⁣Matt Strickland's story is one on which the America Dream is built on. His 15 years in the military and 7 years as a small business owner exemplifies the qualities of patriotism, hard work, family responsibilities, Christian values, service and community involvement. He has seen the horrors of the battlefield and shed blood, sweat and tears building up his family's new business. He then fought and won against the regulatory system that tried to close down his business under tyrannical and nonsensical covid rules. Now Matt is running for the Virginia State Senate to be a voice of reason and common sense for his community and beyond. Join us this episode to see what the American Dream should look like in the 21st century and you will be inspired to make a difference wherever you are around the world. At the age of 17, Matt Strickland joined the United States Army to escape the gang violence of the neighbourhoods where he was raised. Inspired by his grandfather, who served as an Infantryman under General Patton in World War II, Matt enlisted in the Army in 2001. After completing basic and advanced training, Matt received orders to his first duty station, 25th Infantry, at Ft. Lewis, WA. He reported to 25th Infantry on September 10th, 2001, not knowing the next day, life as we once knew it would change forever. Matt knew he had a full life ahead of him, but he was ready to give it up in defence of his country. Matt spent most of the next ten years in Iraq & Afghanistan defending his country. Matt’s service to his country includes multiple deployments as a private military contractor as well, serving on Blackwater’s Counter Assault Team until 2010 when he decided to accept a position as an Intelligence Analyst back in Virginia. In 2014, when ISIS began sweeping through Iraq, Matt could not sit back and watch, so he deployed once again to join the fight against The Islamic State. In 2016, after fighting ISIS for two years, Matt hung up his combat boots. The previous two years allowed Matt to reflect on the legacy outside of combat that he wanted to leave for his children. Cooking has always been one of Matt’s hobbies and biggest passions, and owning a restaurant was always his ultimate goal. Matt opened his first food truck in 2016 which quickly became a success, and he and his wife, grew from one truck to three trucks in just over a year. Two years later he sold the food trucks and opened the doors to the restaurant version, and it continued to grow in success. Everything was great until 2020 when the government began using the Coronavirus as an excuse to control society. Matt continued to open without restrictions, regardless of the consequences, he and his wife opposed the unconstitutional mandates and the restaurant was filled with Patriots from open to close. Despite numerous threats and attempts to shut them down by the state and federal government, he remained open and stood with the people. The Attorney General of Virginia sued Matt in an attempt to shut their doors, but he won, restoring his hope for the country’s future. Through his fight against the tyrannical government, Matt realised there was a void in Virginia politics and that catalyst sparked his interest in running for State Senate and with him being a fifth-generation Virginian, his state and his country mean everything to him. Follow and support Matt...... WEBSITE: https://www.mattforva.com/ TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/mattforva FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mattforva YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFArRLx6n7UTbOBN0EYjn7w Interview recorded 17.1.23 Audio Podcast version available on Podbean and all major podcast directories. ⁣https://heartsofoak.podbean.com/ To sign up for our weekly email, find our social media, podcasts, video, livestreaming platforms and more https://heartsofoak.org/connect/ Please follow, like and share!