Brian Chontosh: The Marine Who Ran Out of Guns

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, First Lieutenant Brian Chontosh and his Marines were caught in a coordinated ambush on Route 1. With the road blocked and fire closing in around them, Chontosh ordered his Humvee toward the attack, broke through the enemy’s defenses, and led a fight through the trench line -- an extraordinary action that earned him the Navy Cross. But an award citation can’t tell the whole story. In a candid conversation with Ben Thompson, Chontosh discusses the training and Marines who carried him through that day, the danger of believing his own “badass” mythology, and the battles that followed him home. He also shares how learning to accept help led him to create the Big Fish Foundation, which works to support veterans before they reach a crisis. It’s a powerful conversation about courage, leadership, vulnerability, and the long road home from war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices