnerships turn donations into fast, visible impact. Stories like 101-year-old WWII veteran Richard Rossi’s full-mouth restoration show what dignity restored looks like.

• teaching veterans storytelling and podcasting through One Man One Mic Foundation
• WVRF mission focus on urgent financial aid and critical dental care
• why veterans lack access to dental care and why it matters
• Richard Rossi’s journey from decade-long denial to a new smile
• word-of-mouth referrals via VA social workers and county VSOs
• fundraising wins including Devil Dog 5K and corporate support
• building a 300+ dental partner network statewide
• scale of impact, waitlists, and responsible triage
• collaborating nonprofits to bridge gaps the VA cannot fill alone
• urging veterans to file benefits claims early and persist

If you like what the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund is doing, give them your money. If you know a veteran that needs their assistance, get in touch with them and see what they can do for you

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We trace John’s path from Marine combat engineer to addiction, homelessness, and back to purposeful service, detailing how brotherhood, hard choices, and real treatment rebuilt his life. We also break down gaps in VA community care and how Haven for Heroes moves fast in crises.

• choosing the Marine Corps and combat engineer path
• deployments to Helmand and the bond of brotherhood
• surviving IED blasts and lingering concussion effects
• non‑deployable status and the slide into alcohol and opiates
• marriage strain, exposure, and leaving home
• homelessness, overdoses, and street survival logistics
• first attempt at recovery in Austin, relapse, then lasting sobriety
• rebuilding fatherhood and co‑parenting with honesty
• what makes therapy work for veterans and what doesn’t
• founding purpose at Haven for Heroes and program design
• VA community care gaps and emergent triage solutions
• practical tools: PHP, TMS, and esketamine for depression
• returning to Boca, family restored, service renewed

If you want to check us out, it's one man one mic foundation.org
Haven Health Management: HavenHealthMGMT.org
Contact John: 512-620-4038

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A veteran’s life arcs from a 17-year-old paratrooper in Vietnam to 18 years on New York streets, to a late-life mission rescuing fellow veterans. Raw scenes of war, failed recovery, homelessness, and hard-earned redemption shape a clear path to purpose.

• early enlistment, jump school, 1962 Vietnam operations
• traumatic recoveries, Saigon bombing aftermath
• post-war collapse, suicide attempt, coma
• marriage under strain, untreated PTSD
• walking into homelessness, survival tactics in NYC
• failed systems, dangerous wards, flickers of help
• 9/11 recovery work, strokes, wheelchair
• Vet Center support, rebuilding with discipline
• mentoring veterans through VA claims and housing
• field outreach in stores, woods, jails
• $78 reunion story, practical compassion
• philosophy on respect, procrastination, and real heroism
• chalk-on-blackboard mindset, redemption as a habit

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We talk with artist and musician Ariel Basso about a life in art shaped by Miami roots, Brooklyn grit, and a mother’s blindness that sparked a tactile mixed-media method. The conversation builds toward “We Are America,” a community flag made from the handprints of veterans’ families, alongside a documentary and an original song with a children’s choir.

• first‑generation Cuban American upbringing and early street creativity
• New York years in music and found‑object sculpture
• Prospect Park earthwork and the joy of impermanence
• self‑taught practice, risk over critique, multiple works in progress
• South Florida’s growing arts ecosystem and Northwood’s hive
• mixed‑media raised canvases for visually impaired audiences
• the We Are America concept, symbolism, and traveling exhibit plan
• search for Gama, a blind Vietnam veteran who inspired the project
• song collaboration and 30‑piece children’s choir
• funding challenges, resistance, and building a 13‑star demo
• invitation for veterans’ families to submit children’s handprints
• ways to follow, donate, and join the project

Go to his Instagram account, go to his website. If you really love what he's doing and you're impressed by it, like my wife and I are, then give him your money. If you have a child that fits their hand fits in a six by six square, and you would like your child's handprint to be one of the stars stars on this flag, send them an email.

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A veteran’s spark in a public restroom becomes a nationwide mission to restore independence in the most private room of the home. We unpack the tech, the funding grind, the caregiver load, and the culture shift that lets amputees lead with pride—not surrender.

• mission of One Man One Mic and Art’s background
• how a hand dryer led to the Tornado Body Dryer focus
• expanding from veterans to amputees, ALS, Parkinson’s
• partners and discounts from Toto, Delta, Mr. Electric
• tub‑to‑shower conversions and 220‑volt challenges
• why bidets and voice controls restore dignity
• funding realities, waitlists, and red tape with VA
• Jessica Cox’s impact and growing amputee community
• sepsis, prosthetics pain, and caregiver strain
• how to contact No White Flags and become an ambassador

Give them your money. If you like it, give them your money.

Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

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Jeremy Tindall, Marine Corps veteran and former police officer, shares the inspiring story behind Operation Mayday 13, his emerging nonprofit dedicated to supporting injured first responders through custom t-shirt fundraising campaigns. After witnessing the financial struggles facing an injured local police officer, Tindall transformed his screen printing business into a powerful platform for community support, creating personalized designs that have raised thousands of dollars for first responders nationwide.

• Founded Operation Mayday 13 after helping an injured police officer through a successful t-shirt fundraiser
• Served in the Marine Corps from 2002-2006 before being recalled from inactive ready reserve for deployment to Iraq in 2007
• Completed 17.5 years in law enforcement before transitioning to entrepreneurship with Tyndall Design Studio
• Creates unique, personalized t-shirt designs for each injured first responder based on their interests, department, and circumstances
• Uses pre-sale model to maximize donations by eliminating excess inventory costs
• Plans to launch an Operation Mayday 13 podcast featuring stories from injured first responders
• Focuses specifically on supporting first responders during extended recovery periods - filling a gap left by other organizations
• Combined "Mayday" (firefighter/paramedic distress call) with "Signal 13" (Maryland police emergency code) to name the organization

If you know a first responder who might benefit from Operation Mayday 13's support, contact Jeremy at OperationMayday13@gmail.com or TyndalDesignStudio@gmail.com.

Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

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Navy veteran Saja Ramos shares her powerful journey from military service to addiction recovery, now serving as VP of Military and Veteran Affairs at American Addiction Centers. After a traumatic brain injury and vision loss from a car accident in Italy, she transformed her personal struggle with opioid addiction into a mission helping other veterans find treatment and purpose.

• Joined the Navy in 2008 after high school, working in Information Technology in Sicily, Italy
• Suffered a car accident resulting in TBI, PTSD, and vision loss in her right eye
• Medically transitioned from service in 2011, leading to struggles with opioid addiction
• Completed four months in residential treatment and nine months in sober living
• Earned degrees in interdisciplinary studies and social work using her GI Bill
• Now helps veterans access addiction treatment at American Addiction Centers
• Works with clinical teams to ensure veterans receive appropriate, specialized care
• Advocates for better veteran screening and assessment in healthcare settings
• Challenges the stigma around veteran identity, especially for women and non-combat veterans
• Practices "recovering out loud" to inspire others on their journey to healing

For veterans seeking help with addiction or substance use disorders, call American Addiction Centers at 866-288-1836 or reach Saja directly at 908-239-6417.

Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast