The unsanitized truth of what we have asked of those who defend this nation. From archived tapes of WWI veterans, to conversations with modern-day warriors, these are their stories, in their own words.
The podcast Warriors In Their Own Words | First Person War Stories is created by Evergreen Podcasts | The Honor Project. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Major Robert Prince served as an Army Ranger during World War II. He fought throughout the Phillippines, and helped plan the Raid on Cabanatuan, a Japanese POW camp.
With the help of Filipino civilians, the Rangers, Alamo Scouts and guerilla forces traveled 24 miles under the cover of darkness to launch a surprise attack on the camp. They successfully defeated the Japanese and liberated over 500 prisoners of war.
Actor James Franco portrayed MAJ Prince in The Great Raid (2005), which tells the story of Cabanatuan.
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Corporal Roy Roush served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He fought in the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of Tarawa, the Battle of Saipan, and the Battle of Tinian.
He later served in the Air Force as a fighter pilot during the Korean War.
In this interview, Roush describes his experiences during the Battle of Saipan & the Battle of Tinian
To learn more about Roush, check out his book, Open Fire.
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Corporal Roy Roush served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He fought in the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of Tarawa, the Battle of Saipan, and the Battle of Tinian.
He later served in the Air Force as a fighter pilot during the Korean War.
In this interview, Roush describes the Battle of Tarawa.
To learn more about Roush, check out his book, Open Fire.
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Colonel Francis Gabreski served in World War II as a fighter pilot. He flew bomber escort missions with the 56th Fighter Group in the P-47 Thunderbolt, and was the top U.S. fighter ace in the European theater. He’s credited with destroying 34 ½ enemy aircraft in combat, and is one of only seven American pilots to become an ace in two wars (WWII & Korea).
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Chief Petty Officer Otto Carl Schwarz Jr. served in the Navy in World War II. He was born in the Netherlands, but moved to the US with his family during childhood. He enlisted in the US Navy in January 1941 with the permission of his parents.
Schwarz served stints on several ships before making his way to the USS Houston, a heavy cruiser, in June 1941.
During the Battle of Sunda Strait in February 1942, the Houston was sunk by enemy torpedoes and gunfire. Those who escaped the Houston came under machine gun fire from the Japanese as they floated in the water. In total, 700 men were lost.
Like most of the 368 men who survived, Schwarz was captured by the Japanese and sent to a work camp. He was transported via a “Hell ship”.
Hell ships earned their moniker from the allied prisoners of war who were unlucky enough to board one. They were requisitioned merchant ships that were extremely overcrowded with POWs. Described as “floating dungeons”, inmates had “no access to the air, space, light, bathroom facilities, and adequate food or water.” You can learn more about them here.
Schwarz was first sent to Bicycle Camp, a POW camp in modern day Indonesia. There he experienced the best treatment during his time as a prisoner, but it didn’t last long. He was transferred to Changi Prison in Singapore, and then to a prison camp in Moulmein, Burma.
There he was forced to work on the Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway. According to Britannica “More than 11 percent of civilian internees and 27 percent of Allied POWs died or were killed while in Japanese custody; by contrast, the death rate for Allied POWs in German camps was around 4 percent.” Over 60,000 allies were forced to build it, and over 10,000 died during its construction.
Conditions for these POWs were unfathomable. They were underfed and overworked, they suffered from numerous diseases and illnesses, they were given little to no medical attention, they faced harsh weather conditions, they had to deal with insect infestations, and they were often subjected to beatings by their captors.
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Captain Tom “Bear” Wilson served in Vietnam as an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO). He sat in the back seat of aircraft, and was responsible for monitoring radar in order to warn his pilot of threats, like surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), anti-aircraft artillery, and enemy aircraft. He also protected his aircraft by jamming enemy radar.
As a Wild Weasel, it was Wilson’s job to protect friendly aircraft attacking enemy SAM sites, who have one of the most dangerous jobs in modern warfare. Wilson and his front seater drew SAMs away from bombers, and targeted the SAM sites themselves. This meant that Weasels spent sometimes more than 20 minutes over the target, as opposed to the one or two minutes bomber pilots spent.
One of our favorite interviews features another Wild Weasel and MOH recipient named Col. Leo Thorsness. Check it out here.
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Staff Sergeant Sam Hargrove served in the Air Force for 11 years, working in combat communications. During her deployment in Iraq, Hargrove survived a base bombing. The attack left her with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD, but both went untreated.
When she returned home, Hargrove self-medicated with alcohol. Trauma and anger consumed her life until a drunken outburst caused her to punch a hole in a wall in front of her godson:
“He was scared. He was standing there to the side shaking and crying.”
Hargrove contemplated suicide after that incident, but decided to get help instead. Thanks to peer support groups at the VA, and multiple programs through the Wounded Warrior Project, she was able to find the help and support she needed to get better.
Learn how the VA can help you.
Learn how the Wounded Warrior Project can help you.
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Captain Lawrence Savadkin served as a computer data torpedo operator on the USS Tang, a submarine, during World War II. During a battle with enemy Japanese ships in October 1944, the Tang was struck by a torpedo and sunk. 78 men were killed.
Savadkin narrowly escaped the sinking sub with his life. He and the 8 other survivors were rescued and captured by the Japanese. He spent the rest of the war as a POW in the Toyko Bay Area.
In this interview, Savadkin describes the battle that sunk the Tang, how luck helped him escape the sinking sub, and the conditions of the Japanese POW camp.
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Specialist Danielle Green served in Iraq with the Military Police Corps as a gunner. On May 25th, 2004, she was hit by a homemade RPG on a rooftop. She lost her left forearm and hand in the blast.
Prior to enlisting at the age of 25, Green played basketball at Notre Dame, and worked as a teacher.
In this interview, Green talks about her service, the blast, and what her physical/mental recovery has been like.
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Lieutenant Belton cooper served in World War II as a ordnance officer. He and his team were tasked with recovering damaged allied tanks, often from behind enemy lines, and repairing them.
In this special holiday episode, he describes a chaotic air raid around Christmastime of 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge.
[Editor’s Note: Peep is another name for a Jeep. Cooper uses that terminology a few times during the episode]
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“I want peace so bad that it hurts.”
Master Sergeant Richard Fiske served in the Marines during World War II as a bugler. He was stationed on the USS West Virginia during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and watched as the Japanese planes dropped the first torpedoes. He also served in the Battle of Iwo Jima.
"’By God,’ he says, "This is a hell of a way to start a damn war.’He says, ‘Why don't they tell us first?’"
After World War II he got his pilot license and joined the Air Force. He became a crew chief and served in both Korea and Vietnam.
In this interview, he talks about the chaos during Pearl Harbor, the horrors of war, the importance of forgiveness, and meeting the Japanese pilot who tried to kill him on December 7th, 1941.
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Bill Boldenweck served in the Korean War with the Marine Corps. In this interview, he talks about the harsh conditions of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, which he was sent to the day after Thanksgiving.
Editor’s Note: Boldenweck’s rank at the time of the battle, and at the time of his retirement, are unknown.
Make sure to check out the Documentary.tv YouTube Channel, where we’ve combined the incredible stories you hear on this show every week with rare, authentic battlefield footage to create riveting film documentaries.
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Colonel Vito S. Pedone served in World War II as a Pathfinder Pilot. Pathfinders were paratroopers that dropped into enemy territory first, tasked with setting up signals that would direct the rest of the paratrooper fleet into the correct landing zones. Since they were often the first soldiers sent across enemy lines, this was an incredibly dangerous job. As a Pathfinder Pilot, it was Pedone’s job to fly the Pathfinders into enemy territory.
On D-Day, Pedone co-piloted the lead Pathfinder plane. During the flight over, he leaned forward and stuck his head out the window to check the weather, making him technically the first man to enter France that day.
You can learn more about Pedone here.
Make sure to check out the Documentary.tv YouTube Channel, where we’ve combined the incredible stories you hear on this show every week with rare, authentic battlefield footage to create riveting film documentaries.
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1st Sergeant Bill Lumsden served in World War II as a Paratrooper and Pathfinder. Pathfinders were paratroopers that dropped into enemy territory first, tasked with setting up signals that would direct the rest of the paratrooper fleet into the correct landing zones. Since they were often the first soldiers sent across enemy lines, this was an incredibly dangerous job. As a Pathfinder Pilot, it was Pedone’s job to fly the Pathfinders into enemy territory.
Lumsden parachuted into enemy territory ahead of the Invasion of France, but was heavily injured after a hard landing and a skirmish with a German soldier.
Make sure to check out the Documentary.tv YouTube Channel, where we’ve combined the incredible stories you hear on this show every week with rare, authentic battlefield footage to create riveting film documentaries.
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Private First Class John Agnew served in World War II as a Paratrooper and Pathfinder. Pathfinders were paratroopers that dropped into enemy territory first, tasked with setting up signals that would direct the rest of the paratrooper fleet into the correct landing zones. Since they were often the first soldiers sent across enemy lines, this was an incredibly dangerous job. As a Pathfinder Pilot, it was Pedone’s job to fly the Pathfinders into enemy territory.
Agnew parachuted into Normandy on D-Day as a member of the Filthy Thirteen, a paratrooper demolition squad that became notorious for their insubordination and their signature look, that included Native American style warpaint and mohawks. They later inspired the movie The Dirty Dozen.
Out of 20 men, Agnew was one of four from his unit that survived D-Day.
Agnew, along with half of the surviving members of the Filthy Thirteen, joined the Pathfinders. He fought in the Siege of Bastogne, the Rhine River Crossings, and Operation Market Garden with the Pathfinders. He later also served in Vietnam.
In this interview, Agnew describes the Siege of Bastogne and The Filthy Thirteen.
Learn more about Agnew here.
Check out the Documentary.tv YouTube Channel to see incredible stories like this combined with rare, authentic battlefield footage to create riveting film documentaries.
Editor’s Note: ‘Private First Class’ refers to Agnew’s rank during the Siege of Bastogne. His rank by the time of his retirement is unknown.
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Rear Admiral Michael Smith first served as a nuclear engineer in the Navy. After his first tour, he attended graduate school in order to qualify for command. He first gained command of the USS Porter (a destroyer) in 2005.
Check out the Documentary.tv YouTube Channel to see incredible stories like this combined with rare, authentic battlefield footage to create riveting film documentaries.
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Lieutenant Colonel Greg Wilson served in Vietnam & Laos as a Forward Air Controller. As a Forward Air Controller, it was his job to coordinate airstrikes, and ensure that no friendly troops were hit. After less than six months in Vietnam, he joined the classified Steve Canyon Program (Project 404), also known as the Ravens.
Laos was technically neutral during the Vietnam war, and no foreign troops were supposed to be in the country. Nonetheless, the North Vietnamese continued to use Laos in order to import supplies via the Ho Chi Minh trail. Needing to stop the flow of enemy supplies, the USAF began secret airborne operations, targeting enemy vehicles, ground troops, and weapon systems.
The Raven program was eventually developed in order to better execute these operations. Raven pilots wore civilian clothes, and their job was to mark targets with smoke rockets, and direct air strikes onto them.
In this interview, Lt Col Wilson talks about his experience as a FAC and a Raven. He tells this story about first joining the Ravens:
“So, I went out for a flight with one of the Ravens, Erik Erikson, and he was in the backseat…He gave me a set of coordinates. I said, ‘Well, there's got to be something. There's got to be a trick here, because this coordinate is right in the middle of a map. I don't have to piece them together.’ So, I flew to those coordinates, and he said, ‘What do you see down there?’ So, I looked down and I said, ‘Well, it looks like a crashed 0-1.’ He said, ‘You're right. What else do you see down there?’ I said, ‘Well, I can't be sure, but I'd say that it looks like skeletal remains.’ And he said, ‘You're right again. You're his replacement.’
So, that was kind of my wakeup call that they figured I was a rookie. And they also, wanted to let me know that this was the real game, that there was threat here. And that if you were shot down in this environment, you were not going to be captured, you were not going to be a POW, you were going to be a fatality.”
Learn more about Wilson here.
Check out the Documentary.tv YouTube Channel to see incredible stories like this combined with rare, authentic battlefield footage to create riveting film documentaries.
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Signalman 2nd Class Don Carter served on the USS Guadalcanal in World War II. The ship hunted U-Boats, which had terrorized American convoys in the Atlantic. As a signalman, it was his job to use flags and lights to send messages to other vessels.
On June 4th, 1944, the Guadalcanal spotted and captured U-Boat 505, the only one obtained by the U.S. Navy during the entire war. The information gained by its capture, namely the captain’s code book, was crucial to the war effort. This success was kept top secret, and the public only learned about it after the war.
LTJG Albert L. David was awarded the Medal of Honor for securing the sensitive materials that day.
U-505 was transported back to the U.S., and now sits at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Carter’s pistol is also on display at the museum.
Editor’s Note: Carter’s rank at the time of his retirement is unknown. Signalman 2nd Class reflects his rank at the time of U-505’s capture.
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Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Pace served in the U.S. Army for 22 years. He first deployed to Afghanistan at the beginning of the War on Terror as an infantryman, then redeployed to Afghanistan in ‘03. After attending officer candidate school, Pace then deployed to Iraq as a company executive officer in ‘07.
Pace then decided to join the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets). He did work in places like Colombia, Peru, Europe and Central America, doing foreign internal defense before returning to Afghanistan in 2019 as a part of Special Operation Forces. There, he oversaw drone warfare.
In this interview, Pace talks about his deployment to Iraq, joining the Green Berets, and the horrors of drone warfare:
“I started to feel like I was running some kind of weird factory, where our product was human tragedies, where we're just blowing up these people over and over, we're just watching it night after night. And it started to bother me, but it did achieve its desired effect. It did achieve its impact. Again, it's a very effective way to do business.”
Click here to check out Two Weeks In Hell, the Discovery Channel show about the Green Beret’s training which features LTC Pace.
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Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Pace served in the U.S. Army for 22 years. He first deployed to Afghanistan at the beginning of the War on Terror as an infantryman, then redeployed to Afghanistan in ‘03. After attending officer candidate school, Pace then deployed to Iraq as a company executive officer in ‘07.
Pace then decided to join the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets). He did work in places like Colombia, Peru, Europe and Central America, doing foreign internal defense before returning to Afghanistan in 2019 as a part of Special Operation Forces. There, he oversaw drone warfare.
In this interview, Pace talks about his first two deployments, explaining the intense lead-up, the reality of the situation, moral difficulties, and the difficulties they faced.
Next time on Warriors In Their Own Words, we’ll hear the rest of Pace’s story, where he talks about his deployment to Iraq, joining the Green Berets, and the horrors of drone warfare.
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Lieutenant General John Norton served in the US Army as a Pathfinder and paratrooper during World War II. He commanded the 505 regimental combat team and completed four jumps during the war, including during the Invasion of Sicily, the Invasion of Italy, the Invasion of Normandy, and Operation Market Garden. He also participated in the Battle of the Bulge.
In this interview, Norton recounts his jumps while explaining the inception and development of the Pathfinders.
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Lawrence Araujo served in Vietnam as an Army Medic. He arrived in Vietnam three weeks after the 1968 Tet Offensive, and spent a year with the infantry as a medic. He then decided to extend his tour, and chose to work in the emergency room at the 93rd Evac Hospital in Long Bhin.
Editor’s Note: Araujo’s rank at the time of his retirement is unknown.
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Private First Class Robert Earl Sechrist served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and pathfinder during World War II. As a Pathfinder, Secrist was one of the first men to parachute into France before the invasion of Normandy, tasked with guiding other Paratroopers to their landing zone.
As he landed in France, Sechrist’s parachute got stuck in a hedgerow, and he immediately started taking fire from the Germans.
Editor’s Note: It’s unknown what rank Sechrist reached by retirement. All we know is that he was a Private First Class when he jumped into France on D-Day.
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Major George Petrie served in the U.S. Army Special Forces in Vietnam. He was a member of MACV-SOG, and was the first soldier to hit the ground during the Son Tay Raid.
MACV or “Military Assistance Command, Vietnam”, was a highly classified, multi-service special operations unit consisting in part of US Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, and CIA personnel in Vietnam. SOG, or “Studies and Observations Group”, was a subcomponent of MACV that provided on the ground intelligence to and conducted operations, including reconnaissance missions, evacuations, prisoner captures, and much more from control sites across Vietnam.
In this interview, Petrie recounts Operation Ivory Coast (Son Tay Raid), a significant POW rescue operation.
Petrie also served in Panama and the Dominican Republic.
You can read more about Petrie here.
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Sergeant Major Ben Hasley served in Korea and Vietnam as a medic. In this interview he tells the stories of his service in combat and in the aid tent.
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Captain Gene Yu is a West Point graduate and served in the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets). He was initially kicked out of SERE school for breaking protocol and ordering pizza during a training exercise- a story that garnered a lot of attention within the special forces community.
Yu was eventually permitted to finish his training, and he deployed to Korea, Japan, Iraq, and the Philippines in the 2000s. He also played a key role in planning Operation Ultimatum, an attempt to capture or kill top Abu Sayyaf operatives.
In 2013, a family friend of Yu’s named Evelyn Chang was kidnapped and held for ransom in the Philippines by Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group. Evelyn’s husband was killed in the ambush. Despite having separated from the military, Yu utilized his special forces skills, connections, and familiarity with Abu Sayyaf to rescue Evelyn. Thanks to his efforts, a group of 80 Abu Sayyaf terrorists, including three leaders, were taken out.
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Lieutenant Colonel Howard Stidam served in World War II with the Marine Raiders, a special ops force that specialized in amphibious guerilla warfare.
In this interview, he recounts The Battle of Makin, the Long Patrol in Guadalcanal, and the Bougainville Campaign.
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Commander Bobby Reshad Jones served in the US Navy from 2001 to 2023. He attended the United State Naval Academy, where he played football, and graduated last in his class, making him the “Anchorman” per USNA tradition.
After shaking President George W. Bush’s hand at graduation, CDR Jones was so elated about successfully graduating that he hugged the president and accidentally lifted him into the air. Jones had this to say about the experience:
“When my name was announced, I lost my mind because I had to work very hard to get back on track to graduate on time. I was just done playing football, didn't realize how light the President was, gave him a hug, didn't realize I had picked him up. The Secret Service was like, ‘What is he doing?’ I put him down and the President said, ‘Man, you're happy.’ I go, ‘Yes, sir, I am.’ I'll never forget what he said to me. He goes, ‘Look, man, no one cares about where you graduated.’ He goes, ‘I made C's at Yale and I'm President of the United States.’ So I was like, ‘That's a valid point.’”
Photos of that moment went on to make headlines.
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Machinist Mate 2nd Class Martin Shew served on the USS Arizona, a battleship that suffered insurmountable damage during the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Shew was on his way back to the Arizona when the attack began. Before he could reach the ship, a Japanese bomb detonated the ship’s magazines, causing a massive explosion on board and dealing significant damage. If Shew had been at his post at the time of the explosion, he would have been killed.
Seeing that the Arizona was unsalvageable, Shrew was enlisted to help fight fires along the shore for two hours. After that, he helped carry the dead and dying to a mess hall that was being used as an emergency hospital.
Editor’s Note: Shew was a Machinist Mate 2nd Class at the time of the attack. It is unclear what rank he had reached by retirement.
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Captain Frank Guidone served in World War II with the Marine Raiders, a special ops force that specialized in amphibious guerilla warfare.
In this interview, he recounts his service in the Solomon islands, including the Battle of Edson’s Ridge, the New Georgia campaign, and the Matanikau Offensive.
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Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class Petty Officer Donald Gay Stratton was on the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He directed four 5-inch guns before an armor-piercing bomb hit the ship, sending up a 600 ft wall of flame. Stratton suffered burns on nearly 60% of his body. “The skin on our arms just came off like big socks,” he recalls.
After an escape into the water couldn’t be found, crew from another vessel tossed a rope to Stratton and his allies. They tied it to their ship and for 60ft, swung hand-over-hand to reach safety.
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Gregory “Pappy” Boyington was a legendary WWII fighter pilot. He is credited with destroying 28 Japanese aircraft, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor- but his legacy has been tainted by his abuse of alcohol and a historically inaccurate TV portrayal.
Today in a special episode of Warriors In Their Own Words, we’ll be hearing from two men who knew Boyington personally. Both Lieutenant Colonel Henry Bourgeois and Major J. Ned Corman served under Boyington as pilots in the famous Black Sheep Squadron, which operated in the Solomon islands during WWII. They both also reconnected with Boyington after the war, and got to see how he changed through his life.
To hear Bourgeois’ personal stories from his service, check out our episode titled “Inside the Black Sheep Squadron”.
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Brothers in Arms is a special three-part series that tells the stories of SgtMaj Dan Miller and SSgt Nick Bennett, two Iraq War vets whose lives were forever changed by a deadly rocket attack.
Today, in the final part of this series, you’ll hear SSgt Bennett share his side of the story. Bennett also deployed to Iraq with the Marine Corps, initially working in the comms center before transferring to base security. The rocket attack almost killed him, and he too returned home with serious mental health issues.
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Brothers in Arms is a special three-part series that tells the stories of SgtMaj Dan Miller and SSgt Nick Bennett, two Iraq War vets whose lives were forever changed by a deadly rocket attack.
Today we’re sharing the second episode in this series, where you’ll hear the rest of SgtMaj Dan Miller’s story. Miller served in the Marine Corps as a heavy artilleryman and a small unit infantry leader, and fought in the initial wave of Operation Desert Storm and then in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In this special PTSD Awareness Day episode, he recounts the rocket attack that wounded him and SSgt Bennett, candidly discusses the mental health struggles he has faced, and tells the story of how he connected with Bennett years later.
Next week, in the final part of this series, you’ll hear Bennett share his side of the story. Bennett also deployed to Iraq with the Marine Corps, initially working in the comms center before transferring to base security. The rocket attack almost killed him, and he too returned home with serious mental health issues.
If you’re a veteran struggling with your mental health, visit mentalhealth.va.gov for numerous helpful resources. Dial 988 if you’re feeling suicidal and need immediate assistance.
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Brothers in Arms is a special three-part series that tells the stories of SgtMaj Dan Miller and SSgt Nick Bennett, two Iraq War vets whose lives were forever changed by a deadly rocket attack.
In this first part, you’ll hear Sergeant Major Dan Miller talk about his first two deployments to Iraq. Miller served in the Marine Corps as a heavy artilleryman and a small unit infantry leader, and fought in the initial wave of Operation Desert Storm, and then in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Next week, you’ll hear the rest of SgtMaj Miller’s story. In a special PTSD Awareness Day episode, he recounts the rocket attack that wounded him and SSgt Bennett, candidly discusses the mental health struggles he has faced, and tells the story of how he connected with Bennett years later.
In the final part of this series, you’ll hear Bennett share his side of the story. Bennett also deployed to Iraq with the Marine Corps, initially working in the comms center before transferring to base security. The rocket attack almost killed him, and he too returned home with serious mental health issues.
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2Lt. Daniel Clark served in the Army during World War II as a Glider Infantryman. In this second part of his interview, Clark recounts Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and freeing the prisoners of Wöbbelin Concentration Camp.
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Today, in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy, we’re sharing this interview with 2Lt. Daniel Clark.
Clark served in the Army during World War II as a Glider Infantryman. In this first part of his interview, Clark explains how he ended up in the invasion, and provides his recollection of D-Day.
Next time on Warriors In Their Own Words, we’ll hear the rest of his interview, where he recounts Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and freeing the prisoners of Wöbbelin Concentration Camp.
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Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mayo “Hank” Bourgeois served in World War II as a Marine Corps fighter pilot. He was a member of the Black Sheep Squadron (VMFA-214), which became famous for their numerous successes over the Solomon Islands, and their leader, Lt. Col. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington.
Boyington had previously earned a name for himself as a member of the Flying Tigers, but he left and created his own unit which became the Black Sheep. He had a reputation as an incredibly skilled pilot, but also a serious alcoholic. He survived two years in a prison camp after being shot down, and ended the war with 28 confirmed kills and the Medal of Honor.
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“That’s bold talk for a guy that’s only got one bullet…”
Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee served in the Marine Corps before switching to the Army. He became a Green Beret and deployed to Afghanistan in 2013.
Plumlee was awarded the Medal of Honor for his part in helping defend Forward Operating Base Ghazni. His story is straight out of a movie. Under heavy fire, he neutralized several enemies, survived multiple close-range blasts, and emerged with only minor injuries.
In this special Memorial Day interview, Plumlee talks about his military career, recounts what earned him the Medal of Honor, and gives his thoughts on Memorial Day.
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Colonel Sam Hartwell served in Korea, Germany, and Afghanistan with the U.S. Army. In Afghanistan he was a part of Special Operations Command, and he later worked at the Pentagon with the USD I&S.
In March 2022, Hartwell left retirement to volunteer in Ukraine.
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Specialist 5 Jon Wallenius served in Vietnam with the Army, and fought in the famous Battle of Ia Drang. As a member of the First Cavalry Division, it was his job to scout for enemies in advanced positions and clear LZs for the infantry.
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Brigadier General Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager is an Air Force legend. He served in World War II as a fighter pilot, where he shot down a total of 13 aircraft, and escaped capture after being shot down over German-occupied France.
After WWII, Yeager became a test pilot for new, faster aircraft. On October 14th, 1947, he became the first person to break the sound barrier while piloting an X-1 aircraft. He also was the first person to fly more than twice the speed of sound in level flight with the X-IA in 1953.
Yeager left aircraft testing in 1954, and went on to serve in Germany, Spain, the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam.
He also served as the commandant of the Aerospace Research Pilot School, where all military astronauts are trained, from 1962-1966.
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Master Chief Petty Officer Ken Falke served in the Navy as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialist during the 80s and 90s. He was tasked with disarming all sorts of explosives, and deployed all over the world, including to Iraq during the Gulf War, and Bosnia during the Bosnian War.
Now, Falke and his wife run a non-profit called Boulder Crest which helps veterans and first responders with mental health struggles, and achieve “post-traumatic growth”. Learn more at bouldercrest.org.
Thank you to Regal for sponsoring this episode. You can sign up for Regal Unlimited via this link, and make sure to use code WARRIORS24 to get 10% off!
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Major Edward James Land Jr. served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. In the 1960s, Land and Richard O. Culver Jr. worked together to create the first permanent Marine Corps Scout Sniper School.
In this special episode, Maj Land explains how the school came to be, and tells a few stories from his time in Vietnam.
Thank you to Regal for sponsoring this episode. You can sign up for Regal Unlimited via this link, and make sure to use code WARRIORS24 to get 10% off!
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"The aircraft started to spin. Not really thinking it was anything unusual, I remember calling the pilot saying, 'Hey sir, are we going to stop this?' When he responded with, 'I can't,' I knew this wasn't going to end well."
Click here to check out our web-exclusive interview with Staff Sergeant Mark Lalli. Lalli served in Iraq as a Blackhawk Helicopter crew chief and survived a helicopter crash that killed six of the eleven passengers on board, but he sustained life-changing injuries.
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Lieutenant Colonel Henry “Hank” Buttelmann served in Korea and Vietnam as a fighter pilot. In Korea, he flew the F-86, and became the youngest ace of the war at the age of 24. He left Korea with 6 confirmed kills. Buttelmann retired with four DIstinguished Flying Crosses and a Silver Star.
In this interview, Buttelmann talks about his time in Korea, the F-86, crossing the 38th parallel, and fighting enemy MiGs.
Thank you to Regal for sponsoring this episode. You can sign up for Regal Unlimited via this link, and make sure to use code WARRIORS24 to get 10% off!
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In this special episode, Lt. Ken Harbaugh, the host of Warriors In Their Own Words, is interviewed by MOH recipient SSG David Bellavia about his service in the Navy. Harbaugh served from 1996 - 2005 as an EP-3 pilot, tasked with collecting signals intelligence from adversaries such as Russia, North Korea, and China.
You can find more information about the 2001 aircraft collision mentioned in this interview here and here.
Thank you to Regal for sponsoring this episode. You can sign up for Regal Unlimited via this link, and make sure to use code WARRIORS24 to get 10% off!
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COL Walter Joseph Marm Jr. served as a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam. When a friendly platoon was trapped behind enemy lines, Marm and his platoon were sent to rescue them. Attempting to take a hill held by the enemy, Marm single-handedly killed 14 enemies with his rifle and a grenade before being shot in the face, shattering his jawbone. He then walked back to his command post and was evacuated.
Marm’s heroism led to a successful rescue, and for this he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
To hear all the details of what earned Marm the Medal of Honor, listen to this episode of the Medal of Honor Podcast.
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Warning, this episode contains harsh language, graphic violence, gore, and description of rape. Listener discretion is advised.
CSM Tonya Oxendine served in the US Army for nearly 30 years, retiring as a Command Sergeant Major. She did two tours in Iraq & Afghanistan as a paratrooper.
In this interview, Oxendine describes the abuse she endured both at home, and during her time in uniform, and how she overcame that trauma.
Learn more about Oxendine and the Wounded Warrior Project here.
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Today as a bonus episode, we’ll be airing an episode of Everything Everywhere Daily about Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Everything Everywhere Daily is a podcast that allows listeners to learn something new every day on various subjects, like history, science, geography, mathematics, and technology.
Here’s episode #1321, about Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. He was the leader of the combined Japanese fleet in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and planned the attack on Pearl Harbor despite opposing war with the US.
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In the Pacific Theater in World War II, the leader of the combined Japanese fleet was Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
Yamamoto was vilainized as the arch-enemy of the American forces in the Pacific, and to be fair, he was their enemy.
But there is actually much more to the story. Yamamoto was the loudest voice against war with the United States and was one of the only officials in the Japanese leadership who spent time in the United States and understood it.
Learn more about Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, his rise and tragic end on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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In this final part of his interview, Kim talks about the Battle of Anzio, earning the Distinguished Service Cross, and his feelings about the war.
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Young Oak Kim was born in Los Angeles to a Korean family in 1919. He tried enlisting prior to World War II, but was denied due to his race. When war finally broke out in Europe, Congress passed the Selective Training Service Act of 1940, requiring all men between the ages of 21 and 45, regardless of race, to register for the draft. Kim was among the first group of men allied up, and he entered the Army in January 1941.
Racism, exacerbated by Japan’s role in the war, was commonplace both in and out of the military. Despite proving himself to be an exceptional shooter during training, Kim was initially denied the opportunity to fight in the war because he had the “wrong color skin and wrong color eyes”. Eventually, Kim’s skill was recognized by his superiors and he was elected for Officer Candidate School, graduating in February 1943.
From there, Kim was assigned as the second platoon leader of Company B, 100th Infantry Battalion. The 100th was a racially segregated unit composed mostly of second generation Japanese Americans (known as Nisei) from Hawaii. Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the 100th was removed from Hawaii and sent to the mainland for training.
Kim and the 100th Infantry Battalion were sent to Italy in September of 1943. They fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino and the Battle of Anzio, and earned the nickname “The Purple Heart Battalion” due their high casualty rate. Kim was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for an incredible midnight infiltration mission, which he talks about in the next episode.
After leaving Italy, the 100th Infantry Battalion became part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, another segregated Nisei regiment, and sent to France. Kim was injured by enemy fire at Biffontaine, and was sent back to the US, later earning a Silver Star and the French Croix de Guerre for his actions in France. Germany surrendered before he was able to return.
Kim left the Army following World War II, but when war broke out in Korea, he rejoined. He commanded a South Korean guerrilla unit, and was awarded another Silver Star for his actions there.
Kim left Korea in 1952. He then worked as an instructor at Fort Benning, and at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. He retired in 1972 at the rank of colonel as one of the most highly decorated Asian American soldiers in U.S. history with a total of 19 medals.
The 100th also made history, becoming one of the most highly decorated units of World War II.
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In this first part of his interview, COL Kim talks about joining the Army, serving as a Korean American in World War II, and the Battle of Monte Cassino
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Young Oak Kim was born in Los Angeles to a Korean family in 1919. He tried enlisting prior to World War II, but was denied due to his race. When war finally broke out in Europe, Congress passed the Selective Training Service Act of 1940, requiring all men between the ages of 21 and 45, regardless of race, to register for the draft. Kim was among the first group of men allied up, and he entered the Army in January 1941.
Racism, exacerbated by Japan’s role in the war, was commonplace both in and out of the military. Despite proving himself to be an exceptional shooter during training, Kim was initially denied the opportunity to fight in the war because he had the “wrong color skin and wrong color eyes”. Eventually, Kim’s skill was recognized by his superiors and he was elected for Officer Candidate School, graduating in February 1943.
From there, Kim was assigned as the second platoon leader of Company B, 100th Infantry Battalion. The 100th was a racially segregated unit composed mostly of second generation Japanese Americans (known as Nisei) from Hawaii. Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the 100th was removed from Hawaii and sent to the mainland for training.
Kim and the 100th Infantry Battalion were sent to Italy in September of 1943. They fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino and the Battle of Anzio, and earned the nickname “The Purple Heart Battalion” due their high casualty rate. Kim was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for an incredible midnight infiltration mission, which he talks about in the next episode.
After leaving Italy, the 100th Infantry Battalion became part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, another segregated Nisei regiment, and sent to France. Kim was injured by enemy fire at Biffontaine, and was sent back to the US, later earning a Silver Star and the French Croix de Guerre for his actions in France. Germany surrendered before he was able to return.
Kim left the Army following World War II, but when war broke out in Korea, he rejoined. He commanded a South Korean guerrilla unit, and was awarded another Silver Star for his actions there.
Kim left Korea in 1952. He then worked as an instructor at Fort Benning, and at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. He retired in 1972 at the rank of colonel as one of the most highly decorated Asian American soldiers in U.S. history with a total of 19 medals.
The 100th also made history, becoming one of the most highly decorated units of World War II.
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Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Kopser attended West Point before joining a cavalry unit in the U.S. Army. He volunteered to go to Iraq in 2004 working out of one of Saddam Hussein's Palaces and then again in 2006-2007 where he served as a Battalion Executive Officer in the 1st Cavalry Division.
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In this special episode, Lieutenant General Harry Kinnard explains how he helped develop the Airmobile concept- which later became the 1st Air Cavalry Division in the U.S. Army. The Airmobile approach integrated helicopters into the structure of ground forces, allowing troops and supplies to be delivered quickly over difficult terrain, and even over enemy lines. It’s considered as radical as the change from horses to trucks. It was first used in Vietnam.
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Captain John Robert Cotter served in the Australian Army in Vietnam. He was a combat engineer, tasked with disarming mines, dismantling booby traps, dealing with gas warfare, establishing roadways for infantry transport, and more. He was among the first to discover the tactical importance and vast scale of enemy tunnels, and it was his job to crawl through them in order to map their network, seize supplies, flush out enemies, and place explosives.
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Colonel John Anthony Cash served in the Army as a Rifle Company Commander in Vietnam. In this second part of his interview, Cash tells more incredible stories, reflects on the war as a whole, and talks about coming home.
Before serving in Vietnam, Cash helped train Cuban nationals in the lead up to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
He later contributed to Seven Firefights in Vietnam, The Exclusion of Black Soldiers from the Medal of Honor in World War II, and Black Soldier-White Army: The 24th Infantry Regiment in Korea.
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Colonel John Anthony Cash served in the Army as a Rifle Company Commander in Vietnam. In this interview, Cash recalls hearing updates about the devastating Battle of Ia Drang around a radio, serving in Operation White Wing, and several tragic stories from his tour.
Before serving in Vietnam, Cash helped train Cuban nationals in the lead up to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
He later contributed to Seven Firefights in Vietnam, The Exclusion of Black Soldiers from the Medal of Honor in World War II, and Black Soldier-White Army: The 24th Infantry Regiment in Korea.
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Staff Sergeant Charles Klein served in the Army Rangers during the invasion of Normandy. He commanded a section of riflemen, and as a member of the 5th Ranger Battalion, he was one of the first units to land at Omaha beach that day.
In this interview, S/Sgt. Klein recounts his training, D-Day, and being sent home after being wounded in action.
He also shares something a fellow lieutenant said in the months following the invasion:
“He thought for a while, and he said, ‘Lieutenant,’ he says, ‘I don't mind fighting for my country.’ He said, ‘It's a dying part I don't like.’ So I guess that about sums it up.”
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Sergeant Jim Purvis served in the Army as an infantryman during the Vietnam War. In this interview, he recounts being kicked out of Officer Candidate School, his time in Vietnam, and how Vietnam differed from previous American military conflicts.
“Anytime you have a war, it's a very, very sad experience.” - SGT Purvis
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Today as a bonus episode, we’ll be airing an episode of History Daily about the Battle of Stalingrad in WWII which we think you’ll enjoy.
History Daily is a show that tells the fascinating stories of what happened “on this day” in history. Every weekday, they share the overlooked and often forgotten stories behind the names and dates of history. They cover a wide range of topics, like war, politics, religion, sports, science, technology, and plenty more. Episodes are under twenty minutes each, so they’re perfect for a quick listen anytime you need a bit of history. This is their episode titled “The German Defeat at Stalingrad”.
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Staff Sergeant Aquilino Gonell served in the Army in Iraq. He was born in the Dominican Republic, and was granted US citizenship after joining the military.
In this interview, he discusses the difficulty of gaining citizenship, discipling a fellow soldier for being cruel towards an Iraqi child, and defending the Capitol on January 6th as a Capitol Police Officer.
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In this interview, Rick Render describes the Christmas of 1944, when he spent all day waiting in line to enter a German prison camp.
Render served as an army infantryman in World War II. He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and taken as a prisoner of war by the Germans. He spent time in prison camps in Nuremberg and Hammelburg, and was liberated in 1945 by his own division.
Learn more about Render here.
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At 30 years old, Beth King was a single mother, and joined the Army as a way to provide for her five-year-old son. She deployed to Afghanistan and became a Chinook helicopter maintainer.
As one of the few women in her field, SSG King felt extra pressure to excel. She had to prove herself to her male colleagues, and if she failed, she was told they would take a “long break” before allowing another woman to join their company. She succeeded, and became the first female to fully progress to crew chief in her company.
One night, King’s Chinook was hit by an RPG, and she was four feet away from the blast. She fell out of the helicopter, but was caught by her harness. Although she and the rest of the crew made it back to their FOB, King knew something wasn’t right. She experienced severe pain, spells of vomiting, and had difficulties with her speech, but had no visible injuries. Unfortunately, King’s need to prove herself as a capable woman in her field persisted to the detriment of her health. She was asked multiple times to tough out her injuries and continue flying missions, and she complied, going 18 months without treatment.
King later discovered she had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that was made worse by her continued action. She was medically discharged, and began physical therapy.
King also suffered from PTSD, anxiety, and depression. She found that cycling in a special wheelchair reignited her competitive spirit and greatly improved her mental health, so she trained for competition. Unbeknownst to her, the wheelchair cut off circulation to her feet, and her consistent and intense training in the chair caused significant, lasting pain.
Now, King is awaiting an amputation of one of her legs. If the amputation is a success, and the pain completely dissipates, she plans on amputating the second.
In the meantime, King has begun training in the javelin throw, and hopes to compete in the 2024 Paralympics. She says in this interview “I would love to go to the Paralympics, but the truth is I just like being better. I like improving. I like growth. It is like all this effort is not meaningless. All this pain and suffering has led to me improving, then it's worth it.”
To learn more about King, and how the Wounded Warrior Projected aided in her recovery, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/mission/meet-a-warrior/beth-king.
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In this preview, SSG King recounts the night that her Chinook helicopter was hit by an RPG. Make sure to catch out full interview with King when it releases tomorrow.
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At 30 years old, Beth King was a single mother, and joined the Army as a way to provide for her five-year-old son. She deployed to Afghanistan and became a Chinook helicopter maintainer.
As one of the few women in her field, SSG King felt extra pressure to excel. She had to prove herself to her male colleagues, and if she failed, she was told they would take a “long break” before allowing another woman to join their company. She succeeded, and became the first female to fully progress to crew chief in her company.
One night, King’s Chinook was hit by an RPG, and she was four feet away from the blast. She fell out of the helicopter, but was caught by her harness. Although she and the rest of the crew made it back to their FOB, King knew something wasn’t right. She experienced severe pain, spells of vomiting, and had difficulties with her speech, but had no visible injuries. Unfortunately, King’s need to prove herself as a capable woman in her field persisted to the detriment of her health. She was asked multiple times to tough out her injuries and continue flying missions, and she complied, going 18 months without treatment.
King later discovered she had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that was made worse by her continued action. She was medically discharged, and began physical therapy.
King also suffered from PTSD, anxiety, and depression. She found that cycling in a special wheelchair reignited her competitive spirit and greatly improved her mental health, so she trained for competition. Unbeknownst to her, the wheelchair cut off circulation to her feet, and her consistent and intense training in the chair caused significant, lasting pain.
Now, King is awaiting an amputation of one of her legs. If the amputation is a success, and the pain completely dissipates, she plans on amputating the second.
In the meantime, King has begun training in the javelin throw, and hopes to compete in the 2024 Paralympics. She says in tomorrow’s interview “I would love to go to the Paralympics, but the truth is I just like being better. I like improving. I like growth. It is like all this effort is not meaningless. All this pain and suffering has led to me improving, then it's worth it.”
To learn more about King, and how the Wounded Warrior Projected aided in her recovery, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/mission/meet-a-warrior/beth-king.
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Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser served in Vietnam as an Army Medic. In spite of numerous wounds and excruciating pain, he continuously administered aid to fellow soldiers for 20 hours as his company was attacked in Vietnam.
Sasser later said this about spending the night under fire:
“The tough part wasn’t enemy fire, it was listening to guys call for their mama, and you can't do anything. Listening to them beg all night. And then you don’t hear them anymore in the morning, so you know they died.”
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In this preview, SP5 Clarence Sasser relives the traumatic mission for which he was later awarded the Medal of Honor. Check back tomorrow to hear our full interview with Sasser.
Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser served in Vietnam as an Army Medic. In spite of numerous wounds and excruciating pain, he continuously administered aid to fellow soldiers for 20 hours as his company was attacked in Vietnam.
Sasser later said this about spending the night under fire:
“The tough part wasn’t enemy fire, it was listening to guys call for their mama, and you can't do anything. Listening to them beg all night. And then you don’t hear them anymore in the morning, so you know they died.”
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After witnessing the attack on Pearl Harbor from his home in Hawaii, Daniel Inouye, a second-generation Japanese American, enlisted in the US Army. He later was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in Northern Italy.
To hear the details of what earned him the Medal of Honor, check out our episode about him on the Medal of Honor Podcast.
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Tomorrow, on the 82nd Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, we’ll be sharing our full interview with Captain Daniel Inouye. At 17 years old, Inouye witnessed the attack first-hand from his home in Hawaii, and he joined the US Army a year later when the government reversed its policy on Japanese Americans serving. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in Northern Italy, and he became a Senator after returning home.
In this preview of tomorrow’s interview, Inouye describes how his regiment climbed a treacherous cliff in order to flank a German company in WWII.
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Lieutenant Colonel Terence Otway DSO served in the British Army during World War II. In the hours before the Invasion of Normandy, he and the 9th Parachute Battalion were dropped over German lines, and tasked with destroying the Merville Gun Battery. Armed with four 150 mm guns, the Merville Gun Battery was crucial to the German defense.
In this interview, Otway describes organizing and leading the attack, and successfully capturing the battery on D-Day, despite having a fraction of the men they were supposed to.
Otway became a hero for his leadership that day, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. After his death in 2006, the citizens of Merville-Franceville-Plage erected a bust of Otway in his honor.
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In this preview, we'll be sharing a clip from tomorrow's interview with Lieutenant-Colonel Terence Otway DSO. Make sure to catch our full interview with Otway when it releases tomorrow.
Lieutenant Colonel Terence Otway DSO served in the British Army during World War II. In the hours before the Invasion of Normandy, he and the 9th Parachute Battalion were dropped over German lines, and tasked with destroying the Merville Gun Battery. Armed with four 150 mm guns, the Merville Gun Battery was crucial to the German defense.
Otway became a hero for his leadership that day, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. After his death in 2006, the citizens of Merville-Franceville-Plage erected a bust of Otway in his honor.
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Captain Loran B. Morgan M.D. served as a battalion surgeon and paratrooper in the Army during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and at the Rhine River Crossing.
After the war, Morgan became an optometrist, and invented an irrigation device for eye wounds that is still used by medical personnel in the field today.
He also went to Vietnam for 60 days as a civilian to run an eye clinic.
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In this preview, we'll be sharing a clip from tomorrow's interview with Captain Loran B. Morgan M.D.. Make sure to catch our full interview with Morgan when it releases tomorrow.
Captain Loran B. Morgan M.D. served as a battalion surgeon and paratrooper in the Army during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and at the Rhine River Crossing.
After the war, Morgan became an optometrist, and invented an irrigation device for eye wounds that is still used by medical personnel in the field today.
He also went to Vietnam for 60 days as a civilian to run an eye clinic.
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Content Warning: Gore, Violence
Lieutenant Colonel James Wirth served in the US Army Air Force during World War II. As a togglier, he flew on bombers and was tasked with arming and dropping bombs as well as manning a turret on board.
In this interview, Wirth describes serving on a B-17 bomber, and the time his bomber was hit, injuring him and destroying one of their engines.
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Content Warning: Gore, Violence
In this preview, we'll be sharing a clip from tomorrow's interview with Lt Col James Wirth. Make sure to catch our full interview with Wirth when it releases tomorrow.
Lieutenant Colonel James Wirth served in the US Army Air Force during World War II. As a togglier, he flew on bombers and was tasked with arming and dropping bombs as well as manning a turret on board.
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Lieutenant Colonel Jim Riordan served as a forward observer in the Marine Corps in Vietnam. Forward observers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the Army and Marine Corps. They deploy near, and sometimes beyond, the front lines, and are tasked with analyzing the battlefield, locating allied and enemy positions, and coordinating artillery fire support via radio.
In this interview, Riordan describes Operation Harvest Moon, and his company being caught in a minefield.
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Ensign Nathan Erwin served in the Navy in World War II, and was among the first to invade Normandy on D-Day. As a member of a Naval Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU), it was his job to use explosives to destroy obstacles that could prevent allied landing craft from reaching the beach.
During the interview, he says he was struck when he saw all the headstones of civilians that were killed in the invasion:
“These civilians were killed, because they were maybe five miles back of the coast. And when those naval guns were shooting, these 16 incher guns and when the bombs were coming down and there was a lot of smoke and everything on the shore, they got hit. And you'll see them on the headstones…”
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Staff Sergeant Brian Keith was among the first Marines deployed to serve in the Gulf War. He served as a Forward Observer.
Forward observers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the Army and Marine Corps. They deploy near, and sometimes beyond, the front lines, and are tasked with analyzing the battlefield, locating allied and enemy positions, and ordering artillery fire support via radio.
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"’You think I'm going to make it?’
And he said,
‘You just might.’"
Captain Cleland (later Senator Cleland) lost both his legs and an arm from a grenade explosion while serving in Vietnam. In this interview, Cleland describes the explosion and the crucial role that medics played in saving his life.
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Boatswain's Mate First Class Nelson Dubroc served in the Normandy Invasion with a Naval Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU) when he was just 18 years old. It was their job to destroy obstacles with explosives in order to clear the way for the rest of the invasion.
In this interview, Dubroc recounts the chaos of D-Day.
To hear more from Dubroc, check out his interview with the Veterans History Project.
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Captain Harold Sperber served in World War II as a Pathfinder co-pilot. Pathfinders were small paratrooper groups that were sent to mark landing zones ahead of major paratrooper missions. Their work helped insure the success of the drop, but it was incredibly dangerous because they flew in very small numbers, very low to the ground (to avoid radar), and had no backup chutes.
In this episode, Sperber describes the mission he had on the night of June 5th, 1944, the day before the D-Day. Sperber and the rest of the pathfinders flew over Normandy and were hit, forcing them to retreat back to the English channel. They narrowly avoided crash landing and freezing to death in the cold waters.
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Major Richard Jacobson served as a pathfinder pilot during WWII, and fought in the Invasion of Normandy. Pathfinders were paratroopers that dropped into enemy territory first, tasked with setting up signals that would direct the rest of the paratrooper fleet into the correct landing zones. Since they were often the first soldiers sent across enemy lines, this was an incredibly dangerous job. As a Pathfinder Pilot, it was Pedone’s job to fly the Pathfinders into enemy territory.
As a pathfinder pilot, Maj. Jacobson was responsible for flying the pathfinders over enemy lines to the landing zone.
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Staff Sergeant Alfred Bell served as a Tank Platoon Sergeant during World War II. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge as a member of the famous Spearhead Division.
In this episode, he recounts the Battle of the Bulge. During the battle, Bell commanded all five tanks in his platoon. When the company-wide radio communications weren’t working, he left his tank on foot and fought across the battlefield to the aid station where they had battalion-wide communications. Bell still wasn’t able to contact his company with that radio, so he fought tooth and nail to protect the aid station as it was evacuated. By nightfall, Bell had lost an eye, a large portion of his left hand, and most of his fingers. Due to his severe injuries and massive blood loss, he faded in and out of consciousness, and woke up a few days later in a hospital in France. Bell spent the next two years recovering in a hospital in Texas, where he underwent many reconstructive plastic surgeries.
To learn more about the evacuation of this aid station, and Sergeant Aurio Pierro, who was mentioned in this episode, listen to our interview with Pierro.
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Alfred Bell was born to an impoverished French Creole family. He was forced to quit school in the 8th grade due to the great depression, and left home at 16 to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Yosemite National Park.
After the war, Bell’s injuries left him unable to work with his hands. His mother was able to send him to college instead, which was previously unimaginable.
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Today as a bonus episode we wanted to share an episode of The French History Podcast, which we think you'll find incredibly interesting. This episode details the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre of WW2.
The French History Podcast tells the story of France from 3 million years ago to present. The main series is a narrative, ala Mike Duncan's the History of Rome that has gone from woolly mammoths to the First Crusade. Interspersed are guest episodes by world-renowned scholars discussing their latest research. Whether you're looking for one-offs on obscure topics you've never heard of, or a long-form narrative podcast, the French History Podcast does both. Learn all about Europe's country of art, culture, love and war with The French History Podcast.
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Seaman First Class Richard Coombs served in World War II as a Navy Seabee. He fought in the first wave of the Invasion of Normandy, where he was a part of the Naval Combat Demolition Unit. In the interview, he says his about crawling up the entire beach:
“If you were to stand up, you're dead, you would've got hit for sure. I never knew there was so much firepower like that. You can't imagine, bullets hitting the sand, 88s going over your head and explosions here. And it smelled like death. You heard moaning, guys screaming, smell of gunpowder in the air. It was a very bleak, stormy day. How we ever accomplished and got in there, I don't know, but we did it.”
The Naval Construction Battalions, which quickly became known as the Seabees due to their abbreviation (CBs), were formed at the beginning of American involvement in World War II. They were created as an amphibious force to construct advanced bases in combat zones. Many Seabees volunteered to join Navy Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs), who were tasked with destroying obstacles in an advance of amphibious assaults.
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Colonel Robert E. Stoffey served in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot and Forward Air Controller in the Marines. It was his job to support ground troops by directing fire and performing evacuations.
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Technical Sergeant Donald Malarkey served in WWII as a Paratrooper. In this interview, he recounts
the D-Day invasion and hedgerow warfare.
To learn more about Malarkey, check out the HBO show Band of Brothers , which tells the story of Malarkey and his Company.
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Captain Warren “Bing” Evans served in World War II as a Ranger. The Rangers were an elite American task force that trained and operated with the famous British Commandos. Using the element of surprise as their main weapon, the Rangers played an important role in the Invasion of Normandy, the Dieppe Raid, and many other significant campaigns.
In this episode Evans recounts the allied invasion of Italy, including the landing at Salerno and the battles of Monte Cassino, Anzio, and Cisterna. He also describes being captured and escaping from a prisoner of war camp in Poland.
If you’d like to learn more about Captain Evans, check out his book, Heroes Cry Too.
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Captain Warren “Bing” Evans served in World War II as a Ranger. The Rangers were an elite American unit that trained and operated with the famous British Commandos. Using the element of surprise as their main weapon, the Rangers played an important role in the Invasion of Normandy, the Dieppe Raid, and many other significant campaigns.
In this first part of his interview, Captain Evans describes the Rangers, Operation Torch (the invasion of North Africa), the Invasion of Sicily, almost losing his life, and the nightmares that have haunted him since.
In the next part of his interview, Evans recounts the battles of Monte Cassino, Anzio, and Cisterna, and describes being captured and escaping from a prisoner of war camp in Poland.
If you’d like to learn more about Captain Evans, check out his book, Heroes Cry Too.
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Corporal Ted Fleser served as an Army Ranger during World War II. He was a BAR gunner (Browning Automatic Rifle), and fought in North Africa and the Allied Invasion of Sicily.
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Commander Ronald Leonard Smith Sr. served in the US Navy and sailed all over the world in the 80s and 90s. In this interview, he describes one of the Navy’s famous initiation rites, his deployments, and the dangers of Mother Nature.
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Captain Zeke Zellmer served as a Communications Officer aboard the USS Cavalla during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the largest carrier-to-carrier battle in history, and helped destroy a Japanese aircraft carrier called the Shokaku. Thanks in large part to the contribution of the USS Cavalla, the Japanese lost the battle, and their navy never recovered.
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Staff Sergeant Leonard Goff served as a Tank Commander in World War II, fighting in both the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge.
In this interview, he describes what it’s like to be a Tank Commander, and the Invasion of Normandy.
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Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jim White, callsign Sneaky White, served in the Marine Corps before transferring to the Army to become a helicopter pilot.
In this second part of his interview, White talks about returning home, and why he was sent to prison. While in prison, he created a veterans group with Geronimo Pratt, an influential and high-ranking member of the Black Panther Party who was wrongfully convicted. With the help of that vet group, he went on to raise over $350,000 dollars for various causes during his time in prison.
He also received national attention for creating a program that helped inmates earn college degrees while incarcerated. Over 1500 earned degrees through the program.
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Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jim White began his military career in the Marine Corps as a machine gunner and helicopter pilot in Vietnam. After earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, the first Marine to do so since World War II, he got the opportunity to transfer to the Army. His plan was to transfer, fly with them for a few years, and then transfer back to the Marine Corps as a commissioned officer. He liked the Army so much that he stayed there for the rest of his military career.
White earned the callsign “Sneaky White” after fleeing from military police through a minefield to get back on base.
Next time on Warriors In Their Own Words, White explains why he went to prison, how he raised $350,000 from behind bars, and his connection to Shad Meshad, one of our previous guests.
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Colonel Leo Thorsness served as a fighter pilot in Vietnam. He was a Wild Weasel, whose missions required them to draw surface-to-air (SAM) missiles away from bombers, and then destroy the SAM sites. This meant that Weasels spent sometimes more than 20 minutes over the target, as opposed to the one or two minutes bomber pilots spent.
On one mission, COL Thorsness’ wingman was shot down, forcing him to eject. As he parachuted to the ground, rescue helicopters were called in to rescue him, but they were threatened by encroaching enemy fighters. Despite being incredibly low on fuel, Thorsness fought off the enemy, saving his wingman and the rescue helicopters.
Eleven days later, Thorsness was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese Army. He was captured, and became a prisoner of war. During his first three years in captivity, torture was common. After six years, he was released and sent home.
Shortly after returning to the United States, COL Thorsness was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving his wingman.
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Corporal Oda Charles “Chuck” Miller served as a tank loader and tank commander in World War II. He fought in the Normandy Invasion a week after D-Day, and in the Battle of the Bulge.
During World War II, American tanks were inferior to German tanks in almost every way. As a result, serving as a tank crewman was incredibly dangerous. Few made it out alive.
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Corporal Clarence Smoyer served in World War II as a tank gunner. After fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, Smoyer was assigned to the ‘Eagle 7’ M26 Pershing, a “Super Tank” developed for the U.S. Army. With this new assignment came the responsibility of spearheading future attacks, including what would become the Battle of Cologne.
Cologne was a German stronghold. It was defended by a German Panther tank, which was far superior to all American tanks. The Panther sat in the middle of the city, and as the spearhead of the attack, Smoyer and his division were the first to meet it in battle.
In an astounding duel, the Pershing and the Panther faced off. Thanks to Smoyer’s quick thinking and spectacular aim, his crew destroyed the Panther, and Smoyer was dubbed the Hero of Cologne.
Spectacularly, the entire battle was caught on camera by combat cameraman Sgt. Jim Bates. It was shared on newsreels, and seen by Smoyer’s family in a theater in Pennsylvania.
To learn more about Smoyer, check out the New York Times Bestselling book about him and his division, Spearhead.
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In this bonus episode, Col. Jack Tomarchio provides his reflection on the war in Ukraine based on his research since leaving the military. This doesn't fit in with our usual content, but we wanted to share his insightful take.
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COL Tomarchio talks about going to jump school, defending service members as a military lawyer, and nearly losing his life in Iraq.
Jack Thomas Tomarchio served in the army as a JAG officer in Grenada in the early 80s. As a JAG officer, he provided legal advice to senior Army officials and represented servicemembers in a variety of misconduct and court martial cases. He was a paratrooper, and attended both jump school and law school.
Later, in the early 90s, COL Tomarchio deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during the Gulf War. There, he nearly lost his life after saving a fellow service member from a burning vehicle.
If you like Warriors In Their Own Words, check out the Medal of Honor Podcast.
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Sergeant Aurio Pierro served as a Tank Commander in WWII. He fought amongst the notoriously difficult hedgerows during the Invasion of Normandy, and in the Battle of the Bulge.
During the Battle of the Bulge, Pierro and his platoon were under heavy fire in an extended battle with the Germans. After their tank was heavily damaged and they ran out of ammo, they left their tank and took cover in a bakery, but Pierro was injured in the process. The bakery was shelled relentlessly from all sides, and soon caught on fire, so they were forced to move down to the cellar. The Germans told Pierro and his platoon to surrender, but they refused. They spent the night in the cellar, and in the morning, fought their way back to their tank, suffering heavy casualties.
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CUCM McCully served in a construction battalion, more commonly known as the Seabees, during Vietnam.
The Naval Construction Battalions, which quickly became known as the Seabees due to their abbreviation, were formed at the beginning of American involvement in World War II. They were created as an amphibious force to construct advanced bases in combat zones, and quickly became well respected because they were composed of only experienced men.
Johnny McCully was inspired by the bravery of family members he saw volunteer to fight in World War II, and enlisted in the Navy at 17, right after the war ended. He was assigned to a Seabee unit, and helped rebuild infrastructure in countries around the world following the war.
Two decades later, McCully deployed to Vietnam. A day after he was sent to Dong Xoai, the VietCong launched a surprise attack on his base. McCully was on watch when the first mortar hit, and played a significant role in defending the base during the first stages of the attack. He was hit with shrapnel, but continued to fight despite his injuries.
McCully was then separated from his battalion during a fight with a VC soldier who had a flamethrower. McCully’s battalion thought he had been burned alive, but he escaped, and spent over 48 hours on the run, hiding from VC forces without any food, water, or ammo. Eventually he found an American helicopter that was landing, and was airlifted to safety.
Upon reaching a hospital, the doctors told McCully he’d permanently lost 75% of the strength of his right arm. After physical therapy, he regained almost all his strength.
Click here to learn more about the Battle of Dong Xai
Photo Credits: NAVFAC and the U.S. Navy Seabees Museum
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Chief Machinist Mate Jerry Markham served as a Navy Seabee during World War II and was tasked with destroying German obstacles that could have prevented a successful beach landing on D-Day.
The Naval Construction Battalions, which quickly became known as the Seabees due to their abbreviation, were formed at the beginning of American involvement in World War II. They were created as an amphibious force to construct advanced bases in combat zones, and quickly became well respected because they were composed of only experienced men.
CMM Jerry Markham was a Seabee assigned to a Naval Combat Demolition Unit. On D-Day, their job was to clear German mines and obstacles that were placed in the water at Omaha. Without them, troops would never have reached the shore.
Markham was in close proximity to multiple explosions during the invasion, and began to pass blood. On the third day, he went to a hospital ship, and wasn’t permitted to return to the battle due to his injuries.
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Captain James Peninger served in World War Two as a glider pilot. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, and was the first glider to cross the Rhine River.
During WWII, glider planes were used to carry ground troops, and sometimes a jeep, into enemy territory. Regular planes dragged these gliders via a rope, which was cut over enemy territory at the release point. The glider kept flying, to hopefully find a clear landing zone behind enemy lines. Since the gliders were flimsy, designed for a single flight, and always sent into enemy territory, flying them was a notoriously dangerous job.
To learn more about glider pilots during World War Two, visit ww2gp.org.
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Private First Class Walter Stitt talks about what it was like serving inside a tank during World War II. He served as both a loader and gunner, and survived the destruction of three different tanks he was manning.
To hear more from Stitt, check out his interview with the Clark County Historical Society.
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Airman First Class Larry Sutherland joined the Airforce at 17, and signed up for the Security Police training program. In Vietnam, many Air Force bases were completely surrounded by guerrilla forces, so the USAF Security Police were specially trained to protect them from direct attacks and sabotage.
During his training in North Dakota, Sutherland and some fellow soldiers wanted to “get even” with some missile security personnel that they took issue with. To do so, they broke into missile silo, but they were caught. Two members of the group went to prison, but Sutherland was found innocent of sabotage, and avoided being court martialed. Sutherland was then given a choice: Stay in North Dakota, or train at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, and then head to Vietnam. At that time there was a rumor that 75% casualties were expected in the unit he would join in Vietnam, but Sutherland wanted to get out of North Dakota so badly that he didn’t care. So, he went to Schofield.
According to Sutherland, the Security Police training at Schofield was worse than Vietnam. He said the instructors were “the most sadistic, mean bastards I've ever seen in my life or since. I could not believe that anybody could be so mean and hateful, in all ranks, from two stripers up to the officers. They just hated us. They treated us with such contempt...And when you fell out, and guys did, because guys were dying of heart attacks, they went over and pissed on them. That's the kind of people they were. They were pissing on dying people. I saw it with my eyes. I can see it till the day I die.”
After completing his training, he was sent to Vietnam, where, due to the high casualty rate, he was sure he was going to die. He was stationed first at Pleiku Air Base, and then Phan Rang Air Base. Both bases were surrounded by guerilla forces.
One Sunday night at Phan Rang, the Viet Cong launched a surprise attack. Alcoholism was a serious issue in his unit, so many of the Security Policemen at Phan Rang Air Base were intoxicated when the attack began. A few of these intoxicated men were in a bunker with Sutherland during the attack, and no matter how much he kicked and screamed, they wouldn’t get up to fight. They just rolled over and went back to sleep.
Upon returning to the states, Sutherland was tasked with monitoring protests in New Jersey.
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Airman First Class Larry Sutherland joined the Air Force at 17, and signed up for the Security Police training program. In Vietnam, many Air Force bases were completely surrounded by guerrilla forces, so the USAF Security Police were specially trained to protect them from direct attacks and sabotage.
During his training in North Dakota, Sutherland and some fellow soldiers wanted to “get even” with some missile security personnel that they took issue with. To do so, they broke into missile silo, but they were caught. Two members of the group went to prison, but Sutherland was found innocent of sabotage, and avoided being court martialed. Sutherland was then given a choice: Stay in North Dakota, or train at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, and then head to Vietnam. At that time there was a rumor that 75% casualties were expected in the unit he would join in Vietnam, but Sutherland wanted to get out of North Dakota so badly that he didn’t care. So, he went to Schofield.
According to Sutherland, the Security Police training at Schofield was worse than Vietnam. He said the instructors were “the most sadistic, mean bastards I've ever seen in my life or since. I could not believe that anybody could be so mean and hateful, in all ranks, from two stripers up to the officers. They just hated us. They treated us with such contempt...And when you fell out, and guys did, because guys were dying of heart attacks, they went over and pissed on them. That's the kind of people they were. They were pissing on dying people. I saw it with my eyes. I can see it till the day I die.”
After completing his training, he was sent to Vietnam, where, due to the high casualty rate, he was sure he was going to die. He was stationed first at Pleiku Air Base, and then Phan Rang Air Base. Both bases were surrounded by guerrilla forces.
One Sunday night at Phan Rang, the Viet Cong launched a surprise attack. Alcoholism was a serious issue in his unit, so many of the Security Policemen at Phan Rang Air Base were intoxicated when the attack began. A few of these intoxicated men were in a bunker with Sutherland during the attack, and no matter how much he kicked and screamed, they wouldn’t get up to fight. They just rolled over and went back to sleep.
Upon returning to the states, Sutherland was tasked with monitoring protests in New Jersey.
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Shipfitter 3rd Class James Wire served on the USS Missouri during the invasion of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. It was his job to put out fires and do damage control on the ship.
If you missed it, make sure to check out the first part of his interview, where he talks about serving on the USS Tennessee during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Tarawa.
To hear more from SF3 Wire, check out this video of him presenting to a college class.
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Shipfitter 3rd Class James Wire served on the USS Tennessee during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Tarawa. It was his job to put out fires and do damage control on the ship. In this episode, he describes the chaos and destruction he witnessed.
Next time on Warriors In Their Own Words, Wire talks about serving on the USS Missouri during the Invasion of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa.
To hear more from SF3 Wire, check out this video of him presenting to a college class.
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QM2 Brett Jones joined the Navy in 1993 with the goal of becoming a Navy SEAL. Jones says he “wasn’t ready” the first time he went through SEAL training, and he did not complete the course. He came back and successfully completed the training on his second attempt.
Jones joined SEAL Team 8, the most active of all the SEAL teams, where he served abroad. Due to the covert nature of SEAL operations, Jones wasn’t able to share all the details of his engagements, but he does talk about missions in Iraq, and the pain of losing friends in combat.
After almost being kicked out of the SEALs, Jones decided to leave voluntarily. He continued to serve as a member of the CIA, deploying to Iraq again and protecting high value individuals in “high threat environments”.
Jones is now a part time police officer in Alabama.
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2nd LT Loftis was a glider pilot during WW2, and participated in the D-Day invasion.
During WW2, glider planes were used to carry ground troops, and sometimes a jeep, into enemy territory. Regular planes dragged these gliders via a rope, which was cut over enemy territory at the release point. The glider kept flying, to hopefully find a clear landing zone behind enemy lines. Since the gliders were flimsy, designed for a single flight, and always sent into enemy territory, flying them was a notoriously dangerous job.
2nd Lieutenant Harry Loftis was one of these brave pilots. He flew many missions, and fought in the Normandy Invasion, Operation Market Garden, and Operation Plunder.
To learn more about glider pilots during World War Two, visit ww2gp.org.
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Staff Sergeant Joe Longo served in the Army Air Force during WWII and the Korean War as a combat cameraman on bombing missions. It was his job to document the missions of the 13th Air Force, and his footage was used for both intelligence and newsreels. He later founded the International Camera Association.
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In 1939, R.K. Montgomery attended the Royal Military Academy to become a Royal Engineer Officer in the British Army. He graduated right before World War II.
His interest in explosives prompted him to pursue additional special training to become a demolitions expert in the Commandos. The Commandos (or British Commandos) were an elite group that gained fame for their rigorous training and distinctive green berets.
In 1942, the Commandos launched Operation Chariot, a.k.a. the St. Nazaire Raid, to take out a dry dock that was crucial to the Germans. ‘Dry docks’ were docks that could be drained of water via a caisson in order to repair the hulls of ships. In order to destroy this dock, the Commandos traveled on the HMS Campbeltown, a ship that was made to look like a Möwe class German torpedo destroyer. LtCol Montgomery’s demolition teams packed the Campbeltown full of explosives, snuck it into the dock (only semi-successfully) and blew it up, taking the cassion with it.
During the Raid, Lieutenant Colonel R.K. Montgomery was injured by an explosion, and then caught by German forces. He spent three years as a POW in Germany, and was released at the end of the war.
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After World War Two, Germany was split up and occupied by the United States, France, Britain and the Soviet Union. In June of 1948, the U.S., France, and Britain announced they were creating a unified West German currency. Joseph Stalin opposed this unification, and cut off land routes from Berlin to West Germany.
In order to bypass the land routes, bombers transported supplies (primarily food) and delivered them to West Berlin in what was called Operation Vittles. Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen was one of several pilots recruited to fly these missions.
One day, after sneaking out and flying to Berlin for some R&R, COL Halvorsen met some local children who were survivors of the war. Talking with them changed his life, and he decided he wanted to do something to help them. He returned to base, gathered as much candy and gum as he could, fashioned parachutes with handkerchiefs, and put all the goodies inside. The next day, he flew over West Berlin and dropped the parachutes full of candy out of his bomb bay.
The children were delighted. COL Halvorsen did this several more times, and gained international acclaim for his actions.
To learn more about COL Halvorsen, check out his book, The Berlin Candy Bomber.
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MOMM3 Norman Jensen served on submarines as a combat cameraman during WW2.
After attending diesel and submarine school, he served on the USS Proteus, which was stationed in Guam. Then, Jensen transferred to the USS Queenfish where he first started taking pictures. His photos grabbed the attention of some officers, and he was transferred to the USS Cod. There, he was a motor Machinist, but his unofficial duty was to serve as a combat photographer.
The Cod became famous after it rescued Dutch sailors aboard the O-19 which had gottens stuck in coral in the Ladd Reef. The Cod attempted to pull the O-19 free, but eventually the decision as made to welcome the Dutch sailors aboard the Cod and sink the O-19 to prevent it from being captured by the Japanese. Jensen documented the entire rescue.
Jensen continued to document on the Cod during several attacks, and once was nearly shot by a machine before he dove into the hatch to safety.
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Motor Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Norman Jensen served on submarines as an unofficial combat cameraman during WW2.
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After attending diesel and submarine school, Norman Jensen served on the USS Proteus, which was stationed in Guam. Then, Jensen transferred to the USS Queenfish where he first started taking pictures. His photos grabbed the attention of some officers, and he was transferred to the USS Cod. There, he was a motor Machinist, but his unofficial duty was to serve as a combat photographer.
The Cod became famous after it rescued Dutch sailors aboard the O-19 which had gottens stuck in coral in the Ladd Reef. The Cod attempted to pull the O-19 free, but eventually the decision was made to welcome the Dutch sailors aboard the Cod and sink the O-19 to prevent it from being captured by the Japanese. Jensen documented the entire rescue.
Jensen continued to document on the Cod during several attacks, and once was nearly shot by a machine gun before he dove into the hatch to safety.
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Today, we're sharing an episode from our other show, the Medal of Honor Podcast, as a bonus episode. Episodes of the Medal of Honor Podcast are short – just a few minutes each, and every week, Ken highlights a different service member who has distinguished themself through an act of bravery, earning our nations highest award for valor. The Medal of Honor Podcast is a great companion to Warriors in their Own Words. Follow The Medal of Honor Podcast wherever you get your shows.
This episode is about Captain Eddie Rickenbacker. Rickenbacker served as a pilot in WWI, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for destroying two enemy aircraft in a one-versus-seven dogfight behind enemy lines. He also was awarded eight Distinguished Service Crosses for his other aerial victories.
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CMSGT Morrell rode along on bomber missions over Europe as a combat cameraman in order to document them. He was called upon several times to replace gunners after they had been killed, and was shot down three times during his service.
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Doug Morrell joined the Army Air Corps two years before World War Two as a combat cameraman. He completed glider pilot training, and was sent to the University of Southern California for a year to study film and photography.
Once the war started, Morrell accompanied crews on various missions all over Europe and Africa. It was his job to document the mission with film or photos so that the operation’s execution could be evaluated afterwards. He almost exclusively flew on bomber missions, and was called upon several times to replace gunners mid-fight after they had been killed. As a result, he was provided with the gunner’s wings despite never going to gunnery school.
On one mission, Morrell’s aircraft was shot down over the “Iron Gates” of Romania. As a navigator was bailing Morrell and a gunner out, he made a mistake that sent them miles away from where the rest of the crew landed. The two of them spent twenty-six days evading capture and walking across the mountains of modern day Kosovo and northern Albania. Eventually they reached the Adriatic Sea, where they paid a fisherman to take them to Italy where they could meet up with allied forces.
Morrell was later shot down in Romania again, but this time he was captured by German forces. He was kept in a prison camp for four and a half months before being rescued by the Russians. After that, he was sent back to the States.
These two incredible stories earned him the nickname “The Legend,”, but his adventures were far from over. He was redeployed to Europe during the Cold War, spent five years in Panama documenting civic actions, and served in Korea and Vietnam.
In Vietnam, Morrell would be shot down for a third and final time, where he shattered a bone in his ankle on landfall. He landed in hostile territory, and radioed for help. Nine hours and one firefight later, Morrell was air evaced to safety. You can learn more about this story here.
After being shot down over enemy lines for the third time and escaping, Chief Master Sergeant Doug Morrell truly cemented himself as “The Legend. He was later awarded the Combat Camera Lifetime Achievement Award and the AIr Force Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award.
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CMSGT Morrell rode along on bomber missions over Europe during WWII as a combat cameraman. He was called upon several times to replace gunners after they had been killed, and was shot down three times during his service.
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Doug Morrell joined the Army Air Corps two years before World War Two as a combat cameraman. He completed glider pilot training, and was sent to the University of Southern California for a year to study film and photography.
Once the war started, Morrell accompanied crews on various missions all over Europe and Africa. It was his job to document the mission with film or photos so that the operation’s execution could be evaluated afterwards. He almost exclusively flew on bomber missions, and was called upon several times to replace gunners after they had been killed. As a result, he was provided with gunner’s wings despite never going to gunnery school.
On one mission, Morrell’s aircraft was shot down over the “Iron Gates” of Romania. As a navigator was bailing Morrell and a gunner out, he made a mistake that sent them miles away from where the rest of the crew landed. The two of them spent twenty-six days evading capture and walking across the mountains of modern day Kosovo and northern Albania. Eventually they reached the Adriatic Sea, where they paid a fisherman to take them to Italy where they could meet up with allied forces.
Morrell was later shot down in Romania again, but this time he was captured by German forces. He was kept in a prison camp for four and a half months before being rescued by the Russians. After that, he was sent back to the States.
These two incredible stories earned him the nickname “The Legend,” but his adventures were far from over. He was redeployed to Europe during the Cold War, spent five years in Panama documenting civic actions, and served in Korea and Vietnam.
In Vietnam, Morrell would be shot down for a third and final time, where he shattered a bone in his ankle on landfall. He landed in hostile territory, and radioed for help. Nine hours and one firefight later, Morrell was air evaced to safety. You can learn more about this story here.
After being shot down over enemy lines for the third time and escaping, Chief Master Sergeant Doug Morrell truly cemented himself as “The Legend. He was later awarded the Combat Camera Lifetime Achievement Award and the AIr Force Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award.
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After earning his masters in psychiatric social work and completing basic training, Shad Meshad worked at Fort Leavenworth Military Prison as a mental health officer. Most of the prisoners were Vietnam veterans, and he provided them with treatment and a means to reintegrate into society.
After hearing the stories of veterans at Fort Leavenworth, Meshad decided he had to serve himself. He volunteered to serve in a KO team, which were the first psychiatric teams in American warfare. For five years, Captain Meshad was flown all around Vietnam to help evaluate and assist soldiers dealing with mental health issues.
When he returned home, Meshad founded and directed the Vietnam Veterans Re-Socialization Unit at the VA Hospital in Los Angeles, California. It was his job to reshape the VA in a way that better served Vietnam vets. It was during this time that CPT Meshad would become one of the first people to study the disorder now known as PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
In 1979, Meshad founded the Vet Center Outreach Program, which created satellite centers that provide social and psychological services to any Veteran in order to help them transition back into civilian life.
Now, Meshad is the president of the National Veterans Foundation, which he founded in 1985. The NVF helps veterans that are unable to reach a Vet Center with financial problems, mental health issues, VA benefits, employment, housing, and more.
To learn more about Captain Shad Meshad, check out his memoir, Captain for Dark Mornings. You can also watch a short documentary about his work after Vietnam titled The Mad Man.
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Warning, this episode mentions violence, racism, sex, and self-harm. Listener discretion is advised.
After earning his masters in psychiatric social work and completing basic training, Shad Meshad worked at Fort Leavenworth Military Prison as a mental health officer. Most of the prisoners were Vietnam veterans, and he provided them with treatment and a means to reintegrate into society.
Meshad heard countless stories of Vietnam from the vets there, and decided he had to serve himself. He volunteered to serve in a KO team, which were the first psychiatric teams in American warfare. For five years, Captain Meshad was flown all around Vietnam to help evaluate and assist soldiers dealing with mental health issues.
When he returned home, Meshad founded and directed the Vietnam Veterans Re-Socialization Unit at the VA Hospital in Los Angeles, California. It was his job to reshape the VA in a way that better served Vietnam vets. It was during this time that CPT Meshad would become one of the first people to study the disorder now known as PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
In 1979, Meshad founded the Vet Center Outreach Program, which created satellite centers that provide social and psychological services to any Veteran in order to help them transition back into civilian life.
Now, Meshad is the president of the National Veterans Foundation, which he founded in 1985. The NVF helps veterans that are unable to reach a Vet Center with financial problems, mental health issues, VA benefits, employment, housing, and more.
To learn more about Captain Shad Meshad, check out his memoir, Captain for Dark Mornings. You can also watch a short documentary about his work after Vietnam titled The Mad Man.
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In this episode, Maj James Dunning describes the infamous Dieppe Raid and becoming an instructor at Achnacarry Castle.
At 20 years old, James Dunning volunteered for the new special force that would become the Commandos (or British Commandos). The Commandos quickly became famous for their rigorous training, elite status, and their green berets.
Dunning fought with the Commandos during World War Two, most notably during the Dieppe Raid. Known as Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid was an amphibious landing on the shores of Dieppe, France on August 19th, 1942. It was considered a failure due to the loss of almost 75% of their troops, but it gave the British valuable knowledge and experience that would contribute to the success of the D-Day Invasion.
After Dieppe, Dunning trained to become an officer. He was sent to Achnacarry Castle in the Scottish Highlands, which served as a training ground primarily for the Commandos. He went on to become an instructor there.
Dunning later published a book about his experiences called The Fighting Fourth.
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Hi, I’m Ken Harbaugh, host of Warriors In Their Own Words. I just wanted to let you know that the team and I are taking some time off during the holidays. We’ll return to our normal release schedule on January 12th.
In the meantime, we’ll be sharing an episode of our other show, the Medal of Honor podcast, here on this feed. Think of it as our holiday gift to you as thanks for your support. Happy holidays, and have a great new year!
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At 20 years old, James Dunning volunteered for the new special force that would become the Commandos (or British Commandos). The Commandos quickly became famous for their rigorous training, elite status, and their green berets.
Dunning fought with the Commandos during World War Two, most notably during the Dieppe Raid. Known as Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid was an amphibious landing on the shores of Dieppe, France on August 19th, 1942. It was considered a failure due to the loss of almost 75% of their troops, but it gave the British valuable knowledge and experience that would contribute to the success of the D-Day Invasion.
After Dieppe, Dunning trained to become an officer. He was sent to Achnacarry Castle in the Scottish Highlands, which served as a training ground primarily for the Commandos. He went on to become an instructor there.
Dunning later published a book about his experiences called The Fighting Fourth.
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COL Douglas C. Dillard describes fighting in WWII as an Army parachute regiment sergeant during the Battle of the Bulge. He also discusses the cold, harsh environment they faced, and how he almost lost both of his legs because of it.
During the interview, Dillard describes an encounter he had with a captured German soldier:
“We caught a German there in that field. And we were all really infuriated and I looked at the guy and he had a breast full of ribbons on this tunic. And I don't know why I did it and I still have them today, but I reached up and grabbed those ribbons and just ripped them off his uniform and stuck them in my pocket. And why I did it, I still don't know. But there was never any thought in my mind of shooting him. It's the furthest thought because we weren't raised that way. But in a rage of passion, in a firefight, then you would do it.”
Dillard would later serve Korea and Vietnam, and retire in 1977 after earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Bronze Star Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Medal (4 Oak Leaf Clusters), and the Army Commendation Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters). He was inducted into the Military Intelligence hall of fame in 1990.
He also wrote two books about his experiences, Operation Aviary, and Tiger Hunters.
You can learn more about COL Dillard here.
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On this day (December 8th) in 1941, Japanese forces attacked Wake Island. After the Americans surrendered, Sgt. Pearsall and his fellow Marines were taken as prisoners of war, and spent 3 ½ years at a prison camp in China during WWII.
Sergeant John Edward ‘Swede’ Pearsall served in the Marines as a part of the 1st Defense Battalion, D Battery on Wake Island in 1941.
Wake Island is located 2,458 miles west of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. knew a Japanese attack was coming, so men were stationed on the island to protect it.
On December 8th, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked Wake Island. The Battle of Wake Island lasted for a little over two weeks until American forces surrendered in order to protect civilian lives.
After the surrender, Sgt. Pearsall and his fellow Marines were almost executed before the Japanese decided to take them as prisoners. They would eventually be taken on a prison ship to Yokohama Harbor, and then transported to Wusong China, where they would spend three and a half years in a prison camp.
At the camp, conditions were brutal. They had little water to drink or bathe with, were beaten often, were not adequately fed, and were forced to do physical labor. During the interview, Pearsall had this to say about the camps:
“Starvation, I found, was the toughest thing. The beatings you took. Almost daily, you took beatings from the Japanese, but you kind of became punch-drunk, so to speak. You expected them and you lived with them. But starvation you don't live with. When you're hungry, you're hungry 24 hours a day. You go to sleep hungry. You wake up during the night hungry, and you're hungry all day. Starvation is one of the toughest things we found to face. The work and labor that they made us do was tough, but the food was totally inadequate for the work and to sustain life. Myself, I went from a 200 pound Marine. When the war ended, I weighed somewhere around 85 pounds, so that when the war finally came to end, there wasn't much left of us. We couldn't have sustained life, under the food we were getting, much longer.”
Finally on Easter Sunday, 1945, American forces arrived and liberated the camp, saving Sgt. Pearsall and his fellow prisoners. Upon arriving home, Pearsall was awarded the Purple Heart.
To learn more about J. Edward Pearsall and the Battle of Wake Island, check out Son of Wake Island. It's written by J. Edward Pearsall's son, David Pearsall, with the help of his father and the other surviving defenders of Wake island.
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In this special episode, Captain Torres explains how landfill-like burn pits in Iraq gave him a chronic lung injury and a toxic brain injury.
Captain Le Roy Torres served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 24 years, and spent a year on duty in Balad, Iraq. While there, Torres lived and worked in close proximity to a burn pit. These burn pits act as landfills, where everything from trash, to jet fuel, to medical waste was burned. They were extremely large, and the one near CPT Torres was approximately 10 acres in diameter. It burned 24/7, pumping toxic chemicals and smoke into the air, and into the lungs of soldiers.
As a result of breathing in these fumes, CPT Torres developed chronic lung and brain injuries, which forced him to visit the hospital over 400 times in 10 years.
Burn Pits 360 was founded by Torres and his wife in an attempt to improve post-deployment health outcomes for veterans, especially those caused by the burn pits. Recently, they helped pass the PACT Act, which expands benefits for veterans who were exposed to the burn pits.
You can find CPT Torres on Twitter at @leroytorres01
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MGen Roger Rowley describes his experiences fighting as a ground forces officer in the days following the invasion of Normandy, and how he missed the D-Day invasion.
MGen Rowley served in World War Two as ground forces officer in the Canadian Army. For months he and his unit prepared for the invasion of Normandy, but when the fateful day came, no orders arrived, so they weren’t sent to France. Instead they arrived on the beaches of Normandy two days after D-Day.
In this interview, Rowley describes his whole D-Day story, as well as Allied and German equipment, the destruction he witnessed, the controversy over Falaise, Operation Totalize, and the taking of Caen.
During the episode, Rowley recounts his feelings after finally arriving on the beaches of Normandy:
“I was very exhilarated. I keep saying that. I was very excited about this thing. It was going fine, and I was kind of... Well, I shouldn't say this I suppose, but it's truly true: I think I was sort of... Couldn't wait. I was a little trigger happy. I wanted to shoot at somebody. I really did at that stage. You get trained to a peak where this is what you've been looking at for four years. And it's like, if you're a boxer, and you've got a fight coming up, you're ready. And we were ready. And I can't speak... All the fellas that I had anything to do with felt very much the same way. “
To hear from the famous Canadian tank ace mentioned in this episode, listen to his two-part episode: BGen Sydney Radley-Walters (Part I): A Tank Ace on D-Day
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It Was Said, the 2021 Webby Award winner for Best Podcast Series, returns with a new season to look back on some of the most powerful, impactful, and timeless speeches in history. Written and narrated by Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author-historian Jon Meacham, this documentary podcast series takes you through another season of ten generation-defining speeches. Meacham, along with top historians, authors and journalists, offers expert insight and analysis into the origins, the orator, and the context of the times each speech was given, and they reflect on why it’s important to never forget them.
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Jack Hessman was a Navy Corpsman who served in the Korean War. He was assigned to the Marine Corps, and fought in the famous battle of the Chosin Reservoir. During the battle, he faced freezing cold conditions, and at one point had to play dead in order to avoid being killed by Chinese soldiers.
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In this bonus Veterans Day episode, we hear from Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia.
Staff Sergeant Bellavia served in the Army and deployed to Iraq in 2004. During the Second Battle of Fallujah, Bellavia cleared a house filled with 5 insurgents in order to save his squad. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at a White House ceremony in 2019.
In Bellavia’s new book, Remember the Ramrods, he reflects back on the events that earned him the Medal of Honor.
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After a grenade injured both his legs and sent him home from Vietnam, Army Specialist Robert Patrick "Rocky" Bleier made a full recovery and went on to win four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh steelers.
In college, Bleier played for Notre Dame and was a part of the ‘66 National Championship team. He was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 16th round draft pick, but was drafted by the US Army after the 10th game of the season.
Bleier was sent to Vietnam, where he patrolled the Hiep Duc Valley as a grenadier. During a firefight, he was shot, and then a grenade exploded right by his feet. Bleier had this to say about being evacuated by a sister platoon:
“All of a sudden a fellow soldier reaches down and picks me up and throws me over his shoulder and starts carrying me to the helicopter. And the helicopter was still a far way away. And so he would put me down, my blood all over him and he'd catch his breath and pick me up again and continue on until he got me onto that chopper. And I never saw him again and didn't know who he was or where he came from, where he lived or anything. But the interesting thing was that he was a soldier of color. Now, it may not mean much now in that society, but at that time, back in the sixties. I mean, a lot of things were going on from a social basis. I mean, there was segregation still going on in colleges that would not let Black students be there or sign up. And so now all of a sudden, here it is, you have a Black soldier picking me up, not because he's Black and I'm white, but it was like brother to brother. And it was the immediacy of the time. And you don't think about race, you don't think about anything. And I think that's one of the great things about the military. It just levels the playing field for human beings to react with one another and as a fellow soldier. And so that was like we became brothers in that brotherhood of war.”
SPC Bleier earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service, and was sent home after his injury. Upon arrival in 1970, he returned to the Steelers, and began intense training in order to fully heal from his leg injuries. In 1974, he finally earned a spot in the starting backfield. Bleier would go on to win four Super Bowls with the Steelers, in 1975, 1976, 1979, and 1980.
To learn more about Bleier and his incredible football career, check out his book, Fighting Back.
You can follow him on Twitter at @RockyBleier.
This Veterans Day, consider donating to help veterans in need. The National Veterans Foundation provides assistance to veterans with needs including medical treatment, PTSD counseling, VA benefits advocacy, food, shelter, employment, training, legal aid, suicide intervention and more. Visit nvf.org to learn how you can help.
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Specialist Nathan Dowds discusses his training, the moments when his life was on the line, and the hazy morality of the conflict.
Dowds served as an Army paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Afghanistan twice, in 2002 and in 2004, and once to Iraq in 2003.
During the episode, he says this about his struggles:
“The world is full of pain and suffering, and has been since the beginning of time. And for me to expect my brief moment in this world to be different than every other moment is kind of naive”
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Brigadier General Sydney Radley-Walters was a tank commander in the Canadian Army and was the Western Allies leading tank killer during WWII.
In the final part of his interview, Radley-Walters finishes his recount of the D-Day invasion, including the battle of Buron, Operation Totalize, and capturing Caen, and more. He also talks about the booby traps he encountered, air support, the smell of death, his tactics as a tank commander, and how he, without knowing it, killed Michael Wittmann, the Black Baron, an infamous German tank commander and tank Ace.
Radley-Walters is credited with destroying 18 German tanks and many other armored vehicles, and he was awarded an Order of Military Merit, the Distinguished Service Order, the Military Cross, and a Canadian Forces Decoration.
During the episode, Radley-Walters describes the aftermath of death inside the tanks:
“The smell of death, it sticks on you. And if you take a body and bury it or pick up a person who's dead and move them around, it gets on your hands, it gets on your clothes. You can't get rid of it. And it gets on a tank. Even though they took the tank back, they wash it all out, they repaint the inside with white paint and it's glistening, you get that horrible smell. The men, they called a ‘Jonah’ and they said, ‘We won't get back in that bloody Jonah, like the belly of a whale. We're we're going to get the new tank.’"
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BGen Radley-Walters was a tank commander in the Canadian Army and was the Western Allies leading tank killer during WWII.
He’s credited with destroying 18 German tanks and many other armored vehicles, and he was awarded an Order of Military Merit, the Distinguished Service Order, the Military Cross, an a Canadian Forces Decoration.
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Olds describes his experiences in Vietnam, his most memorable dogfight, and more.
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Brigadier General Robin Olds is a triple ace fighter pilot who shot down a total of 17 enemy aircraft during World War II and Vietnam. He flew all sorts of aircrafts, including P-38s, P-51s, P-80s and F-4s during his tenure. By the time he retired, Olds had collected numerous decorations, including the Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, the French Croix de Guerre, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross.
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Olds talks about his experiences in WWII and about managing fear, and describes the craziest coincidence you’ve ever heard of.
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Brigadier General Robin Olds is a triple ace fighter pilot who shot down 17 enemy aircraft during World War II and Vietnam. He flew P-38s, P-51s, P-80s, F-4s and other aircraft during his service. By the time he retired, Olds had won numerous medals, including the Air Force Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the French Croix de Guerre, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross.
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Major Richard Neece Ojeda II served in the Army for 24 years. During that time he deployed to Germany, Korea, Iraq, Haiti, and Afghanistan, and was almost killed five times.
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CPT Jason Kander served as an Army Intelligence Officer in Afghanistan where he conducted extremely dangerous meetings with traffickers, informants, and local officials.
As a result of his deployment, Kander developed PTSD that severely affected his work and personal life. He decided to leave his very promising political career in order to receive treatment via the Veterans Community Project, where he is now the President of National Expansion.
To learn more about Kander, check out his memoir, Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD. All of Jason’s royalties from the book go to supporting the Veterans Community Project, which you can learn more about here.
To hear more from Kander, check out his interview on our other podcast Burn the Boats when it releases on September 7th.
You can find Kander on Instagram and Twitter at @JasonKander.
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Capt. Tom Smith attended the Air Force academy before becoming a Combat Rescue Officer (aka CRO). As a CRO, Smith led a team of pararescuemen that flew into combat zones in order to save fellow military personnel and civilians. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Major General Frederick “Boots” Blesse served two tours as a fighter pilot during the Korean War, flying the P-51, the F-80, and the F-86. When he returned to the United States in October of 1952, he was America’s leading jet ace, and was credited with shooting down nine MiG-15s and one La-9.
Blesse’s motto and doctrine, “No Guts, No Glory” became famous after he returned from his second tour in Korea. He was asked to travel throughout the Air Force to teach it, and he eventually authored the textbook, “No Guts, No Glory”, that became a part of standard Air Force curriculum for years to come.
In this, the final episode of a three part series, Blesse talks about what inspired him to join the Air Force, what makes a good pilot, and the heartwarming story behind how he met his childhood hero, the famous WWI pilot, Eddie Rickenbacker
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Major General Frederick “Boots” Blesse served two tours as a fighter pilot during the Korean War, flying the P-51, the F-80, and the F-86. When he returned to the United States in October of 1952, he was America’s leading jet ace, and was credited with shooting down nine MiG-15s and one La-9.
Blesse’s motto and doctrine, “No Guts, No Glory” became famous after he returned from his second tour in Korea. He was asked to travel throughout the Air Force to teach it, and he eventually authored the textbook, “No Guts, No Glory”, that became a part of standard Air Force curriculum for years to come.
In this episode, the second of a three part series, Blesse tells the whole story behind “No Guts, No Glory”, and explains how dogfighting has changed over the years.
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Major General Frederick “Boots” Blesse served two tours as a fighter pilot during the Korean War, flying the P-51, the F-80, and the F-86. When he returned to the United States in October of 1952, he was America’s leading jet ace, and was credited with shooting down nine MiG-15s and one La-9.
Blesse’s motto and doctrine, “No Guts, No Glory” became famous after he returned from his second tour in Korea. He was asked to travel throughout the Air Force to teach it, and he eventually authored the textbook, “No Guts, No Glory”, that became a part of standard Air Force curriculum for years to come.
In this episode, the first of a three-part series, Blesse describes allied and enemy aircraft, his second tour in Korea, a couple of intense dogfights, and becoming an Ace.
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In this final part of his interview, Col. Anderson describes how and why he joined the Air Force, his training, patriotism, his appreciation for his squadron, and more.
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Col. Clarence (Bud) Emil Anderson served in the United States Air Force during World War II, and is a triple ace fighter pilot. He’s the highest scoring living American fighter ace, and the 10th highest scoring Mustang Ace of all time.
Col. Anderson was a member of the 357th Fighter group, which was said to have “shot down the "most airplanes in the shortest time of any unit in the European theater, perhaps the whole Air Force.” They had over 600 aerial victories in 14 months, and 42 aces, more than any other fighter group.
He also commanded the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, an F-105 Thunderchief unit, during its final months of service in the Vietnam War.
Col. Anderson was inducted in to the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008, and in 2013, was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.
This year, Col. Anderson celebrated his 100th birthday. Click here to learn about his birthday celebration.
For more pictures of Bud during the war, click here.
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Col. Clarence (Bud) Emil Anderson served in the United States Air Force during World War II, and is a triple-ace fighter pilot. He’s the highest scoring living American fighter ace, and the 10th highest scoring Mustang Ace of all time.
Col. Anderson was a member of the 357th Fighter group, which was said to have “shot down the most airplanes in the shortest time of any unit in the European theater, perhaps the whole Air Force.” They had over 600 aerial victories in 14 months, and 42 aces, more than any other fighter group.
He also commanded the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, an F-105 Thunderchief unit, during its final months of service in the Vietnam War.
Col. Anderson was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008, and in 2013, was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.
This year, Col. Anderson celebrated his 100th birthday. Click here to learn about his birthday celebration.
For more pictures of Bud during the war, click here.
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For many of us, Memorial Day is more than just a three day weekend. We’d like to take a moment to honor the friends and family of you, our listeners, who have paid the ultimate price for this country. We thank them for their bravery and sacrifice.
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Col. Darrell Whitcomb served in the United States Air Force as an OV-10 Forward Air Controller. He joined the classified Steve Canyon Program (Project 404), also known as The Ravens, which operated in secret in Laos. He flew missions over South and North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
As a Forward Air Controller, it was his job to coordinate airstrikes, and ensure that no friendly troops were hit.
In the final part of his interview, Whitcomb describes The Rescue of Bat 21.
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Col. Darrell Whitcomb served in the United States Air Force as an OV-10 Forward Air Controller. He joined the classified Steve Canyon Program (Project 404), also known as The Ravens, which operated in secret in Laos. He flew missions over South and North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
As a Forward Air Controller, it was his job to coordinate airstrikes, and ensure that no friendly troops were hit.
In the first part of his interview, Whitcomb discusses aircrafts, airstrikes, and joining The Raven program.
Whitcomb is also the author of The Rescue of Bat 21.
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Col. Ché Bolden is a Marine Corps veteran who served for 26 years, and credits his time at the US Naval Academy with shaping him into a leader. He went on to become an F-18 Weapons Systems Officer, with multiple combat deployments and service in the Pacific and the Middle East.
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Jan Scruggs went to Vietnam in 1969 to serve as a rifleman in the U.S. Army. By the end of his service, he had received the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge, and an award for gallantry.
After the war, he researched post-traumatic stress, which led to him testify before congress in support of establishing the nationwide Vet Center Program.
In 1979, Scruggs decided he wanted to create a memorial to all the Americans who died in the Vietnam War in order to help the country heal. Three years later, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was completed in Washington D.C.
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Today, we've decided to share another interview from our other podcast, Burn the Boats. Like the rest of these bonus episodes, this one departs from our typical Warriors format, but we think you’ll appreciate the insight. As always, we welcome your feedback, either in iTunes reviews, or by email at [email protected].
David Chasteen is a former CIA officer on the covert action staff. While at the agency, David conducted overseas operations, guided human intelligence collection, evaluated foreign threats to computer systems, and provided analysis on cyber issues to the president. David was also a consultant for the Amazon Prime series, Jack Ryan, starring John Krasinski, and the show is heavily influenced by David's experiences.
You can find David on Twitter @DavidChasteen
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Sgt. Bill True enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, and served throughout World War II in a Parachute Infantry Regiment. He fought in nearly every major campaign as the Allies advanced across Europe, including the Normandy Invasion, the invasion of Holland (Operation Market Garden), and the Battle of The Bulge.
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Today we interviewed Nikolay, who’s a volunteer soldier in Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces. Shortly after the war began, his family was able to flee to the U.S., but despite having no military experience, Nikolay decided he had to stay and fight for his country.
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Sgt. Bill Taylor is a Marine who was sent to Vietnam in 1967 as an 18-year-old. During his 13-month deployment, he narrowly escaped death on multiple occasions and was wounded three times. Every platoon commander, sergeant, and squad leader he served with was either wounded or killed.
To hear more of Bill’s stories from Vietnam, read his book, On Full Automatic.
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For today’s episode, we want to share another update on the war in Ukraine, from a former Naval Aviator and expert in military aviation. Like our last Ukraine update, about the realities of urban warfare, this one departs from our typical Warriors In Their Own Words format.
As always, we welcome your feedback, either in an iTunes reviews, or by email at [email protected].
Ward Carroll spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy as an F-14 Radar Intercept Officer, retired at the rank of commander, and went on to serve as the editor of Military.com. He now hosts a popular YouTube channel on military aviation.
To hear more from Ward, visit his YouTube channel, or follow him on Twitter @wardcarroll
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For this week’s episode, we’ve decided to air an interview, in its entirety, with a former Navy SEAL. This was recorded for our other podcast, Burn the Boats, so you’ll notice the format is quite different. The spirit of this interview, however, is what you have come to expect from Warriors in their Own Words – an unfiltered, unsanitized perspective on war.
I wanted to share this interview with this audience, because it is so timely, and so important. You’ll see why.
Dan Barkhoff is a former Navy SEAL with multiple combat deployments, and an expert in urban warfare. In this interview, he discusses what the Russian invasion force is likely to face.
For more interviews like this, and to learn more about this invasion as it unfolds, listen to our other podcast, Burn the Boats.
If you want to help, two of the most efficient organizations doing front-line work are Spirit of America and Team Rubicon.
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Sgt. Josh Remillard served in the Army as a mortarman. He deployed twice to Iraq, in 2007 and 2010. During his first tour, he earned a Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
Remillard describes how he defied orders to protect civilian lives, as well as the horror of experiencing war up close.
To learn more about Josh, listen to his interview on Burn the Boats.
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Lt. Col. Bogan joined the Air Force reserves because he saw it as an opportunity to rise above tough circumstances growing up in Chicago. He became a flight medic, and thanks to the military, was the first person in the history of his family to graduate college.
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Following medical school, Dr. Donnelly Wilkes was commissioned in the U.S. Navy, completed residency training in family medicine at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, and served seven years on active duty. Wilkes served two combat tours in Iraq in 2004 and 2008 and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor for his actions in the battle of Fallujah in April of 2004. He finished his Naval career as the Senior Medical Officer at Port Hueneme Naval Clinic, where he was responsible for the medical oversight of active duty members, their families, and local Veterans.
On the first day of his first tour, a firefight injured a Marine. Unfortunately, Wilkes and his team were unable to save him. Deeply saddened by this loss and their inability to treat him, they circled around the fallen soldier and prayed for him. A photographer captured the moment. The photo went on to become a Pulitzer Prize winning piece and a Life Magazine cover.
To learn more about Dr. Wilkes’ deployments, read his book, Code Red Fallujah.
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Dave Lewis is a US Army veteran. After six years in the infantry, he went to flight school to become an Apache Helicopter pilot, and flew tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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Warning: This episode contains some inappropriate language.
Lt. Col. Fred Wellman served in the Army for 22 years as an aviator and public affairs officer. Fred was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, and completed four tours during Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. He also was a spokesman for General David Petaeus, and General Martin Dempsey in Iraq.
To learn more about Fred’s work after his service, listen to his interview on Burn the Boats
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Warning: This episode contains harsh language and discussions about rape.
Col. Charles Bussey was an African American fighter pilot and a member of the famous Tuskegee Airmen in WWII. You can listen to him speak about this experience here.
He later fought in the Korean conflict during the Jim Crow era, where he and other African American soldiers were given the worst leadership and equipment due to their race.
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Sir Ludovic Kennedy served as an officer on the HMS Tartar, a battleship in the Royal Navy. The Tartar was one of the ships that chased and sank the Bismarck, the most powerful German battleship in WWII. Kennedy later wrote a book about this experience, titled The Chase and Sinking of the “Bismarck”.
After his service, Kennedy had a successful career in Journalism and broadcasting, which earned him his knighthood.
Learn more about Kennedy and his life after the war here.
Warriors in Their Own Words is proudly brought to you by American Eagle, a web design, development, and digital marketing agency with a passionate belief in the power of technology to positively transform business practices. American Eagle has been reliably creating digital experiences that drive growth since 1978.
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This week, we’re taking a break to spend time with our families for Thanksgiving. From everyone here at Warriors In Their Own Words, we'd like to extend gratitude to you, our listeners. Thank you for making all of this possible, and for helping us honor those who served.
If you’d like to help us make the show even better, please email us at [email protected]. We appreciate your feedback.
Warriors In Their Own Words will return to its regular schedule on December 9th with an interview with Sir Ludovic Kennedy. Kennedy served as an officer on the HMS Tartar, a battleship in the Royal Navy. The Tartar was one of the ships that chased and sank the Bismark, Germany’s most powerful battleship in WWII. Kennedy later wrote a book about this experience, titled The Chase and Sinking of the “Bismarck”.
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Captain Joseph K. Taussig Jr. was stationed in Pearl Harbor on board the USS Nevada in 1941. During the Japanese attack, he took his post as starboard anti-aircraft battery officer. Even after being severely wounded, Taussig refused to abandon his post, until his crew forcibly carried him to safety.
Taussig later received the Navy Cross for his bravery.
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Joseph Lockard was a radar operator in Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He spotted the incoming Japanese forces an hour before their surprise attack, but his warnings were dismissed.
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Lt. Col. Thomas D. Ferran III volunteered to be a part of the first group of trained Marine Corps snipers in the Vietnam War. He spent almost all his time in the field, accompanying various infantry units on their missions.
Ferran describes sniping as a personal business, that is simultaneously an art, and a hunt. He was a co-founder and former president of the USMC Scout / Sniper association, and received two Purple Hearts, five presidential Unit Citations, and the Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon.
Learn more about Ferran, and his service, here.
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Lt. Col. Thomas D. Ferran III volunteered to be a part of the first group of trained Marine Corps snipers in the Vietnam War. He spent almost all his time in the field, accompanying various infantry units on their missions.
Ferran describes sniping as both an art, and a personal business. He was a co-founder and former president of the USMC Scout / Sniper association, and received two Purple Hearts, five presidential Unit Citations, and the Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon.
Learn more about Ferran, and his service, here.
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After Graduating from the US Naval Academy, McGrath joined the Marine Corps and flew 89 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2002, she became the first woman in the Marine Corps to fly in combat in the F-18.
In her new memoir, ‘Honor Bound’, describes her groundbreaking time in the military, her tough political campaigns, and the challenges we face as a country.
Follow Amy on Twitter at @AmyMcGrathKY
To learn more about Amy, listen to her interview on our other podcast, Burn the Boats
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James E.T Hopkins was a surgical intern before he volunteered with the Army Medical Corps. After serving in Fiji and the Solomon Islands, Hopkins volunteered again for what would eventually be known as Merrill’s Marauders.
Merrill’s Marauders fought primarily in the jungles of Burma, executing deep penetration missions behind enemy lines. The 1962 film Merrill’s Marauders is based on their experiences.
As a combat surgeon, Hopkins was unarmed on the battlefield, and completely exposed as he treated the wounds of fellow Marauders.
To hear more stories about the Marauders, listen to our interview with Col. Logan. E. Weston, nicknamed 'The Fightin’ Preacher'.
To learn more about Hopkins, click here.
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Warning: This episode contains depictions of corpses, substance abuse, a suicide attempt, and some foul language. Viewer discretion is advised.
Kris Goldsmith is an Army combat Veteran who served in Iraq. As a 19 year-old, he was assigned the task of photographing corpses and documenting mass graves. He developed severe PTSD, and in 2007, as the result of a suicide attempt that caused him to miss redeployment, he was given a less-than-honorable discharge. After years of legal battles, that discharge was upgraded. Kris went on to become an advocate for veterans with “bad paper” discharges, and helped pass crucial legislation that helps them receive the benefits they deserve.
To learn more about Kris, his advocacy, and his work fighting domestic extremism, listen to his episodes of Burn the Boats, out next Wednesday.
Learn more about his organization, High Ground Veterans Advocacy, here
Find Kris on Twitter at @KrisGoldsmith85
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Col. Logan E. Weston (nicknamed The Fightin’ Preacher) served in WWII in the famous special ops force, called Merrill’s Marauders. The Marauders fought primarily in the jungles of Burma, executing deep-penetration missions behind enemy lines. The 1962 film Merrill’s Marauders is based on their experiences.
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Master Sergeant Michael ‘Top’ Washington served in the Gulf War, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan between 1988 and 2004. He worked mainly in counterintelligence, and also became a Firefighter during this time.
His son, Mike Jr., followed in his footsteps and joined the Marines. In 2008, Mike Jr. was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan.
Mike Jr. 's Battalion, the 2/7, would be the hardest hit battalion in the Corps that year, with 160 men wounded and 20 killed. Since their return, the 2/7 have suffered 13 more casualties due to suicide.
After his own severe struggles with mental health, Top found a new calling as a licensed therapist, focusing on fellow military veterans and first responders.
To hear more about Top’s mental health recovery and his work as a licensed therapist, listen to his interview on Burn the Boats.
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Lieutenant Colonel Milt Shalinsky served in WWII with the 385th Bomb Group. On June 20th, 1944, Shalinsky’s B-17 bomber was hit and crashed near Brunswick, Germany.
Listen as Shalinsky describes the crash and his experience as a prisoner of war.
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This past Sunday was Father’s Day, so Warriors in Their Own Words host Ken Harbaugh interviewed his dad, Col. Kent Harbaugh. Col. Harbaugh was a Phantom pilot in Vietnam, and later commanded a nuclear missile wing during the cold war.
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This past Memorial Day, in Hudson, Ohio, retired Army Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter was a guest speaker. He spoke about the meaning of memorial day, and the importance of honoring the fallen. He also spoke about the holiday’s origins, and how one of the earliest examples involved freed black slaves honoring fallen union soldiers after the Civil War.
During this part of his speech, Lt. Col. Kemter’s microphone was cut, intentionally, by event organizers from the local American Legion chapter.
Today, we bring you Lt. Col. Kemter’s Memorial Day address, in its entirety.
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Addl. for Summary: Duffy served in the US Army in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2004 and 2005, conducting counterintelligence and interrogation operations. In Iraq, Duffy suffered a traumatic brain injury from an IED.
Sgt. 1st Class Duffy is currently the CEO of Pathfinder, an organization dedicated to easing veterans’ transitions back into civilian life by connecting them with local community resources. Duffy also wrote an essay for Headstrong Project about her experiences.
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Duffy served in the US Army in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2004 and 2005, conducting counterintelligence and interrogation operations. In Iraq, Duffy suffered a traumatic brain injury from an IED.
Sgt. 1st Class Duffy is currently the CEO of Pathfinder, an organization dedicated to easing veterans’ transitions back into civilian life by connecting them with local community resources.
Tune in next time to hear the rest of her interview on Warriors in Their Own Words.
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In the second of a two-part episode, Col. Bill Gara tells stories of the 1st Engineer Combat Battalion of the 1st Infantry. Gara served from North Africa to Omaha Beach and the Battle of the Bulge.
See additional photos and learn more about the 1st Engineer Battalion at firstengineerbattalionveterans.org.
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Col. Bill Gara tells stories of the 1st Engineer Combat Battalion of the 1st Infantry, which he led from the 1944 Normandy landings through May of 1945. Gara served from North Africa to Omaha Beach and the Battle of the Bulge.
See additional photos and learn more about the 1st Engineer Battalion at firstengineerbattalionveterans.org and tune in next time to hear the rest of his interview on Warriors in Their Own Words.
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Content Warning: this episode includes graphic descriptions of wounds and combat, as well as strong language.
Dr. Jon Heavey is an emergency room physician on the front lines of the battle against COVID, who began his medical career as a battalion surgeon with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq.
Read Jon’s 2012 article “An Unbearable Price” in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine for more about his service as battalion surgeon.
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Lt. Bill Story was born in Winnipeg, Canada. He began his military service as a platoon sergeant in the Winnipeg Light Infantry at the age of 19. In 1943, he became the first enlisted man in the First Special Service Force to be field commissioned as a lieutenant.
The Devil’s Brigade disbanded in 1944 and, in 2013, the unit received the Congressional Gold Medal for their service. Lt. Story was inducted into the Special Forces Decade Association as a life member in 2015 and passed away in 2016.
Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/Warriors for a free month of unlimited access to the extensive The Great Courses Plus library. Find classes on anything you can imagine, from "World War II: Pacific Theater" to "1066: The Year That Changed Everything," ancient palaces, the Beatles' rise to fame, and even how to bake bread. Sign up for your free month at: TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/Warriors.
