Meet The Team
The Men Behind Support Tip of the Spear
Real stories of survival, sacrifice, and resilience from those who lived through it and continue to carry it forward.
Our Story
The Marines featured here are part of the story behind Support Tip of the Spear.
Each one carries a different history, a different burden, and a different path forward—but all of them know what it means to survive, endure, and keep going.
Their stories reflect the weight of war, the cost of silence, and the reality of what many veterans continue to carry long after coming home.
These are some of the Marines who survived being surrounded by 40,000 NV soldiers. This photo was taken in California to celebrate 50 years of having endured a terrorizing time as 20-year-olds.
Teddy
Teddy remembers curling up in a foxhole whenever he could catch some sleep. When he wasn’t kicking down doors in Fallujah, he was preaching the gospel. Today, he is studying to be an ordained minister.
Ken
Ken lives in Dothan, Alabama, and has worked hard to rebuild his life. After struggling with alcohol, he found recovery through the steps, support from the VA, and the chance to repair his family life.
Smitty
Smitty came from the south side of Chicago and was no stranger to violence. But the moral injury of burning people and villages has never left him, and those memories still remain with him.
Royal
Royal was a numbers guy—sharp, precise, and gifted with complex calculations. He became the crew chief on a nuclear submarine, but even now, restful sleep does not come easy.
Todd
Todd once had what seemed like a routine deployment directing traffic at the Baghdad airbase. That changed the day he was chosen for a secret operation and ordered to escort Saddam Hussein to his execution.
The Founder
The founder of Tip of the Spear is a 77-year-old Marine whose life has been shaped by risk, survival, silence, and service. His story is one of trauma, resilience, relapse, and the decision to give back.
Wayne Carpenter Memorial
Wayne was a Marine grunt during one of the worst periods of the conflict. He survived the war, but after returning home to a world with little support for veterans, he ultimately lost his life.
