40. Flying For Life with Mike Ware

What does it take to survive a war, come home to a country that doesn't want you, and still choose to live?Host Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with Mike Ware, a Vietnam veteran, helicopter pilot, life flight pilot, flight instructor, and living proof that surviving isn't just about making it out alive, it's about finding a reason to stay.Mike flew combat missions during the war in Vietnam, transported Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol soldiers into Cambodia and Laos on classified missions his country couldn't officially claim, and came home to a nation that met him with hostility instead of gratitude. Decades later, he's still flying, still teaching, and finally telling his story in his forthcoming memoir, Blades of War.In this conversation, Mike shares what has kept him going:Finding faith at the moment he needed it mostReturning to Vietnam decades later and seeing it with new eyesSharing his story so other veterans know they are not aloneThis episode is a reminder that surviving isn't the finish line, it's just the beginning of figuring out why you're still here.What You'll Hear in This EpisodeHow a recruiter's pitch changed the entire course of Mike's lifeFlying combat missions with just a few hundred hours of flight timeRope rescues, night flying, rats, snakes, and a homemade shower built from an Agent Orange drumThe Miracle Mission: a rescue flight that should have killed everyone on boardTwo decades of trying to be "normal" and what finally broke throughThe moment Mike was holding a gun and heard a voice that stopped himWhy he went back to Vietnam and what he found thereLife flight flying, Angel Flights, and becoming one of the oldest flight instructors in the USListener Takeaways If you're moved by Mike's story, here are your reminders:Survival guilt is real, and so is help. About 20 veterans die by suicide every day. If you're struggling, reach out. You have more to share than you know.Going back can heal you. Mike returned to Vietnam and found a thriving, industrious, joyful people. Sometimes the place that hurt you most can also set you free.Write it down. Mike's logbook, stained and terrifying, became the foundation of a memoir and a decade of healing.Find your people. Faith, a supportive spouse, and the right community made the difference between Mike's two doors.It's never too late to share your story. Mike is in his 70s, still flying, still teaching, and only now putting his story into the world.Mentioned in This Episode101st Airborne Division, "The Kingsmen"The Miracle Mission, helicopter tail number 16227, now at Camp Ripley, MinnesotaBlades of War by Mike Ware (forthcoming)Life flight / air medical transport programsAngel Flight, free air transportation for medical patientsVA.gov, mental health resources for veteransAmerican Association of Suicidology, suicidology.orgVeterans Crisis Line: Call 988, then press 1Support the Mission If Mike's story reminded you that there is always another door, please share it with a veteran who needs to hear it.We're raising $1 million for medical research, and every dollar from listeners like you makes a real difference.Learn more + donate at UnstoppableStoriesThatMove.com