Vietnam Veteran PTSD
Marine Corps Combat Veteran
Burnout Recovery
Military Trauma
Faith After Trauma
Veteran Mental Health
Men’s Mental Health
Raw Minds Podcast

How does a man survive war and still carry the battle inside him for more than fifty years?

In this Raw Minds Podcast episode, Erick sits down with Keith A. Cole, a United States Marine Corps combat veteran, former CPA, author, husband, and father.

Keith served in Vietnam as an M60 machine gunner and was wounded three times.

He survived mortar fire, rocket shrapnel, jungle ambushes, and an incendiary round while riding on the side of a tank.

After Vietnam, Keith was assigned to inspector and instructor duty. Part of his job was notifying families that their son or husband had been killed or wounded in action.

Keith says that duty could feel harder than combat.

For decades, he carried grief, nightmares, alcohol use, trauma, burnout, and PTSD.

From the outside, he built a successful life.

Inside, he was still fighting.

After more than fifty years, Keith reached his breaking point.

He did not surrender to an enemy.

He surrendered to God.

Keith explains why surrender is not weakness, how faith became the foundation of his recovery, and how he found a new purpose helping people facing trauma, burnout, grief, and silent emotional pain.

He also shares the story behind his book:

Burnout: God’s Recovery Plan

This episode is for veterans, fathers, men taught to stay silent, and anyone dealing with PTSD, grief, burnout, trauma, addiction, faith struggles, or emotional exhaustion.

Recovery is possible.

Faith can rebuild what trauma tried to destroy.

GUEST LINKS

Official website:
https://www.RecoveryByFaith.com

About Keith:
https://recoverybyfaith.com/about

Book page:
https://recoverybyfaith.com/books/burnout-god-s-recovery-plan-a-marine-s-story-of-trauma-surrender-and-healing-through-faith-keith-cole/9798868528996

Amazon paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/Burnout-Recovery-Marines-Surrender-Healing/dp/B0FWH2LT32

Amazon Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/Burnout-Recovery-Marines-Surrender-Healing-ebook/dp/B0FWLNRJNC

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/kacolecpa

CHAPTERS

00:00 Erick returns
02:05 Introducing Keith
05:00 Book and website
06:19 Life before the Marines
09:38 Why he joined
11:54 Boot camp
17:34 Vietnam
20:17 First wound
30:43 Second wound
34:04 The ambush
35:00 Believing he died
38:35 Notifying families
42:22 Drinking to cope
47:49 PTSD
50:13 Breaking point
50:51 Surrendering to God
56:52 Writing the book
01:03:00 Closing

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

Canada and United States:

Call or text 988

RAW MINDS LINKS

YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@RawMinds-cs3ci

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/rawmindspodcast

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@rawmindspodcast

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CRWJaV5qh/

Website:
https://www.rawminds.ca

Email:
rawmindspodcast@gmail.com

For the ones we’ll never meet.

Healing out loud.