Urban Valor: the podcast
Welcome to Urban Valor, where we hear the stories of our veteran heroes in their own words. Within these vet interviews, you'll hear everything from combat stories, life stories pre/post military, military transition, and everything in between. Our interviews aren't just war stories or combat veteran interviews, but interviews from any military veteran willing to share. Our mission is to educate the masses with what military veterans go through while serving their country and how life has been since their military transition back to civilian life. Join our cause, online community, and show your support for Urban Valor at https://urbanvalor.com
Urban Valor: the podcast
Marine Commander Blown Up, Ambushed, & Hunted by Enemy Sniper
Blown up by a 25lb IED. Hunted by a sniper. Lost six Marines in one of the deadliest provinces in Afghanistan.
This is Marine Lt. Col. Mike Manocchio’s story — and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever heard, and it's right here on today's Urban Valor Episode!
Mike led troops through nonstop combat in Marjah, Helmand Province — an area packed with IEDs, ambushes, and Taliban fighters tracking their every move. He survived a massive explosion, had sniper rounds miss his head by inches, and still went back out to lead his men.
But the hardest part wasn’t the firefights. It was what came after. The survivor’s guilt. The PTSD. The faces of the Marines who didn’t come home.
He opens up about the chaos of war, the day Kyle Carpenter threw himself on a grenade, and what it’s like trying to put the pieces back together when the war ends — but the battle doesn’t.
If you’re looking for Afghanistan war stories, Marine IED survival, or veteran interviews — this one’s going to stay with you.
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Video chapters:
00:00 – Blown Up by a 25lb IED in Marjah
03:42 – Why He Joined After 9/11
07:15 – First Deployment & Losing Marines Early
12:01 – Training for the Surge in Afghanistan
18:30 – Marjah Patrols & Taliban Ambushes Begin
27:04 – IED Blast Knocks Him Out Cold
36:02 – Sniper Round Nearly Hits His Head
44:50 – Six Marines Lost in Combat
57:43 – Taliban Coordinated Attack Across Bases
1:27:50 – Mental Health Collapse & Finding Help
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