Drago Dzieran was born in Poland while under Communist rule. After spending time in a Communist prison (also known as a Gulag) as a political prisoner for his activism against against censorship, he immigrated to the United States in 1984, becoming a full U.S. Citizen in 1991. That same year he joined the Navy, where he'd go on to be assigned to SEAL Team 2, SEAL Team 4, and Naval Special Warfare as a BUD/S Instructor. He's been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, The Navy Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal, among others.  Since then, Drago's helped to found The Navy SEALs Fund, freedom-of-speech platform ConnectZing, and written a book about his experiences called 'The Pledge To America: One Man's Journey from Political Prisoner to U.S. Navy SEAL'. His story serves as a reminder that America's a country of builders - people who can come together, from far and wide, and build a life for themselves and their family with a little bit of hard work and some good old-fashioned elbow grease. But how did he escape a Communist Gulag? What led him to enlist to fight on behalf of another country? And how the hell did Drago get to be so damn tough? Let's meet the man.  ---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 03:31 - Missing Poland 09:31 - Concerning Communism 14:35 - Born into Socialism 23:23 - Poor in Poland 41:03 - Polish Education, Socialist Values 52:51 - Sports for the State 59:08 - Warsaw with Dad 01:08:08 - Learning to Box 01:18:15 - Dad Wanted to Believe 01:23:19 - Running the Bubble-Gum Scam 01:28:25 - Socialized Medicine, State-Run Media 01:42:14 - Firearms, Martial Law, & Military Regime 01:53:54 - A Three-Year Prison Sentence ---------- Support Drago Dzieran - Book - The Pledge to America: https://www.amazon.com/Pledge-America-Journey-Political-Prisoner/dp/1637583710 Website: https://dragodzieran.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dragodzieran ---------- Sponsors:  BUBS Naturals  The BUBS namesake derives from Glen ‘BUB’ Doherty, who was heroically killed in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. In addition to remembering Glen for the patriot he is, the BUBS ethos centers around the passionate and adventure seeking life that Glen lived.  BUBS Naturals products are rooted in sustainably sourced ingredients and controlled consistency to provide our customers with the highest quality Collagen Protein & MCT Oil Powder that help you feel amazing and live a fuller life. Our mission is simple. FEEL GREAT. DO GOOD. 10% always goes back to charity, helping military men and women transition back into civilian life.  Go to https://www.bubsnaturals.com and use code MIKEDROP for 20% off your order.  ---------- MUD/WTR Visit https://www.mudwtr.com/mike to support the show and get up to 20% off on participating products! ---------- Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND: SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices