This Immigrant Soldier Fought Al Qaeda in One of Iraq's Most Vicious Battles!

Army Veteran Manny Pasillas Lucio shares the combat story that changed his life forever.

Born in Mexico and raised in California, Manny grew up navigating family tension, poverty, and the streets of Compton before deciding to join the Army after 9/11. After basic training at Fort Benning, he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he became part of a Stryker infantry unit and later joined a scout sniper platoon.

In this episode of Urban Valor, Manny opens up about his deployment to Iraq, including missions in Mosul, Baghdad, Taji, and Baqubah. He describes small team missions, hunting high-value targets, taking fire, encountering IEDs, working alongside other units, and the daily fear that came with operating outside the wire.

Manny also shares the devastating moment his Stryker was hit by an IED while returning to base. He woke up choking on smoke, heard screams around him, and later discovered his teammate Billy Ferris didn't survive the blast. That moment stayed with him long after Iraq.

After coming home, Manny struggled with PTSD, anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, family separation, and the painful reality of trying to become a father while still carrying the war inside him. He talks about pulling a gun on his mother after being startled awake, snapping at family members, feeling lost after the military, and eventually using education, therapy, fatherhood, and veteran advocacy to rebuild his life.

Chapters
00:00 Waking Up After the IED Blast
01:25 Manny’s Childhood in Mexico
02:48 Coming to the United States
03:49 Growing Up in Compton
08:08 Learning Independence as a Kid
10:05 Wanting to Become a Soldier
10:50 How 9/11 Changed Everything
11:37 Trying to Join the Military
14:04 Watching the Iraq Invasion Begin
15:31 Leaving for Basic Training
16:23 Arriving at Fort Benning
18:44 Building Confidence in Basic Training
22:11 Getting Sent to a Stryker Unit
23:24 Joining 5-20 Infantry
26:23 Becoming an RTO
27:57 Learning From Hard NCOs
32:19 Being Offered West Point
32:58 Moving to Scout Sniper Platoon
36:24 Deploying to Iraq
37:22 Landing in Kuwait
38:39 Arriving in Mosul
40:17 Small Kill Team Missions
41:11 First IED Strike in Iraq
41:51 Hunting a High-Value Target
43:30 Walking Outside the Wire
44:51 Capturing the Target
46:25 Moving From Mosul to Baghdad
47:11 Searching for a Downed Pilot
47:52 Taking Another IED Hit
49:26 Billy Borrows Manny’s Blanket
51:09 Spotting an IED on the Road
53:28 The Stryker Gets Hit
54:16 Escaping the Crushed Vehicle
56:08 Searching for Billy
57:30 Evacuating the Wounded
58:47 Sergeant Pucket’s Words After the Blast
59:18 Returning to Base in Shock
1:01:15 The Loss of Billy Ferris
1:05:04 Billy’s Memorial
1:06:14 Back to Combat Operations
1:07:04 Working With CIA and Special Forces
1:08:29 Testifying in the Green Zone
1:11:05 Inside Saddam’s Palace
1:12:00 Arriving in Baqubah
1:13:19 Taking Fire From All Sides
1:14:47 Clearing the City
1:15:13 The Scariest Missions of His Life
1:17:20 Finding Iraqi Police With Mortars
1:19:14 Ambush and Firefight
1:20:38 Becoming Numb to Loss
1:22:10 Fighting Al Qaeda in Baqubah
1:23:34 Coming Home From Iraq
1:25:22 Almost Going to Ranger Battalion
1:26:02 Leaving the Army
1:27:10 PTSD Hits at Home
1:28:26 Snapping Around Family
1:30:07 His Family Didn’t Know What Was Happening
1:34:12 Struggling in the Reserves
1:36:19 Drinking, Trouble, and Feeling Invincible
1:37:29 A Bad Experience at the VA
1:40:42 His Daughter Saved His Life
1:42:49 Using the GI Bill
1:43:14 Studying Psychology to Understand PTSD
1:44:53 “I Am Not My Mistakes”
1:45:39 Breaking Cultural Cycles
1:46:35 Becoming a Better Father
1:47:20 Helping Veterans Today
1:49:10 Reconnecting With Family
1:51:20 Why Manny Puts Himself First Now
1:52:02 Talking Honestly With His Daughter
1:53:24 Advocating for Veterans and Families
1:54:34 Manny’s Message to Struggling Veterans