Bob Parsons - Vietnam War Veteran / Founder of GoDaddy & PXG | SRS #197

They had VC or MVA come out of a spider. hole and threw a threw a chiccom at this. this guy. We picked it up, went to throw. it back and it went off in his hand. Arm. gone, side of his head gone. People were. starting to they were a little uncertain. about the war, but they weren't like. they were when we came home. Guys coming. home. throwing with signs and names. Nazi murderer, baby killer. Don't forget. baby killer. Feel like your soul coming.

out of your chest. Mr. Bob Parsons in the flesh. Welcome to. the show. Good to be here, Sean. Man, I'm really excited to interview you. I've been I've been. watching GoDaddy, you, all your. companies for decades now, and I just. find you to be a fascinating human. being. So, I just want to say thank you. for making the time and coming in coming. into Nashville and and knocking this. interview out with me. I think it's it's.

going to be awesome. It's my pleasure, brother. Thanks for. having me here. It's my honor. But, uh, everybody starts off with an. introduction here. So, Bob Parsons, United States Marine Infantry veteran. who received the Purple Heart in the. Vietnam War. self-taught programmer who. started Parsons Technology in your. basement in 1984, growing it into a. hund00 million revenue company before. selling it for 64 million. founder of. GoDaddy, the world's largest domain.

domain name registar, which you sold for. 2.3 billion, CEO and founder of Yam. Worldwide with ventures like Parson's. Extreme Golf Scottsdale National Golf. Club and Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale, philanthropist who alongside your wife. Renee founded the Bob and Renee Parsons. Foundation in 2012. trailblazer in psychedelic assisted. therapy, using it to confront your own. PTSD and funding over $19 million in.

research to help others. That's super. close to me. I did that uh I did an. Ibegan experience in Mexico and totally. changed the trajectory in my family. life, my business life, every aspect. and uh New York Time best-selling author. of the book Fire in the Hole, self-made. billionaire, ranked 338 on the Forbes. 400 2024 list with a net worth of 3.9. billion. You're a husband, father,

grandfather, and greatgrandfather. Welcome home. And you have a quote uh that I read that. I love and it says, "I believe I was. born a dreamer.". I know I was. Yeah. When did you come up. with that quote? I just uh I've always. been a dreamer. So it um it was when I. um was was taking a inner child workshop.

one time trying to find myself. This is. way back when. And um um I had to I had. to write myself uh a. letter and and the letter was from me. now or then to when I was a young child. when I was a young boy. Wow. What what. what would I say and then how would I. write back? So I did that and then I had.

to to write about myself the different. parts of me and uh that's where I you. know I just sitting in my uh hotel room. at night I just just when I was writing. this for the next day's. class I just remember thinking I believe. I was born a dreamer and I was. Um and. so that that's how that came about and. stuck with you ever since. Yeah, sure it. has. And as a matter of fact, I use that. paper that I turned in. That is the.

introduction to my book or the. preface and the the letter to the little. boy and the letter back and and then uh. about myself and the letter about myself. starts exactly with that. I believe I. was born a dreamer. Wow. When did what. what is the letter to yourself? What did. you say to your young self? Did I say to. my young self? Yes. You know, it's said. that you know I uh I'm writing to you. for many years in the future and I know.

more about you than any other person. alive. I know everything there is to. know about you and I know that you're. going through a tough time in your life. I know that. um my mother was. insane and.

uh dad wasn't around much and so. um I just never understood it as a did, but I was scared most of the. time. And um and I've told my younger. self to hang in there because you know. more about the right thing to do than. anybody's going to tell anybody's going. to tell you. And to just hang on and.

uh and that one day, you know, believe. in yourself and never stop dreaming. because more than anything that'll be. your salvation. That's powerful. So that's that's that. letter. What did your young self write. back? Well, didn't write much. We had to. write it with the left hand, you know, our non-dominant hand, so it looked like. a young child. And and it basically. wrote that um um thank you for writing.

to me. Um I cannot wait to be you. Um, and. um, I'll see you when I grow up. And. what was that for? That was for an inner. child. workshop. And uh, it was just trying to. get rid of my my PTSD and deal with it. When did you do that? Oh god, it had to.

be in the ' 90s sometime. In the 90s? Yeah. Well, we'll dive into all the therapy. and getting better uh after war war. trauma, but Bob, I would love to do I. mean, I know you know this, but I want. to do an expose on your life and and so. we're going to go through childhood, the. Marine Corps, Vietnam, and all your. business ventures and um some life. lessons you've learned. I'd love to know. about your values and and all that.

stuff. But before we kick it off, we'll. start with something light. So, there. was this back and forth conversation. uh from your assistant and us about the. condom story. I don't know anything. about it. I didn't want to know anything. about it. I just want to hear directly. from you. And the little I do know about. it, it sounds hilarious. So, what is. what is the condom story? Well, the. condom the condom story is when I was.

a junior or a senior in in in high. school. Um, I had I had never been with. a woman, you know. I mean, we we talked. about it day and night, but you know, I. never never never been with a girl. And. this is I'm growing up in East. Baltimore. So, my buddy Danny Thorne, who's a year or two older than me, who. is my total ad advice on, you know, he. told me everything I needed to know. about women, most of the stuff totally. totally wrong,

right? Like like like he told me, he. said, you know, when you um when when. you go down on a on a woman, right? And. I see I don't even know what it looks. like, right? He said you you go down on. a woman, there's a lot of ways to do it. says, he says, he says, "You move all. that hair to his side." This is back. when before they shaved, right? Move all. the hair to his side and and you kiss. you're going to see something that looks. like the baby Jesus kiss it.

And so anyhow, that that was the advice. I grew up with. So So Danny was getting. her home base action from this girl. named Tony. And and Tony was uh she. lived with her mom. was her and her mom. and and her mother was going out of town. for the weekend. And so Danny arranged. with with Tony that u uh he and her. would have the upstairs and Tony's. girlfriend Pauline said that she wanted.

she was she was ready to to you know to. plunge ahead and and and I'd be just the. guy that she wanted to to do it with. So. I thought, "Oh my god, it's here.". So, so I' I'd go ahead and uh um you. know, it sounds good to me. So, the. first thing I did the next day was a. Monday. I remember I went to the. pharmacy and I had just enough money to. buy one condom. So, I bought one condom.

And. so I' I'd go home at the end of the day. and I'd have this condom squirreled. away, you know, and I'd pull it out and. I'd sit it on my dresser and I'd look at. it and they'd look at me, you know, and. uh, you know, you know, and each of us. each of us wonder what the other one's. thinking. And so finally the day comes. that we're it's Friday and and uh I come.

home from it's 3:00 or so and I go ahead. and take a bath. We didn't have a shower. so I took a bath and and um I uh got got. all ready for school, you know, for to. go out and meet Pauline. So I put on my. best clothes. They weren't much but they. were my best. So, I I go ahead and do. that and and then I pulled his condom. out and it's I guess by then it's 4:00. and um I pulled his condom out and I.

said, "Shit, I take it out of the out of. the package, right?" And and I look at. it and I go, "Wow, that's that's it." So. I'm looking at it and again it's looking. at me and I remember thinking and it's. my first time and you can just picture. the condom saying to me it's my first. time too. Right. So so we we taking um I. as soon as I put it, you know, as soon. as I I pulled it out, I'm hard as a.

rock. I mean, I'm thinking about this. I'm ready to shoot through the roof, right? So, I take this condom and I. think, I wonder what it feels like with. this thing on. So, I put the condom on. and I put it all the way. on and I thought, you know what? I'll. just leave it. on. And that's why when when we get. ready we get ready to to to have. sex, I'll be ready.

So, so I go up and meet them and so. forth. And so from that was about 6:00. we were going to get together and and um. I I had done went flaccid then and when. I went flaccid the. condom rolled all the way up and it. rolled up in my pubic. hairs. Right. So So I'm I'm I'm there.

with Paul Lane. Andy and Tony go. upstairs or we're we're on the we're on. the sofa. She's got this little club. basement, you know, fixed up. And so. we're on the sofa there. So as I reach over and I kiss Pauline. and you we start. smooching and man that thing was like a. switchblade back. But the only. difference was Sean, it doesn't it. didn't unwrap the way it wrapped up in.

the pubic hairs. Didn't let them go. So. instead, it hung on to everyone and it. just pulled with the force of of it felt. like it felt like somebody took my pubic. hairs and glued them to the bumper of a. Chevy and floored it. Right. My gosh. So, so first first I was I was going to. I said I'll just tough through this. I'll just talk through this. And I did. And then it got it got blinding. And. then the seasons spy would have talked.

So I went right to the floor and and. they had this little bathroom with this. little little, you know, door with a. little latch on it. The it's just. makeshift toilet, right? So I go crawl. and get into there and shut it and latch. it and try to get this thing off. I. can't get it off. I mean, it won't come. off. was, you know, my my my my penis is. like I'm not letting. him and and I'm saying how Mary's are.

fathers. I'm doing everything I could. think of. And I mean, nobody ever talked. to me how to get rid of a heart. I was. thinking of of the mother superior who. was the gnarliest woman I ever seen, thinking about and maybe what it' be. like having sex with Mother Superior. Didn't matter. So, so. eventually I mean she she knocks on the. door. Pauline knocks on the door. She. says, "Is everything okay?" I said, "Sure it is. I'll be I'll be right out.

I I'll be out. Don't don't worry. I'll. be out in a minute." So, eventually, I. think it took me 20 minutes to get it. off, but I got I finally got it off. Hairs everywhere. And and. [Laughter]. uh I put it back on. Nice and uh we got pulled myself. together, went. outside and she's long gone. She left. You lost her. Yeah, I lost her. Yeah,

that was the first. So, I lost her and I. still remember my buddy Danny. I never I. never told anybody what happened way. back then. Never told anybody. He said, "How did you [ __ ] this up?" He says, "It. was a sure thing. And she, oh man, she told all her. girlfriend, she told all her girlfriends. that um I I um uh what we were going to. do. And then we sat down, I kissed her.

and then I ran into the locked myself in. the bathroom. and then of course I was never sealed. the deal with that one, huh? Yeah, I. killed the deal. totally. Poor Pauline. She messed out. Well, I'm I'm hoping someday I I don't. know where she is, but if she is, hope. she gets the booker. She says, "That's. what happened.". Wow. Well, you know, there's an old. saying, two is one and one is done.

That's taught me that. Yeah. But well, that clears that up. The condom story. Wow. What a great way to start. My partner, the award-winning precious. metals company Gold Co. has a special. offer for you right now. You can get a. free gold and silver kit. You'll learn. about how gold and silver can help you. protect your retirement savings. On top. of that, you could get unlimited free.

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questions. All right. So, a couple. things. One, I got you a gift. Vigilance Elite Gummy Bears legal in all. 50 states at least until RFK makes them. illegal. It's just candy. But uh yeah, we make those. Like I said, they're made. they're made right here in the USA. And. then um and then one other thing to. knock out, I got a Patreon account. that's a subscription network. We've.

turned it into quite the community. And. um you know, I started this show in my. attic. uh at my house and then we moved. here and now we're getting ready to move. into uh a lot bigger facility that's out. on onage and we'll make a a better guest. experience. But Patreon's been with me. since the beginning and uh they've. they've really supported me uh with what. I'm doing and and they're the reason. that I get to be here today with you. And so one of the things that um we do. is we.

offer Patreon somebody in Patreon to ask. each and every guest a question. And uh. so this is. from. Nate. Hi Bob. I really admire your. journey and what you've built. As a. fellow US Marine, I've come to believe. that owning your own business is the. ultimate form of freedom. But honestly, the most daunting part for me is. figuring out what to build. How to find. that unique idea or opportunity worth.

going all in on. How did you approach. this early on? Seer. fidelis Nate. Um, well, buddy, listen. The way I've always done it was I did. what I liked. I did what I liked. and my. dad for all his faults. I mean, he was. he he had a lot of good ideas, you know, about certain things. But one of the. things he said he said is you always. should do what you love because when you. love something, it tells you all its. secrets. And I believe that and it.

understands the reason, Nate, because. when you do what you love, you're going. to work harder at it. And you're not. doing it just for the money. And you. know, depending upon why you're working, right? Why you're doing what you're. doing. That's going to determine how. successful you are. And you'll never be. successful if you're just working for. the money because you won't do the. things you need to do to be successful. because they're. counterintuitive. So, there you have it.

Man, that's great advice. I would 100%. agree with that. And uh I'm doing what I. love. and where this takes me just continues. to surprise me every day. I can't even. believe I'm sitting down here with you. But um but um so let's start let's get. into the let's get into the interview. So you grew up in East Baltimore. Yep. Brothers, sisters. I grew up in. East Baltimore. Um younger brother,

younger sister. Um mom and dad of. course. Uh and. um we we never had much. Mom and dad. were gamblers and neither one of them. were that good at it. And um so we were. always broke. I mean always always. broke. And if dad dad bought anything, it was always on credit and they always. would goose with the interest rate. So. which means we would even we even had.

less. So, if um we needed to to have. anything, we had to figure out how we. were going to going to work and earn it. and earn it and how we're going to make. money and and uh get what we wanted to. get. And um we we did things like. newspaper routes, shoveling snow, running errands, working in filling. stations, construction, all that kind of. stuff. Um but uh my my first business is. an interesting story. It is uh it was a. lemonade stand and u so I one day I'm.

probably about eight or nine years. old and I I go ahead and uh uh decide. it's just in one of those hot days that. they get in Baltimore that you know you. could see this the heat wave off the off. the this is the tar street you know as. street and and when when um I did that I. decided said, "Man, I'll make lemonade. I'll have a lemonade stand out here.

today." Well, mom wasn't around. It was. just me. I was the only one at home. So, I go ahead and um get this picture out. that she had. And and uh I knew that. lemonade was lemon and sugar and water. So, I get this I get this bottle of. lemon out. And she This is called real. lemon. And I fill this thing up with. with the lemon. And then I put the le. sugar in it. And then I put put water in. it. And I mix it all up. And no matter.

how how I made it, it just didn't taste. quite right. And then I get the idea. maybe that's the way it's supposed to. taste. So I just put I just put more. sugar in it. Right. And I just keep. mixing up, mixing it up, mixing it up. And then so I I I go outside. I put this. at this little table. I set this little. table up. want to out at the base of her. porch and I I put this little sign up. Lemonade 5 cents and the lemonade.

picture looked beautiful. I mean, it. looked beautiful. It It had It had like. a little sweat on it. I mean, it's just. it's perfect. Well, this is back during. the days when back during the late 50s. when when the insurance guys would life. insurance guys would walk debit routes, right? And they collect the the weekly. premium because that's the only way. you're going to get it. names Baltimore. You go knock on somebody's door and they. get it from him. So this guy's name is.

Mr. Hill. H I L L. And he's got this. little pork pie hat on. He's got his. sports coat slung over his shoulder, got. his tie undone. He's walking squinting. like a hog, right? So he says to me, he. goes, "And kid," I says, he says, "Man, can I. use can I use use this today?" So I. fixed him a lemonade and he gives me a. dime, told me to keep the change, and it. was I couldn't believe my luck. So, so.

he takes and he knocks this lemonade. back and he seems to. wave and he he's waving. around his eyes bulge. He spits his. lemonade out the street and he goes, "That's good. That's the worst [ __ ]. lemonade in my life.". and he goes storming away. And so I.

thought maybe maybe u maybe uh it just. isn't that bad. Maybe you know he don't. know how taste. Yeah. So the next day. the lady a girl across the street. Suzanne she comes over she gets a she. buys a couple of lemonade takes it over. home comes back and says my mother says. you have to give me my money back. So I. got her money back and and same same. thing and then then nobody would come. near my lemonade stand. So So the guy.

guy comes. over later my mother comes home and she. says what are you doing? And I said I'm. I'm selling lemonade. She says you're. selling lemonade. I said yeah. She says. how how'd you make it? And I showed her. I said I took the lemon bottle and I. poured it the thing. She goes, "I keep. vinegar in that bottle." Oh. [ __ ] So I made I made lemonade with. vinegar and.

um she helped me make a better lemonade. that actually tasted good. Nope. Word. already done out. Nobody wanted it for. free. Nice. Uh so anyhow, that was my. first business. Utter failure. So you you said your parents are. gamblers. What what would they what were. they gambling in? Anything they could or. Oh, anything. Horses, sports,

um. uh numbers. Um let's bet that mom would. go to bingo all the time, but that was. more social thing than a than a pure. gamble. But you know, that's what they. would do. Yeah. Yeah. And your dad was a. World War II CB in Guad Canal. Yeah, he. was in Guad Canal, Boenville, the. Fiji's. Did you guys talk about that?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we did. He uh he was. uh had all these all these pictures and. and u told me he says, "Yeah, it was a. rough, miserable place. had a picture of. his ship that he he took from the beach. and it uh the Japanese suicide sub. Two. man sub screwed into the side and blew. it up. Oh, wow. And I said, "How were. you there to you knew they were going to. take a picture?" He says, "Well, we knew.

it was there. They couldn't do anything. to the sub because the moment they. touched it, they would blow it." Right. So, they just get all got off the ship. And then I It wasn't that they waited. for him to get off the ship. they just. were able to. And um so so he so he had. that and he part of what he did was. drive a bulldozer I believe. And uh he. said he said they sounded like the. Japanese hero sounded like washing. machines. He said he he said the Marines. he said the Marines had it the toughest.

He said but he helped build the airfield. and um and stuff like that. Wow. So Wow. What else were you into as a kid? But it. sounds like life was pretty rough. You. know, what kind of stuff were you into? Well, you know, I um. um I was a terrible student. Terrible. student. And um I failed the fifth. grade. And um nobody can ever take that. away from me, but I I uh when I when I.

failed the fifth grade, uh Sister. Brenda, I was in in in parochial school. Sister Brenda was a nun and and she she. didn't didn't talk much, but she sure. hated me cuz she kept me almost every. day after school. She would just turn. around. I think I think, man, I'm going. to go um uh I'm going to go home one. time and a kid would say, "Hey, Roberts, can you hand me that?" or something. I. would I'd hand it to him. She go, "Robert Parsons, you're staying at.

school." my. mother. So, so anyhow, I it was it was. the last day of school and me. um uh this kid named Frankie, his kid. named. Anthony, and uh were everybody got their. report cards. It was one when them. Baltimore days hotter and [ __ ] you. know, and it was it was maybe June or or. May. And I went to St. Elizabeth of.

Hungary. And so all all I looking for. was a nunfree summer. Sister Brenda. handed everybody their report cards and. then uh said to me, Frankie Nancy says, "Use three. Wait here. I'll be back. later and as I take this line out and. I'll you know and there you go and then. I'll process your whatever's going to. happen." But she didn't say we failed. So Anthony saying I remember him saying.

wonder what sister Brenda wants us to. stay back here for and it occurred to me. I said cuz we. failed and so she took everybody out to. meet your parents and the way the way. this was set up St. Elizabeth occupied. one big city square block and she would. walk out if if you were were facing um I. don't know the direction but if if you. fac in one of the directions and you go. out the left side you go all the way.

down and you go you turn by the the the. nunnery or the convent and take all the. way down and then across the street is. where she meet the parents. Well, uh, my father every every year on the. last day of school, he'd pick up me and. my brother and my sister later. She she. she was involved in in that. He he'd. pick us she he'd pick us up and uh he'd. take us over to sporting goods store or. something and we'd buy us, you know,

something and, you know, for passing and. then we'd bring us home. So, um, I I was. thinking there is no way I'm going to. tell my father I failed. So as soon as. she left, I left. So she's. going left, I go right, and I run. through the schoolyard, down around the. side, over where where the parents are, up around the side of the convent, and. up against the the wall or or this this. black fence where the was fencing off.

the the convent. And I could see Sister. Brenda in the class coming down walking. down with them and everybody's happy. with their report cards and so forth. And um I I uh I said to her. um well the thing I had in my favor was. I knew about Sister Brenda. She was a. very lazy nun. I had some inside. information. She would never during the. few times when I would go home one time.

with everybody else, she would break off. and go right into the nuty. She never. walked the class all the way down. And. so she did the same thing with this. She. took and let the class go right and the. class turned right and going to walk. down by herself and she went back to. crucify the unholy. threesome. Right. So I just stood and. you know and I was you know halfway. wondering worried that the class that. the the class was going to see me and. the people were going to go what are you.

doing so forth. They didn't even notice. me. I mean I I I could have been one of. the bushes. So So they were too worried. about themselves in the report cards. So. they they started way kept walking. I. followed them and I go down the down the. block with them and across the. street where my father is. My father's. already there with my brother looking at. his report card. And my father says to. me, "Robert, where's your report. card?" And I said, "Dad, sister didn't. give me one." He says, "You didn't give.

me one." He looked at me like a dog that. heard a strange noise, you know. And I. says, I said, "No, Dad. This year, if. you pass, you didn't get a report card.". That's when the lie came out. And. so you keep in mind he's home my. brother's report and he goes he's. smoking terans right then he so takes a. puff and he says all get in the car and. he says not a problem. So he takes us to.

the to the sporting goods store. I know. I'm but in the story sporting goods. store. I'm on death row. So he says my. brother's got bunch of stuff. My. father's going to put most of that back. just pick one thing you want. And then I. He says to me, "Robert, don't you want. anything?" I said, "Dad, I I I got plenty. I had. nothing." So he says, "I'll get. something." So I got this first. baseman's mitt, you know, for a young.

kid. And so we go home. The same thing. happens with my mother. My brother comes. in, gives him his report card, gives her. the report card, and then uh he hands me. the, you know, she says, "Where's your. report card?" Same thing, you know, D. And um she says, "I never heard of. such a thing that you, you know, if you. pass, you didn't get a report card." And. I said, I pulled it out. I said, "My. call sister." And she said, "I'm calling. that sister." I said, "Well, if you.

think you should feel better, call her.". So I went and sat on a sofa and I waited. for a school to call. Well, the school. never called. Nobody. They never called. I waited all summer long and they didn't. call. All summer. So, so I'd have my. buddies that I'd be playing ball with or. something. They'd say to me, "Robert, what's what's wrong?" I said, "Nothing's. wrong." He said, "Oh, something's. wrong." I said, "Nothing's wrong." Now,

I knew if I told one of them, it'd be. all over the place. So, I didn't tell. anybody. So, fast forward to the first. day of school. A matter of fact, one. time I went to tell my dad what what was. going on. And then he goes, "Uh, uh, he's got the he's got a he's got the. newspaper up. It's hot as there's no air. conditioning in the house." He's sitting. on his sofa that is covered in plastic. So, it would stay nice for my mother. He's sweating his ass. and smoking everything. So I said, "Dad,

dad, I'm going to tell him, "Dad," and. he drops some paper and I see these eyes. bulging out, sweat running down his. face. I said, "Never mind.". Paper I'm out the door. So anyhow, so. first day of school, I I I I get in, we. we go with with Miss Molly, the neighbor. neighbor lady, you know, she had um uh. this little red beetle. She was this big.

big large woman, and she it looked like. there was 100 kids in that car. You. could hardly move. But anyhow, u she. pulls up, we all go in, I get in line, and St. Elizabeth had um one class for. each grade and and I get into line with. the sixth graders and I didn't know what. else to do and I look over in the fifth. grade class there's Frankie and Anthony. and they're motioning me to come over. and I'm going I don't even want to look.

at them. So, so they ringing the bell and then. they start moving in, you know, the. first graders, second graders, third, fourth, fifth, and then time for the sixth. graders and I'm at the end of the line. Our nun that year is Sister St. Thomas. She pulls me out of that line. She says. to me, she puts me against the wall. She's got her nose about maybe two. inches from mine. She says, "Sister.

Brenda told me what she did." And I. thought, "All right, there it is." And. she told me what she did. And I said, "I. didn't say anything." And it says, "And. she didn't know what to. do, so she passed you." No [ __ ] So. that's how I failed the fifth grade, but. I I didn't have to repeat it. You moved. on to sixth. Yeah. And she said to me, she said, "If you give me any trouble,

you're going right back into the fifth. grade." said, "I'm old, sister, and I. wish I could tell you I was I was a lot. better. I was a little bit better, right? And I remember when I got my my. sixth grade grades, I showed them to my. mother and she goes, "Well, it's nothing. to be proud of, but she she did pass.". And I like it better when you get a. report card. I said, "So do I, Mom.". Oh, man. So at what point.

did I when did you get interested in in. the Marine Corps? Uh I got India in the. in and interested in the Marine Corps. one day at the end of u gym class. I was. a senior. It was probably March or April. and um I had discovered. um alcohol and I had discovered. uh rediscovered the opposite sex and.

neither have ever been known to to help. grades in school. Right. And so I I took. and um with with uh that I was sure I. was going to fail. I mean this time I. wasn't going to be able to pull it off. So I had two buddies uh say to me that. they they you know. um they were going to go talk to the. Marine Corps recruiter on Conklin. Street. Would I go with them? And I said.

sure. I got nothing to do. So I I went I. went with him and it was um a guy named. Mike and a guy named Aggie Agaras his. name. He was a he was a creek guy and um. um we taken u go meet this recruiter and. he had us said hello buddy and so I I. joined right with the boys right with. them and um my mother had to sign the. papers for me to join. Oh really? And.

she said, she said, "And maybe this will. be what you need." And it's during the. height of the Vietnam War. That was in. 1968. Man, it was. um the war was rocking and rolling then. And so. um I went and showed all my teachers. when I could finally got my orders. uh. because the Marine Corps uh recruiter. said, you know, we we check your grades. and this and that and the other thing, you know, and you know, we won't take.

you unless you're topnotch and so forth. And so I thought uh you know, probably. not get in, but I'll do it anyhow. Well, I I could have had no head and they'd. have took me back during those days. Um. and so so um you know, I I got accepted. and. um there you go. You knew you were going. to war, huh? You knew you were going to. go to war. Yeah, I thought I was. And. then, you know, like like the like the. idiots that uh young young guys can be,

you know, we all said, "Man, we hope. it's not over until we get there." And. well, we got our wish. So, so you you must have joined what. age? 17. I was 17. Yeah. 17 years old. Joined the Marine Corps to go to. Vietnam. And what what did you what was. your job description in the Marine. Corps? What did you say? 0311, buddy. Nice. Number familiar? Oh, yeah. Very. familiar. Yeah, I was in 0311. Aggie was.

in 0311. Michael was in. 0311. And. um so, and then crazy [ __ ] happens and. we come home, Aggie gets in a tussle at. a bar his mother owns, gets stabbed to. death. So he never even went and then me. and Mike. went. I went. to Delta Company. 26 Marines were in. Quangnam Province. And then Mike uh he. went to first Marine somewhere and um.

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was very. transformative process for you and and. 100%. Give it a lot of credit. Yeah. You. know, I the one thing I'll say is um you. know, it was. um um you know, they did more for me. than I ever did for them. And um um. everything I ever accomplished, ever. accomplished, I'd have never done it. without the Marine Corps because they. give me. direction. They give me uh the. importance of understanding. responsibility.

They give me um uh you know the fact. that you know to believe in myself and. that I can accomplish more than I ever. dreamed possible and. um I always open for that. So how long was it from when. you signed in when you signed the. documents that you went off to Vietnam? I signed the documents probably in.

April, maybe May, April, May. And then I. went I was inducted in in August and 6. months after August Vietnam. Wow. Wow. So you went basically you went. through basic. training, your infantry school, 031. school, and then right to right to. theater. There you go. How was boot camp. for you? basic training. Well, boot camp. took me a while to get adjusted, but.

after a while, I got adjusted for just. fine, you know. I mean, the food was. great and um I still remember that ice. cold chocolate. milk and um you know, for me it was the. food food paras. up and uh so so you know, I I I liked. it. I was able to to do it and I I would. have been a rifle expert. I was a rifle. um sharpshooter and and I was doing okay.

until I had like two rounds left and I. had a drill instructor Sergeant Little. He said, "You better scream in my. ear." And it was pissed at me because I. wasn't a. What did your parents think about and. your siblings think about Vietnam? You. going um well, you know, my dad said he.

wish he could go in my. place and mom mom, you know, you have to. understand my parents, they were very. different. Mom, my mother was uh when. she was a young girl, she was she was. beat a lot by her father and so forth. So she was abused in in that sense. And. um so she didn't have a lot of she had. all the love beat out of her. So I I. remember when I it was time for me to. leave for for uh for to catch the plane.

at Friendship Airport, which not. Baltimore, Washington then. And um I I'. I'd go to to Friendship Airport. And. um before that I was out at that night. before and my mother comes in and she. says um dad just got up and went to. work. They didn't even say anything. No. kidding. No. And then mom said, "Well, I'm going to uh I'm going to the. racetrack when it burnt. Don't get. yourself killed." That was it. That was.

it. And off they went. And so I. called called my brother. I mean, not my. brother, my my cousin. And uh he give me. a ride to the airport. And uh uh they. had uh there's a lot of guys there. They. had their girlfriends and sisters and. family and mother signs and all this. sort of thing. And it was me. It was. just me. But see the the hell of it was.

I was that's all I was ever used to. So. I didn't didn't bother me too much. Um. and then to Pendleton. Holy [ __ ] Yeah. So you got no send off. from family? No. Wow. Were you guys close at all? Family? Yeah. No. Me and my brother.

Where do you fall in the birth order? Um, I'm first, my brother second, and my. little sister. And now, um, they're all passed except. for my little sister and me, and she and. I are close. So, that's good to hear. What's her name? Beverly. I mean, was there any communication once. you got did you write them letters or. anything? Yeah. Yeah, they they'd write. letters and um mostly it would be my. brother and and my sister would write me.

letters and my buddies, some of them. would. And um uh once in a while um. um parents would write me a letter, but. not much. Wow. Well, let's talk about let's move into. Vietnam. What What was it like landing. there? Well, man, I tell you what, that place. smelled different than any place I ever. smelled in my life. Smelled like rot.

So we spent our our first night guarding. the rear area and. that just some some place to put us, you. know, till they trucked us out to our. unit and uh we we were with Delta. Company, first battalion, 26 Marines, first platoon, second squad. And uh I got to I got to my squad and.

we're in Quang Nam. Rice Patties as far. as you can see, right? And um it was. um it was uh it was quite a place. Uh, I. I remember um I I got to the guys were. staying in a tent, canvas tent, and um. so I had a I had a um bunk and a couple. guys um was I think like a Marine Corps.

rifle squad. It's about 12 guys. And um. there was there was not 12 guys in the. squad. There was like It was like u. seven or Yeah, seven. and uh maybe even. less because it was just the guys that. were there and then us. And what. happened is that they were ambushed a. couple days before you know we we were. sent out there. We were sent there as me. and a couple others were sent there as.

replacements for the guys that were. killed in this ambush. So um they were. they were they were killed and um uh. there was. um four of them were killed. One of them. was seriously wounded and um to a man it. was all the senior guys. So the guy who. was the the the senior man, this new. squad leader had just turned 19 and had. been in the bush for 6 weeks. That was.

the most senior guy. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. What did you think about that? Well, at. at first I you know, we were going out. on our first night's ambush and I sat. down and I I mean I went outside the. hunt and we had this we're at the very. top of hill 190 and you know it means. it's a hill 190 the number it's 190 ft. above sea level. So So we're at the top. of this and right at the top was this. old French fort there. this was this.

wall with shell holes in it and stuff. So I guess the French were overrun there. and um I sat on this wall and I kept. started thinking. about how in the hell am I going to. survive this? Because the Army, Navy, and Air Force, their tours are 12. months. Marine Corps is 13 months. I. don't know [ __ ] from China about this. place. uh the guy who I'm replacing, you.

know, I mean the the the guy who. replaced the squad leader, you know, he. don't know either because I mean he had. been here much longer than I do. And um. so it it didn't look good. So I I. started I started, you know, I I got. scared for for just a little little bit. and then then it occurred to me that. um I probably wasn't going to survive. it. I was going to die there. And.

um I mean it was it was a hard thought. at first, but then after you accept. it, then nothing bothers you. Yeah, that's you know this uh it's. interesting that you say that. because you're the only other person. I've heard that articulated that and and. uh that's kind of the way. me not to inject my. own experiences because they're.

irrelevant right now. But um I mean I. that's how I dealt with it too. I just. always assumed I was already dead and. so it kind. of took the fear out of it. Yeah. It t. it takes the fear totally out of it. And. but what it does though is you can do. your job. Yep. you can do your job. And. so that night we went on our first am.

first ambush. So you you had you had. come up with that mindset before any. fighting had even started. Excuse me. You had come up with that mindset that. you're already dead. Yeah. Before Yeah. you ever pulled a trigger, before you. were ever shot at, before you ever saw. anything. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. I did. Wow. I. did. cuz I' I've been in so many. different types of situations, you know, and it just would just, you know, it's.

just this is what it's going to be, you. know, and and um so so anyhow, so that's. that's a thought that I had. And um the. interesting thing is is I'm friends with. most of the guys in that squad. There's. seven of them. that five five of them and and and. um most of them tell me the same story.

No kidding. And they said I never told. anybody. I mean one one guy who's is a. squad leader, the guy that was the squad. leader, he turned out to be marvelous, but he had the same thing. He said, he. said, "How can you do your job if you. worry, you know, you worry. about, you know, you you're whether. you're going to live or not, right?" He. says, "That's just not your problem at. the moment." Right? And and the machine. gunner, same thing. You know, this guy's. name is Brand. He lives down in Austin,

Texas. I love the guy. Um so, so anyhow, but none of us told each other. No [ __ ]. Yeah. which is had that mindset. So, so. anyhow, so we go out, we we get our. first. ambush. Uh we have a corman with us and. then a sister squad. We're in a we're. just outside the village in a pagota. And then what's a pagota? A pagota is. it's like a little religious place.

Okay. Where they have altars and stuff. like that. At least that's what we. called them was pagotas. And um so and. then about a click or a couple clicks. from us was another pagota and we had a. sister squad set up there. And after we. were set up on this ambush for maybe. maybe an an hour or 45 minutes or. something, but it was before we did a.

first move, you know, cuz we would go. out, we set up an ambush, we we do a. wait a while, let it get good and dark, and then there'd be a first and then. there'd be a first move, and then we'd. set someplace else, and then there'd be. another move, and then we set him for. the night. and uh the the deal would be. to move so you nobody knows where you're. at. So anyhow, that was that was the. thought. So this this uh squad um our.

sister squad is in this this other. pigota and all of a sudden all hell. breaks loose where they are and we get. the radio call that they they sprung. their ambush. They had a a [ __ ] um uh. VC or NVA come out of a spider hole and. threw a threw a chiccom at this this guy. and then it uh we picked it up went. throw it back and it went off in his. hand. [ __ ] Yeah. So So he's pretty.

[ __ ] up. And so to get there with the. with the the corman cuz they didn't have. a corman with him. So we get there, we. run through this through this [ __ ]. rice patty. You ever walk through a rice. patty? No. Well, I'll tell you what, a. rice patty is the shittiest thing in the. world to walk. through. I think God put him there to. say don't walk. here. So, the the the mud would be like. about a.

uh water be like about maybe couple of. feet deep and then the mud would be a. couple be a foot deep or so. So you go. down in it and it's got every kind of. vermin you can think of. It's what. crawling around in there. So we're. running through this rice patty. I got. my gear halfway on, halfway off. It's my. first night in a bush. I don't know. anyway that it ought to be. It's It's. choking me. It's the magazines are.

choking me. I got them in like a bandero. like you see in the Old West, you know, stupid. But uh nobody was there to show. me. Yeah. Right. So So we get there. This guy is uh is is hurt horrifically. Not dead. Uh arm. gone. Uh side of his head. gone, trying to check an eye that's not. there with a hand that's not there. I. mean, it's crazy [ __ ] you know, that.

you see you see in war. And the squad. leader is this guy named Blackwell. And he starts he's he's he. starts just standing in this rice patty. and he's throw he's throwing up and then. he's just standing. there and it's just helicopters just. coming in this Hueies coming in and it's. going to land right on. him. So I see it. I run and grab him and.

push push push push push. It misses him. and misses me. And but we hit a rice patty tank and go. and he snaps him out of it. And then um. so I saved his asses and then saved my. own ass. But um so so then then we took. in and uh uh they told us to go back out. to different ambush place after this guy. Hunt gets taken back, you know, medevac.

back. And by the way, it didn't kill. him. He didn't die. He uh I seen him at. a reunion. Yeah. No [ __ ] Yeah. And so. so I taken uh um we we we set in with. the sister squad, which we weren't. supposed to do at all, but we thought. we'd we'd get some sleep. So the next. morning, the sun breaks. Nobody's. answering the radios where we. are. And and the hill we're doing, what. the [ __ ] They're firing a 50 caliber.

machine gun over her head. Then we motor back and I shoot her ass. out and that was my first night in the. bush. Wow. I. mean, so how did that I mean, how did. that. experience sit with you? I mean, that's. mission number one. You see a guy Well, gets his arm blown off, gets half his. face blown off. No, it didn't. It.

didn't. Then didn't didn't Were you numb. to it before it ever happened? No, pretty much. Yeah, pretty much. But but. the the the thing was the crazy thing. was is that those. guys were the first family I. had. Just that little bit of time, I. fell in love with those guys. I mean,

they were my brothers. I mean, it. happened like boom, like. that. So then to this day, I'm still. close to him. I talk to him once a week, certainly once a month. And so your guys's mission said, your. mission set was to go set up ambushes. That was it. Yeah. How many ambushes do. you think you set up? Oh, not a lot. Not. a lot. I mean, I was I was in a bush for. a month and then I got.

wounded and then um I got wounded but u. and then uh I hit a uh uh. uh chaom Chinese communist grenade. We. call them chaoms. Uh that was set up as. a u as a trap. and and uh my buddy uh uh. uh what the [ __ ] his name?

Um because this is my mind just went. blank, but he'll kill me. I forgot his. [ __ ] name. We'll get there. We'll get. there. So anyhow, he steps over he steps over a. uh a trip wire and I I hit it and then. so I just got caught sharpening both. legs and left elbow and then I got. medevaced out all the way to the Naval. Hospital in. Cusco. So I was there for for a couple. of months or three or I don't even I.

don't even know how long. Let's if it's. okay let's go let's go I want to get to. that. Okay, and get a little more. descriptive. But what what were some of. the other ambushes that you guys had. done? Uh we uh we're walking on. ambush and um. Brownie sees all of a sudden where we're. we're at. We're going through this. village, right? And it just it's just.

just gotten dark, right? And we're going. through this village and. um two NVA soldiers both with NBA. rifles, black pajamas, the whole nine. yards, come running right at us. He. turns with his M60 and takes them both. out. I mean, and they're dancing like. dolls and. um so yeah. So, and then that night at. night and right then you know I we sweep.

towards the area where we had the the. activity come from and my place was I. was sweeping towards where um there was. uh the the the hoops that I think that. they came running out of and. um I took a hand. grenade and threw it. right and only it didn't go as far as I. thought it was going to go and it landed. but it landed on the other side of a.

rice patty dyke facing away from us. So. when it blew it blew away from us. right guys and George the squad leader. scared the [ __ ] out of them. They go. they turn around and go did you just. [ __ ] throw that? And I said, "Yeah, I. did." And they go, "Um, well, don't throw anymore.

tonight." And so the next day, George. tells me to don't throw any more hand. grenades. I said, "Do I still have to. carry them?" He says, "Fucking ain't. right. You got to carry them." He says, "Just give them to somebody else to. throw." And I said to him, "Suppose. we're getting overrun." And he says, "Then you control them. How were you guys moving around at night. through that jungle? Uh well, where. where we. were, the only time I went through the.

jungle was um uh was during the day. because there was rice patties on one. side. There's not a lot of there's not a. lot of jungle on rice patties. Okay. Located. And then the other side is. where there was jungle and so forth. So, um, and I never, uh, never spent I. spent some time there, but, it was all. during the day. Uh, but it was mostly. just just quiet quiet and being in the. dark with seven guys. Well, seven and.

then 10 and then then 12 and then and. then that sort of thing. And then, um, I. mean, it's just so many things. The. first night I was there, I shot a. snake, you know. Um um we would uh sweep. and body count was a big. thing. So we'd sweep through the rice. patties and we put up illumination, you. know, that comes down on them parachutes.

and and uh we'd look for bodies. Of. course, we didn't find any. And. um because this is NVA that we did kill, they always would have something around. a piece of rope around her neck to be. pulled away by somebody else. No [ __ ]. Yeah. Um so um that's how they would. collect their dead. Yeah. Yeah. They. would noose them. They would noose them. and drag them through. Yep. Wow. So, so.

they I mean these guys these guys have. more stories than 100 more stories than. I do 100 times. But I mean so, so we. start sweeping and I look and there's. this big [ __ ] snake um in the water. and swimming right towards me. I mean. it's swimming right [ __ ] towards me, right? And it's my it's my squad and. this other squad. So, so we take in the we take in this. squads squads.

snake. Anyhow, so the snake's coming. down and it just when it's about two or. three feet cuz I'm thinking surely he's. going to go left to right, right? This. thing is coming like it's going to bite. me in the balls, right? So, I put my. rifle on automatic. and all this water comes flying up and. it hits me in the [ __ ] eyes and I'm. movement and and and and I I look and I. get my eyes cleared and I look left,

left, right. Nobody's there. They're all. underwater. Oh, [ __ ] Well, I didn't. hear the end of that forever. And then. George George was nice about it later. because the next day he said, "Next time. they'll shoot the. snake." So, so anyhow, that was that was. that night. And so just crazy [ __ ] that. happened. I remember one time we're on a. day. patrol for some reason there's a whole.

company's coming out and there's a day. patrol where the whole platoon it was. But me and um two me Proctor and a guy. named Pavlovich were sent to get water. So we go into the village and they we. get water, right? So we go into the. village. We got everybody's canteen, right? And so we go in and just when we. go to get water, we get see this kid. He's coming out. He's got like one of.

these trays in front of him like on like. like a small like small cokes come in. the wooden trays and he's got a burlap. strap holding it up and he's got burlap. covering it. You know what he's got in. there? I swear to God, you're not going. to believe it. Nobody [ __ ] believes. me. And Proctor and the other two are. dead. So is is vanilla popsicles. He had. [ __ ] vanilla. popsicles. He did. He did. And so, uh, I. take and and we take and before you know.

it, this kid had everything we had of. value. Bread, cans of bread, cigarettes. I mean, we're just eating one popsicle. after another, right? Pavalovich goes, "Suppose suppose these are poison." And. then Proctor goes, "Who gives a fuck?". Right? So, so that that's one of my. happy happy stories about the place. But. um crazy [ __ ] crazy stuff. Did you get.

into any firefights? Um, you know, the. the the one that was the most was we we. surrounded this um um village, small. village, and and and it somehow they. they figured out that there was a a. squad or part of a platoon of North. Vietnamese in the village and we caught. them there during the. day and um so so so we're in there and.

uh we're we're on the side and there's a. machine gun is the side that is at I. mean that that we're at. And so Brownie. is is on a little null not too far from. us and George says get get you Parsons. and um um what the [ __ ] is Bryant the. guy's name is Bryant. He goes, "You and. Bryant, run run the uh run the uh the. can.

of machine gun ammo over to. Brownie." And so um so we so we did and. then his [ __ ] gun starts taking. starts shooting at us. We dive. We're. laying against this dyke and shooting. over top of us. We get up. We get this. stuff over the brownie and and the. funniest damn thing happened is I've. thought about that that at night that. day many many times.

and I I cannot remember what happened. No [ __ ] And I So I go to reunion. I ask. one of one of the guys there said, "Do. you remember what. happened?" Right. And he says, "Oh, we. killed every [ __ ] one of them." I. said, 'D did we? I said, 'I was there. one night? I said, 'Yeah, you were. there. I said, 'Anything unusual. happened?' No, I don't remember. I mean, I don't It's like it didn't happen. I. remember giving giving the the gam the.

ammo to uh Branny and his kid Goodwin, who was right in his egg gunner, and No, that's it. Nothing. Nothing. Totally. blocked it out of your memory. Totally. I'm just curious. I mean, did you did. that incident come up during any of your. psychedelic journeys? No. Never. No. No. Wow. Nope. No. Didn't. And um and that is the.

only to the only incident like that. And. uh firefights um exchange rifle fire a. couple times, but not a lot. I mean, I I. I seen light combat. I mean, compared to. most guys. Mhm. Especially the guys who. were up around the. DMZ. And. um um man, when I when I got wounded, I. think I had about. uh that probably saved my life. Do you. think he killed anybody that night? I.

don't. know. I mean, how would you know? Do. your. I mean, I didn't I mean, they weren't. close like me to you. Yeah. Right. Or or. you know I could like when Brandy took. those two NBA out. I mean they come. Yeah. I mean I could see that but I. didn't do anything like that. Was that. the first engagement when the two. Vietnamese charged you guys? Is that the. first engagement you've seen? Yeah. I. think so. No. No. It was one before.

that. What was the one before that? one. before that there was there was a bunch. there was in my VA about. maybe a football field or two away from. us in the village that we started firing. on and they firing that back and nobody. got hit and the best of my knowledge we. never hit anybody. So the first time you. saw Americans kill the enemy was when. they charged you in that village? No, they weren't Americans. They they were. they were NBA. That's what I mean. And.

they were charging you guys. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. What did that feel. like for you? You. know, I in some ways it was. exhilarating. Some ways it was to see. it. Yeah. I mean it. was I mean I was I was like part of the. team. I mean it was just that was I mean.

that that that was it. I mean I didn't. do much for the team but uh I was part. of the team. Did you think much about it afterwards? No. Later on in life? No. And. um you know and and it's be honest with. you the the stuff. that some of the stuff that that I seen.

that that [ __ ] rocked me was was. stuff that happened happened later. I. went in combat, you know? I mean, it was. it was it was the just the the the whole. idea of the war. And I mean, I I. remember seeing those those two guys. They look like dolls, dead dolls, right? But the their legs are all contorted and. [ __ ] Um, where was this? This was the.

same same episode. Oh, okay. Yeah. Same episode. If you're looking for a war hero, brother, I ain't the guy. Well, I'm just. fascinated in Vietnam. I mean, that was. that was you guys and your generation. That was that was what. really inspired me to to become a SEAL. and. um and go overseas, you know, for for my. generations or Vietnam, baby. So, I just.

have a ton of respect for Vietnam vets. Yep. Yeah. So, I I got I got a hell of a. story when you're ready. You want to. take a break or whatever? Yeah. Let's go. into Let's Let's Let's start where you. got wounded cuz you're a Purple Heart. Vietnam recipient. Yeah. So I I I go to. one of one of the things I have I got. I've got a good memory which is unusual. me not remembered anything on that at.

that time when me and Bryant were. running running an ammo over um I. um I I remember I remember they they. carried me back and they could they. couldn't get a Um. uh the. the yeah I another another night I had a. guy got wounded a point man hit a trap.

that was walking on a rice patty dyke. right and um I help helped carry him. back and and uh the reason we had to. carry him back is is because he was just. his legs were hurt and u and he um his. his legs were hurt and and he um was. obviously going to live and the war. business of the war was really good some. other place and all the choppers were. were busy at least at least that's what. I was told and was when I was wounded as.

the same thing happened right only I. wasn't walking on a on a dyke I was. walking on a path through a village um. so so I taken um uh get um. uh they they get me to this to this road. and there's these two two guys in the. road and they got me they just shoot me. full of morphine I think it was and I. mean I didn't give a [ __ ] about anything.

and what one one one interesting thing. before that which is a fun story for. that I take and. um I I get sent back cuz I I I got. caught in some barb wire or and cut all. my [ __ ] fatigues up. I only had one. pair. So, so the company kind of sent me. back to the rear that day and he said to. get a whole new set of fatigues and to.

get to get a haircut and then come on. back. A haircut? Yeah, it did. I got I. had that get it all cut. So, so I take. and um I I I I go back. I get my haircut. and then I I go to where the fatigues. are and there's these two rear area guys. where starch fatigues and it's this big. warehouse and I said I'm I'm here to get. some u um.

fatigues and they said well do you need. a check signed by the colonel? I said. well where's the colonel? Said well he's. up in Dong Ha which is hundreds of miles. north. And I said, "Well, I I got to go. back to the bush and you know, and these. pants are all ripped up." So they said, "You, brother, that's they'll hang us if. we give them to you." So we can't. So So. finally after, you know, it was useless. arguing with those guys. I start walking. back and I start walking back and I go.

through this area where there's quite. huts. Well, it must have been there. One. of them was there in one of the quanset. huts. like it. I open the qu I open the. door. up and I go in and it's it's like. [ __ ] candy land in there. So, I take. and open one of the lockers and it's got. it's got a brand new set of fatigues in. it. I I try them on. They fit me. I take. mine off, put them on a hanger, hang.

them in there, right? And then I go ahead and I I look on one. of the mattresses is it's a rubber lady, an air mattress, an air, not a rubber. lady like you get at the the bed shop, but you know, just a rubber lady. So So. I take all the air out of it and then. put it on my arm and then I take and. start with all my new pockets. I start. stuffing Marples and Winston's in it.

because those [ __ ] would take. all the maralss and Winston's and then. send us out like L&M's and Salem and. Kent and nasty ass cigarettes. Holy. [ __ ] So I I go back and these guys are. saying, "Where the [ __ ] you get that?" I. said, "Never mind. I just got it.". So I gave him some cigarettes and so. forth and I blew that blew that rubber. lady up and and um so I only slept had.

it for like two days and then I got. wounded. So I'm I'm going away and they. said, "Hey Parsons, who's going who get. your rubber lady?" I said, "You guys. decide.". Nice. So let's talk let's talk about the. day that you got wounded is in as much. detail as you can remember. All right. Well, the thing I remember the most is. these guys driving me with no headlights. on through these these dirt roads right.

to the to get to the field. hospital. And. um they were they had some country. western music going. I remember that. They were singing. They were I thought. they were [ __ ] loaded and I didn't. really give a [ __ ] but you know they. were you know as long as they were there. taking me. So they take me they take me. to the to the uh field. hospital and. um immediately cut all my clothes off. and then they they do a triage and you.

know they I guess they determined you. know I was not serious seriously wounded. and. um and then they put me inside this big. tent. I mean and it was cold as [ __ ] I. mean, it was so cold in that tent and um. cuz it was going from outside it was. like like 80 90° inside 60 70. Um, so I. remember they kept moving. I was I was.

laying on a just a the canvas cot and. they kept moving it closer and closer. and they had all these buckets of water. and they put me on put me on this this. uh x-ray. machine because I was wondering what the. water was for. And when they took me off. the x-ray machine, they washed it off. And then uh next thing I know I was in. surgery and I don't remember anything. after. that. Then uh next morning I wake up bed.

is soaked pissed all over it and the. corman says don't worry brother you just. was just so busy we didn't have time to. put a catheter in you. And um so I put. one in me and then um changed sheets and. and then a colonel come over and said. congratulations heart. Wow. in in the. actual the actual operation the the the. ambush that you were on. Could you can. you describe how you were wounded again?

Yeah, I hit a trip wire. Hit a trip. wire. Hit a trip wire. It was on the. left side of me and it caught my the. shrapnel. here and in my my left. elbow. And I remember the surgeon. saying, you know, you had a piece of big. piece of shrapnel go into the joint and. didn't damage it. Wow. So I was lucky. I. mean, I was lucky as I can be. Were you. conscious the entire time? No. Wasn't. it? A little bit. Just little bit for.

the explosion. Oh. Oh, the explosion. Yeah, I was conscious most of the time. I didn't I didn't go out. Oh, I I just I. just remember when that [ __ ] thing. went off and I went down on the ground. I said to the I turned to the George cuz. I was I was learning to walk point. then. And and so Bryant was walking. first, I was walking second. And um uh. he uh I said, "Jesus Christ, it [ __ ].

hurts." And then and then it it didn't. so much. And then it did. And then and. then they shot me with with morphine and. then so forth. I I didn't didn't hear it. so much. I seen it, you. know. Didn't know what happened at. first. You're disoriented. Totally. Did. you think you were going to die? No. You. knew you would live. Yeah, I thought I. would. Thought Thought I [ __ ].

wouldn't. Oh god. One of the guys the. guys I with got pissed and started. [ __ ] putting a Zippo to this village. and. um he says they got a George George. squad leader got in a little bit of. trouble for that and he said he was in. trouble and then. um the North Vietnamese had a big push. through the area that that we were in. I. went in no more, but he were we were in.

and uh he forgave. him cuz he was good [ __ ] Marine. Jesus Christ, he was good. like about a. couple days. after they um set up on this um set up. on this uh bank in these reads and uh. they seen um a. uh squad of NVA come through and started.

coming out started coming out of the. water. They opened up on them. They. killed them. all. And then uh they were ordered by. our captain, Captain Morehead, to go all. the way down to to go about a mile or. two out of sight and then turn around. and go, you know, a couple clicks in, then come all the way back and reset up. in the same spot. And they did. And um. when they did they um.

um an hour or two later the company the. rest of the company came. through and of course these guys being. the [ __ ] knuckleheads as they were. opened up on all of them and um then. they said George they [ __ ] fight went. on all night. Yeah. And they was [ __ ]. um a gunship was going around the. [ __ ] you know and uh when the sun. shown he says there was bodies.

everywhere and where there weren't. bodies there were drag marks you know. and wow you know. well Bob let's take a quick break and. then when we come back we'll talk about. your coming home. We're talking we got. to talk about the hospital first. All. right, we'll we'll pick up at the. hospital. There you go, buddy. Perfect. Let me tell you, I've had my Helix. mattress that they sent me to try for. years now, and it's really helped me.

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and think think about a military. hospital in. wartime. You see a lot. of a lot of [ __ ] up dudes. Boy, and. um Oh, man. It's just really really. screwed up. Um and. um seen this young kid was a um Marine.

Marine Rukon. recon. And um he um was out on some long. distance lurp they called it or. something like that. The long distance. reconnaissance. Reconnaissance. Yeah. and. um he hit a uh a bouncing. betty. You know, it's it's the only time. I've I've heard of one or heard of. anybody hitting one, but I heard about.

him all the time, but never actually. anybody, you know, falling victim, but. that's what he fell victim to. And you. know, bouncing Betty, it's just a rocket. on the inside of pressure plate. Tread. on it. As soon as you tread on it, soon. as the weight goes off, that rocket's. coming up and um it's I mean, you're. [ __ ] That's just that's just all. there is to it. And it um blew his uh. blew his ass.

off. and he was. um uh he was. um completely. paralyzed. And the guys would take. turns. He was sandwiched between two. boards and a device that had, you know, opening for his groin. And this was his. tail. And. uh we would take turns turning comic. book pages for him. And.

uh I feel so sorry for that guy. And I. mean and and and other stuff you'd say, you know, it's just so [ __ ]. up thing thing I remember the hard one. of the the hardest thing is, you know, about that. I mean that that what. whatever brought the war home that did I. mean, you know, you spent some time in a. military hospital. You'll Yeah, you'll. see. and.

um Navy lost my payroll. records so I couldn't go off. base. I used to say to some of the guys, I had to had some civilian clothes and. some money to go off base and I'd. say, "Can you loan me some money and and. your sevies and so I can go on liberty?". He says, "I like you, man, but not that. much.

Oh god. Jeez. You know, I read I read. somewhere or maybe I saw it on an. interview. I can't remember that that. you think that you had a guardian angel. I did. I did. Why did you think that? So many so many things happened that I. just I come out okay. Um like um another. time we're in a firefight in a village, right? Again, nobody's hit, nobody's.

anything. Me and his this dude named. Pavlovich. We. go into this this. hooch searching for Christ knows what. And in there is one of these little. tables. And it's a long table. It's. about maybe 4t 5t 4t tall. And on it is. a bowl. One bowl. And in the bowl was a.

an undetonated tonk. round from the night. before when we had this guy named Cook. And Cook was one of these guys. Go to. jail or join the Marine Corps for. stealing. cars. And so he, you know, that's back. when the Marine Corps was doing what it. could to, you know, fill fill them. ranks. And um so anyhow, he fired. It.

didn't go off. uh somehow somehow landed. there, but our. boy Pavlovich moved his fat ass and. tipped the bowl and and they had this. wooden floor put in I mean small this. kind of a crappy wooden floor on the. altar and this thing hit the hit the. wood didn't. explode. [ __ ] Now that got my attention. Mhm. Yeah.

And so I go outside and I go, there's no. way I'm going back in there. Period. And. uh so Cook goes back in there. And they. used to used to have on the helmets. they'd have these big black rubber. bands, red pieces of rubber, and they. would keep bug repellent, bug juice in. them. Right. Well, Cook. put the dud M. Was it M M79? Holy [ __ ].

He put an he put an unexloded round. Yeah. Was it M79? Yeah. Yeah, it was the. M79. Yeah. So, he puts the M79 round in. it and we're walking back and you could. see he's got you got about two, three. guys and then one guy walks watching him. and he's back about. maybe 20. yards. And then 20 yards the next.

closest guy and he's walking with this. thing on his head. I kept waiting for. his head to just Holy. [ __ ] And he made. it. He made it the rest of the time when. that damn thing. [ __ ] Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Well, let's talk. about I mean I am curious. I mean, did. is there is. there do you feel like you had a.

relationship with the guardian angel? I. did. I did and I still do. Um, and. um, you know, it's just it's. just stuff I've come out of. Like, for. example, for example, I'll give you. this, okay? Um, I'm on. Okinawa and and I I get I get sent to. Okinawa. uh to get processed back to back to. Vietnam, back to the unit and it been a.

couple of months or maybe three months. been and I I really don't know. Uh but. it was around that. Okay. So I take. and get to be this doctor there got to. be friendly with me. I thought he was a. good dude. And um so so. um when I got to the point where all my. wounds were healed, I said to him um I.

went I said, "Doc, I'm ready to go. back." you know, and uh he said, "Um, you ready to go back?" He says, "Parc, you don't have to go back." He. says, "I'll keep you here for the rest. of the war." And I said, "No, I want to. go back. I want to be with those guys.". I mean, if they were my family. Mhm. Right. I loved them more than I ever. loved a lot of. my I mean, we we're closer. Mhm. um even.

though it was just a. month. So uh so he said okay and he he. uh signed off and the day that my orders. come through to leave for the next. day my payroll record showed up. my peril record showed up and so they. said um go off. base enjoy yourself. They might have.

given me 7 $800. I don't know how much. they give me might might have been might. as well been you know. 20,000 you know. Okay now what beer was. a dollar you know it's just do anything. you want. I mean it's just a lot of. money. So, I I take in I I You might. have figured out by now I'm never much. of a rule follower. Yeah. You figured it. out. I'm figuring that out. Okay. All. right. So, I go I I go off base. I'm. supposed to be back at.

midnight. It's about 3:00 in the morning. and I'm walking down the. street and it's it's. it's raining like hell. It's almost. coming down. sideways and there's a guy walking back. up the other way coming right towards. me. It's Blackwell. It's that guy I. saved during the first night. Are you. serious? Dead. serious. And he told me that was his.

third heart and he didn't have to go. back. So he was in uh G2, which is. orders and all that sort of stuff, intelligence, and uh he he said, "I can. get you we the guy that that runs this. little print printing press and goes. back and forth and delivers orders. I. can get you that job," he says, cuz the. company Gunny and I are tight. And he. said, "And uh you know, by then, I think.

he was staff sergeant." And um he says, "I I'll I'll get it done." And he says, "When do you go back?" And I said, "I'm. 7:00 tomorrow morning and this is like. 3:00 in the morning." He says, "I don't. think I can all I can get it done that. soon." And I um I said, "Brother, that's. okay. That's okay cuz I was kind of. looking forward to seeing the guys. anyhow." So. um you know, we part. I tell him where. I'm at, so forth. We part and and uh he.

goes his way, I go mine and um I. um go back immediately get arrested. They take me to the officer. today and the officer today goes, you. know, he's this young second lieutenant. got their [ __ ] jobs look talking to. butttheads like me and he's going, why. can't you be back?

And I said, "I'm going back. I was in. Vietnam and I was wondering I got to go. back the more and I lost track of time.". And and he goes, "Get him the [ __ ] out. of here." So they take me back and I. fall asleep. I slept for maybe an hour. and then I fall asleep with fall out. with the hangover from. BGS and they I had orders station and me. back black wall got it done. Wow. Yeah. I mean that happened. I mean to me. that's or like the fifth grade. I mean.

it just think repeatedly have happened. like that and. um I I think my angel's there. still to this day. Yeah, I think so. I. think hopefully I'll I'll meet I'll meet. him or her or it and um it'd be kind of. nice one day. I know whenever I meet. him, he's going to look more exhausted. than I do.

Oh man, I get pictures just going, "Fuck, I was going to take the night. off." Let's talk about coming home. [Music]. Um, coming home coming home was was. hard. I'll tell you tell you what uh. what I did. Um when I had just about two. months.

left, they um disbanded my unit I was. with and um ninth ninth Marine. Amphibious Brigade and um marched them. marched didn't send them home. Sent the. guys in it that were that were coming in. the new guys transferred them all to. that unit and they all went over to. Vietnam. Right. and and this. unit the guys coming home they put them.

in this unit and they brought it home. So this it was like they brought it home. but they didn't. It was it was a farce. Um did you follow me there? Yeah. Okay. So, so I take in. um I get sent over. to. the I I get sent over for processing. where I get to get processed to go back.

back to Vietnam. Now, I didn't want to. go back then. And the reason I didn't. want to go back then is because I had. been in touch with the guys. I had seen. them. They were on a a helicopter ship. just offside Barrier Island. And um they. um you know I I I told him I said, "Guys, I I I had put two two requests to. to to go back to transfer to leave this. unit that I was in because I wanted to. be with I want to be with him so [ __ ].

bad." And um and Blackwell left. He said. he left and he says I says, "Why? Why?". He says, "Goodbye." I said, "You going. home?" me. He says, "Yeah, I wish." He. says, "I'm I'm going to go back and uh". he says, "I can't stand it here." He. says, "At least I understand it. there." I see you, buddy. And so, so. anyhow, I taken. um. um both times my this gun company Gunny. that he told me about my my request to.

transfer got approved by everybody and. gets to him. He calls me in his office, rips it up, says you get yourself. killed, and never got proof. And so I. was getting ready to to go back, but I. didn't want to be with a bunch of new. guys. I want to be with them. Mhm. Right. So, um, I I I'm in the processing area and. this place is like a zoo. And this is. one lieutenant, first lieutenant, and.

then he's running around. like they don't know what's going on. So, I go over to I said, "Lieutenant, I I could do this job. You. need some help here." And. uh I said, "You know, and I'm going to. rotate in a couple months anyhow." And. he said, "Um, all right. We got the. job." He said, "Where's your ID?" And I. give it to him. He says, "I got to get. it all taken care of." So I went right. away and started processing guys. And. what I would do was I would take guys.

and put them on planes that were coming. back and and so they could go home. And. guys that were coming there, I would. confirm their. units. And. um one of the things that bothered me so. much is. um I would I would see these guys that. were like assigned the ninth Marines and. guys going up around the Z and um and.

you know it's I mean there was no place. there that was was a walk in the park. for the Marine Corps but but there were. some places that were much worse. Mhm. And. um and and and while I wasn't that much. older than these guys, if I was older. than them at all um you know I I had the. experience which aged me a bit and I. also from being intelligence and and. then knowing what what was actually.

going on there. Um I would I would just look at these. guys and I feel terrible. I mean, I. would feel terrible because and and you. know, they had this these little tinge, you know, where they're a little excited. and so forth and they're walking. straight into [ __ ] hell, man. Yeah. So, I remember that. And then I. uh I. um time went up and I went.

home. And then uh when we went home, it. was a different place. different place than when we left. When. we left and when I mean people were. starting to they were a little uncertain. about the war, but they weren't like. they were when we came home. There. wasn't anybody taking that out on the. guy's coming home throwing [ __ ] and with. signs and names. and.

Nazi. murderer, right? Uh drug addict and the ironic, you know, [ __ ] anti-war crowd. Come. on, us drug addicts. those [ __ ] dope. addicts and on and on and on and and and. baby killer, don't forget baby killer. and then on and on. So, I mean, you. know, it's just and then those of us. that weren't confronted with that, we. see it on news anyhow. So, you know, it. just just it.

just feel like your soul coming out of. your chest. Yeah. And. uh you. know at the time I knew it bothered me. but I didn't think it bothered me to the. extent that it didn't you know because I. got to the point where I had people come. up to me and they'd say u hey weren't. you in the Marine Corps in. Vietnam Sean I start.

crying that's when you [ __ ]. up. And. so, and then one of the things that that. I found, I was doing I was doing the. book and I I took some mushrooms, psychedelic mushrooms, when I was was. working on the book and. uh I had a. flashback. I had a flashback, baby. And. it was a flashback not to.

Vietnam but to when I was in troop. processing seeing those. guys man it bothered me to the. core and and I you know well you know. I'll never say I'm don't haven't cried. I have but I've never cried like. that. And then I don't cry over it again.

since I mean it purged. me somewhat. Mhm. So, so anyhow, and then then I just. um went to went to work in a steel mill, shovel. steel and. um it. um it was a hard job and then then I got. another job, applied for job as.

apprentice. um machinist apprentice And uh this guy. they set me up to hire was was this old. guy named. Roy that it was with the union so long. that he had, you know, he had tenure. He. couldn't couldn't be fired no matter. what. And and and the guy wouldn't talk. to me. Wouldn't talk to me. And you. know, I'd say anything to him. He say, "Leave me. alone." And he would set his machine up.

every day. So he's running this huge. current lathe, right? So he was making. milling down these lays for for um uh. ship seagull liners, right? To uh. propeller shafts. And he would so it'. come all the way up but never touch it. Just go back and forth back and forth. And my job was to help him. And so after after a couple months of. this, I went to uh I seen an ad by the.

University of Baltimore where I could go. there with the GI Bill and I didn't have. to um um didn't have to take any of the. entrance exams and my high school grades. didn't. matter. I mean, I couldn't have got into. Harvard with with. AR. So, so I I I went to the University. of Baltimore. I I go into the. registars's office and I said to him, I.

said, um uh I want to register for. college. He said, "What do you want to. major in?" I don't know. I said, "Well, my you know, nobody in my family went to. college." So, I I went, he says, "Go see. this counselor." And I didn't. It was a. huge line to see this guy. doubt about. been just getting to see him today if I. got into it. I mean, I never got to see. him. And so, um, I went back and the guy to.

register's office says, "You can you can. if if if you can, uh, sign a a. waiver, you can pick your own major." I. said, "Why didn't you tell me that?" I. said, "You have a list of majors." He. gave me a book. I opened it up. First. one, accounting. I said, 'What's. accounting? He said, 'Well, do you like. numbers?' I said, 'Yeah.' He says, 'You. good at math? I said, reasonably. Says, you're interested in business? Yeah. Says, you should make sure in.

accounting. So, that's what I. did. And, um, you know, had I opened it. up backwards, had been a. zoologologist. And I said to him, um, sure. And, uh, it's got to be a very. fortuitous choice cuz I loved it. And it. was, you know, very uh solitary. I like. that. And. um I uh I graduated magnaumi. Wow. I'm now one of the school's biggest.

benefactors. Wow. Me, man. What a curve. Yeah. What a. curve. So I did that and. um I went to. um. um yeah went to What was it like for you. in school as a combat veteran at that. time? You didn't talk about it. You. didn't want anybody to know? No. No. It.

wasn't that you didn't want anybody to. know. You just didn't talk about. it. Nobody asked you about it. Did you stay close with your guys that. you'd served with? Mhm. Yeah. Many of them live close. Um, no. No. I mean, they live one guy lives in. New Hampshire. Another guy lives in a. mountains of Pennsylvania. He was the. other guy that hit the trap. He lives in. the mountains of Pennsylvania. Um,

another guy, two of them live in. Florida. Another one lives in Iowa. and. Brownie. Brownie Rascal, he's he's lives. in Austin. How did you I mean, how did you get. through? It sounds like that was that. was the hardest part for you coming home. was. And. so, you know, there's a lot of veterans. today that are dealing with similar. issues and um can't fit back into.

society. How'd you get through it? Well, the thing I the thing I did was. um I uh I worked. hard and I buried myself in my work. You. know, everybody that has any degree of. PTSD self-medicates in some way, shape. or form. I think they do. Um. and and.

um my self-medication was always my work. and my studies. So I had to turn it. turned things around when I was in in in. uh college. And then. um when I eventually. uh I worked for a a a um a firm that. um firm that commercial credit leasing. corp work for them and they would send.

me to schedule the assets of. uh companies they were looking to buy. and then I' I'd schedule the assets, schedule the leases and then I'm home. And this was this was in the. 70s. And what I what I did one day when. another day, another fortuitous thing. was had. um I had I I was looking at this this.

company in Redwood City, California, and. I was uh going to um. um get get my work done, and I had a 12. over 12-hour layover. over until I was. was going to had to catch a flight. And. so I I wound up on a Stanford campus and. I went to the. bookstore and I bought a book on how to. program in the basic computer language.

and I bought. it and um went to the. airport. I. um uh matter of fact I at first I went. to Fisherman's Wararf and um looked at a. looked at a at a charcoal and. um showed this uh little Chinese kid. lighting a firework and bunch of other. kids standing by some older kids holding.

their hands over the little kids' ears. and it's all grim you know it's just. wonderful the guy just caught it uh. artist named Y Ming. And um I asked the guy, the guy said to. me, he said um you know this about so. forth. Said how much is it? He said. 10,000. And how many might as well been. 10 million. And so I said, "See you. later." And um by the way, I uh when I. when I I did the deal on Parson's.

technology, I bought that painting. No. kidding. I tracked it down, baby. Where. is I have it in my bedroom and I I see. it every day. Nice. Yeah. And um. um only I I bought an the the original. is now in a in a museum. Uh I bought an. artist lithograph or so forth, which is. I'm told the best you can get. And. uh didn't cost nearly 10 grand, but the. memory is what matters. Yeah. Yeah. So.

um so anyhow so I I read the book or the. salient parts of the book while I was. waiting and wrote my first couple. programs on the way back and. um based on that book I taught myself. how to. program and I eventually switched to the. uh Pascal language sold my Apple. computer and and bought a IBM and then. started my first business which was. called Parsons technology.

Wow. Just going back, you had. mentioned everybody with PTSD. self-medicates one way or another. I. think so. How were you self-medicating? I buried myself in my work. No drugs, no. anti-depressants, booze, none of that. Just work, baby. Work. And then when I first started. getting Parsons technology off the. ground, I I uh I wrote I.

wrote the uh code for a uh a program. that would take care of home finances. I. called it money counts. And it it got to. be pretty good. And um and then I I I. quit my job. I was was working was. working started this leasing division. for this company and. um I I I if I had stayed there this was.

like November no October had I stayed. there through the end of the year I'd. have got $50,000 would have got a. bonus I. quit and the reason I quit. was I kne I figured I could just had. just enough time if I worked hard to. write a tax tax software program, do a. 1040 and I got it done. But to get it.

done, I would work 60 hour shifts. I would come in to work, let's say, 8 am. Monday morning, work 8 am Tuesday. morning, 8. am Wednesday morning, and then work. uh uh half a day. And when I say half a. day, I meant half a day. Yeah. Yeah. And. uh and then would would I I would know I. needed to stop by.

uh the the reason I needed to stop is. because I start to hallucinate. I will. see a a dragon walk across my desk. Holy. [ __ ]. So you buried yourself in work, started. your technology. company. I. mean I I think a lot of people just from. my generation I. I feel like entrepreneurship is. a I feel like it's the only segue, you.

know, to really bury yourself into and. and to kind. of leave. the what am I trying to say. here? You have to be willing. to for me myself, a Navy Seal, a CIA. contractor, that's just some [ __ ] that I. did. And it took me a long time to to I. mean people expect a certain body style, a certain attitude, a.

certain demeanor, you know, when. you are in those type of communities and. war fighting communities. And and it's. almost like a [ __ ] trap that that. you're in. And it wasn't until it wasn't. until that I had discovered. entrepreneurship and started doing what. I love like you were saying at the very. beginning. that I started getting better and I. started putting more importance on what. I'm building rather than the past and.

and and eventually coming to the. realization that I ain't I'm not a SEAL. I'm not a CA contractor. That's just. some [ __ ] that I did and this is who I. am now. And I mean, did you did you find. that when. you became an entrepreneur? Yeah, for sure. For sure. I mean, that. was the only thing I was interested I. talked about. I mean, I don't think I. owned a Marine Corps cap. I mean, any.

anything like that. And not that I I. denied it. I didn't, you know, if. somebody wanted to talk to me about it, I talked to them about it. But um that. wasn't going to, you know, take care of. my family, put them where they needed to. be and and and so. forth to me. Um that was the only way. What got you interested in coding? Was. just a random book on a shelf and you. just decided, hey, I'm going to take a. peek at this. Yep. Especially back when.

did you say the 70s? 75. Wow. So you bu you buy a book on. coding, you read. it, you work three and a half days a. week and then you build this entire. empire. eventually. Yeah. How long did it take. you to get traction on on your business. on par with. technology? That first year I did the. tech software in one year. One year.

Well, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I was. doing it for a couple of three years. before that cuz it took a while to to to. build it and know how I wanted to do it. and what I wanted to do for the software. to be right, you know, and you know, it. couldn't be buggy and and on and on. It. couldn't be I couldn't make my lemonade. with vinegar anymore, right? Yeah. So, so anyhow, all those. things, you know, I I I just I needed to.

have things just. sew. Yeah. And uh so it took about three. years. Three years for that. And um so. that third year when I got the tax. software done, I made two I made4. million dollars that year. I'd never. seen that kind of money in my. life. Quarter million. I mean, yeah. $257,000. Wow. The next year I made two and a half. million. The next year I made five. Next.

year I made seven. I mean, and then then. it's just I mean I've never missed too. much since. How did you get it out. there? Was it just you? Yeah, it was. just you. Just you and my wife. So you. built it. How did you magazine ads? You. bought magazine ads? Yeah. Holy [ __ ] Yeah. I was spending early on.

I was. spending 55,000 a month on. advertising. You know. how early on? Well, this is my third. year. I mean, your. ads, your GoDaddy ads were phenomenal, you know. Did you come up with those? Yeah. I mean, well, me and me and a. group of other people together.

