This Immigrant Soldier Fought Al Qaeda in One of Iraq's Most Vicious Battles!

Army Veteran Manny Pasillas Lucio shares the combat story that changed his life forever.Born in Mexico and raised in California, Manny grew up navigating family tension, poverty, and the streets of Compton before deciding to join the Army after 9/11. After basic training at Fort Benning, he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he became part of a Stryker infantry unit and later joined a scout sniper platoon.In this episode of Urban Valor, Manny opens up about his deployment to Iraq, including missions in Mosul, Baghdad, Taji, and Baqubah. He describes small team missions, hunting high-value targets, taking fire, encountering IEDs, working alongside other units, and the daily fear that came with operating outside the wire.Manny also shares the devastating moment his Stryker was hit by an IED while returning to base. He woke up choking on smoke, heard screams around him, and later discovered his teammate Billy Ferris didn't survive the blast. That moment stayed with him long after Iraq.After coming home, Manny struggled with PTSD, anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, family separation, and the painful reality of trying to become a father while still carrying the war inside him. He talks about pulling a gun on his mother after being startled awake, snapping at family members, feeling lost after the military, and eventually using education, therapy, fatherhood, and veteran advocacy to rebuild his life.Chapters00:00 Waking Up After the IED Blast01:25 Manny’s Childhood in Mexico02:48 Coming to the United States03:49 Growing Up in Compton08:08 Learning Independence as a Kid10:05 Wanting to Become a Soldier10:50 How 9/11 Changed Everything11:37 Trying to Join the Military14:04 Watching the Iraq Invasion Begin15:31 Leaving for Basic Training16:23 Arriving at Fort Benning18:44 Building Confidence in Basic Training22:11 Getting Sent to a Stryker Unit23:24 Joining 5-20 Infantry26:23 Becoming an RTO27:57 Learning From Hard NCOs32:19 Being Offered West Point32:58 Moving to Scout Sniper Platoon36:24 Deploying to Iraq37:22 Landing in Kuwait38:39 Arriving in Mosul40:17 Small Kill Team Missions41:11 First IED Strike in Iraq41:51 Hunting a High-Value Target43:30 Walking Outside the Wire44:51 Capturing the Target46:25 Moving From Mosul to Baghdad47:11 Searching for a Downed Pilot47:52 Taking Another IED Hit49:26 Billy Borrows Manny’s Blanket51:09 Spotting an IED on the Road53:28 The Stryker Gets Hit54:16 Escaping the Crushed Vehicle56:08 Searching for Billy57:30 Evacuating the Wounded58:47 Sergeant Pucket’s Words After the Blast59:18 Returning to Base in Shock1:01:15 The Loss of Billy Ferris1:05:04 Billy’s Memorial1:06:14 Back to Combat Operations1:07:04 Working With CIA and Special Forces1:08:29 Testifying in the Green Zone1:11:05 Inside Saddam’s Palace1:12:00 Arriving in Baqubah1:13:19 Taking Fire From All Sides1:14:47 Clearing the City1:15:13 The Scariest Missions of His Life1:17:20 Finding Iraqi Police With Mortars1:19:14 Ambush and Firefight1:20:38 Becoming Numb to Loss1:22:10 Fighting Al Qaeda in Baqubah1:23:34 Coming Home From Iraq1:25:22 Almost Going to Ranger Battalion1:26:02 Leaving the Army1:27:10 PTSD Hits at Home1:28:26 Snapping Around Family1:30:07 His Family Didn’t Know What Was Happening1:34:12 Struggling in the Reserves1:36:19 Drinking, Trouble, and Feeling Invincible1:37:29 A Bad Experience at the VA1:40:42 His Daughter Saved His Life1:42:49 Using the GI Bill1:43:14 Studying Psychology to Understand PTSD1:44:53 “I Am Not My Mistakes”1:45:39 Breaking Cultural Cycles1:46:35 Becoming a Better Father1:47:20 Helping Veterans Today1:49:10 Reconnecting With Family1:51:20 Why Manny Puts Himself First Now1:52:02 Talking Honestly With His Daughter1:53:24 Advocating for Veterans and Families1:54:34 Manny’s Message to Struggling Veterans