Tune in for an impactful conversation with the Crew and special guest Tom Smith as we tackle critical veteran issues, including veteran suicide, age-related risk factors, and ways to better engage younger generations. Honest dialogue, real solutions, and the kind of conversation that only happens among those who’ve lived it.

Tune in for an impactful conversation with the Crew and special guest Tom Smith as we tackle critical veteran issues, including veteran suicide, age-related risk factors, and ways to better engage younger generations. Honest dialogue, real solutions, and the kind of conversation that only happens among those who’ve lived it.

#589 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew & Tom Smith; 29 Jan 2026

Preserving the stories, lessons, leadership and history of America’s veterans—one story at a time.
Daily Monday to Friday
Live recordings on Sundays &amp; Thursdays @ 7 PM Central time.
(Facebook, X, Youtube, TikTok)
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.
The project emphasizes volume, continuity, and accessibility over entertainment metrics. Episodes are publicly available and preserved to ensure future 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 long-term preservation as part of the historical record.
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.
Two Segments. One Mission. 
The podcast is structured around two distinct segments, each serving a specific purpose while supporting the same mission of preserving veteran voices.
🔥 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 that are 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
<ul>
<li>
Record long-form oral history interviews with veterans
</li>
<li>
Publish consistently to ensure accountability and reach
</li>
<li>
Archive interviews for long-term historical access
</li>
<li>
Preserve stories for families, researchers, educators, and future generations
</li>
</ul>
Operational Discipline
<ul>
<li>
5 episodes per week, year-round
<ul>
<li>
3 Veteran Oral History Interviews
</li>
<li>
2 FireSide Chats (historical context &amp; veteran engagement)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
580+ episodes recorded to date
</li>
<li>
260 episodes produced annually
</li>
</ul>
Annual Impact
<ul>
<li>
156 veteran oral histories preserved each year
</li>
<li>
Primary-source historical records created
</li>
<li>
Formal archival efforts with Marine Corps History Division
</li>
</ul>
Financial Stewardship
<ul>
<li>
Annual operating budget: $75,000
</li>
<li>
Cost per preserved veteran story: ~$480
</li>
<li>
Cost per episode overall: ~$288
</li>
</ul>
Donor Impact
<ul>
<li>
$500 preserves one veteran’s story
</li>
<li>
$1,500 preserves three veteran stories
</li>
<li>
$6,000 preserves one month of oral histories
</li>
<li>
$25,000 preserves 50+ veteran stories
</li>
</ul>

Society & Culture

Documentary

Relationships

History

Preserving the stories, lessons, leadership and history of America’s veterans—one story at a time. Daily Monday to Friday Live recordings on Sundays & Thursdays @ 7 PM Central time. (Facebook, X, Youtube, TikTok) 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. The project emphasizes volume, continuity, and accessibility over entertainment metrics. Episodes are publicly available and preserved to ensure future 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 long-term preservation as part of the historical record. 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. Two Segments. One Mission. The podcast is structured around two distinct segments, each serving a specific purpose while supporting the same mission of preserving veteran voices. 🔥 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 that are 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. MissionThe 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 interviews with veterans Publish consistently to ensure accountability and reach Archive interviews for long-term historical access Preserve stories for families, researchers, educators, and future generations Operational Discipline 5 episodes per week, year-round 3 Veteran Oral History Interviews 2 FireSide Chats (historical context & veteran engagement) 580+ episodes recorded to date 260 episodes produced annually Annual Impact 156 veteran oral histories preserved each year Primary-source historical records created Formal archival efforts with Marine Corps History Division Financial Stewardship Annual operating budget: $75,000 Cost per preserved veteran story: ~$480 Cost per episode overall: ~$288 Donor Impact $500 preserves one veteran’s story $1,500 preserves three veteran stories $6,000 preserves one month of oral histories $25,000 preserves 50+ veteran stories

Preserving the stories, lessons, leadership and history of America’s veterans—one story at a time.
Daily Monday to Friday
Live recordings on Sundays &amp; Thursdays @ 7 PM Central time.
(Facebook, X, Youtube, TikTok)
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.
The project emphasizes volume, continuity, and accessibility over entertainment metrics. Episodes are publicly available and preserved to ensure future 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 long-term preservation as part of the historical record.
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.
Two Segments. One Mission. 
The podcast is structured around two distinct segments, each serving a specific purpose while supporting the same mission of preserving veteran voices.
🔥 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 that are 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.&nbsp;

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
<ul>
<li>
Record long-form oral history interviews with veterans
</li>
<li>
Publish consistently to ensure accountability and reach
</li>
<li>
Archive interviews for long-term historical access
</li>
<li>
Preserve stories for families, researchers, educators, and future generations
</li>
</ul>
Operational Discipline
<ul>
<li>
5 episodes per week, year-round
<ul>
<li>
3 Veteran Oral History Interviews
</li>
<li>
2 FireSide Chats (historical context &amp; veteran engagement)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
580+ episodes recorded to date
</li>
<li>
260 episodes produced annually
</li>
</ul>
Annual Impact
<ul>
<li>
156 veteran oral histories preserved each year
</li>
<li>
Primary-source historical records created
</li>
<li>
Formal archival efforts with Marine Corps History Division
</li>
</ul>
Financial Stewardship
<ul>
<li>
Annual operating budget: $75,000
</li>
<li>
Cost per preserved veteran story: ~$480
</li>
<li>
Cost per episode overall: ~$288
</li>
</ul>
Donor Impact
<ul>
<li>
$500 preserves one veteran’s story
</li>
<li>
$1,500 preserves three veteran stories
</li>
<li>
$6,000 preserves one month of oral histories
</li>
<li>
$25,000 preserves 50+ veteran stories
</li>
</ul>

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#589 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew & Tom Smith; 29 Jan 2026

#589 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew & Tom Smith; 29 Jan 2026