Yeah. Together. So, you got a knack for. marketing and advertising as well. More. that than anything. What was the first. ad? The first ad for for what? For. Parson's Technologies. Okay. Yeah. First. ad and let me tell you how I bought it. Okay. I'm in the basement and this is. I'm still working the other. job and I have this magazine call me and.

they. say now one of the things I always did. always pay my bills. Always paid them. And they said. um uh. taken. um let me see let me see okay they. called me it's called a computer bargain. line out of Fort Dodge Iowa and this was. a rag I mean one of them little rags who.

would look like a magazine cover I mean. a cheap magazine cover and inside it' be. like print like news print and it have. different stuff for sale cheap all sorts. of deals right and And that's that's. what it was. So So they they said, "We. have on the outside front cover, we've. got that. ad, it's normally like 12,000,

$14,000. If you can get me creative in a. couple of three. days, it's it's. $5,000 now." So they thought I had. money. I never had the money. So I took. it. I says, "I'll let you know in the. morning." So I looked at it and I called. my my wife and I said, "I just got a. feeling that this could be this could be. it." So I said, "Let's do.

it." And I said, "And if if it turns out. it bust because every ad I ever had run. up to that point was a bust.". So we we decided to do it and um I pay. um uh I get an local ad firm and they do. an ad and I sold my software. I I had. sold it for like $99, $79,69 on and on and on and on. Now, I.

was selling it. for 12 bucks. When it's at 12 bucks and. um and then it said no. shipping, no, it's not copy protected. Remember. copy protection? It says it's not copy. protected. Um it's it's not it's not um. not copy protected. It's it's you know. this used to have agreements you had to. be part of if you used it that would.

with would signal that that you know you. could only use it like a bulk. Uh you. you you couldn't make copies and give it. to people on and on and on. I said in. mine you do any guy anything you want. just send me 12 bucks. Right. So the ad. said money counts but it only costs $12. send it, blew it out of the water. Right. Well, first couple days, I mean,

after the magazine come out, there. wasn't anything, and then there wasn't. anything, and then there. was, you know, half a dozen orders, then. a dozen. And then you ever see these ads. where you seen the mailbox of stuff with. orders and checks and that's the way it. looked. And then there was a box. It. said a box next to it. And uh so oh my. god I think I made 20 grand on that ad. And uh then I took my my wife and I and.

the kids. We took and did a mailing and. we broke every direct mail rule there. was just mailed place had that ad. printed up and mailed it to uh everybody. on that ever inquired the census. We got. a 30% return. Wow. So then I. uh I. uh I took in I think I added a $3. shipping charge. Didn't matter. Then I. added I made it $16 instead of 12 and.

made the shipping charge $5 and left it. that way for a couple years. And and I I. would get big ads made up in all the big. big magazines. And um that's how Paras. Technology made it. How long was it. before with Parsons Technologies? How. long was it before you started hiring. people? Uh, it was right. after right right after I quit my. job. Right after I quit my job, actually.

before that a little bit. And my wife. would have some of the the the neighbor. ladies uh would help her and they'd all. be down there taking orders and and. they'd all have their hair and curlers. and. sh dungeon. and but it was it was they did a good. job and you know they you know they were. happy they made some money. I was happy. I was launching this company and then. eventually eventually I had oh my god I.

I had uh thousand employees and holy. [ __ ] Yeah. A thousand employees. Yeah. It might have been 500. You know I. it have to think about it. And then you you sold it. I sold it to. Into. It. My wife and I we got together. We. decided we would sell it for um. um for 40 million if we were ever.

offered. it. And um into it offered me. 60. I knew enough to tell him I was. insulted and most I could get him up to. was 64. So I sold it for 64 million. Wow. And in what time frame? 10 years. 10 years. I started in ' 84, sold it in 94. Well, I mean, where did you where did.

you learn your business sense? Just comes naturally to you. Selling. lemonade. Selling lemonade. You know, it's just. just working, trying to make a living. How how long was how long was it after. you sold Parsons Technologies that you. started GoDaddy? 90. um 95 96. What time frame is that between between.

the two? Couple years. Just a couple. years. Yeah. What was the inspiration. for GoDaddy? Um well, really there was. none. Um sounds crazy. Um what what happened. was um uh when I when I I did did the. deal with um parts of technology after. that my wife didn't want to be married. anymore and to be honest with her I. wouldn't be married to me anymore.

either. Uh so. um she finally she she took all she. could and she's [ __ ] booting my ass. So I moved I moved to um. um Phoenix or Scottsdale so I could I. could work and and. um you know I I just um I had a. non-compete assigned. I had to honor it. Only their non-compete was I couldn't. work period.

So I I honored it and when that thing. came came due came up I just started. started working and um started started. my own job started you know to start a. company and and I like being in. the in the hunt. I like being out in the. business stream. I like doing stuff. I. like being active and like having myself.

on the line, right? And um you like the. risk. Yeah. Yeah. I like that. I like. that. And so um and I I like the risk. but not too much risk. Um so I started. started that and at the time I didn't. know what I wanted to do but I knew the. internet was going to be. something. I knew that was going to be. an area.

where there was going to be opportunity. So, so what I did was I didn't know what. I wanted to do. I didn't. know exactly what. So, I hired about. maybe 10 or 15. people and and um we tried we tried a. bunch of things. I named I named the. company Joeax Technologies, believe it. or not, after a dirt road. Now, why did. I name it after a dirt road name? Didn't. matter. We didn't do anything. I would.

send people to they would go to the to a. uh uh business meeting at the Chamber of. Commerce and people would ask you, "What. do you do?" And they said, "We don't. know yet." And they said, "You know, I. have never talked to anybody that don't. know what they do.". And. so who did you hire? I mean, if you. didn't know what you wanted to do and. you just knew that you wanted to be in. the internet business at some capacity, how do you even know who to look for?

Well, I just I just would look for. people that were looking for work. Any particular job description or Not. really. Not really. I mean, people that. knew knew a little bit about tech and. that sort of thing. and and um you know. they they were they were the people that. I hired and some of them actually were. with me till the last day. Not many of. them but but some of them and so so I. went ahead and um um and we tried all.

sorts of things. We. tried building internets, extranets, we. tried doing education. We tried sewing. other people's software. tried selling. hardware. None of that stuff worked. But. one thing worked. And the one thing that. that worked was building uh. websites. We could build websites and. make some money. Not a lot, make some.

money. and and and the money that that. um uh we made when when when we would. start doing these these uh these. websites, there was one problem with. them though and that is they didn't they. didn't scale. You had to you had to do. the work of building a website in order. to make the money. And so what we did. was we we. built a software program called called.

um we called it website complete was the. very first one. It was one of the first. companies and guys in in the world to do. this and and um that would be you could. you could take and and dudes just put. some fill in the blanks and this and. that and this thing you'd write the code. for a website very primitive but you'd. have a website. Mhm. So we do that and. then the next step was where things. things look like they were going to. um Joe is every website needs a domain.

name needs an. address needs. sean.com right so so then what we did. was I found I went to I went to all the. website companies I mean all the domain. companies and they were all pain in the. ass to deal with. So I we we had one of. our engineers went ahead and just filled. the applications to um do that for us.

So we could become um we could become a. domain name. registar and and not in a domain name. A. domain name registar is not in a sense. where you take and you have to buy a. bunch of domain names to resell although. you could do that. Uh what it's more. like the DMV selling vanity license. plates, you know, once you get a a. vanity license plate, um at the DMV,

it's yours as long as you pay the annual. fee. Well, that's the way domain names. work, right? The only difference is you. have companies that that can do that and. they're called domain name registars. So, so we started doing. that and um and then what happened was. the.com boom and the.com boom there was. so much noise for the do boom you. couldn't nobody didn't even pay. attention to.

you. Yeah. Not even not even close. And. so um um I mean the the noise you could. see like these Super Bowl stupid Super. Bowl ads where they were playing a piano. like chopsticks and because they didn't. have time to run an ad but they bought. it and I mean to make an ad and stuff. like that and and it got to the point. where it got to be it just got to be. stupid. And then what happened was when.

when I did that, I had about 38 38. million. I split it with my wife. She. deserved every nickel she got. And um I. moved to Arizona. Best move I ever made. And um I. um then worked on worked on um making. this company work and renamed it. GoDaddy. And then the the way that come. the way that that came about was I was.

just, you know, the name Joeax. Technologies, it's just very. forgettable, means nothing. GoDaddy. doesn't mean much more, but at least. it's fun and easy to remember. And uh so. me and uh gal that I still work with, uh. we come up with that one night after. about our third night, we tried. It's. fat daddy taken. Big daddy. taken. GoDaddy using the AOL go keyword. and the word daddy available. Bought it.

for $8.95. Damn. Yeah. And so, uh, that's that's what I. did. And, um, I started with with 38. million and then I started losing money. and I started I I said then I said, I'm. not going to worry about this company. till I get down to 30 million. Then I. said 20. million, 15.

million. I don't know. why. Sorry, I'm sorry I'm choking up. here. No, it's all fine. There's a lot. of pollen out. So anyhow, so so I I decided. I was going to going to till I get down. to till I get down to 15 million, then. 12, then. 10, then. eight, and I think eight or six, I.

decide I'm going to close the company. down because it didn't look like there. was there was no balls chance in hell of. this company ever making the turn. And. then so what I did. was I sold I sold my original. company. I mean this sold all the. furniture and stuff. Had really nice. furniture. Stupid furniture don't make. you no money. And um uh moved bought a. horse farm uh an area where it was legal.

to for breeding horses uh but it wasn't. legal for developing software. That's. how [ __ ] up sauce the Phoenix is, right? So, so I I bought this big sign. I had to pay called it to go to Daddy. Ranch. Put it right. on right on the wall. And then um and. then I decided I'm I went to went to um. um Hawaii by myself and I was going to.

decide how I was going to going to shut. it down, how I was going to pay any. severance, how I was going to pay my. creditors and then what I was going to. do. Um so I. um went to went to Hawaii. I. uh uh went to Hawaii. I was in the. epiphany happened. More and more I was. there. I didn't want to shut it down.

The epiphany happened where all of a. sudden one day this guy comes up to me. and uh you know um he's happy happy as. can be. Throw the keys in here. Hey, Miss. [Music]. Barson. And I said, "I'm doing great, buddy." And I mean, and I think this. guy's parking cars, probably has. nothing, right? He's the happiest guy in. the world. I got six or eight million. I'm miserable. Now, what's wrong with. this.

picture? Ah, so I decide at that point. to go back. home and I shut it down. Had a company. goes broke, I'll go broke with it. I. decided I could always park cars, but. then I decided, you know what? I'm I'm not a big-time gambler, but I. like craps. I said, I'll go to Vegas and. just work on a. table. Sounds like a fun life. So, um I. um we do that. And then this is about.

January, February, and then October or. or maybe later that year, the docom. crash happens. And when the do-com crash. happened, GoDaddy was born. And then I had instead of guys waiting. in line to I mean instead of not. refusing to sell me anything at any. price. I mean every week at least one or. two companies were doing business with.

Vanish. I mean Vanish disappeared. [ __ ] gone, baby. You don't even know. where they were. No no no forwarding. address. Gone. And so uh so we we just. uh. uh things started instead of us trying. to you know buy advertising I have guys. standing in line to give it to me. Damn. And then so so we take and then in. October we wait and um they they they um.

we turned the company. We became cash. flow positive and never missed a month. since. Well, for somebody that was uh just. telling me you Now tell me I don't have. an angel. Mitigated risk. You just went. from 38 million down to 6 to 8 million. Yeah. Well, that's cuz I'm a. knucklehead. The valet Parker decided is. is the one that made the decision for. you of, hey, [ __ ] it. I'm going to do. this. Go back willing to lose.

everything, the rest of your money, and. then you blow GoDaddy out of the water. Yeah. Yep. And and so uh held GoDaddy. until. 2011 and. [Music]. um sold. um. 71% for 2.3 billion. Damn. And then sold. the other 29% for almost two billion.

Wow. Yeah. So Wow. Not bad for a young guy from East. Baltimore. Not too bad. Not too bad, I. would say. You've done well. Yeah. So, so anyhow, I mean, the ads all uh they. all happened. It was just funny as [ __ ]. how that came about. I love them. I love. them. You want me to tell you the. Genesis? How they how that happened? Yes. So, I'm running.

GoDaddy, and I am never quite sure why our. business just stalls where we got we got. a. um. a. 16% market share worldwide. I said, we. got we got the best s prices. We got the. best systems. We got the fairest. policies. We got the best customer. service. What are these other dogs? Why.

are they why are they still right in. business? So, I hired a market research. firm and to to kind of look at it for us. and they they uh come back with an. answer. They said, "The reason those. people aren't doing business with you. because those people don't know you. exist. You only advertise on the. internet. These people are only. reachable on direct. media. I mean on conventional media. So. what I did was that was in August. I.

said, "All right, well, you know what? I. had a 10 billion $10 million war chest. built up and I decided the Super Bowl. was right around a. corner. Let's make a Super Bowl ad.". Damn. And then you see there's the Super. Bowl ad back then will cost you $3. million. Cost you way more than that. now. Cost you like 10 12 something like. that. Maybe maybe far more. So, but.

anyhow, so so what we would do is we. took and um. [Music]. um I I could not understand how you. would get people's attention, people to. look at your ad and people want to buy. because they're at a Super Bowl party, your ad is only on for 30 seconds. Mhm. Right. And then after 30 seconds they um. um you know they're they're they're.

talking they're drinking cocktails. Some. are some aren't. Uh they're they're. certainly. capab you going to capture their. attention and then I was one day I was. with my second wife and I'm watching. television and I seen an ad from Mike's. hard lane. Mike's hard lime aid and I. knew I knew. And what the ad.

was you got three really good-looking. women at the end of a bar, right? And. Caddy cornered them as this guy. He's. got his hunched over his mic hard lade. and he's got a little bit of drop in the. bottom and he's looking around looking. around and instead of instead of him, you know, holding it up and letting it. run down, he sticks a 12-in tongue down. and. swirls swirls it around and then pulls.

it back. And. uh. the the bartender says, "Ladies, what do. you have?" And they point to him and go, "We like one of. those." And I said, "That is it, baby?" Oh god. I said, "That is it." And. um so so we uh did our first to our. first dad. We did a spoof on the GoDaddy.

girl. We didn't she didn't even have a. name then. The media named her the. GoDaddy girl. and we named her and and. she was at a uh a hearing by a uh a. Super Bowl uh board of of sensors or. whatever she was and they were they were. you know kind of you know um trying to. decide if they're going to approve her. being in an ad. And um she was uh she.

was going to be a a uh she was going to. be in an ad and. um it it was it was just hilarious. because the the the guy. the the. the guy running the whole show, his name. was Booth Coleman, I think he's passed, but but he was an older guy and uh she. was they he says, "Ma'am, what are you. going to do?" on, you know, on the game. and she she stands up and she goes, "I.

could do something like this." And she. her bra tank top strap snaps and it was. a spoof on Janice Jackson and Justin. Timberlake, right? And she stops it and. it and it it just it it doesn't doesn't. go, you know, all the way. So, you see. nothing. You see nothing. And um you. know, you look at it, you know, it's. filmed at a distance, see things at a uh. um blur the cleavage on and on and on. A.

lot of the ad is shut shot from behind. So Fox News said they would do the ad. And then when we sent them the actual. ad, they said, "No way." And so, you. know, we said they said, you know, we. had guys with me said, "Well, why don't. you why don't you just say they denied. it and you can, you know, people might. want to see it and I didn't get. approved." No, no. I I I wanted to run. it cuz I I had bigger aspirations.

