The Deep End With Lecrae

How A Hardened Green Beret Met Jesus Through Ancient Psychedelics

Jun 12, 2025
Tu Lam, a former Special Operations Green Beret and inspiration for the Call of Duty character Ronin, shares his incredible journey from a wartime Vietnam refugee to discovering faith in Jesus. He reflects on his struggles with addiction, the impact of military trauma, and a poignant moment of transformation sparked by ‘Amazing Grace.’ Tu discusses the intersection of psychedelics and spirituality in healing, emphasizing how faith can redeem even the darkest experiences and lead to profound purpose beyond the battlefield.
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ANECDOTE

Childhood Escape from Vietnam

  • Tu Lam escaped post-war communist Vietnam on a fishing boat, surviving pirates and forced abandonment at sea as a child.
  • His family later lived in refugee camps before migrating to America, facing racial hostility and hardship.
ANECDOTE

Military Journey and Spiritual Seed

  • Tu Lam joined the military seeking acceptance from his stepfather and trained in elite forces including Ranger and Green Beret.
  • Despite harsh training and physical breakdown, "Amazing Grace" during church service planted seeds of God’s mercy in him.
ANECDOTE

Counterterrorist Missions and War Reality

  • Tu Lam served on counterterrorist units in Asia, confronting brutal terrorist groups responsible for atrocities.
  • He fought global terrorism deployments including the Philippines and Middle East while lacking belief in God at the time.
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