Today we have our second account of the brutal fighting within the Arghandab Valley in Afghanistan from Will Yeske, a former 82nd Airborne RTO at the time. Will went on to write the book Damn the Valley: 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 2/508 PIR, 82nd Airborne in the Arghandab River Valley Afghanistan.

Will recounts his experiences fighting and surviving in this brutal location in Afghanistan which takes place at the same time (and just across the river) from the same experience faced by our former guest Andrew Bragg who was in Charlie Company. The IEDs, the suicide bombs, and more come to life in both this interview and the book. 

Since leaving the service Will has gone on to write two books and, despite initially dropping out of college, now has an Ivy League degree. When many other kids in their mid-20s were partying and living it up, he elected to serve and, one year later, found himself fighting for his life. I’m sure you’re going to enjoy the multiple combat experience Will shares with us in this episode and, if you’re like me, will be getting your own copy of the book.

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Find William Yeske Online:

Book https: https://www.amazon.com/Damn-Valley-Airborne-Arghandab-Afghanistan/dp/1636243657

@damnthevalley on social

William Yeske on LinkedIN

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🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle

Show Notes:

00:00 Intro
00:28 Introduction to Combat Story
00:47 Will Yeske's Background and Book
02:09 Connecting with Andrew Bragg
02:42 Experiences in the Argandab Valley
04:10 Writing and Sharing War Stories
06:35 Memorable Artifacts and Stories
08:55 The Brutality of the Argandab Valley
15:03 Joining the Military: Will's Journey
26:42 First Combat Experience
39:56 Mission Overview and Initial Challenges
40:29 Controversies and Unpublished Accounts
41:26 Hard Moments in Argandob
42:23 IED Incidents and Minefields
49:27 Command Changes and Midtour Leave
01:00:26 Courage and Bravery in Combat
01:03:59 Writing the Book: Challenges and Reflections
01:08:03 Sentimental Items and Lucky Charms
01:10:27 Final Thoughts and Future Projects