So, so anyhow, so we we went ahead and. do that all that to minimize the ad, shoot it from the distance and on and on. and. um. so he's taking. oxygen. and I had a line in there that said. where there's a woman up there in the. day with a booth and she says um those. are not real and he and and then so I. had to change it. She'd say, "May I.

suggest a. turtleneck?" And so, anyhow, they. approve it. And 3 days before the Super. Bowl, they call me back and they say, "You want to buy another. spot?" And I said, "Really?" And they. go, "Yeah, we got a spot open just. before the Super Bowl." And it could be. a very good ad or a very big uh very. great ad. And I think it was.

um Buffalo playing Philly or something. like that or or or or um Patriots, but. whoever it was, one of them was on the. one yard line just when they did the. two-minute warning. This ad was gold. And then our ad doesn't run. Doesn't. run. And I mean, and then we wait, maybe. it's the next ad. Maybe it's the next. ad. Maybe it's the next. Never runs. So, I get a hold of the. president of Fox Sports and I asked him.

what happened. He said, "Uh, your ad was. out of tenor with the rest of the ads. We had to pull it out.". Yeah. It was out of what? It was He said. it was out of tenor. What does that. mean? It means it just it wasn't it. was it shouldn't have been. approved. All right. So, so any Yeah, I. know. I felt the same way. But I turned. around to my my. this buddy that you know he's he's my.

chief of staff and I said to him can we. beat this lucky can we beat this lucky. that never happened before. so what they run instead of our ad what. they run they run a picture of uh of um. uh Simpsons and Bart Simpson right he. goes in and he's stabbing a baby in a. crib. That's what they run much more much more.

acceptable than than a. press. No. So anyhow, that's uh that's. that's what happens. So I get I get in. touch with the president of Fox. Sports. and here here's what happens. He takes. and and he. um you know we go back and forth because. we had our attorneys working on it and. so forth and um.

so we got a deal. We got a deal with. them. So I don't have to pay for the ad. that didn't run. I don't have to pay for. the ad that did. run. And you know life is good. I mean. basically I I uh the market share. worked. It went from 16% to 25% a year. and. held. All right. So I mean it was just.

just great. Um, so anyhow, so we take. and. um I'm I'm there sitting them sitting. them at at the table and these guys are. on a conference call and I know ask for. anything. Anything I'll get it. Anything. I'll get it. I can't think of anything. I can't think of. anything. So here's what I think of. You. ready for this? Here was the best I. could do. I said, "Tell you.

what, give. me give me a game ball from two game. balls from every Super Bowl and we got a. deal." And they go, "Done.". Oh, man. Wow. And that's that's how it came. about. Yeah. So So the media named her. the go the goat daddy girl. Um, Bill. Um, I mean,

um, it's just it's just funny how it all. came together. Then you got in, you you. got a NASCAR or I'm sorry, not a NASCAR, an Indie Car. Correct. Indie car with. Daddy Kapatrick. I'm playing golf with. her Sunday, by the way. Oh, nice. Yeah. Nice. Yeah. So, are you guys pretty. close? She's well she's a buddy of mine. and so it was me, my wife and her and. another friend and uh had a nice time.

Are you into racing? No. How did that. come about? Well, I I I was up in um I. was up in in um the Arctic and I was. hunting and um I was. um I was talking to the two guides and. these guys, I mean, they didn't they. know nowhere and they were talking about. the Indie 500 and Danica Patrick and I. said, "Wow, she's young. She's in a.

man's sport. she is she is drawn a lot. of attention. I said we she ought to be. our. spokesperson. So we reached out we hired. her and then we we did um we were. partners for eight years. Wow. Yeah. Eight years. And she's now member of my. club Scottsdale. National. And. um good time. I'll bet. I'll bet. What.

were you hunting up there? Grizzly. Grizzly. Did you get one? So, you sold Parson's Technologies, then. you immediately start another company, then you sold ownership of GoDaddy, and. then you move into golfing. Golf? Yeah. Cough and motorcycles. How I mean, how. much time was it? I mean, by this time, you're a multibillionaire.

What? I guess I'm just. curious. Why do you keep moving into new. business ventures? Why. not? I'll ask you. I mean, I'm addicted. to it. I love entrepreneurship. I love. business. Yeah. I I like it, too. I I I. haven't worked for anybody since 1984. I um. um just just worked hard. I mean, it's.

just you hit a point where. you don't need anything more. Yeah. My. wife and I, we move um we move a million. to. charity every other week. Every 14 days. Yeah. Every 14 days. And I think we've. given a total. of couple hundred million. I. know. Oh, and we help uh help the seer. five fund and them 10 million a year. We.

just crossed 120 million a year with. them. I mean 120 million with them. And. um you know when it's all said and done. probably it all go to charity. How do. you I mean how do you I think that's. amazing uh that you do that and that's. you know that's something I try to do. here. I' shown you all this stuff around. the room and we've brought a lot of uh. my friends on that have started. nonprofits and psychedelics and healing.

and mostly combat stress type stuff. And. I mean I just I just enjoy like watching. them succeed. from. not you got to be careful I say this cuz. they built everything. I'm just a. conduit to the public. I'm the. advertiser I guess is the way you you'd. see it. and and the traction that they. get after they come on this show is just. it's tremendous and it just makes me.

feel good to watch. them succeed with all the exposure and. and you know I I think I had read was it. 19 million you you've donated to. psychedelic research and how do you I. guess what I'm asking. is you know the the nonprofit game is. tricky you know you you really got to. make sure that you're finding people. that are doing the right things. And. I'll eye people up for sometimes a year. before I bring them on to make sure.

like, hey, is this money going to what. it needs to go to? And and is this guy, you know, I I really enjoy finding. people that are that are just really. grinding it out and. and I don't know. I guess I see myself. in him and uh and I didn't have anybody. to lift me up. And um so I guess what. I'm asking is how do every 14 days. you're donating another million. How do. you find these these people that. resonate with you or the companies that.

resonate with you, the nonprofits? Um well I I have a staff at our. foundation. um that's run by a very sharp lady by. the name of Laura Mitchell and she's. been in that particular end of the end. of business for a long time. been with. me long time and um I um then she has. staff so so they sort it out. I mean you. know if if um you're in a foundation.

you're giving away money your product. everybody likes it. Mhm. Yeah. So, so. you do have to be careful and u but uh. what we do is um you know given giving. the money to the to the whatever the. organization is that we're donating. money to is only part of the part of the. uh contract. you know, we're also in. touch with them monthly and they're. assigned an individual from our. foundation to be in touch with them and.

to, you know, help them in any way that. they can. Uh, and to also report back to. us, uh, when the next time comes where. they knock on our door if they did what. they said they were going to do. What's your success rate? You mean that of uh that that that of. nonprofits that follow through with it? Uh overall close to a coup 100%. And and.

uh I mean do I do I have little. disagreements along the way? Yeah. Yeah. But I mean I'm I'm there to work it out. I'm not there to, you know, it's it's. different than buying a pair of shoes, you know, like Yeah. Right. Yeah. That's that's amazing. You're a. great person for doing that. Well, I. thank my wife and.

There you. go. So, how did you get into the golf. industry? I decided to do it. I bought uh. Scottsdale. National and um that was first first. thing, you know, when I did the GoDaddy. deal, I decided I was going to buy. either a football team or a really a. really nice uh golf course and um praise.

the Lord, thank my angel, I bought a. golf. course. So, I love it. Do you play golf? I'm not any good. Well, who is? Nobody's any good. Danica Patrick's. pretty good, isn't she? She has her. [Laughter]. moments. Yeah, she has her moments. But, um, you know, I bought Scottsdale. National. It's just one of these deals.

where it became available. Um it is right now it is. 730 acres in uh uh PE real estate in. Scottsdale surrounded on three sides by. um what is it? 3 million acres of land. Wow. Government set. aside has one house on the property.

You guessed it. Very nice. Yeah. Very nice. Yeah. Well, Bob, let's take a quick break and. then when we come back, I want to dive. into psychedelics, which I didn't bring. any. I got you covered. Good. I know everybody out there has to. be just as frustrated as I am when it. comes to the BS and the rhetoric that.

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will not find anywhere else. And the. best part, Patreon members can ask our. guests questions directly. Your insights. can help shape the show. Join us on. Patreon now. Support the mission and. become part of the Shaun Ryan Show's. story. All right, Bob, we're back from. the break. I want to dig into. psychedelics. It's it's it's something. that like I had mentioned earlier, it it.

fixed a lot of things going on with the. with my family. My son. was 6 months old at the time when I. finally decided to take that leap. And. um. I've it's just totally changed. everything for me. my family life, my. business, old relationships opened me up. to a lot of. of things that maybe I was wasn't. confident diving into before. and um I.

think would be a great way to put it and. and sent me on a spiritual journey and. and uh found God and in faith in Christ. and just so much good has come from. um since the very first time. And so I. know for you, I mean, we had talked. about your. childhood growing up in a rough. environment. We talked about Vietnam,

coming home from Vietnam. I'm sure. there's a lot of business stress. I. mean, I can only imagine because I'm. stressed out of my mind just with what. I'm running and and. and I find a lot of peace through those. And it took me. I guess almost 10. years almost 10 years after I finally. left doing contract work for the CIA.

um in various combat zones to finally. take that leap. Took you 49 years if I'm. correct. 49 years. How did you hear. about psychedelics? How did I hear about. psychedelics? you know, when I when I was um a kid in. the. 60s, you know, there was LSD around and. and um um of course marijuana. Marijuana.

I don't consider a psychedelic. Uh there. was um and then you had guys talking. about mushrooms and other stuff, but I. never did any of that then because. number one I just I didn't feel the need. to and and I didn't didn't I was a. little afraid of it cuz I didn't know. much about it. You know, you had these. all these rumors that you know if you. took um you took LSD you might try to. fly off a building and you know [ __ ]. like that. Um, so I I didn't pay any.

attention to it and I didn't even think. about it that it would be uh that it. would would have the the medicinal. properties that it would do. Even though. in spite of uh for millennia, we have. other cultures that have used it to to. handle problems that that that we have. all the time and they don't have it all. because of their their wise use of. psychedelics. Um, so the thing that that.

made the difference for me was in 2017, it didn't happen until. 2017. I read um Michael Pollen's book, How to Change Your. Mind. And um Michael Pollen's book is is. a treatise on. psychedelics and you know, and it talks. about it doesn't talk about Ibogga even. though that is that's the granddaddy of. them all, baby. Have you done that? No, I have. That was my first one. Yeah, I.

mean, you know, I I haven't. And um um. maybe one day, but um I don't I haven't. so far. Um but I I read his book and you. know, and I was I was fascinated. I. first the book reads like a novel. um. reads like mine reads and um like a you. know and it's just I could not I could. not get over that that could be uh a.

solution for me and so I told my wife. Renee that I I would I would like to try. this and. um she had me fixed up within two weeks. Are you serious? Dead serious. She had. me hooked up and it just just so. happened that she had been talking to a. friend who been talking to a friend who. had a journey like this and on and on. and on and it just everything just.

doveetailed together and uh so uh she. introduced me to these people and um two. guides work under the radar of course. and I met them in Hawaii and. Um I um I did for three days I did three. different types of u um psychedelics. First day I did. iawasa and um you know that it's.

different. Um yeah you would never uh you would. never buy that at a soda fountain would. you? uh had nasty taste and stuff. But. anyhow, you know, it is what it is and. some people swear by it. Um the second. day I did um u magic. mushrooms and the let's tell you a story. that is funny. My guide, he made this uh. he had this pot this teapot and he said.

this holds three large cups and I made. it very strong. this uh magic mushroom. tea. So, you'll only need one cup. Now, I swear what I'm telling you, going. to tell you is true. I drank all three. cups and I ate the tea. bags and I was righteously. stoned and um I.

was I was here, there, and everywhere. um you know and did I did it did I have. a journey? Yeah, I did. And um and it. was it was all all positive. Some tears. and so forth, but uh it was all. positive. And then uh the next day I. took off. uh took a break and uh that day my wife. and I went and played golf. And um what. I liked is it felt like the fauna, like.

the bushes and the grass and the it all. knew I was I was there and I was alive. and what I've been doing and it was. supportive and um I never puted that. good in my. life. It it was like whatever green I. was on it was like the grass would say. he didn't hear Bobby and I wait and he. go right bend right around into the cup. I mean it was incredible. Now never it. never happened you know again or since.

but it happened that one time and um so. it was a great great experience. The. next day it was uh it was. LSD and the LSD. uh I took a strong dose of it and um uh. it was you know had the same impact the. other two did and um you know I I I. didn't have any any u hallucinations on.

on on that but. um I I sure had a a righteous was and. was happy to talk and felt good about. things. And um when it was all said and. done, my wife noticed it. The first she. said, "You're. different. You know, you're easier to. talk to. You're easier to get along. with. You you um you know, it's it's you.

don't have that temper any that edge. about you is gone." And um um and then I. could I could feel it too. And then the. people that I work with also knew it. You know, they could see it. And so I. made a I made a sharp turn away from. PTSD at that point. I'd like to say at. that time it had. been. 49 years since the war for me and I. finally came home. Wow.

What I'd like to dive into that a little. more in depth, but before before we get. into each specific journey, I'm just, you know, what what is it that I mean, I. know you found the book, but what what. was going on in your life at that time? I mean, what. was what sent you on the search? Well, uh, brother, I I had an edge about me. that I didn't like. Mhm. And I would I.

would lose my. temper. and I. just would hate myself for it, you know, because it was no reason. It was it's. always something stupid, you know, and. um and so I mean was always under a. quest. I knew that, you know, it first, you know, I I've had a battle with some. depression. I I I I I had u fought um I.

fought this this horrid temper that I. had and um and and and I I just never. like being around people. I like I like. being alone, you know, and um uh that's. um it's not a good thing. It's at least. if you can you can overcome why you're. like that, you It was terrible for me. when when days like the u.

um like the days the trees fell and that. reminded it was an experience I had in. Vietnam and. um I would always I would always go back. there on the 4th of July and I would do. whatever I could to avoid fireworks to. stay away from the that that sort of. thing. But it's stuff like that. And. um you know, I've been um my wife is my. third wife. I mean, I I've been given my. walking papers twice. And uh it's never.

a pleasant time. So um and and you know, and I knew that the women that I married. both time were good women. I mean, there. was nothing wrong with them. But um the. problem was the problem was me. When you. Let's What do you mean the day the trees. fell? Okay, I'll tell I'll tell you about the. day the trees fell. We set up for ambush. one night in a graveyard in in.

