Semper Try

About Semper Try

Hosted by Marine veteran Bill Lowe, Semper Try celebrates the people who never quit — the veterans, volunteers, coaches, and everyday people who keep showing up when it matters most. Through honest conversations, laughter, and a few lessons learned the hard way, Bill shares stories of service, community, and good old-fashioned effort. Because trying beats quitting — every time.

Publisher

sempertrypodcast

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Nov 2025

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

58 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   036 P2: Robert Mitchell: Confronting Death, Searching for Love

   Vietnam veteran and Army helicopter pilot Robert Mitchell survived the war. But leaving Vietnam didn't mean leaving the war behind. In Part 2 of our conversation, Robert shares what happened after he left the Army in 1970 and began a journey that would take him across Europe and ultimately change the direction of his life. Struggling with the psychological effects of war, Robert traveled through England, Germany, and Greece, searching for answers and a way to understand the warrior spirit he carried home. While living in Munich, a powerful dream forced him to confront what he calls the "spirit of death." Rather than running from that experience, Robert continued his journey, searching for its opposite: love. Robert also discusses the challenges Vietnam veterans faced returning home, PTSD, veteran suicide, and the difficult transition from military service to civilian life. It would take Robert twelve years to feel he had finally found his way home. We also talk about his books, his career as a teacher, his thoughts on preserving veterans' stories, and his hopes of someday bringing his experiences to the big screen. And near the end, Robert reveals that he received the Distinguished Flying Cross for a helicopter rescue mission in Vietnam. Robert Mitchell's Books on Amazon Journey to Myrtos https://www.amazon.com/s?k=9781468025637 The Trials of the Initiate: Transforming the Warrior Spirit https://www.amazon.com/s?k=9781468025637 Education and the Culture of Democracy https://www.amazon.com/s?k=9781634103640 About Semper Try Semper Try is about the stories that deserve to be heard. Veterans, coaches, volunteers, and everyday people who have faced challenges, found purpose, and kept trying. Semper Try is proudly part of VET — Voices Empowering Tomorrow, a network of veteran-hosted podcasts. Visit sempertry.com for more conversations, daily Today in Military History videos, and links to all our social media platforms. Most stories die unheard. These WON'T. Because Trying Beats Quitting. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line. Tomorrow needs you. #SemperTry #VietnamVeteran #VeteranStories #PTSD #VoicesEmpoweringTomorrow

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   036 P1: Robert Mitchell: Sent Home by Fire, Still Wired for War

   Robert Mitchell didn’t go looking for war. In 1966, his student deferment disappeared and the draft was closing in. Instead of waiting to see where the Army would send him, Robert made a choice: if he was going to serve, he wanted to fly. That decision put him into the Army’s Warrant Officer Rotary Wing Aviation program and eventually behind the controls of helicopters headed for Vietnam. In Part 1 of my conversation with Robert, we talk about his path from a struggling college student to Army helicopter pilot, nine months of flight training, and the incredible moment when his plan was selected from roughly 400 students to lead a massive training exercise involving 200 helicopters. Then came Vietnam. Robert arrived in January 1968, just before the Tet Offensive. Within days, he was being fired on while flying a Huey toward Dong Ha near the DMZ. He would go on to fly command and control missions, support missions, and scout operations where finding the enemy meant deliberately flying out in front. But Robert’s story isn’t only about flying helicopters. It’s about what he calls the warrior spirit and what happens when the military trains someone for combat, awakens that instinct inside them, and then suddenly takes the battlefield away. Robert’s tour ended violently when his helicopter crashed, rupturing a fuel line and erupting in fire. He was badly burned, medevaced out of Vietnam, and spent eight months in the hospital. The fire sent him home. The war came with him. Robert openly discusses returning home still carrying the desire to fight, the internal conflict that followed, and the long journey that would eventually take his life in a completely different direction. This is only Part 1. 036 P1: Robert Mitchell: Sent Home by Fire, Still Wired for War 📚 Find Robert Mitchell’s books, including Journey to Mirtos, on Amazon:Robert Mitchell’s Amazon Author Page 🎙️ Semper Try PodcastBecause Trying Beats Quitting. 🌐 SemperTry.com #SemperTryPodcast #VietnamVeteran #ArmyAviation #VietnamWar #VeteranStories

3. 

   28 Sept 2026

   035: The Old Guard

   This episode of the Semper Try Podcast is a little different. What started as a six-part Today in Military History series turned into a full deep dive into one of the most historic units in the United States Army: The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment :The Old Guard. This whole series started after I heard Army veteran David Weisenhorn on the Chat 62 Podcast, a fellow member of VET: Voices Empowering Tomorrow. David talked about being selected for the Old Guard, and it made me realize that even though I had heard the name and seen the Tomb Guards before, I didn’t really understand what the Old Guard was. So I started digging. In this episode, we cover: The history of the Old Guard going back to 1784 How the regiment got its name What it takes to serve in the Old Guard The history of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier How Tomb Sentinels are selected and trained The 21-step walk The Changing of the Guard The Tomb Guard Identification Badge And why the watch never stops This is six parts of military history, tradition, discipline, and service brought together into one episode. David Weisenhorn’s story continues on the Chat 62 Podcast, with new parts releasing on Tuesdays, so make sure you check out their series as well. Semper Try Podcast is a member of VET: Voices Empowering Tomorrow, a Veterans Podcast Network. Have a story, or know someone whose story should be heard? Email: sempertrypodcast@gmail.com Website: sempertry.com Because Trying Beats Quitting.

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.