One of my childhood best friends served two tours in Afghanistan, he killed himself a week after he got orders for a third. Our last phone conversation was him just sobbing saying he couldn't do it. I think about him at least once a day.
My cousin killed himself after a few tours to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He left behind 3 young daughters. My mom had seen his ghost for a period of time after it happened. The whole thing is just heartbreaking.
I am honestly so impressed by the quality and QUANTITY of content of this channel. Hundreds of hours. Dude deserves any success he has because he has put in serious work.
My Dad served in Vietnam for two tours. It was hell but he made it back. Lost him 2020 from complications I believe came from exposure to agent orange. God Bless and Carry On. 🙌
I read that the new recruits,Grunts, use to drink a mixture of agent orange with coke of whiskey as an initiation to the conflict. Sad day's and very,very brave young men & women, god bless them all !
My dad knows a tunnel rat, he was one of the early ones and ended up being in Vietnam for most of the war. When the time came to come home he didn't want to go back because he had become so use to the fighting he had a hard time understanding how to deal with people that didn't involve violence. He's much better now and has lived a happy life. Still crazy to think about just how varied a life can be.
Didn't the Americans realise the amount of dangers under those tunnels your chance of survival would be very slim l think. I'm glad l wasn't there l wouldn't last long.
The soldier story...he doesn't understand why he was okay with The Kids death....but it is because, the military trains you to be okay with anyone's death, except for your battle buddies.
Tbh im confused why this was a "scary" story. If anything its just a messed up death of a person he barely knew. Its disturbing. But i was more expected something like the story where soldiers saw a taliban infantry walking towards them via night vision but with the naked eye he couldnt be seen at all despite literally being in an area where at the very least his black outline shouldve been visible. Everyone saw him via nightvision yet couldnt see him with any other means....its not like he hid behind anything crossing open sand. Lol
..For the most part…and generally speaking, I’d say you’re REAL close to correct, BUT MAINLY THAT attitude is an acquired MENTAL state especially with the ‘teams’, SF, Delta, etc. “Killing”.. was NEVER meant to be ‘easy’ anyway.
They don't train you for that at all. They brainwash is into justifying it because Glory > PTSD but every individual handles killing differently and nobody forgets their first kill for a reason.
I mean it's called indoctrination for a reason. Break off and kill a piece of your humanity to make you ready to follow orders without question. I weep at the thought of how many decent young people will get lost to the militaries. Be something better and don't join your county's military. It's not worth it.
Story 3 really hit home as I have grew up around the crumlin all my life and girdwood barracks is still standing although they turned half of the grounds into a gym and a football pitch I'm just thankful it's quieter times in belfast
My roommate does not listen to these kind(s) of stories, but when I have them on he does and when I am listening to you, he picks on most of the other's as he considers you the *gold standard.* I love it, lol and wanted to share that with you. Thanks for the great narration and content.
Let him listen to Mr. nightmare or lazy masquerade.. i started out on those guys and still listen to them today. I found Let's read quite a few months ago and haven't really stopped. I'll listen to him all day at work .
Got my cup of peppermint tea in hand, my fluffy slippers on and a Lunesta blissfully dissolving all my sleeping problems away as I fall asleep to my favorite narrator. What a perfect night.
I’d like to wish you calmness and peace in your journey to come to terms with your life in the military. Thank you for protecting the USA.!! Who knows where we’d be without the protection of our military personnel. I’m not sure how you feel about therapy? I had something horrible happened to me 45 years ago and finally found a therapist I could talk to about everything. Maybe try this!?
It takes me a couple of nights to get through these, because I’m generally fast asleep by the second story. Lol. Have to rewind the next night to where I last remembered as I drift off into the land of winkin, blinkin, and nod.
I dig the military horror stories tbh. My dad was in the Navy for 20 years and he has many stories that give me chills. I was cleaning out a box for him and came across a small notebook and I flipped it open and read it. It was his journal from a deployment that followed one of his crew mates' death. In it, he detailed the encounter he had with the guy's ghost and how he followed it down the hall only for it to disappear. He saw the ghost several times during that deployment, which was the last one he had on that ship. When I mentioned it to my dad, he backed up his writing, which was shocking to me, as I never thought he believed in such things. I still think it's creepy
Been severally I'll and bed ridden for the last 3 or 4 days and Joel and his story time r like only thing I'm even a tad bit excited for ty Joel u don't truly realize how much your story telling me and to us-your fans!!
Thanks for everything and all your hard work! Ik u probably have your life issues that u have to deal with just like the rest of us and u still manage to not only edit , upload and put it on for us to hear but u have to look for great stories too! Well ,I really do appreciate you! I honestly don't think I could sleep without them .I just wanted to take the time and let u know u are a blessing in my life! Thanks:)
Imagine,.....being in those terrifying circumstances and "coming "back"......some "went mad", some came back "murederous", some came back "mentally ill and unstable in 'regular' life"......I HIGHLY DOUBT.....that ANY....."came back A-OK"!!!! SOOOOO,.....DO YOU THINK THAT "CHILDREN" OR "BADLY ABUSED" OR "AFFECTED" PEOPLE IN "OTHER" "BAD" SITUATIONS......IF THEY GET OUT "ALIVE"?.....THEY TRULY "GET OUT"?? WITHOUT....ANY....GD "MENTAL" "CONSEQUENSES"?!?! NOT.....EVERYBODY.....IS "OKAY"......EVEN IF THEY GO THROUGH THE "SAME" GD THING!!!! I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT,.....BUT IT IS.....VERY F'IN "TRUE"!!!!
