📍Robin “Griff” Griffiths, a former U.S. Marine grunt, shares his firsthand account of joining the Marine Corps after 9/11 and fighting in the opening days of the Iraq War. Griff walks through boot camp, the invasion of Iraq, and the brutal reality of combat during the Battle of Nasiriyah, including the loss of 18 Marines in a single day. This episode goes beyond headlines to reveal what war actually feels like from the ground level—fear, brotherhood, chaos, and responsibility. If you want an unfiltered Marine perspective on the Iraq invasion, this is a story you won’t hear anywhere else.

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Timestamps:

00:00 - From 9/11 to the Marine Corps

10:01 - Marine Boot Camp: Breaking Down the Man

23:38 - “We Knew We Were Going To War”: Preparing For Deployment

40:41 - Ambush Alley: The First Day of Combat, Fear Of Death

52:47 - Losing 18 Friends In One Day

58:16 - Coming Home, Questioning The War, Preparing For A 2nd Deployment

01:15:10 - Getting Married Between Deployments, Family, Cost of War

01:24:02 - Brutal 2nd Deployment, Combat, Nearly Dying

01:36:13 - Coming Home, Recovery & Transitioning Out

01:47:01 - Getting Saved

01:48:46 - Lessons Learned From War

01:50:30 - What If His Son Said He Wanted To Join The Corps?