Welcome to the world of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, the perfect gift for the music lover in your life.
Picture this, a walk on a sunny winter day. You can hear the satisfying crunch of snow beneath your feet and your favorite holiday song playing. That's the magic we're talking about, hear life and music at the same time. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
Own the gift game and go to bose.com slash iHeart to shop the best deals now. I don't know if you know this, but when you don't have time to read The Washington Post, you can listen to it. Almost every article has a listening option. And right now you can become a Washington Post subscriber for just 50 cents a week. It's an incredible deal. Stay on top of what's happening by signing up at washingtonpost.com slash pod.
That's washingtonpost.com slash pod. Lumber Life, sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary.
VGW Group, void where prohibited by law. 18 plus terms and. When you choose to earn your degree online from Southern New Hampshire University, you're saying yes to new opportunities and to new adventures. You're saying yes to something big, something you've always wanted to do. If earning your degree is one of your goals this new year, SNHU can help you get there. With low online tuition, no set class times and multiple term starts per year, you can set the pace that works for you and save money along the way.
Visit snhu.edu today to get started. Hey, I'm here to tell you about Upfaith and Family, the leading streaming service for uplifting entertainment. This Christmas, cozy up with the ones you love and experience movies that inspire and bring people together. Watch Festival of Trees, where holiday competition leads to unexpected friendships or the heartwarming family movie, A Bluegrass Christmas. And don't miss our special virtual Christmas Fest event on Monday, November 25th. Meet stars from these movies like Aaron Bethea, Franco Lopresti, Emily Alitalo and Shawn Johnson as they answer fan questions live and share holiday memories. It's all commercial free and you can stream anywhere.
Plus it's just a fraction of the cost of other services. Start your free trial today and experience the magic of Christmas. Visit upfaithandfamily.com. This is Lee Habib and this is Our American Stories. And we tell stories about everything here on this show. Up next, a story in a way about a song, but so much more.
You might know the song, I Drive Your Truck by Lee Brice. But do you know the story of the man who inspired the song? His name was Jared Monti and he was a hero of the highest caliber. Here to tell Jared's story is Paul Monti, his father. I think his lot in life was to try to bring joy to anybody and everybody that he ever met. Well, Jared was a very adventurous kid. There wasn't a tree too high for him to climb or a hill.
There wasn't a body of water too wide, too deep for him to cross. There were certain characteristics in him that became apparent as he grew. We like to talk about his life in terms of three principles that he lived by.
The first of which was to always try your hardest. And this we noticed with him, whether it was sports or school or anything else that he had to do. He was a kid that always gave 100% to everything he did.
His second principle was to never give up and that became also apparent. One of the stories I like to tell regarding that was, he was a really, really good basketball player. He was pretty much the shortest kid in his class, but he was a heck of a basketball player. And when he went to middle school, he tried out for the JV team and he was the last one cut from the team. His fellow players said they were all gonna quit because Monty wasn't picked. And Jared got them together and talked to them and said, hey, you don't quit.
You guys keep going, don't worry about me. So that passed and the next year, middle school, he tried out for the team again. And again, he was the last cut. And then the third year, he tried out again, this time for the varsity. And the varsity coach came up to him and said, Jared, why don't you accept the position as team manager and you can warm up with the team before games, but of course you can't play.
And he accepted that. After the second game, the coach found a uniform for him because it was kind of embarrassing. He was the only one in street clothes warming up. And then after the third game, the coach started using him as a mop-up player towards the end of a game. By the end of the season, he was outscoring some of the starters on the team. At his graduation from middle school, when they were giving out the awards for the basketball team, the coach got up and read all the names. Then when he got to the end, he said this last guy is the epitome of what an athlete should be.
And he's the biggest mistake that I ever made in my 25 years of coaching basketball. What an honor to a young man and what courage it took for him to do that and to be that guy that never gave up, that kept on trying. What a character he must have had to do that kind of a thing. He always did the right thing.
No matter what it cost him personally, doing the right thing was just out of him. You know, one day when I came home and looked in his room, his bed was missing. And I called him and I said, Jared, where's your bed? He said, well, dad, one of my friends was kicked out of his house. He's sleeping over someone else's house. And they don't have a bed for him. He's sleeping on the floor and he can't sleep.
I don't mind sleeping on the floor, dad. So I gave him my bed. Another incident, he came to me one day and said, dad, would you mind if I cut down one of those spruce trees we have in the front of the house? I said, well, what do you want that for? He said, well, guys and I, we wanna have our own Christmas tree. I said, well, okay, go ahead. And it was only after his death when one of his friends came up to me and said, Mr. Monty, you remember the Christmas tree Jared cut down?
And I said, yeah. He said, well, he didn't really cut that down for us. He found a single mom in town that had three kids and didn't have enough money to celebrate Christmas with the kids. So he brought it to her house and got lights for it and ornaments for it. He bought presents for all the kids and for the woman. And then he stayed and made Christmas dinner for them all and never told a soul.
It's these kinds of things that he did and with great humility. I remember a day when he asked me to drive him to a weightlifting competition. I did, I drove him there and I said, well, when do you want me to pick you up? Or do you want me to come in? And he says, no, no, no, no, no.
I'll get a ride home with somebody else. Now, after his death, I went up to clean his room and underneath his bed was a box full of trophies. He had soccer trophies and baseball trophies and basketball trophies. But what stood out was this three foot trophy that was under the bed of a weightlifter.
And I read the plaque and it said, New England Weightlifting Championships, first place, under 17 division, Jared Monti. Never told anybody. It wasn't being done for personal gain. It was just, this is something I want to do to, you know, for myself.
And that's what he did. It just carried on throughout his life and the culmination of all of that was on that day that he died. And you're listening to Paul Monti tell the story of his fallen son. And my goodness, if you're a son and your dad speaks these words over you like this, you are one lucky man.
And if you're a dad who gets to speak these words about his son, you're one lucky father. When we come back, more of this remarkable story, this beautiful story, Father and Son, a fallen soldier's story, more of Paul Monti's story and Jared's here on Our American Story. Folks, if you love the great American stories we tell and love America like we do, we're asking you to become a part of the Our American Stories family. If you agree that America is a good and great country, please make a donation. A monthly gift of $17.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for supporters.
Go to OurAmericanStories.com now and go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming. That's OurAmericanStories.com So, if the cocktail lover in your life has been good this year or the right kind of bad, get them Bartesian. At the push of a button, make bar quality cosmopolitans, martinis, manhattans and more. All in just 30 seconds. All for 100 off.
Amazing toys aren't just for kids. Get 100 off a cocktail maker when you spend 400 through Cyber Monday. Visit Bartesian.com slash cocktail.
That's B-A-R-T-E-S-I-A-N.com slash cocktail. Hello, everyone. It's your favorite president, Donald J. Trump, here to introduce something really special.
You're gonna love it. My new Trump watches. It's one of the best watches made.
Wear it proudly on your wrist and everyone will know what it's for, who it's for, what it represents. Get your Trump watch right now. Go to GetTrumpWatches.com. It's Trump time.
That's right. President Trump has won the election and now he's released his official Trump watches. Celebrate this historic victory with a Trump watch that stands for strength, leadership and winning. But don't wait because these limited edition watches won't be around for long. Go to GetTrumpWatches.com now to get your Trump watch before they're gone.
It's an easy URL to remember. GetTrumpWatches.com. Don't miss your chance to own a piece of history. Go now to GetTrumpWatches.com and get your watch today. See GetTrumpWatches.com for details. Trump watches are not intended for investment purposes.
Hurry, go now to GetTrumpWatches.com. Hi, this is Lee Habib here. Do you wake up every morning dreading that first step out of bed because of foot pain? I know I used to. Living with plantar fasciitis felt like a constant battle. Then I tried PowerStep, the number one podiatrist recommended in souls, clinically proven to relieve pain. I was skeptical at first, but from the moment I put them in my shoes and sneakers, I felt the difference. Support and comfort exactly where I needed it and when I needed it, especially those really long walks I take each day with my wife. My foot pain vanished and even my back and knee pain was eased. Now I can go through my day pain-free. Go to PowerStep.com slash OAS and use code OAS for 15% off your first order.
