The Tofu Trio is reporting for duty! In the first installment of this two-part episode, the team welcomes Sgt. Vegan. Known officially as Bill Muir, Sgt. Vegan is a combat veteran and martial artist who defies many stereotypes held by non-vegans. He's also a chef, author, musician, and registered nurse. Clearly, his accomplishments are extensive. After The Tofu Trio addresses a few technical glitches (again), Sgt. Vegan shares his vegan origin story that dates back to August 1992. He describes the struggle of being vegan at a time when many had never even heard the word, a challenge made more difficult during his time in the Army, particularly with the lack of plant-based options in basic training. The conversation shifts as Jon discusses his upcoming trip to Japan with Vanessa, prompting Sgt. Vegan to reminisce about his time living in that country. He discusses his deep love for Japan and his journey toward learning the language. Joey then brings up anime, leading Sgt. Vegan to discuss his affinity for some of the 90s classics. The dialogue then takes a bizarre turn into the world of hentai, though thankfully, that segment is brief. The group eventually veers into a "Star Wars" discussion before lamenting some of the issues within Florida. Finally, Vanessa steers the conversation back to Japan, where Sgt. Vegan provides essential travel tips and hacks for the journey. A massive amount of ground is covered in this episode, but that's literally only half of the story! Tune in next week for part two of this conversation with Sgt. Vegan.

Learn more about Sgt. Vegan by visiting https://sgtvegan.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter @sgtvegan, Instagram @sgt_vegan, and YouTube @veganroadtrip.

Buy some Vegans Talking Shit merchandise! Visit https://vegans-talking-shit.myshopify.com to buy Vegans Talking Shit t-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs and more.

Vegans Talking Shit is hosted by Joey Di Girolamo, Jon Missirlian, and Vanessa Silva. Main podcast image artwork by Diego Orellana. Theme song "Flying" by TrackTribe. Visit @veganstalkingshit on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and @vegans.talking.sh on TikTok. Send questions, comments, and topic ideas to [email protected], and you may get your email read during the show.