This episode features a conversation I've wanted to have all my life. I was raised by a Vietnam Veteran - a Marine. Throughout my childhood, pieces of my father's service manifest in what he said, what he believed and sometimes in how he treated us. I learned the Marines' Hymn and understood my dad's political beliefs very well by the time I was in elementary school. 

Throughout the years, I've asked him about his service, about being wounded, why he volunteered and how it changed who he became, but he always refused to discuss in any detail his time in the United States Marine Corps. After suffering three heart attacks in three weeks, he changed his mind and, under some duress, agreed to let me interview him for the podcast. 

My father is the toughest, bravest, most loyal person I know, and now I understand him just a little bit better. I encourage veterans to share their stories with their families. Let them know you. Let them understand you. Semper Fi

Here is a column I wrote about my dad after we ran a relay race as a family in 2011 - https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700145476/The-trick-is-to-see-past-the-prickly-outside.html

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