Coming home from war doesn’t mean the battle is over. What happens when the warrior inside you keeps fighting?Vietnam veteran and Army helicopter pilot Robert Mitchell survived combat, a fiery helicopter crash, severe burns, and nearly eight months in a military hospital. But surviving Vietnam was only the beginning of his journey home.In this deeply personal conversation, Robert explores the idea of the “warrior spirit”—the part of a person awakened through military training and combat that doesn't simply disappear when the uniform comes off. His search for healing eventually took him from Vietnam to Europe and the Greek village of Mirtos, becoming the foundation for his book Journey to Mirtos.In this episode, you'll discover:• Recognize why coming home physically doesn't always mean you've returned emotionally—and why Robert describes that unfinished feeling as remaining inside the battle.• Understand the moment Robert's perception of war collided with its moral reality when a young helicopter pilot was ordered to kill a Vietnamese civilian who refused an interrogation command.• Hear how Robert's Vietnam tour ended in seconds when a passenger jumped onto his helicopter during a slope landing, rupturing the fuel tank and triggering the fiery crash that severely burned him.• Explore why healing doesn't necessarily mean eliminating the warrior spirit. Robert describes transforming the killer instinct awakened by war into an instrument of justice and healing.About Robert MitchellRobert Mitchell served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, including service with the 1st Cavalry Division. After his helicopter crash and lengthy recovery, his search for meaning eventually took him through Europe and Greece and became part of the journey documented in Journey to Mirtos. He later spent 27 years teaching junior high and high school, a transformation he describes as moving from the warrior archetype to the teacher archetype.🎙️ If this episode helped you, please follow the show and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts — open the app, search VET S.O.S. Presents: The Scoop, scroll down, and tap “Write a Review.” It takes 30 seconds and puts this show in front of a veteran who needs it right now.⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00 - When the War Ends but the Warrior Keeps Fighting 03:23 - Robert Mitchell's Journey to Vietnam 08:51 - Training to Become a Combat Helicopter Pilot 16:06 - Mythology and the Warrior Spirit 22:55 - Tet Offensive: Robert's Introduction to Combat 26:40 - What Is the Warrior Spirit? 29:57 - Seeing the Enemy as Human 34:16 - When War Collided With Morality 37:49 - The Helicopter Crash That Ended His Vietnam Tour 41:21 - The “Failed Initiation” That Followed Him Home 43:43 - Coming Home Physically, but Not Internally 51:10 - Leaving America in Search of Healing 59:28 - Th

When the War Ends but the Warrior Keeps Fighting — Robert Mitchell

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