Don't Call SSGT Johnny Joey Jones A Hero | #458 | The Way I Heard It

Whenever possible, I like to record my podcast in person. This is usually accomplished in Santa Monica, on the fifth floor of the building where mikeroweWORKS is headquartered. This summer, during a very warm week in August, I interviewed six guests from this location, all of whom were excellent, and all of whom received a heartfelt apology after our conversation. Why? Because this August, during the week in question, the air conditioner crapped out, driving the temperature in the studio to a balmy, 87 degrees.

87 degrees is delightful when you’re drifting down a lazy river on an inner tube nursing a cold beer. It’s not delightful when you’re mopping your brow while answering questions on a podcast. But along with the busted air conditioner, my elevator also succumbed to the second law of thermodynamics and suddenly stopped working for reasons best explained by a licensed elevator repairman. Alas, elevator repairmen are in short supply these days, so there was no way to get the machine repaired in time for my interviews. Thus, my guests were treated to a five-story climb for a 90-minute chat in a muggy sauna, and hence, there was much to apologize for. But this week’s guest—Johnny “Joey” Jones—deserves a separate acknowledgement. Because Joey, as many of you know, left his legs in Afghanistan 15 years ago, when an IED nearly killed him. And Chuck forgot to tell him that our elevator was broken before he got on a plane and flew in from New York, just to do this interview.

I didn’t know if it was possible to walk up five flights with prosthetic legs, but I doubted it. Joey handed me his backpack, opened his arms, and grabbed both railings in either hand. Then he started climbing. Joey hauled himself all the way five flights with no assistance, pausing only briefly on the third-floor landing to catch his breath. Up top, he blew a few beads of sweat off his nose, and entered my sweltering studio, where he was his usual charming and thoughtful self for the next 90 minutes.

Yes, we discuss my broken elevator, and Chuck’s uncertain future as a podcast producer. But we spend a lot of time on some other issues I think are important. It’s worth your time, and so is his new book, Behind the Badge, wherein Joey talks about the extraordinary first responders who taught him the secrets to overcoming adversity while maintaining a sense of humor.

A secret he has long since mastered.

Get a copy of Joey's book, Behind The Badge:

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