The Toughest Veteran*

About this video

The guest, an African-American veteran, recounts volunteering for Force Recon when the war started and facing racial discrimination at scuba school in Florida. He describes how the commanding officer initially refused to let him attend, claiming African-Americans couldn’t swim, but agreed to let him try after the guest proposed a deal. Despite becoming honor graduate and outswimming everyone on the first day, the commanding officer refused to shake his hand at graduation.

Key takeaways

• The guest volunteered for Force Recon when a call went out for people with specific skills after the war started
• The guest faced racial prejudice from a commanding officer who claimed African-Americans couldn’t swim and initially refused to let him attend scuba school
• Despite becoming honor graduate and proving his abilities, the guest experienced discrimination when the commanding officer refused to shake his hand at graduation

Episode details: published June 15, 2026 · 11K views · 1:12 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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