Welcome to "The American Soldier Podcast." A podcast to hear important stories told by Veterans and Military families. My hope and goal is that this podcast can help give a voice to our veterans and provide a path to healing, and help society better understand the sacrifices they and their families have given for us and our freedoms. My name is Douglas Taurel, and I've been honoring Veterans and Military families with my solo show, The American Soldier. I performed a one-man show about ten years ago for roughly eight people in a small theatre in lower Manhattan. Since then, I've been honored to share the play and its message with over 45 cities and 35, including some of the nation's most notable theatres, like The Kennedy Center in 2016 & 2019, The Library of Congress twice, Off-Broadway twice, New York Federal Reserve Bank, and American Legion's National Headquarters, and earned a nominated for an Amnesty International Award and received 4 stars out of 5 at the Edinburgh Festival, Fringe for theatre excellence.Because of this journey, I have had the honor of becoming friends with many Veterans and Military Families from every branch and generation who have trusted me to share their stories with you, hoping that it can help and honor their sacrifices.