That's PowerStep.com slash OAS and use code OAS for 15% off your first order. Welcome to the world of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, the perfect gift for the music lover in your life. They're designed to give you complete openness to your surroundings while providing rich, private sound. Wanna hear what that sounds like? Picture this. A walk on a sunny winter day. You can hear the satisfying crunch of snow beneath your feet and your favorite holiday song playing.
That's the magic we're talking about. Hear life and music at the same time. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
Own the gift game and check out Bose.com slash iHeart to shop now. Have you made the switch to NYX? Millions of women have made the switch to the revolutionary period underwear from NYX.
That's K-N-I-X. Period panties from NYX are like no other, making them the number one leak-proof underwear brand in North America. They're comfy, stylish, and absorbent. Perfect for period protection from your lightest to your heaviest days.
They look, feel, and machine wash just like regular underwear, but feature incognito protection that has you covered. You can shop sizes from extra small to 4XL. Choose from all kinds of colors, prints, and different styles.
From bikinis to boy shorts, thongs to high rise. You've got to try NYX. See why millions are ditching disposable, wasteful period products and have switched to NYX. Go to knix.com and get 15% off with promo code TRY15. That's nyx.com, promo code TRY15 for 15% off life-changing period underwear.
That's knix.com. And we return to our American stories and the story of Sergeant First Class Jared Monti. When we last left off, Paul Monti, Jared's father, was telling us about the kind of person that his son was.
Let's pick up where we last left off. Well, it was his junior year in high school. And he came home and said, dad, can I talk to you? I said, sure. He said, I want to join the army, dad. And I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. He said, you know, you're an A student. You're going to go to college, son. I said, well, dad, you can't afford to send me to college. And I said, well, you know, Jared, I'll just get another job. He said, dad, you're already working two and three jobs.
Let me do this. I'll go in the army and they'll pay for my college. What was I to say? You know, being only 17, I had to sign papers for him. And I did very reluctantly, but, you know, like I had said before, he was a very adventurous kid. And this really appealed to him, this idea of, you know, the adventure of the military and seeing the world. And he loved his country.
So there it was. It was made for him. He was a 13F, forward observer, what we used to call the Suicide Squad, because they were always operating behind enemy lines. That bothered me too.
I mean, like I said, we called it the Suicide Squad. But danger, dangerous things never bothered him. You know, he loved the rollercoaster. He loved to ride the rollercoaster. He loved to ride the rollercoaster. He loved to ride the rollercoaster. He loved to ride the rollercoaster. He loved to ride the rollercoaster. That kind of thing didn't bother him. And especially in the military where he knew how important it was to saving lives. That's what he loved. He, number of times, got himself into trouble in the military for that kind of a thing, of being a little more adventurous than some, you know, other people, you know, more adventurous than some officer wanted him to be.
I remember an incident in South Korea, where he had to take his platoon out on basically a war games maneuver. And they came to a stream, which was flowing really quickly. They were supposed to cross this stream. And when Jared saw the stream, he halted his guise and said, you know what, that doesn't look safe at all.
Let me go out and check it and make sure it's safe for all of us. Now, being a sergeant at that time, normally you would assign that to a private or someone. But Jared always led from the front.
It was always, my boys, dad, my boys. He looked upon them as young people that he had to protect. It was his job to make sure his guys were safe. So he forded the stream, but he ended up getting washed downstream. They all thought he was dead.
But luckily enough, there was a floating branch in the water that he was able to cling to and he found him and took him out. But that's, again, it was always a matter of him taking the chances and not allowing his boys to be in the line of danger. That's just who he was, it's just what he did. And, yeah, he ended up being twice deployed to Afghanistan. Probably the most dangerous area in all of Afghanistan was this area in the Kuna Valley. This was the place where the Taliban would come in from Pakistan. This was their main route and the army had decided that they were gonna put a kibosh on this.
They had tried a number of times and were never successful. But they did put together this plan. So Jared, with his platoon, and Chris Cunningham, who was another sergeant, he was a sniper and he had his snipers. So there were 16 of them all together.
Eight of them were forward observers and eight snipers. And they were tasked to climb this mountain. The mountain was 8,500 feet high, to set up an observation post at the top of the mountain to view the crossing area down below in the valley so that they could call in fire when the main force, a day later, was to come into the valley. So, in 100-degree heat, and all of these guys carrying, you know, packs of 70-plus pounds, climbing mostly at night, they climbed Hill 2610.
It took them two days to climb that. Now, as an aside to that, the night before they left to make this climb, I got a call from the police. I got a call very early in the morning, got me out of bed. Got out of bed, I answered the phone, said, hello, and I heard, hi, Pop, Happy Father's Day.
And I was, like, shocked that he would call me to wish me a Happy Father's Day. And at the end of that conversation, he said, Dad, I got to go. We're leaving on a mission. And that's when they left to climb that mountain.
It was hot. They were out of food. They were out of water. And the Army had made provisions to have an air drop for them at the same time they were going into the valley so that the helicopter dropping their provisions wouldn't be noticed. However, because one helicopter was down, needed repairs, the Army decided to postpone the attack into the valley for two days, which left the guys at the top without food and water. And the Army then decided to send in their supply helicopter anyway. The helicopter came in.
It missed the drop point. And dropped the stuff way too near them, marking their position. As the sun was setting on that day, they heard noises in the woods that surrounded this plateau about half the size of a football field. And at that point, all hell broke loose. Small arms fire, machine guns, RPGs started raining in on their position so badly that these guys couldn't pop their head up. One of them got his rifle shot out of his hands. Another one was shot in the wrist and in the back.
The trees surrounding them had no branches left. And Private Bradbury and another soldier, who had been kind of at the point, they were in danger of being overrun. And so they decided to run back to the opposite end, where there were some rocks they could hide behind.
The one soldier made it. The Bradbury was hit, and he was down. You know, it's like being in the middle of a party. You know, it's like being in the middle of a football field or a baseball field, totally devoid of any cover whatsoever.
No rocks, no trees. And the enemy was still fighting at them. Jared called in for artillery, mortars, air support, danger close, which I think people understand that means the bombs are going to be dropping so close to you that if you're not down, the chances are you're going to be killed as well as the enemy. And after calling in the coordinates, that's when Jared handed off the radio to someone else. And that's when he tightened his chin strap. And Chris Cunningham had said, I'm going out to get Bradbury. Jared answered him back and said, no, he's my boy. I'm going to get him.
When we come back, more of the remarkable story of Jared and Paul Monti as told by the father about a fallen son, here on Our American Stories. Black Friday is coming. And for the adults in your life who love the coolest toys, well, there's something for them this year too. Bartesian is the premier craft cocktail maker that automatically makes more than 60 seasonal and classic cocktails, each in under 30 seconds at the push of a button. And right now, Bartesian is having a huge site-wide sale. You can get $100 off any cocktail maker or cocktail maker bundle when you spend $400 or more. So if the cocktail lover in your life has been good this year or the right kind of bad, get them Bartesian. At the push of a button, make bar quality cosmopolitans, martinis, manhattans, and more, all in just 30 seconds, all for $100 off.
Amazing toys aren't just for kids. Get $100 off a cocktail maker when you spend $400 through Cyber Monday. Visit bartesian.com slash cocktail.
That's B-A-R-T-E-S-I-A-N dot com slash cocktail. Hello, everyone. It's your favorite president, Donald J. Trump, to introduce something really special. You're going to love it. My new Trump watches. It's one of the best watches made.
Wear it proudly on your wrist, and everyone will know what it's for, who it's for, what it represents. Get your Trump watch right now. Go to gettrumpwatches.com. It's Trump time.
That's right. President Trump has won the election, and now he's released his official Trump watches. Celebrate this historic victory with a Trump watch that stands for strength, leadership, and winning. But don't wait, because these limited edition watches won't be around for long. Go to gettrumpwatches.com now to get your Trump watch before they're gone.
It's an easy URL to remember. Gettrumpwatches.com. Don't miss your chance to own a piece of history. Go now to gettrumpwatches.com and get your watch today. See gettrumpwatches.com for details. Trump watches are not intended for investment purposes. Hurry. Go now to gettrumpwatches.com.
Hi, this is Lee Habib here. Do you wake up every morning dreading that first step out of bed because of foot pain? I know I used to. Living with plantar fasciitis felt like a constant battle. Then I tried Power Step, the number one podiatrist recommended insoles clinically proven to relieve pain. I was skeptical at first, but from the moment I put them in my shoes and sneakers, I felt the difference. Support and comfort exactly where I needed it and when I needed it, especially those really long walks I take each day with my wife. My foot pain vanished, and even my back and knee pain was eased. Now I can go through my day pain free. Go to powerstep.com slash OAS and use code OAS for 15% off your first order.
