Pete Roberts, ready to take back America. And you know what? He's gonna do it. Image courtesy of Instagram @pete.origin
Respect, remembrance, and reflection.
These should be at the forefront of our minds this Memorial Day. Men and women, my brothers and sisters, have given their lives in numerous conflicts over the years so that we may enjoy the freedoms that many take for granted today.
As I write this, I’m looking at an article penned by a three-letter news agency. It reads, “The 253 best Memorial Day sales you can shop this weekend”. A wave of nausea passes over me. No, no, no! This is not what Memorial Day is about. It’s not about getting an extra 50% off an already crappy mattress.
Please revisit my first sentence. Respect, remembrance, and reflection.
Pete Roberts of ORIGIN USA has the right idea. He (along with Naval Special Warfare legend and podcaster extraordinaire Jocko Willink) owns and operates the rapidly growing made-in-the-USA apparel company. Legit made in the USA, not one of these deals where the fabric is made in sweatshops by pseudo-slave labor and assembled in America. No, sir. Everything from the cotton to make the jeans to the ink to dye them and the thread to hold it all together is made in America by Americans. That makes me feel good. It should make you feel good too.
Handmaking a pair of Origin Boots, one at a time. Screenshot courtesy of YouTube and ORIGIN USA.
Full disclosure: I absolutely love all things Origin. From the Jeans to the boots to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu gis, it’s all out of this world. And their sister company, supplement, and clean energy superstar JOCKO FUEL, literally keeps me going every day grinding away for SOFREP (stop by and tell Phil that Guy sent you).
But this article isn’t really about the product; it’s about philosophy. Much like SOFREP, ORIGIN deeply believes in honoring sacrifice.
I was going to try to paraphrase it, but they say it best themselves:
Respect, remembrance, and reflection.
These should be at the forefront of our minds this Memorial Day. Men and women, my brothers and sisters, have given their lives in numerous conflicts over the years so that we may enjoy the freedoms that many take for granted today.
As I write this, I’m looking at an article penned by a three-letter news agency. It reads, “The 253 best Memorial Day sales you can shop this weekend”. A wave of nausea passes over me. No, no, no! This is not what Memorial Day is about. It’s not about getting an extra 50% off an already crappy mattress.
Please revisit my first sentence. Respect, remembrance, and reflection.
Pete Roberts of ORIGIN USA has the right idea. He (along with Naval Special Warfare legend and podcaster extraordinaire Jocko Willink) owns and operates the rapidly growing made-in-the-USA apparel company. Legit made in the USA, not one of these deals where the fabric is made in sweatshops by pseudo-slave labor and assembled in America. No, sir. Everything from the cotton to make the jeans to the ink to dye them and the thread to hold it all together is made in America by Americans. That makes me feel good. It should make you feel good too.
Handmaking a pair of Origin Boots, one at a time. Screenshot courtesy of YouTube and ORIGIN USA.
Full disclosure: I absolutely love all things Origin. From the Jeans to the boots to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu gis, it’s all out of this world. And their sister company, supplement, and clean energy superstar JOCKO FUEL, literally keeps me going every day grinding away for SOFREP (stop by and tell Phil that Guy sent you).
But this article isn’t really about the product; it’s about philosophy. Much like SOFREP, ORIGIN deeply believes in honoring sacrifice.
I was going to try to paraphrase it, but they say it best themselves:
As Memorial Day approaches, we are keenly aware of an underlying truth: That’s we’ve been granted a gift-the liberty to believe what we choose.
It was given to us by men and women who sacrificed their own futures , and we plan to honor them the best way we know how: with our silence.
This is a time for reflection and profound gratitude, not commerce.
Business can have 364 days of the year. We’re taking one back. Today is ONE TO REMEMBER.”
And it is in the spirit of remembrance and sacrifice that I challenge all other businesses to close to commerce this one solemn day of the year. It won’t happen overnight, but if enough people embrace the true spirit of Memorial Day and walk the path blazed by the likes of Pete Roberts and Jocko Willink, we will be a better, more thoughtful, more centered nation.
As someone who’s seen what happens when the truth is distorted, I know how unfair it feels when those who’ve sacrificed the most lose their voice. At SOFREP, our veteran journalists, who once fought for freedom, now fight to bring you unfiltered, real-world intel. But without your support, we risk losing this vital source of truth. By subscribing, you’re not just leveling the playing field—you’re standing with those who’ve already given so much, ensuring they continue to serve by delivering stories that matter. Every subscription means we can hire more veterans and keep their hard-earned knowledge in the fight. Don’t let their voices be silenced. Please consider subscribing now.
One team, one fight,
Brandon Webb former Navy SEAL, Bestselling Author and Editor-in-Chief
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