What does it look like to grow up in a family where service is a way of life—and then discover that your own calling is not just a career, but a vocation?

In this episode of Regiment of the Cross, I sit down with Efraen an 11-year veteran of the Phoenix Fire Department, paramedic, engineer, technical rescue technician, and hazardous materials technician. But beyond the uniform, Efraen’s story is one of faith, family, sacrifice, and purpose.

Raised in a close-knit Catholic family in Phoenix, Efraen grew up watching his father serve for more than three decades in the fire service while his brother followed the same path. In this conversation, we talk about growing up in a firefighting family, the influence of his mother and father, the brotherhood of the fire service, the reality of first responder life, and how a Catholic reversion transformed the way he sees service, suffering, and his vocation.

This episode is for firefighters, veterans, first responders, young men looking for direction, and anyone trying to live a life of faith and purpose in a chaotic world.

• Growing up in a Phoenix firefighting family
• The influence of his mother and father on his faith and character
• What firefighting is really like beyond the stereotypes
• Why most calls are EMS and medical calls—not fires
• Brotherhood, mentorship, and leadership in the fire service
• Catholic reversion and rediscovering purpose
• How faith changes the way we serve others
• A message for first responders and young men searching for direction

If this episode resonates with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs it.

#Firefighter #Catholic #FaithAndService #FirstResponder #PhoenixFire #RegimentoftheCross #FireDepartment #CatholicPodcast #VeteranPodcast #Purpose #Brotherhood #Reversion #ChristianMen

On May 22, 1968, 17 Marines were killed near Con Thien, South Vietnam. Among them was 1st Lt. Victor David Westphall, USMC.

For most families, such a loss would remain a private burden. For Dr. Victor and Jeanne Westphall, grief became a mission.

What began as a tribute to their son and the Marines who died beside him eventually became the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Peace & Brotherhood Chapel in Angel Fire, New Mexico—a place dedicated to remembrance, reflection, healing, and hope.

In this episode of Regiment of the Cross, I am joined by Walter Westphall, David's brother and co-founder of the Memorial, along with Chuck Hasford, a longtime friend of Dr. "Doc" Westphall and witness to the Memorial's growth over the past four decades.

Together we discuss David's story, the battle near Con Thien, the vision that inspired the Memorial, the addition of the iconic UH-1 Huey helicopter, the annual Run for the Wall pilgrimage, and why veterans and families from across America continue to find healing in Angel Fire.

This is more than the story of a memorial.

It is a story of sacrifice, family, brotherhood, and the enduring power of hope.

🇺🇸 If you enjoy content honoring veterans, military history, faith, and service, please like, subscribe, and share.

visit the memorial webpage https://www.vietnamveteransmemorial.org/

#VietnamWar #VietnamVeterans #USMC #MarineCorps #GoldStarFamily #AngelFire #Veterans #MilitaryHistory #RunForTheWall #Huey #UH1 #PeaceAndBrotherhood #NeverForget #RegimentOfTheCross

In December 1944, a 19-year-old American soldier wrote home from France.

He asked about family.
Mentioned seeing Niagara Falls.
Complained that France was “too wet and muddy.”
And wished everyone a Merry Christmas.

Days later, he was dead.

PFC Eloy Aldaz Montes of Hondo, New Mexico was killed in action by artillery fire on January 5, 1945 while serving with the 70th Infantry Division, 275th Infantry Regiment, Company G.

This is not just a World War II history episode.

This is family history.

Eloy was my grandmother Ola’s baby brother. My father, only about six years old at the time, remembered Eloy leaving—and remembered hearing he had been killed.

More than 400,000 Americans died in World War II.

Approximately 73,000 American service members still remain buried overseas in Europe.

Eloy came home.

But only after nearly four years.

In September 1948, his body was returned to New Mexico, where full military honors were rendered at Santa Fe National Cemetery.

Using Eloy’s final wartime letter, family memory, and a powerful newspaper tribute titled A Soldier’s Return, this episode remembers one forgotten young soldier—and the countless others whose stories are fading into history.

If your family has a story like this, preserve it.

Because remembrance is its own form of honor.

#WWII #WorldWarII #GreatestGeneration #MilitaryHistory #WWIIHistory #GoldStarFamily #VeteranStories #ArmyHistory #ForgottenHeroes #NewMexicoHistory #AmericanHistory #Catholic #FaithAndService #RegimentOfTheCross

Beef prices are rising while ranchers struggle—and most Americans don’t understand what’s really happening.

In this episode of Regiment of the Cross, I sit down with Michael Thomas, Director of the Catholic Land Movement, to discuss the consolidation of the beef industry, the challenges facing family farms, and why more families are looking for a different way forward.

We explore how modern systems have created disconnection—from land, from community, and even from purpose—and why movements like the Catholic Land Movement are gaining traction across the country.

This conversation goes beyond agriculture. It’s about faith, family, and reclaiming a way of life rooted in responsibility, ownership, and community.

Topics Covered:

• Why beef prices are high but ranchers are struggling
• The impact of consolidation in agriculture
• What the Catholic Land Movement is and how it works
• Why families are returning to the land
• How veterans and families are finding purpose through farming and homesteading

If you’ve ever felt like something is missing in modern life, this conversation may resonate with you.

#FamilyFarms #FaithAndWork #CatholicLife #Homesteading #Veterans

Father William Doyle, S.J., was a Jesuit priest and military chaplain who courageously served soldiers on the front lines of the First World War.

Known for his deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, fearless ministry in the trenches, and tireless care for wounded soldiers, Father Doyle repeatedly risked his life to bring the sacraments to men facing death on the battlefield.

During the brutal fighting of 1917, Father Doyle entered no man’s land to minister to wounded soldiers and was killed in the act of charity — giving his life in service to others.

In this episode of Regiment of the Cross, we explore the life, faith, sacrifice, and legacy of the Irish priest many believe should be remembered among the great military chaplains of history. https://williedoyle.org/

🎙 Full episode now available on Regiment of the Cross.

#FatherWilliamDoyle #Catholic #WWI #MilitaryHistory #Chaplain #Faith #CatholicPodcast #Veterans #History #Sacrifice #RegimentoftheCross #ChristianHistory #IrishHistory #Jesuit

Every year, thousands of pilgrims walk miles through the desert to reach a small adobe church in northern New Mexico—El Santuario de Chimayó.

Known as the “Lourdes of America,” this sacred place has drawn the faithful for generations seeking healing, repentance, and hope. Inside, a small room holds what many believe to be miraculous earth—taken in faith by those carrying burdens they cannot bear alone.

In this episode of Regiment of the Cross, we explore the history, the pilgrimage, and the deeper question:
What are people really carrying when they walk to Chimayó?

#Catholic #Faith #Pilgrimage #Chimayo #Healing #Veterans #RegimentoftheCross

We spend a lot of time talking about how we prepare our service members for war.

We don’t spend enough time talking about how we help them heal afterward.

Through Warriors to Lourdes, wounded veterans travel to Lourdes, France seeking something many struggle to find back home — peace.

This pilgrimage is about more than the individual.
When a veteran carries unseen wounds, their family carries them too.

Programs like this remind us that healing is not just possible — it’s necessary.

Every year, wounded American warriors travel to Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes, France seeking something the battlefield could not give — healing.

In this episode of Regiment of the Cross, we explore the powerful mission of Warriors to Lourdes, a pilgrimage that brings injured veterans and active-duty service members face-to-face with faith, brotherhood, and hope.

For many who carry the invisible wounds of war — PTSD, moral injury, and loss of purpose — Lourdes becomes more than a destination. It becomes a turning point.

This conversation dives into:

• What Warriors to Lourdes is and why it exists
• Why Lourdes has been a place of healing for over a century
• The International Military Pilgrimage and global brotherhood
• How faith helps heal the wounds of combat
• Real transformation stories from wounded warriors

Hosted by a Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Regiment of the Cross is a podcast for veterans, military, first responders, and their families — those seeking meaning, structure, and brotherhood after service.

👉 If this message resonates with you, subscribe and join the Regiment.

#Veterans #WarriorsToLourdes #Catholic #MilitaryFaith #VeteranHealing #FaithAndService #Lourdes #ChristianVeterans #MilitaryPodcast

A powerful story of forgiveness and compassion in the face of death.

Takeaways

• Forgiveness in the face of adversity
• The power of compassion and grace

Chapters

• 00:00 The Act of Forgiveness and Compassion

Before preparing to serve his country, Roman Carbajal chose to walk one of the most ancient pilgrimages in the world — the Camino de Santiago.

For centuries, pilgrims have traveled this historic route across Spain searching for faith, purpose, and transformation. At just 18 years old and preparing to enter ROTC, Roman set out on this journey to challenge himself physically, spiritually, and mentally.

In this episode of Regiment of the Cross, Roman shares what it was like to walk the Camino, the struggles he faced along the way, the beauty of Spain, and the spiritual lessons he discovered during the pilgrimage.

We discuss:

• What the Camino de Santiago is
• The physical and spiritual challenges of the journey
• Faith, prayer, and attending Mass along the Camino
• What cross Roman carried during his pilgrimage
• How the Camino prepared him for leadership and service

Sometimes the road that prepares a man for service begins with a pilgrimage.