Navy Vet Survives Near-Death Knife Attack - "He stabbed me in the back and cut my spinal cord"

Navy Veteran Jesse Swalley shares his story of survival after a brutal knife attack left him paralyzed. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, Jesse enlisted in the U.S. Navy seeking a better life and served as an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate from 1980 to 1986. After navigating the dangers of the flight deck and the challenges of military life, Jesse faced his greatest battle on U.S. soil—stabbed multiple times trying to break up a fight. Despite a severed spinal cord, Jesse refused to let paralysis define him. Teaching himself how to skateboard again, he proves that resilience knows no limits. In this episode of Urban Valor, Jesse opens up about life at sea, overcoming addiction, surviving near-death, and reclaiming his spirit. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Video Chapters: 00:00 — Jesse Swalley’s Near-Death Stabbing Incident 00:42 — Growing Up Poor in San Fernando Valley 02:16 — Choosing the Navy Over the Marines 05:18 — Life on the Flight Deck: High-Risk Navy Jobs 19:49 — Shipboard Accidents and Realities of Naval Life 22:20 — Hazing Rituals and Crossing the Equator 26:53 — Life After Service: Struggles and Addiction 38:28 — Fighting to Protect a Friend 43:27 — Stabbing Attack and Spinal Cord Injury 55:18 — Learning to Walk Again and Rediscovering Purpose 1:00:21 — Adaptive Skateboarding and Marathons 1:10:02 — Finding Community and Healing Through Sports 1:17:51 — Reflections on Resilience and Inspiration #military #warstories #urbanvalor #usnavy #navyveteran