Combat Veteran Turned Motivational Speaker

In this week’s powerful episode from Team Never Quit, Marcus and Melanie meet with Evangelo “Vann” Morris—a retired Navy Lieutenant Commander, global speaker, and devoted patriot whose service spans over 30 years across the military and government sectors. From humble beginnings in Folsom, Louisiana, to elite missions across 45 countries, Vann’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, leadership, and purpose.

Vann began his career aboard nuclear-powered submarines, receiving intensive training in nuclear propulsion and thermonuclear weaponry before commissioning as an officer. As a Naval leader, he directed high-risk Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) missions in volatile waters, including a record-setting Colombian drug seizure of 14 metric tons of cocaine.

His distinguished career includes deployments on nearly every type of Navy vessel—from aircraft carriers to submarines—and pivotal roles at the Pentagon, Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne, and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). In his final assignments, he served as Combat Systems Officer, Anti-Terrorism Officer, and Tactical Action Officer aboard the USS McCampbell.

Since retiring in 2014, Vann has continued to serve by mentoring Special Operations Forces as an Information Operations Subject Matter Expert. He’s also a passionate public speaker, dedicated to honoring veterans and inspiring the next generation with the enduring message of freedom.

In this episode, we discuss:

Life aboard a ballistic missile submarine
Lessons learned from serving alongside the 82nd Airborne and SOCOM
How public speaking became his next mission field

Connect with the legacy. Be inspired by the leadership. Learn from the life of Evangelo “Vann” Morris.

In This Episode You Will Hear:
• I’m one of 16 kids on my biological mother’s side, and one of 8 kids on my biological father’s side. (6:09)
• My mother was a sharecropper in Selma, Alabama. (11:47)
• [my brother] Martin was riding on a bike with his big brother. They were crossing the street to get to a general store. As they were crossing the street, here came a car. Within a second, the car was on them. It broke both of [my big brother’s] s legs. He was almost able to do it, but the car clipped his legs broke both of his legs. The car hit Martin, broke his back, snapped his neck and went up into the air, came down, bled out, and died immediately. The car kept going. Our mother was notified, and we never knew what happened. (13:28)
• In my 2nd year as a seventh grader, I was chatty in class and the teacher said: “You see son this is why you’re not gonna be anything in life. This is why you’re gonna be a total failure. As a matter of fact, you’re not gonna do any better than your dad. (15:58)
• The commanding officer starts talking. I called you [twelve] here today to let you know that your grades are phenomenal, your physical fitness test – through the roof, and your attitudes are exactly what we’re looking for. I want all of you to consider becoming a commissioned officer. (28:09)
• I had a metamorphosis of the mind. A paradigm shift had happened in my life. And all of the sudden, what had happened to my big brother - back broken, neck snapped – forgiven; The teacher telling me to go out and bale hay – forgiven, the other teacher saying I’d never be anything and be worse than my father – forgiven. These guys were saying something very different. Goodness overcame all the bad things that had happened. (28:53)
• I’m taking trauma, and I’m channeling it to purpose. (30:27)
•I really believe that when we die – if we should make it to heaven, I believe that God will take us personally, take us under his arms and say “Let me show you all the people you impacted and knew nothing about.” (32:19)
• You’re gonna have tough times. Don’t think you’ll understand why people are putting you to work in a certain kind of way. (41:39)
• There’s no more dangerous place than to have warfare in the mind. (41:49)
• Don’t give up. (42:21)
• Hard work pays off. You can’t give up. (53:19)
• Even if the reward is not coming to you, and if you are in a position to help them, for the love of God, Help them. (55:28)
• [Melanie] “A lot of times, when we’re in a dark spot, we’re in our own bubble, and we don’t think anybody else sees the work we put in.” (57:12)
• [I told my son] Listen: you can go in the Air Force, you can go to the Marines, you can go to the Army. Just remember this. That Navy paycheck is what fed you. (61:40)
• I am really on a mission to be part of that wave to heal America. (68:48)
• I need to honor the veterans and those who have served. (78:50)

Socials:
- Bio: Evangelomorris.com
- instagram: evangelomorris

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Evangelo “Vann” Morris: From Small-Town Louisiana to Deep Sea Nuclear Subs—And the Moment That Changed Everything