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Deck Talk Podcast with Old Guard Joe Lessen
Manage episode 520286017 series 3517067
Deck Talk Podcast Special: Vigil of Valor – A Guard's Tale from the Tomb
On this Veterans Day 2025 edition of Deck Talk Podcast, join hosts Colin Burnett and Josh Vaughn as they step away from the water's edge and onto the hallowed hills of Arlington National Cemetery. In a raw, unfiltered conversation, we sit down with Joe Lessen, a battle-tested veteran of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment – The Old Guard – whose unwavering gaze has protected the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier through endless nights and unyielding storms.
Joe opens up about the unyielding rhythm of Tomb Guard service: the punishing 10-hour walks where every heel strike echoes with precision, the bayonet-sharp rifle spins executed in sub-zero temps or sweltering sun, and the profound silence that demands total vigilance over the graves of our nation's faceless warriors from the Great War, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. From dodging lightning strikes during shifts to the one "flubbed step" that still keeps him up at night, Joe's stories peel back the myth to reveal the human grit behind the uniform.
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