Show notes
This week on Urban Valor, we sit down with Army Veteran Daniel Perez. Born in Riverside, CA, Daniel grew up in a challenging childhood marked by his parents' separation and lack of supervision. His early years were consumed by fighting, drug use, and being expelled from high school.Motivated by stories of Iraqi sniper "Juba," Daniel enlisted in the Army National Guard as an 11B infantryman. His deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan brought harrowing experiences, including a blue-on-blue firefight, MRAP crashes, and tense confrontations with civilians in life-or-death scenarios.Daniel's story also discusses the challenges of reintegration into civilian life, from battling mental health struggles to finding his footing after the Army.👍 Like this video to support to show appreciation for Daniel and/or Urban Valor.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video Chapters:00:31 - Childhood Challenges and Family Separation01:52 - Struggles with ADD and Early School Issues02:59 - Turning to Drugs and Fighting11:25 - Military Inspiration from Childhood War Movies18:37 - Enlisting in the Army National Guard28:34 - Intense Combat and Blue-on-Blue Firefight45:55 - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Challenges56:12 - Life-Altering Decisions in Combat1:24:57 - Survivor's Guilt and Post-Combat Struggles1:45:47 - Transitioning to Civilian Life#military #urbanvalor #warstories #usarmy #usarmyveteran #warstories #veteranpodcast