Vietnam. And um we we're all Vietnamese. are buried sitting up, at least most of. them are that I'm aware of. And uh so um. uh we had we had a squad a couple of. clicks right of us, a couple clicks left. of us. And um so I was facing just. inward to this area where all these. trees were and there was leaning against. the um u the mound and.

[Music]. um they were there was um all of a. sudden the on the the right of us there. was a firefight started and then there. was a firefight on the left of us and. there was bullets. You've been shot at. many times. You know what it sounds like. when a bullet goes by. you know, it says. like beef or something flying by, but I. mean it was like he's going like crazy. So he couldn't stand up and then some. one of our one of the guys in our.

squad probably George called in. artillery it must have been NBA moving. towards us from the front front of us. area I was I was facing and all I could. see was I could see you know I don't. know how far out it was maybe a couple. hundred yards maybe 100 yards I don't. know but it would be like everything. would light up and then You'd see these. trees, these palm trees just falling. down, falling down and.

then and then on and on and on and must. have been for like 15 minutes and then. quiet. And that was that's what I'm I'm. talking about that particular night. That night. was crazy. And and what was crazier. about it, that particular graveyard, there was a squad of ours a month or so. before I got there that set up in that. graveyard and they all were they all.

died because they the North the. Vietnamese somehow or another. They were buried sitting up. No, they. well they were they weren't buried. They. were they were just mutilated. like sometimes happens. But none of us were hurt that. night. Just the trees. Just the trees. were. What about the family life? I.

mean, two wives, you got kids, grandkids, great. grandkids. You're running a major. enterprise. I would imagine that takes. somewhat of a toll on the family. Yeah, it does. It does. But you know, I can. tell you what what I the the painful. thing is what I decided. was early on it. was might have been a good thing that I.

wasn't always around. because of your temper. Yeah, temper. I. mean, I never got never got physical. Never never once. But she was verbal and loud and that's. I'm I'm happy that with my angel I'm. past that at least 99%. Are you close with your kids? Yeah. All.

of them? Yeah. How many kids do you. have? Three. Close with the grandkids. Uh grandkids. not as much. Great grandkids. Haven't. met them yet. Haven't met them yet. Haven't met them yet. How old are they? They are um I think um two and a half. and one something like that. Do you want. to meet them? Of course I do. Well, what's going on? Well, I will, but. I will when I'm ready,

Dad. Gotcha. So, you got all this going on in. your life. You find Michael Pollen's book, read it, decide you're going to do it. Wife wife. makes the connection, right? What are. you seeing in your Iaska journey? What. did I see in my Iawaska. journey? You know, I've seen less in the. Iawaska journey than I did in the.

um mushrooms and the. LSD. And I I think the reason for it is. maybe uh you give me a lighter dose. Anything get revealed any epiphies in. Iawaska? You know if if it was anything. is it that I you know I needed to change. and I could change and there you go. But.

um that that that is it. How about the. psilocybin? Psilocybin had the biggest. difference with me a number of. times and it. um seems to seems to work work good. What did you see? What did I see? Well, I I had that that flashback of. processing those those. guys to.

Vietnam. And then I told you when I was. in troop process and just before I. rotated. home that I mean that I I could see. those guys like I was there like they. were. yesterday. I mean like I was sitting. here with you now. Was it look was it. looking at that experience through a. different perspective? Um you know it's just it just I I seen. the horror of it. I mean, the just the.

the the how that [ __ ] happens and. and these guys are walking into that and. they don't have a clue. I mean, I've. seen that. And I mean, and and and the. me if if I had if I had to tell you uh. what my my most stressful points were. that cause uh uh PTSD, I would have. never picked that. I just wouldn't. have because I buried it. Mhm. But it. came out and it it was one of the most.

profound. What else did What else was revealed? That's it. The whole experience was Vietnam. Well, Vietnam the war the war is is rough for. me. Being a kid is also a rough rough. time. But see, I I was I was never when. I was a kid, I was never abused. I was. neglected. And it's just as bad, maybe worse. I.

don't know. But. um I don't know. Both times uh both. times uh bother me as early on when I. was was talking about the the. introduction and that letter I wrote. myself. I mean, it was everything I. could do to tell you about it without. crying. Totally. And um maybe one day. one day I will I'll be able to talk. about it. But I mean it it just wrenches. my soul every.

time. So you know I think a lot of a lot. of. firstborns, kids with. neglect, kids that are abused. I mean, I. I think a lot of. them they become. overachievers and like we're always. trying to prove something. I'm the. oldest. I can relate somewhat. Um, but it's.

just when you were building all your. companies, when you were in Vietnam, I. mean, who were you trying to prove. anything to? Anybody? Were you looking. for some type of acceptance? Were you. looking for some type of selfworth? You know, no and no selfworth maybe. You. know, it's tough to know what I was. I. just know I I love doing it. Mhm. And.

that's an area that I that I think was a. big advantage for me. I just loved it. Yeah. And so, you know, I was willing to. channel my my energy and time into it. and. um use that as a release to kind of self. treat or self-medicate uh PTSD, if you. will. I mean, you know, and you know, when you you you don't work 60 hour. shift followed by eight hours sleep. followed by 60 hour shift followed by,

you know, for for a few months. Unless. you you're a bit of a workaholic, right? You know, well, that's what it was. But. but I I love doing it, but I didn't I. didn't do it because I hated doing it. I. used to look at my watch and I never. looked at it and said, "Oh, it's it's uh. 4:00. I got another 12 hours left to. work. I would look at it and say, "Oh, it's 4:00. Oh, man. I only have four 12.

hours I can work." I mean, that that. sort of thing. That resonates with me. But I mean, I'm just I guess what I'm. saying is if if you were neglected if. you were neglected as a child, then. you all therapists go back to childhood. and and they say a lot of this stuff. stems from childhood. A lot of even with. a lot of war trauma, they dive more into.

in my experience, they dive more into. childhood than they do anything else. And and. so that's that's what makes me curious. is is if you if you built these. companies. to gain the the approval or interest or. just having your parents be proud of of. what you've built could be a major. driver to a lot of people.

And sometimes you got to dig for it. But. that's what I'm asking you is if you. think. that, you know, by growing up rough and. being neglected, if it was a driver in. your business, in your in your entire. life? Well, you know, I I I think uh you. know, it had to be in the sense that I. grew up knowing that if I really wanted. something, I I better be working for it. Mhm. All right. So, so that in itself is.

a driver as opposed to somebody that's. working uh with a silver spoon, right? And you're born with that, you know, they might. not, you know, have that discipline. Those are register. Yeah. So, I was I. was born with a dirty plastic. spoon. You you act differently with one. of those. Mhm. And what about your. experience with LSD? LSD is uh has been been in a different.

type of um uh drug for me. Um I I think it's been. helpful. Um I I tend to get I tend to. get a little with LSD a little nauseous. with it, but never so nauseous that I. purge and then move on to the next step. just nauseous. Uh so so I've I've knowing that I've.

avoided it. But I still think having. having LSD at the same time I had the. combination of iawasa magic mushrooms. and or psilocybin and and um uh LSD. I. think that this is a powerful. combination for me. And you saw the effects immediately and. your wife did. Yes. What did she see? Well, she seen she seen I was kind of. the guy she wanted to be married to.

There you go. So, you know, it's it's. it's like it's it's it's like I I was. told once that every young couple that. gets married, right, the the the husband. thinks that, you know, doesn't want his. wife to change and the wife doesn't want. her husband, no, wants her husband to. change. And often they're they're both. disappointed. Well, she was happy to see. that her husband. changed or maybe changed.

and it stuck. Yeah. Do you continue to. use psychedelics? Um, you know, I I. have, but I don't I don't I mean I I. haven't I haven't in uh in in a while. Um, uh, my wife did a journey not not too. long ago with her sisters. They had some. some family stuff they they were dealing. with and it's been great. And I tell you. what, it has been I mean I I love the.

woman tremendously. But uh, since her. journey I love her even more. Have you. guys ever done anything together? Oh, we. have. We have. We have done. MTMA. Um and um done it twice I think. but it's been a while. It's been a. while. See what So what why did you dive. back in? Did you start to see any fall. off from what you'd gained from your. initial journey? No, I I did because it.

was there and I thought maybe I could. still be better. Did you have an ego. death? An ego death? Have you heard of. this? No. An ego death? Have you ever heard of 5me. DMT? Yeah. Have you done that? I have. and let me tell you a story with that. I've done that and and um that's the. kind that you smoked the right toad. Well, I've smoked it and did it three. times. Smoked it, felt nothing. And and.

my my guide, who is is my dear friend, said this must be something wrong with. this. And he took a puff of it and was. on the roof. So, for some reason another. that stuff doesn't affect me. No. kidding. Yeah. I I don't I don't know. what it is, but it's the damnest thing. Damn. I did I gain and then followed by. 5 MO DMT and that was a total ego death. You legitimately. think, you don't.

think in your mind you are. 100% certain that you are dying and then. you cross over into this other realm. And once you It's the most anxiety, the. most fear, the most all of that stuff. that I've ever experienced at at any one. particular given point in time. lasts for maybe 15 to 30 seconds, but it. feels like an. eternity. And I think a lot of people.

fight it and maybe they don't cross. over, but if you can actually let it go, just let go and actually. die because you are 100% certain you are. dying. Um, you know, it's so it's it's. like your. entire. life, man. It's hard to it's hard to. describe, but it's. like you just start letting go of. everything. You let go.

of possessions and friends and and then. there's like the final thing. And the. final thing for me was I I was having a. problem. releasing my wife and my firstborn son. I didn't have my daughter at the time. And that was my last thought before I. crossed over was I I can't [ __ ] die. because I can't leave my wife and my son. in this [ __ ] up place. And then I let. that.

go and you cross over into this other. realm. And man, it. uh it really opens you up. to all the good in the world. And you. know, I'd always heard about, it took me. a long time to do this cuz I always. thought psychedelics are just for. [ __ ] hippies. And uh I don't I. definitely don't consider myself a.

hippie, but I've heard him talk about. energy and good energy and bad energy. And once I crossed over into that realm, I could see. like I could see all of the energy. flowing from the beach into the ocean. into the trees, the birds, the sky. I. could I could tell that everything was. connected one way or another. But it I. wasn't hallucinating. It was more of an. intuitive type experiences experience.

Uh I felt uh my best friend Gabe that I. was telling you about uh whose Glock and. flag is up there. I felt his presence. Um we didn't talk but I could just feel. him. And. um and that just that stuff just changed. my entire life. It cured my addiction. I. was a major alcoholic sucking down. pills, volume, Xanax, ambient, Selenor,

Oxycoding, any all of it. Anything I. could get my hands on just to numb just. to numb just to numb it out. Gone like. that. Haven't had a drop of booze since. Wow. Yeah, it totally and then on top of. that, you know, uh just. being just being on a on the platform. that I've built in front of millions of. people, there was there were subjects. that I felt beholden to my audience. I.

have to I can't venture into this. because my audience doesn't want to see. it. And it took all that [ __ ] away. It. said, "Fuck it. Just do whatever the. [ __ ] you want to do." And I started. doing that and my business was already. on a rocket ship. And. then and then once I didn't care anymore. about. anything but my own curiosity, uh my business just it gave me the. courage to say no to things. It gave me.

the courage to dive into new areas. It. gave me the courage to to start looking. at the afterlife and what that looks. like. And we were talking about guardian. angels. spent me down a whole spiritual. journey with that and uh looked into the. universe and all kinds of [ __ ] and. eventually landed on Christianity. But. but and I continue to do. self-maintenance, you know, it not on. any particular cadence, but but um I've.

done a fair amount of psilocybin. And man, that stuff really cleaned me. out too with a lot of the stuff that was. going on between me and my wife. And I. think everybody should do this. I I think so. I think I think it is um. it's one of the answers. I think when we. start doing it as a people, should we. ever start doing it as a people? Um it' be a be a renaissance.

Why did you why did you decide to do it. again after your initial experience? Why did I decide to do it again after. the initial experience? You know, the first time it was it was I. wanted to I wanted to fix a. problem. Second time I wanted to get. better, keep getting better. See, and. now I I feel I'm, you know, probably.

about as good as I'm going to get. So I, you know, I not not not doing it as. much. Do you think you'll do it again? Might hope so. I hope so. I'd like to like to do it. with my wife. again. Um, but what do you like to surround. yourself. with? Nature when you do it. Uh, nature.

Nature is one. It's hard to go wrong. with. that. And. um and friends. Do you find clarity? Do you find. answers? Not not in the sense that that there's. something that I'm looking for. No. No. Do you go into it with intentions? No. No. No. No. Yeah. Wait a minute.

Wait a minute. me. You know, I was I was. with with one of the guides who was. [Music]. um. um he he was he was a guy that did my. first journey in. 2017, him and him and his partner. And. um you know I I had thought about what I. wanted to u accomplish when he was when. when he was he was there with me and we.

went ahead and we you know I had a. journey and so. forth and I never thought I accomplished. anything but I accomplished everything. And you're I know you're going to ask me. you're going to say what is it you. wanted to accomplish? I don't [ __ ]. remember. And you're going to say, "Well, how do you know?" Well, I did. At. the time I knew, but now I got my I got.

my brain just I've been eating chocolate. chip cookies and they've clouded clouded. my thoughts. Oh man. Are you a Christian? Yes. How did you. find faith? How do how do how do I find it? How did. you find faith? What does that mean? Faith How do I find faith in God? Faith. in Christ. Or how do I find it? How did. you find it? How did I find it? I I.

think it takes an effort for me. But. um you know there's a there's a saying. there's no atheist in a. foxhole, right? I know that saying very. well. Yeah. No atheist in a foxhole. And. um you know I. um I mean that's that's the best I can. do. Do you think that psychedelics is a.

bridge into a spiritual realm? You know, I think so. I think so. And I and you. know and I' I'd like to think that um. that I I haven't been able to really get. in there as as deep as I as as as as is. there available uh for the getting. Now. the one thing I can tell you under the. supervision of a doctor of a physician. I've taken um a strong injection of.

ketamine and have an absolutely total um. um. hallucination. Uh almost geometric and. stuff like that. Um don't think I'll see anybody again. And I mean it's pretty heavy stuff. But. coming coming through that, you know, I. I I I I don't have any any particular. thing that I come away with other than. other than love solves most things. Um.

violence solves. nothing. And um those those particular. things um would be what I what I came. away with that as. Well, I would say. that's pretty profound. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I I do know when I. um when I I spend time and I I I study. Christianity and I I read about it, I I.

get a feeling that I don't get from. anything else. Me too. Yeah. Me too. Well, Bob, I really appreciate you. coming and it was an honor to interview. you and uh and and document your life. journey and um I just want to say thank. you again and God bless. Thanks, brother. Well, I I appreciate being here. You uh.

you're quite a guy. You had you've had. quite a life and um you know, God bless. you. I mean, you know, you you could you. could you could be an angel. I don't. know. You are an angel. But thank you. [Music]. [Applause]. [Music]. No matter where you're watching Shawn.

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