That's powerstep.com slash OAS, and use code OAS for 15% off your first order. Welcome to the world of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, the perfect gift for the music lover in your life. They're designed to give you complete openness to your surroundings while providing rich, private sound. Want to hear what that sounds like? Picture this, a walk on a sunny winter day. You can hear the satisfying crunch of snow beneath your feet and your favorite holiday song playing.
That's the magic we're talking about. Hear life and music at the same time. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, own the gift game and check out Bose dot com slash iHeart to shop now. Have you made the switch to NYX? Millions of women have made the switch to the revolutionary period underwear from NYX.
That's K-N-I-X. Period panties from NYX are like no other, making them the number one leak proof underwear brand in North America. They're comfy, stylish, and absorbent, perfect for period protection from your lightest to your heaviest days. They look, feel, and machine wash just like regular underwear, but feature incognito protection that has you covered. You can shop sizes from extra small to 4XL.
Choose from all kinds of colors, prints, and different styles, from bikinis to boy shorts, thongs to high rise. You've got to try NYX. See why millions are ditching disposable wasteful period products and have switched to NYX. Go to K-N-I-X.com and get 15% off with promo code TRY15. That's NYX.com promo code TRY15 for 15% off, life changing period underwear.
That's K-N-I-X.com. And we return to our American stories and the story of Sergeant First Class Jared Monti. When we last left off, Jared was surrounded by a group of 50 insurgents, outmanned and outgunned. And to add to the situation, a fellow soldier, Brian J. Bradbury, was down and exposed to enemy fire.
Jared decided he would expose himself too in order to save his private. Let's return to the story. He ran out to get Bradbury, and he was driven back by the heavy enemy fire.
There were at least 50 Taliban firing at them. And then he tried a second time and was driven back a second time. And not being able to give up and wanting to do the right thing, out he went the third time. That's when he was hit by the RPG and he was killed.
And that's what led up to him receiving the Medal of Honor. I haven't gotten through it. Next month will be 15 years, and I'm still stuck in it.
No one in the country will be able to get through it. and I'm still stuck in it. No one should lose a child. It's not supposed to happen that way. It's, you know, the parents go first and the children grieve for them. I'll never forget that night, 9.45 p.m., and I'm sitting watching America's Got Talent, and my doorbell rang, and I saw two men come around the side of the house in uniform.
I knew immediately. You know, you answer the door, and you get the government response. We need to inform you that your son was killed in action, and from that moment on, you're off somewhere.
I remember sitting down with them at the dining room table and having a stack of papers shoved in front of me and asked to sign this, sign this, sign this, and you just go through the motions. You don't want to believe what they're saying. You want to think that someone made a mistake. I was so messed up. I mean, his guys, they couldn't believe what happened. Monty was so revered to them that nothing could ever happen to him. To this day, they have the same feeling.
They all, I don't think any of them have ever gotten over what happened. He wasn't just, you know, their sergeant. He was their friend.
Yeah, I'm your boss, and I'm going to, you know, guide you, but I'm going to be your friend. Back in the States, every weekend, he would either be going to someone's house to help them put in a floor, or he was having a barbecue for them, or if there was a celebration for one of their children, he would be there. He took care of them as if they were, and indeed they were, his brothers. That's where my pride comes in, that he was such a good human being that I wonder if I'm even worthy to be called his father.
It's really very, very difficult to understand that a person like this is related to you, never mind being your own son. I wasn't even expecting the truck. When they delivered all his stuff from his apartment in New York, the last thing that came off was his truck, and I was like, wow. There was an empty bottle. Well, it wasn't quite empty on the floorboards. He liked his char, so he always had a bottle with him to spit into.
That was in there. He had toothpaste in there. He had mouthwash. He had a toothbrush. He had a little container of coins. He had, oh Lord, just a guy's truck.
It's pretty much the same even now, 15 years later, as it was when he left. I've never vacuumed it. It sure needs it, but I just don't want to remove his DNA.