As a Marine, I find it weird that the guy in the first story referred to his Marines as "Soldiers". That's a huge red flag. Because Marines don't call other Marines soldiers.
These stories really help to put things in perspective and remind me of why I shudder to think about certain other places in the world like Afghanistan and Iran and why I am less likely to complain about anything as some others have had it worse especially in other countries. May all the victims who died rest in peace. 🌹
I have great respect for our military. I was raised in the Marine Corps. My step dad went to Viet Nam when I was 15. He made it back but suffered health problems due to agent orange later in life. Thank you for telling their stories. Please do more
Hey let’s read it’s been years Iv been listening. I wanted to give you a heart felt thank you. You’re voice and stories dim my anxiety and let me sleep. You really are great and hope you continue to get the recognition you deserve
Really enjoyed these! Good for ppl to hear what our military goes through. I am grateful for their sacrifice but still hope and pray that one day, men will stop this insanity. ❤
That last story I didn't know about. I knew that he served, but, wow, my grandpa was right the Japanese during that time were brutal. My grandpa was a Marine and was stationed in Okinawa. If memory serves me he went over there in 1943 or 1944 making him 16 or 17, he was born New Year's Eve 1926 and he had to doctor his birth certificate just to get in.
It’s something how time changes everything, my sister and her husband just spent two years there via the U S Navy. Now they are headed to Germany, 70 years ago who would've thunk it?!
I used to go to a military school, and one of the classes I took while I was there was one on Military History. The way this class worked was we were given the chance to pick our own topics and create presentations on them. One of the presentations I did was on The Vietnam War, which I did with someone else in the class. The moment I heard the questions the Vietnam vet was asked in that one story I just knew. I can't imagine the impact having to do that job would have on someone's mental health.
The insurgents in Iraq during the invasion while we where slowing down, pulled a family of 3 out of their home in a town we did not clear, murdered them in the streets and said if you don't fight the Americas this will happen to you. A short time later the whole town passed in front of us when we were digging in preparing for a possible attack. it has defined my live till this day
Don't know why MrBallen gets all the clout when you've been doing it so well for longer and with more consistency. Don't get me wrong, I love both of your channels but you're easily my go to even when Ballen has a new video. Keep up the amazing work, you're a life saver for me at work when it comes to boredom!
Because Mrballen is a fantastic story teller and provides visuals to the story. No disrespect to this channel, but Mrballen knows how to engage you with the story and paint a picture
@@JustAdude291 Because MR.Ballen puts his own spin on things and tells the story from all points of views. Let's Read simply reads other people's stories with his voice. He's far more consistent and puts out a ton more content. This is a much better channel overall imo.
Yo Joel, just another big fan enjoying your steady content. But as a veteran I wanted to say a personal thank you for this one. Just closed my eyes, turned off and tuned in & let those soothing vocals take me back. Just Thank You LR...
Sometimes it's the simple things in life. I'm standing here in the kitchen of my studio apartment at 3:16 in the morning, making a red Baron four cheese pizza and just put on LetsRead.
For the first story.. I also was a Marine that did time in Helmand Province. So I’m always hard-pressed to believe Marine stories that call fellow Marines - “Soldiers,” but then again the writer claimed to be an officer and they’ve always been a weird bunch.
That bugged me too. No one in the UK calls it North Ireland. It's always Northern. It's the little things like that that make you think it's not a true story.
My grandpa was in us navy he was Lakota Sioux he served in the navy during Korean war. He used talk about strange things they saw out on the water flying craft and under water craft not submarines. He talk about alot then some stuff he gets quite and shut down. He once told us a story of a whale carcus that was completely bitten in half by what he didn't know, but hinted it had to be a massive shark!. He ended up with a bullet still stuck in his heal it was still there until he passed away a few years ago he had dementia. I'm proud of him I miss him he was a scary man one that kept all of us in line I guess you can say he ran a tight ship😂.
I was a straight male hairdresser. I was giving out my phone number several times a week, to neglected wife’s, single mothers & had 3 private girls schools/colleges in the area. At 17 I’d slept with over 30 women in my 1st year as an apprentice. Also to mention, there was 6 males out of 40 apprentices in college & I was the only straight one, life was good. If you like sex & can put up with bitchy women, hairdressing is something to consider. 😂
I don't believe story 3. The British Army doesn't have sergeant majors for training, that's an American thing. There's only one sergeant major at a time in the whole British Army as it's a senior role. Also we dont call Northern Ireland "North Ireland". So id say it's an American writing a piece of fiction.
Both my brothers were in Vietnam and when they came home and got off the plane people would spit on them so I certainly can understand why someone would just not mention it
Same with my grandfather, welcome home to them. Edit: he didn't get spat on, but certainly not greeted like someone coming home from war should be treated.
The story of the "boy" in the first story can be seen in a documentary about the war in afghanistan. I don't recall the name cause I watched like 5 on those recently, but if someone is seriously interested in watching it I'd look it up and post it here, it's on youtube. Sad ending for the little man. He was even saying out loud "F the Taliban" and that he's not afraid of them. Word must've gotten out to them...
