Joining me for this week's podcast is Marine Corps veteran Nick Laidlaw. Laidlaw spent seven years in the Marine Corps as an 0311 Rifleman and Security Forces Marine. He wrote the book "What War Did To Us: Ukraine." Providing first-hand accounts of all aspects of the conflict in the first 150 days of the war. Nick runs the popular Instagram account Battles. and.Beers, where he posts photos and videos of war stories from civilian and soldier perspectives. We discussed talking with veterans from both sides of a war, including Ukraine and Russian soldiers, plus much more. Tune in.
Here is a short story told on the podcast by Laidlaw. It is of Anton Kryll, a Ukrainian soldier who fought at Mariupol's besieged Azovstal steel plant. They were surrounded, entirely out of food and water, and medicine.
" Anton, what do you want to do when the war is over?" He replied, "Here in short, we are always relying on each other. We are in history now, and we have done everything possible and impossible. After we are pulled out of here, I will immediately marry my girlfriend, and everything will be Ukraine. " Anton Kryll was killed the next day on May 14th, 2022.

Main Takeaways

Stories from Battles and Beers
Making it a point to speak with all sides of a conflict
Being contacted by a member of the Taliban and having an honest discussion
Talking with Russians fighting in Ukraine
Documenting the heroism displayed by Ukrainian forces at the besieged Avostal Steel Plant in Mariupol

This episode is sponsored by 4 Patriots, a survival food company. You can visit www.4patriots.com and use the code RECON for 10% off
Follow Nick Laidlaw on Instagram: Battles.and.beers
Check out his book here: What War Did To Us Ukraine

Connect With John Hendricks
www.globalrecon.net
www.instagram.com/igrecon 
Music provided by Caspian:
www.caspian.band

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