He thought he'd miss the war, but fate had other plans. Marine aviator Don Eggspuehler's story begins with a stack of letters written from the jungles of Thailand during the last year of Vietnam. Those letters, saved by his mother and rediscovered decades later, became the foundation for something bigger. A way to connect generations through humor, heartbreak, and hard-won wisdom.

In this conversation, Don opens up about the fear of flying through tracer fire at night, the loss of fellow Marines, and the long road toward peace that followed. He draws parallels between Vietnam and Afghanistan, the shared feeling of coming home to a country that doesn't quite understand, and the importance of preserving your story before it disappears.

Don also shares how writing helped him heal not just from combat, but from losing his wife, facing grief, and finding purpose again through storytelling. His message is clear: your memories, your lessons, and your story matter. Whether it's for your kids, your grandkids, or someone you'll never meet, those stories have power.

Timestamps:

• 02:15: Letters to mom from Vietnam
• 06:00: Flying night missions through enemy fire
• 10:30: Parallels between Vietnam and Afghanistan
• 17:00: Lessons from loss and grief worth sharing
• 25:30: Finding healing in talking, writing, and connection

Links & Resources

• Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1
• Website: https://lifelessonsbooks.net
• Follow Don Eggspuehler on Instagram: https://instagram.com/doneggspuehler
• Follow Don Eggspuehler on Twitter/X: https://x.com/DonEggspuehler
• Follow Don Eggspuehler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/don-eggspuehler-54b71227b

Transcript

View the transcript for this episode.