JOSUE BARRON | EP 7 | Iron Minds | FULL EPISODE

Special Guest Josue Barron is a retired Marine and Purple Heart recipient.

Growing up in Cudahy, CA, Josue did not have many opportunities or role models, so at the age of 13, he joined a gang. After a few years of living a dangerous lifestyle in the streets of Los Angeles, Josue knew it was time for a change. After graduating high school in 2007, he decided to live by a different code––that of the U.S. Marine Corps.

After Infantry training, he joined the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines (3/5) in Camp Pendleton. On Oct. 21, 2010, Cpl Barron was conducting military operations in Sangin, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when he was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion. The blast resulted in the loss of his left leg above the knee as well as his left eye and caused multiple severe shrapnel wounds to his face and hands.

Despite having lost a leg and an eye in Afghanistan, Josue maintains an incredibly positive attitude. “I don’t feel wounded,” he told a military reporter in 2012. “I still do everything I used to do. Here and there I’ll complain, but just to myself. I don’t really feel wounded at all.”

In fact, Josue said, his experience has actually made him stronger. “I think it made me stronger, my confidence level went up,” he said. “Where I come from, everything happens for a reason. You get to be an example for other people, you’re pushing yourself to the limit—once you get disabled, it doesn’t end there. We break that stereotype of disabled people.”

PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
(3:36) Josue chronicles his upbringing in Los Angeles in an extremely dangerous area. He recounts the reasons why he joined a gang and chased street life.
(7:05) Josue shares what led him to leave the gang life and how he saw the military as a way out.
(9:30)  Josue delves into the pain of not having his father in his life growing up.
(19:46) Cesar shares the tactics he uses to process and deal with grief.
(34:00) Josue discusses his military experience and shares the heartbreaking story of how he was injured in combat.
(39:29) Josue reveals that he still has nightmares from his time on the streets of LA and not from the war in Afghanistan.
(43:41) Josue discusses how his wife came into life at the right time and became his anchor when he was severely injured.
(54:10) Josue recounts the turning point that caused him to finally leave his gang friends for good. 
(1:05:28) Josue explains how disabled sports became an outlet. Cesar tells Josue that he is a daily inspiration for him.
(1:10:25) Josue shares how he received a custom wheelchair-accessible home from the Gary Sinise Foundation, which helps disabled vets.

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