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This episode features two of my personal heroes:  my Dad; and my Uncle, Mike Cassel.  Those of you who've read my book will recall that my Uncle Mike is a Firefighter in one of the toughest cities in the United States, Detroit, Michigan.  This is a special Thanksgiving episode you won't want to miss, where we talk about: personal family issues; things we're thankful for; job and personal stress; PTSD; and suicide prevention.  Hear about some of the crazy things Mike has seen as a Detroit Fireman, and about the time he save me from drowning in the swimming pool.  Don't forget to visit my website www.saintglobalsolutions.com for reduced holiday pricing on personalized autographed copies of John Fifteen Thirteen, as well as t-shirts, water bottles, and drink tumblers.  You can also find John Fifteen Thirteen at your favorite book seller.  It's available in paperback, downloadable to your e-reader, and is now an Audible Audiobook.  Parental guidance is suggested for this episode for some adult language and descriptions of adult situations.  This episode was recorded using Zoom.  You can view video, to go along with the audio, by going to my channel on YouTube.

I'm honored to announce that Gary Brugman is my special guest on this Veteran's Day episode.  Gary is a Coast Guard veteran, as well as a former U.S. Border Patrol Agent.  He was wrongfully convicted of a felony, and served two years in federal prison, for a dispute with an illegal alien along the Texas/Mexico border.  Gary's arrest, trial, conviction, and sentence were purely political nuggets for the U.S. court officials in Austin, Texas.  Listen to Gary tell his compelling story, and describe how his Christian faith helped him through this, as well as other personal struggles.  Gary currently hosts The Gary Brugman Podcast, and is campaigning for a full presidential pardon from the White House.  Download Gary's Podcast episodes on your favorite podcast service, and follow his social media pages using #pardongarybrugman and #pardonagentbrugman.  This is the first episode of John Fifteen Thirteen recorded using Zoom instead of Audacity, so this is the first episode with audio AND video (available on my John Fifteen Thirteen YouTube channel).  Parental guidance is suggested for this episode for some adult language and descriptions of violence.  

Kris "Tanto" Paronto is the special guest on this episode. Kris co-authored the book and advised on the set of the movie, "13 Hours". He also authored the books, "The Ranger Way" and "The Patriot's Creed". My friend and former battle buddy talks about current events, and we take some time to reflect on the good old days. Hear this Army Ranger/Security Contractor/Benghazi Survivor describe how he relied on his Christian faith to pull him through his darkest days recently, as well as current projects he's working on through his non-profit, 14th Hour Foundation. Parental guidance is suggested for this episode.

My Dad is the special guest on this episode of John Fifteen Thirteen Podcast. Major Frank "Paladin" Cassel (U.S. Army, Retired), is also sometimes known as "The Punisher" by his former ROTC cadets. Dad tells us some great stories from his time in the Vietnam War, the injuries he sustained over there, the lingering effects he still has from Agent Orange, and how Veterans had been mistreated by the Veterans Administration (V.A.) for years until President Trump came along and cleaned house. Dad also talks about his family and friends, current world events, politics, and how his Christian Faith has helped him through some tough times. Listen for this old school Airborne Ranger to talk about Benghazi toward the end of the episode, and the special shout out he gives to Kris "Tanto" Paronto. This is a fantastic episode that you won't want to miss.

In this episode, John answers the most frequently asked questions from readers, fans, and followers.