I don't want that sucked up by a vacuum cleaner. Yeah, it's a little messy, but it's him and he's with me when I drive it. I don't drive it as much as I used to. It was my everyday vehicle for a while, and then I realized that it had to be preserved.
I got another vehicle, but I still make sure I drive his truck whenever I can, at least once a week to get it out and running. Some people have said, time heals all wounds. It doesn't. It absolutely doesn't.
I'm 15 years in, and it's almost like it happened yesterday. This is the way it is. The way my life is now, there's a door in front of me with my son's name on it, and I'm expecting to be able to open that door and go and visit him and go to sports games with him and go fishing with him and just have him over my house for a barbecue to hold his kids, my grandkids, on my lap.
That's what I expect when I open that door, but when I actually reach out and open that door, it's just totally dark inside. There will be no barbecues in the backyard. There will be no Red Sox games.
There will be no fishing trips. There will be no grandkids. I know the Lord works in very mysterious ways, and I know that no matter who you are, when a loved one dies, you always have that question, why God?
But I was actually able to answer that question. The whole thing that came about from my son's death, the fact that we now have a charity that places flags on every grave at the National Cemetery in porn, every Memorial Day and every Veterans Day, now placing 77,000 flags, the fact that we were able to give out $16,000 in scholarship money this year, the effect that Jared's had on so many people, especially young people throughout the entire country, indeed in some cases the world. It seems to me that God looked down and He said, you know Jared, you're doing a fabulous job on that planet, but if you come up here with me, you'll be able to do even more. And that's what he's been doing since he passed, even more. And a spectacular job by Monty, as always, and my goodness, what a piece of storytelling from Paul Monty. I haven't gotten through it. No one should lose a child.
The parent goes first. He wasn't just their sergeant, he said, he was their friend. He was such a good human being. The story of Jared Monty, the story of Paul Monty, here on Our American Stories.
This is Malcolm Gladwell from Revisionist History. Picture this, you're halfway through a DIY car fix, tools scattered everywhere, and boom, you realize you're missing a part. It's okay, because you know whatever it is, it's on eBay. They've got everything. Brakes, headlights, cold air intakes, whatever you need, and it's guaranteed to fit, which means no more crossing your fingers and hoping you ordered the right thing. All the parts you need at prices you'll love.
Guaranteed to fit every time. eBay. Things people love. I don't know if you know this, but when you don't have time to read The Washington Post, you can listen to it. Almost every article has a listening option. And right now, you can become a Washington Post subscriber for just 50 cents a week.
It's an incredible deal. Stay on top of what's happening by signing up at washingtonpost.com slash pod. That's washingtonpost.com slash p o d. Hello it is Ryan and I was on a flight the other day playing one of my favorite social spin slot games on Chumbacacino.com.
I looked over at the person sitting next to me and you know what they were doing? They were also playing Chumbacacino. Everybody's loving having fun with it. Chumbacacino is home to hundreds of casino style games that you can play for free anytime, anywhere. So sign up now at Chumbacacino.com. That's Chumbacacino.com and live the Chumba life. Sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary. VGW Group.
Void where prohibited by law. 18 plus terms and Hey, I'm here to tell you about Upfaith and Family, the leading streaming service for uplifting entertainment. This Christmas, cozy up with the ones you love and experience movies that inspire and bring people together. Watch Festival of Trees where holiday competition leads to unexpected friendships or the heartwarming family movie A Bluegrass Christmas. And don't miss our special virtual Christmas Fest event on Monday, November 25th. Meet stars from these movies like Aaron Bethea, Franco Lopresti, Emily Alitalo and Shawn Johnson as they answer fan questions live and share holiday memories. It's all commercial free and you can stream anywhere.
Plus, it's just a fraction of the cost of other services. Start your free trial today and experience the magic of Christmas. Visit UpfaithandFamily.com. Hey, it's me, Tyler. Both open earbuds are stylish. The color, the way it looks, it looks almost like an earring, you know, so I feel like I could go with anything. My style is very fun. I feel like I always look like I'm on holiday. I just really like playing around with it and tying it to the music. So, yeah, I really feel like the music I'm making right now feels like a holiday, so I want to look like it too. Check out Bose.com for more.
