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A firefight in a jungle clearing. A river turned to splinters by a Browning Automatic Rifle. A mountain trail threaded through rocks and rigged with explosives. Then months of hospitals, traction, and quiet miracles. That’s the terrain of our time with Mel Borden—101st Airborne veteran, Purple Heart recipient, husband, father, and man of unwavering faith—who finally tells the story he resisted for decades.
We trace the path from jump school to an ill-fated ceremonial drop in Iran, then into Vietnam’s humidity where Mel carried an M16 and a radio he never officially trained for. He walks us through ambushes, punji stakes, and the blast on March 22, 1966 that tore through his leg and scattered his unit. What follows isn’t just medical detail; it’s providence in motion—an unexpected monsoon that saved lives, a young intern who changed dressings nightly, and a long sleep that let healing begin. Mel doesn’t romanticize combat or pain. He shows how suffering can deepen conviction, and how the hardest questions—Why him? Why me?—can become an invitation to purpose.
The story widens into love and legacy. Mel meets Cher at a tiny Bible college, fights through uncertainty, and learns to listen when the Holy Spirit won’t stop nudging. That same nudge sends him years later to an old friend from the 101st—Jim—on the very night Jim is baptized. It’s a full-circle moment that ties foxholes to faith and friendship to redemption. Along the way, Mel shares the quiet work of rebuilding a life: study at Biola, a job under the basket at Phoenix Suns games, and the everyday choices that make a home where children and grandchildren thrive.
This episode is for anyone who wants a fuller picture of service, sacrifice, and the grace that threads through both. We honor veterans by listening carefully and by letting their stories shape the way we live—grateful, grounded, and committed to doing right by the freedoms we enjoy. If this moved you, subscribe, leave a five-star review, and share it with someone who could use hope today.

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