Ep. 81 • Writing The Stories of Legends • Eric Blehm Part 1 🔱🏴‍☠️

🏴‍☠️ **Want to hang LIVE with Kevin, Nick & Ryan? Join the Liberty Risk Patreon crew:** https://www.patreon.com/cw/LibertyRisk  Bestselling author Eric Blehm joins the Liberty Risk crew for Part 1 of a wild conversation about Navy SEALs, DEVGRU, military history, and the incredible true stories behind his books *Fearless*, *The Only Thing Worth Dying For*, and *Haunted by Heroes*. Eric takes us back to his childhood in Southern California, his early days chasing a professional snowboarding career, and his unexpected connection to the rise of DC Shoes, Ken Block, and Rob Dyrdek. He even managed to sneak into *National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation* as an extra, complete with a mullet and a pretty ridiculous behind-the-scenes story involving Randy Quaid. After 9/11, Eric shifted his focus to telling the stories of America's warriors, starting with the men of ODA 574 and their harrowing mission in Afghanistan. He shares how those early experiences taught him the difference between official military reports and what really happened on the ground. Then we get into *Fearless*, the incredible story of Navy SEAL Adam Brown, a man who overcame addiction and a troubled past to become one of the most respected operators in DEVGRU. Eric shares some downright unbelievable coincidences surrounding Adam's story, how the death of Osama bin Laden changed the fate of the book overnight, and what it was like earning the trust of Adam's teammates. The conversation takes a much heavier turn when Eric describes traveling to Alaska and Virginia Beach to interview seven DEVGRU operators who served alongside Adam. Just eight weeks later, every one of those men was killed in the Extortion 17 helicopter shootdown, the deadliest single day in Naval Special Warfare history. Eric has held onto those interviews for 15 years, and their stories are finally being told. We cover everything from the early days of snowboarding and the wild world of DC Shoes to Special Operations history, the brotherhood of the SEAL Teams, and the stories that deserve to be remembered. Eric's new book, *Haunted by Heroes*, releases December 1st, with a foreword by Jack Carr. **This is Part 1,** Part 2 launches Monday and we dive deeper into Adam Brown, the Extortion 17 tragedy, and some incredible discoveries Eric made while researching *Haunted by Heroes*. Subscribe to **Liberty Risk** for new episodes every week.   🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️ **WANT TO GO DEEPER WITH LIBERTY RISK?** Join the **Liberty Risk Patreon Community** for the stuff that doesn't make it into the episodes: behind-the-scenes footage, conversations between breaks, private community chats, merch & partner discounts, and plenty more. 🥃 **Black Site members also get invited to our monthly Virtual Cigar Night** where you can grab a drink, light one up, and hang LIVE on Zoom with **Kevin, Nick & Ryan**. No livestream. No audience. Real two-way conversations with the guys, other members of the LR crew, and occasionally a special guest or two. 🤫 If you enjoy the show and want to be more than just a viewer, **come join the crew:** 👉 https://www.patreon.com/cw/LibertyRisk    Get to know Eric better at the following links. ✖️ Eric's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ericblehmofficial  ✖️ Eric's Website - https://www.ericblehm.com  ✖️ Preorder Haunted By Heroes here - https://www.ballastbooks.com/ballast-bookstore/haunted-by-heroes use code LIBERTYRISK to help support the show!   Liberty Risk Hosts: ✖️ Ryan Williams - https://www.instagram.com/invictus5326 ✖️ Kevin Kent - https://www.instagram.com/therealkevinkent ✖️ Nick Betts - https://www.instagram.com/n\_betts   Liberty Risk Podcast Sponsored by: ✖️ Black Rifle Coffee - https://www.blackriflecoffee.com  ✖️ MCON (come hang with us Oct 23-25!) https://mcon.live  ✖️ Bingeworthy Snacks Beef Crisps - https://bingeworthysnacks.com  ✖️ Bulkhead Energy Drink - https://www.bulkheadenergy.com  ✖️ Liberty Risk Merch - https://www.liberty-risk.com/collections/shop-all ✖️ Industry Threadworks (screen printing apparel) - https://www.industrythreadworks.com ✖️ Archive 3PL (fulfillment for E-com brands) - https://archive3pl.com ✖️ Krupto Strategic Media - https://kruptostrategicmedia.com ✖️ K-Squared Advising - https://www.k-squared.cc