What He Endured as a Kid Didn’t Stop Him From 20 Years in the Army

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He joined the Army to escape his past… But it followed him anyway. This is this episode of Urban Valor, we talk about childhood trauma, abuse, anger, and transformation through the military. Ernie Mariscal shares what happened to him at just 5 years old… and how that moment shaped everything... from becoming a violent kid, to running the streets, to eventually joining the United States Army in 1991 searching for a way out. For a while, the military gave him exactly that: structure, discipline, purpose. But the truth is… you don’t escape trauma — you carry it with you. Into basic training. Into deployments. Into war. We talk about: - Growing up with childhood abuse and unresolved trauma - How anger turned into violence, drugs, and survival mode - The reality of joining the Army to change your life - Experiences during deployment and Iraq war stories - What it feels like coming home with a completely different mindset This is about what happens before the uniform… and after it comes off. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ 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. Chapters: 0:00 Gun to His Face 0:47 Hitting Rock Bottom 1:13 Meet Ernie (Army Veteran) 2:00 Childhood Trauma 7:49 Kicked Out at 16 9:56 Gunpoint Incident 11:44 Decision to Join the Army 16:49 Chaos of Basic Training 23:31 Becoming a Soldier 34:25 First Deployment (Iraq) 36:37 War Reality Hits 38:42 Coming Home Changed 39:27 Drinking & Numbness 45:22 Soldier Goes Missing 52:24 Leadership & Loyalty 57:25 Preparing to Retire 59:50 Life After the Army #military #warstories #urbanvalor #army #warstories