PO1 John Allen, U.S. Navy SEAL, Afghanistan, Purple Heart

John Allen left college due to bad grades and repeated misconduct after just one semester. He needed direction and purpose. After speaking with two family friends who were high-ranking Navy SEALS, he decided that would be his goal. Allen finished college and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy to pursue the trident.

In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Allen takes us from a surprisingly tough Navy boot camp to Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL - or BUD/S - training. He explains what the SEAL instructors are really looking for during training, why passing pool comps is so tough, and why a top officer told Allen he would never want to serve with him.

Then, Allen tells us about his time in Afghanistan, including his April 2014 mission on which he almost died. He details the fighting in a village, spending hours under heavy fire, and how he was badly wounded.

Allen, who is widely known now as the podcaster and producer "Mr. Ballen," tells us what happened after he was evacuated and what his corpsman told him later about the day he was wounded.