Jerry Heim, the voice behind Blue Cord CSM and the BootsandChutesUnfiltered podcast, joins Echoes Unfiltered to share his 30-year journey through the Marine Corps and Army, retiring as a Command Sergeant Major.

We talk about combat, leadership, the transition home, and the reality many veterans face when the mission ends but the fight doesn’t.

This is a raw conversation about service, identity, and what it really takes to keep moving forward.

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

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Podcast available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

I sit down with Kevin, also known as Lt. Fire Duck, who served in Ramadi during the same time period. We talk about his path into service, what he experienced overseas, and what life has looked like since coming home.

This is an honest, unfiltered conversation about war, transition, and what it takes to keep moving forward.

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

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

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

In Episode 37 of Echoes Unfiltered, Leo Beach joins me for a powerful conversation about trauma, healing, and why men need to start talking about the things we usually keep buried.

Leo shares personal experiences and the lessons he’s learned about facing pain instead of hiding from it. Conversations like this remind us that none of us are carrying these burdens alone.

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 YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

In this episode I sit down with Army veteran Joe Nichols. Joe deployed to Afghanistan and opens up about something most men struggle to talk about. While he was deployed, his brother was killed in Afghanistan not far from where he was serving.

We talk about loss, grief, brotherhood, and why keeping things bottled up doesn’t work. Joe shares his story honestly because he believes talking about it helps.

These are the conversations a lot of veterans have behind closed doors. On this show, we bring them into the open.

Real talk. Real loss. Real healing.

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, YouTube

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

In this episode, I sit down with John Levin for an honest conversation about service, life experiences, and the stories that stay with us long after the uniform comes off.

Echoes Unfiltered is about real conversations with veterans, first responders, and people who have lived through extraordinary experiences. No scripts. No filters. Just honest dialogue.

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 YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio

Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

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