Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet interviewed Colorado-based U.S. Navy SEAL veteran Josh Jespersen for the Veterans History Project. Download a recording of the interview HERE.
The Veterans History Project is an effort by the Library of Congress to preserve the historic experiences of those who served in the United States military by recording their personal narratives and archiving them for future use by historians, teachers, and the general public. This year, the Veterans History Project is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
“On this Veterans Day, I want to thank Josh for his service to our country,” said Bennet. “I’d also like to thank Josh for his continued leadership and service to the state of Colorado and veterans all over the country. We deeply appreciate it, and I’m so proud Josh decided to call Colorado home.”
“What I’ve learned in all my years after the military and what I’ve learned while I was in the military has all led to this one realization: don’t let the military be the greatest thing you ever did,” said Jespersen. “You have the chance to write that next chapter in your life. In our world that is so uncontrollable, the one thing you can control is yourself. It’s up to you to decide what that next chapter looks like, and make it great. Continue to live. Live the dream because all of our friends who didn’t make it home don’t have the opportunity to live anymore, so we have to live double, triple, or quadruple for them.”
After serving our country, Jespersen moved to Colorado and became a world record holder, a mountain guide, a professional athlete, and a strong advocate for veterans in the outdoors. Jespersen is president of the Veteran’s Outdoor Advocacy Group, which he founded in 2019. The nonprofit organization researches, advocates, and promotes legislative solutions to enable outdoor therapy access for veterans.
For more information about the services provided by Bennet’s office—including assistance with a federal agency, such as the Department of Defense or Department of Veterans Affairs, inquiries about medals, and other veterans’ resources—please visit bennet.senate.gov.