In this episode, I’m joined by Army veteran and former platoon leader Lieutenant Alec Z. We served in different wars, but the brotherhood and the weight that follows are the same.

We talk about route clearance in Afghanistan, leading soldiers in combat, coming home to a different kind of battle, and why the buddy checks don’t stop when the war ends.

This is a real conversation about service, survival, and what healing can look like years later.

If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

You can order my book, now available on Amazon:
Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton

Follow the mission:
YouTube – Echoes Unfiltered
Spotify – Echoes Unfiltered
Facebook – Echoes Unfiltered
TikTok – @echoes_unfiltered

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

In Episode 33 of Echoes Unfiltered, I sit down with Marine veteran Seth Mahoney.

Seth opens up about his deployment to Iraq, the struggles that followed after coming home, and the road that led him through addiction and prison. But this isn’t just a story about falling — it’s a story about redemption.

We talk about faith, consequences, brotherhood, and the reality that no one is beyond a second chance.

If you’re in a dark place right now, this conversation is for you.

Order my book on Amazon:
Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton

Follow Echoes Unfiltered on YouTube, Spotify, Facebook, and TikTok @echoes_unfiltered.

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

This is a different kind of episode.

For the first time, Sam and his wife Lynn sit down together and talk openly about their marriage, the years of silence, the truth that finally came out, and what it took to rebuild something that almost fell apart.

This isn’t an interview.
It’s a real conversation between two people who chose honesty when it would’ve been easier to stay quiet.

If you’ve ever wondered what healing actually looks like inside a marriage, this episode is for you.

You can order my book, now available on Amazon:
Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton

Follow the mission:
YouTube – Echoes Unfiltered
Spotify – Echoes Unfiltered
Facebook – Echoes Unfiltered
TikTok – @echoes_unfiltered
Podcast available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

In this episode, I sit down with Marine veteran Dustin. We talk about why he joined at 17, deploying to Iraq, and what life looked like after coming home. Like many of us, his path didn’t end with the military. It carried into law enforcement and the long road of figuring out life after war.

We get into the stuff most people don’t talk about.
The shift in identity.
The loss of brotherhood.
Why trust feels different when you come home.
And what veterans really carry long after the uniform comes off.

If you’re a veteran, this one will hit close.
If you love someone who served, this will help you understand them.

Full episode drops 2-21.

Order my book on Amazon:
Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7J41G4F

Follow the mission:
YouTube – Echoes Unfiltered
Spotify – Echoes Unfiltered
Facebook – Echoes Unfiltered
TikTok – @echoes_unfiltered
Podcast available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

#EchoesUnfiltered #EchoNation #Veterans #USMC #Army

Chief Warrant Officer Bill Hatounian flew UH-1 gunships in Vietnam with D Troop, 1/4 Cavalry — Darkhorse.

We talk combat aviation, Hueys, life under fire, transitioning home, and continuing to serve through a career in law enforcement.

Bill also shares about his writing and current work at mynoveltales.com.

These are the stories that deserve to be heard.

If you'd like to know more about my story, you can find my book Echoes from the Sandbox, now available on Amazon.

These conversations preserve history while we still can.

Real talk. Raw faith. Stay unfiltered.

#echonation

Jay is a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry machine gunner who deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 and later returned overseas as a contractor. In this conversation, he opens up about combat, ROE, ambushes, burn pits, health concerns, and the difficult transition back to civilian life.

This is the kind of conversation many veterans never get to have out loud.

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

You can find my book on Amazon:

Follow the mission:
YouTube – Echoes Unfiltered
Spotify – Echoes Unfiltered
Facebook – Echoes Unfiltered
TikTok – @echoes_unfiltered
Podcast available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

#EchoesUnfilitered

In this full-length episode, I sit down with Alex Sonnenfelt, a combat engineer and Husky driver who deployed to Afghanistan after our time together in Dodgeville.

We talk about route clearance operations, GPR systems, working with coalition forces, and what it feels like to carry the responsibility of protecting your guys every single day.

We also get real about coming home. The anger. The disconnect. The rewiring. And why veterans need to call each other instead of carrying it alone.

If you are struggling, dial 988 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.

You survived war. You can survive Tuesday morning.

Real talk. Raw faith. Stay unfiltered.

Check out my book Echoes From the Sandbox, available on Amazon.

#echoesunfiltered

In this episode of Echoes Unfiltered, I sit down with Bill Christensen, a fellow Ramadi veteran, to talk about combat, survival, and the long road to healing after being critically injured by an IED.

Bill shares what it was like to wake up with no memory of the blast, how recovery unfolded physically and mentally, and the role faith, family, and brotherhood played in rebuilding life after war.

This is an honest conversation about trauma, resilience, and why reaching out matters more than carrying it alone.

If you want to learn more about my story, check out my book and follow Echoes Unfiltered on other platforms.
Don’t forget to subscribe, follow, like, and share the show if this episode helped you.

Real talk. Raw faith. Stay unfiltered.

#Echoes Unfiltered #Echo Nation

“22 veterans a day” gets repeated so often it loses its weight.

This episode puts the weight back where it belongs.
On the people.
On the silence.
On the truth about what many veterans carry long after the uniform comes off.

This is a conversation about isolation, brotherhood, and why staying connected matters more than having the right words.

If this reaches you at the right time, you’re not alone.

#EchoesUnfiltered

In this full episode of Echoes Unfiltered, Sam Stratton sits down with Jay Kroeplin, a Buffalo arm operator from Ramadi. Jay breaks down what it really meant to run the Buffalo, the level of trust inside a route clearance crew, and the mistakes that could get people hurt or killed.

Jay also walks through the mission where Mitch, Ski, and Bill were hit, what he saw that day, and the moments that still stay with him. From combat to coming home, this conversation covers PTSD, survival, brotherhood, and the hard but necessary work of healing.

This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s an honest conversation between two veterans who lived it.

If you’re struggling or carrying more than you should, help is available. In the U.S., call or text 988. You’re not alone.

Find my book: Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton available on AMAZON

Follow the mission:

LinkTree – https://linktr.ee/echoesunfilteredYouTube – Echoes Unfiltered
Spotify – Echoes Unfiltered
Facebook – Echoes Unfiltered
TikTok – @echoes_unfiltered
Podcast available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.