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Lt. Bill Story was born in Winnipeg, Canada. He began his military service as a platoon sergeant in the Winnipeg Light Infantry at the age of 19. In 1943, he became the first enlisted man in the First Special Service Force to be field commissioned as a lieutenant.
The Devil’s Brigade disbanded in 1944 and, in 2013, the unit received the Congressional Gold Medal for their service. Lt. Story was inducted into the Special Forces Decade Association as a life member in 2015 and passed away in 2016.
Learn more about The Devil’s Brigade from History.com and tune in next time to hear the rest of Lt. Story’s interview on Warriors in Their Own Words.
Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/Warriors for a free month of unlimited access to the extensive The Great Courses Plus library. Find classes on anything you can imagine, from "World War II: Pacific Theater" to "1066: The Year That Changed Everything," ancient palaces, the Beatles' rise to fame, and even how to bake bread. Sign up for your free month at: TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/Warriors.
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Mike Howard shares stories from his 22 year career with the CIA. Mike is a former station chief for the CIA and corporate security expert. After his career in government, he served for over a decade as the Chief Security Officer for Microsoft, overseeing physical security worldwide for the company, including the personal security for Bill Gates.
Keep an eye out for Mike’s upcoming book on leadership, out later in 2021, titled “The Art of Ronin Leadership: Strategy, Execution, Sustained Success.
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Lt. Col. Winston M. Roche enlisted in the US Army at 17 and served as a combat engineer in the trenches in France for nearly two years. He recorded this interview with the Honor Project at the age of 93 and passed away in 1994 at the age of 95.
Learn more about Lt. Col. Roche in his Los Angeles Times obituary.
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Lt. Col. Winston M. Roche enlisted in the US Army at 17 and served as a combat engineer in the trenches in France for nearly two years. He recorded this interview with the Honor Project at the age of 93 and passed away in 1994 at the age of 95.
Learn more about Lt. Col. Roche in his Los Angeles Times obituary and tune in next time to hear the rest of his interview on Warriors in Their Own Words.
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Jake Wood tells stories from his service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Jake is currently the CEO and co-founder of Team Rubicon, a disaster relief organization that retrains military veterans to deploy as emergency responders. He is also a Marine Corps combat veteran. He enlisted in the Corps in 2005 and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 2nd Battalion - 7th Marine Regiment, which suffered some of the highest casualties of any unit during their deployments.
Learn more about Jake’s organization Team Rubicon and find them on Twitter at @TeamRubicon. Find Jake himself on Twitter at @JakeWoodTR. Jake’s memoir, Once A Warrior, is out now.
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Warriors in Their Own Words is back with all new episodes hosted by Ken Harbaugh. In partnership with the Honor Project and Evergreen Podcasts, we’re rebooting this podcast at a time when our nation needs these stories more than ever.
For generations, Americans have answered the call and gone where their country sent them. They’ve done their best to serve with honor, often under unthinkable circumstances.
In Warriors in Their Own Words, we’ll dig into the archives to bring you stories from wars that have begun to recede in our collective memory. World Wars I and II, Vietnam, and more.
We’ll also bring you brand-new stories, from a new generation of warriors. We’ll hear about places like Iraq and Afghanistan, from the battlefield and behind the scenes.
Warriors in Their Own Words is our attempt to present the raw truth of what we have asked from those who wear our country’s uniform - or those who operate in the shadows. Thank you for listening and, by doing so, honoring those who serve.
New episodes will be released every other week. Subscribe to the podcast now to see them in your feed.
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The 1st Air Cavalry Division was the most lethal assault force assembled in Vietnam. The pilots were the first to fully harness the power of helicopters and their soldier's combat record was second to none. Steven E Warren served a year in the infantry in Vietnam, but then returned home to train to fly helicopters. Soon he returned to the conflict, as a Huey helicopter pilot in the 1st Air Cavalry. We spoke with him about his combat experiences, helping to perfect this new kind of warfare.
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Charles L. Phillips was a 26-year-old Captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps, piloting B-29 bombers in the Pacific theater during the final years of WWII. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroics during the strategic bombing campaign over Japan. We interviewed Charles Phillips in 1991 and he told us remarkable stories, from his early training in Texas, to the firebombing of Tokyo in 1945.
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In this special episode, we feature an interview with a German U-boat veteran from World War II. Rudi Toepfer graduated from the German Naval Academy and served as the chief engineering office on submarines as they hunted for Allied convoys in the Atlantic Ocean. After the war, he moved to the United States. He worked for Hughes Aircraft for 30 years and became a leader in the Elks Lodge and Masons. This is Rudi's compelling first hand account of his years in combat on board a U-Boat.
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Bob Hoover learned to fly as a teenager in Tennessee, flew over 50 combat missions in World War II and went on to become a legendary test pilot. Hoover was Chuck Yeager’s backup pilot in the Bell X-1 program and flew the chase plane when Yeager first broke the sound barrier. In 1950 he joined North American Aviation as an experimental test pilot, an association that would last 36 years. This Episode is Part 2 of the remarkable story of Bob Hoover, one of the history's greatest pilots.
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Bob Hoover is one of history’s greatest aviators. His career spanned from barnstorming in prop planes, to dogfighting in World War II and then on to flight testing supersonic jets and performing spectacular aerobatic demonstrations. Hoover was the backup pilot for the Bell X-1, and flew the chase plane as his friend Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947. Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine named Hoover Number Three on their list of all-time great pilots. (Special Two-Part Episode)
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John Nicely was a Sergeant in the US Marine Corps during the brutal Pacific island campaigns of WWII. He saw his first action in the battle of Saipan in June 1944. From there he continued fighting from island to island and eventually prepared for the invasion of Japan. Nicely and his unit entered the devastated city of Nagasaki, just 25 days after the nuclear blast. We met up with him at a reunion of the 2nd Marine division in 1994 and he shared his vivid memories of front-line combat.
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General Frank “Pete” Everest was a record-setting US Air Force Test pilot. As a fighter pilot in World War II he flew over 150 combat missions. He then went on to lead the Air Force flight test program, flying with other legendary pilots like Chuck Yeager and George Welch. In the 1950s Everest set records like taking the X-1 to an altitude of 73,000 feet and the X-2 to 1957 mph. In this episode Pete Everest tells stories of those pioneering days of experimental aircraft and daring test pilots.
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John C. Muir was a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War. He hailed from four generations of men and woman who served in distinguished military service. He was also cousin to John Muir the famous naturalist who's been called “The Father of America’s National Parks.” In 1965, Muir volunteered for the US Marine Corps and was sent to Vietnam as a Rifleman. John C. Muir was an excellent storyteller who delivered powerful words about fighting the war and returning home.
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Col. Walker “Bud” Mahurin was an American combat fighter pilot. Flying P-47s with the 56th FG in WWII, he became an ace three times over in the skies over Europe. After the war, he remained in the US Air Force. The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 found him in the Pentagon, working on fighter aircraft procurement. The skills he exhibited in WWII would once again be tested, this time in a new arena of air warfare, the jet age dogfight. Mahurin tells his story of returning to combat in Korea.
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Walter Bodlander was a military intelligence officer for the US Army during WWII. He was born in Germany in 1920. As a Jew, he knew he had to flea Hitler’s regime. He eventually made his way to the United States and volunteered to join the Army to fight the Nazis. Military Intelligence wanted to use his fluency in German to interrogate Nazi prisoners on the front lines. Walter was soon dispatched to England to join the D-Day invasion and the march into Germany.
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Colonel Charles Bussey courageously flew P-51 Mustangs as a fighter pilot in World War II. His training came with the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the all black Army Air Corps unit. Bussey also went on to serve as a decorated Commander of Army engineers during the Korean War. Charles Bussey was a war hero, but his first struggle wasn't in a combat zone overseas. His first battle was at home in what you might call the fight for the right to fight. This is his dramatic story, in his own words.
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This episode tells the dramatic story of an Army veteran who served in three wars, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Al Ungerleider’s first taste of combat came on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He went on to march towards Germany, liberating a Nazi concentration camp along the way. Brig. General Al Ungerleider retired from the Army after 36 years of service. His final active-duty assignment was commanding the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Al Ungerleider is a true American hero.
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During World War II, the United States Marines played a central role in the battle for the islands of the Pacific. Marine Corps veteran Bill Swanson was often in the first wave to hit the beach in many of these brutal campaigns. In this episode, he paints a vivid picture of what it was like to fight in the "living hell" of these steaming jungles and swamps. He shares his experiences on Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima, battling a hidden and determined enemy.
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This is the tale of two American pilots of World War II. One, R.T. Smith, was a fighter ace in Burma flying P-40s with the legendary Flying Tigers. He recorded 9 confirmed victories, aiding the Chinese in their conflict with Japan. The other, Al Freiburger, was a bomber pilot in Europe flying B-26 Marauders with his unit, the Silver Streaks. He logged numerous missions in the conflict, including key bombing runs on D-Day. Both men were engaging characters with unique war time experiences.
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Medal of Honor recipient Walter Ehlers tells his dramatic stories of combat in North Africa and Europe and details the events surrounding his heroic actions during the Normandy campaign. He also offers his unique perspectives on the infantry, his fellow soldiers and the enemy. This episode also features rare recordings of live combat, direct from the battlefields of World War II.
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1994 was the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Throughout that year, The Honor Project sat down with dozens of veterans off the Normandy Invasion to hear their stories and to put these Heroes of Our Nation On Record. O.B. Hill was a member of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. In this Episode, he recounts dramatic stories of his training and combat experiences and he eloquently expresses his thoughts on the nature of war and and how it impacted him and his fellow paratroopers.
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Hours before the Allied Forces hit the beaches of Normandy, courageous British and American soldiers entered France with parachutes and gliders to secure key bridges and enemy artillery positions. Their dangerous missions led the way for the D-Day invasion and ultimate victory in Europe. Wally Parr, Terance Otway and Bill True recount their dramatic stories, In Their Own Words.
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Today helicopters carry the firepower of an artillery battery and can strike deep behind every lines, flying day or night in any weather. But back in 1944 helicopters were a brand new technology. Aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky supplied the first primitive choppers to the US Army and four pilots were trained to fly the untested aircraft in the jungles of Burma. Carter Harman was one of those first courageous pilots and he performed the world's first helicopter combat rescue mission.
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Combat Medics courageously fought to save lives as the war raged around them in Vietnam. Helicopters became virtual hospitals in the air, buying the medic valuable time to heal the wounded. Max Cleland, a future US Senator from Georgia, lost three limbs when a grenade exploded in his hand. His life was saved by four beleaguered field medics. In this dramatic episode, Max Cleland recounts his story and we also hear from Clarence Sasser, who earned the Medal of Honor as a Combat Medic in Vietnam.
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The Tunnel Rats were courageous soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War. American and Australian troops uncovered the enemy's intricate network of tunnels while conducting larger operations. Tunnel rats were tasked with gathering intelligence within them, and killing or capturing their occupants--often in conditions of close combat. CW Bowman, Gerry Schooler and Art Tejeda spent days maneuvering through the tunnels clearing lethal booby-traps.
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Military snipers were trained sharpshooters assigned to kill a man with one perfect shot. These highly disciplined marksman often stalked a target for days waiting for just the right moment to squeeze the trigger. Lurking in the shadows alone, the deadly stealth of the sniper made him the most feared man on the battlefield. As a young hunter, Chuck Mawhinney grew up with a gun in his hand. In October 1967, Mawhinney was just 19 years old when he made his first kill as a scout sniper in Vietnam.
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Studies and Observations Group (SOG) was a highly classified, special ops unit that conducted unconventional warfare during the Vietnam War. SOG carried out the capture of enemy prisoners, rescued downed pilots, and conducted rescue operations to retrieve prisoners of war throughout Southeast Asia. The Task Force also engaged in clandestine intelligence, propaganda and psychological operations. J.D. Bath and Bill Deacy were members of this elite group.
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The Wild Weasels of the United States Air Force were some of the most courageous pilots in Vietnam. In a deadly game of cat and mouse, they flew fighters like the F-100, F-105 and F-4s deep into hostile airspace to coax the enemy into opening fire with their surface to air missiles. Once the Weasels located the site, other fighter bombers were called in to destroy the installations. In this episode, Wild Weasels, Jerry Hoblit, Bill Sparks, Mike Gilroy and Tom Wilson tell their dramatic stories.
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On Easter Sunday, April 2, 1972, two EB-66 aircraft, call signs Bat 21 and Bat 22 were flying pathfinder escort for three B-52s, which were assigned to bomb the two primary access routes to the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos. Gene Hambleton, a navigator aboard Bat 21, was shot down behind North Vietnamese lines. His rescue became known as the largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue operation during the Vietnam War. In this episode, Gene Hambleton recounts his dramatic story.
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Forward Air Controllers or FACs choreographed this skies over the battlefield in Vietnam. They courageously flew low, slow and unarmed over enemy territory in small, propeller driven aircraft like the Cessna 0-1 Bird Dog and 0-2 Skymaster. The FACs were experts at spotting an evasive, well camouflaged enemy and they often braved a battery of enemy ground fire to target the opposing force. In this episode, FACs William Platt and Bill Townsley tell their dramatic stories, In Their Own Words.
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During the Vietnam War, all too often the chaos of battle found Allied forces trapped and facing annihilation. The situation called for courageous men to carry out some of the deadliest missions in the history of warfare. Forward Observers, often alone, moved behind enemy lines to serve as the eyes of the artillery gunner in delivering rounds on vital targets. In this episode, Medal of Honor recipients Barney Barnum and Brian Thacker tell their dramatic stories, In Their Own Words.
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The battle for Iwo Jima in World War II became the bloodiest in U. S. Marine Corps history. But for survivors like Chuck Tatum, it also represents the best, the Marines and the United States has to give. For despite the 23,000 U.S. casualties, including 5,400 dead, the flag atop Mount Suribachi, is a symbol of this nation's willingness to fight for freedom and liberty, no matter what the cost. This episode is an in-depth interview with Chuck Tatum. These are his experiences in his own words.
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The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corp during World War II to conduct special amphibious assault missions, operating behind the lines. The Raiders were created by an order from President Franklin D. Roosevelt in February 1942. They are said to be the first U.S. special forces operations see combat in World War II. William Lansford was a member of the 2nd Raider Battalion during the Pacific campaigns. These are his dramatic stories told in his own words.
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By 1943, the war in the Pacific burned in its full fury. On November 20th, the Allies launched the first amphibious assault against heavily defended beaches in US history. The 2nd division of the US Marine Corps, used amphibious tractors and assault boats to reach the beaches of the Tarawa atoll, an enemy stronghold protected by 5,000 hardened Imperial Japanese marines. Ed Moore and Tommy Reed were decorated veterans of the 2nd Marine Division during the island campaigns in the Pacific War.
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The unrelenting ferocity of the Pacific War was without a doubt the bloodiest and most savage of the two theaters of World War II. The memories of brutal battles like Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Midway and Iwo Jima are forever seared into minds of the courageous men who fought there. The island of Guadalcanal represented one of the last chances for the Allies to turn back the Japanese advance in the Pacific. Marine veteran Victor Croizat experienced the "hell of earth" of the battle for Guadalcanal.
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They are known as America's first military stealth aircraft. Under cover of darkness, the Waco CG-4A combat glider carried U.S. troops and materiel into battle during World War II. William Horn and Leo Cordier, pilots who flew these unarmed and un-powered planes, landed behind enemy lines before the invasion troops arrived in Europe on D-Day. Their courageous stories are a little known chapter in the Allied march to victory during WWII.
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This episode features the dramatic role of the U.S Rangers on D-Day during World War II. Leonard Lomell and Sidney Salomon, from the 2nd Ranger Battalion, were among those who comprised America's first Special Forces group. They were part of the first wave landing on Omaha Beach on June 6th, 1944.
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On June 6, 1944, the Allies launched the largest amphibious military assault in history known as D-Day. More than 150,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. Some of the first men to hit the beach on D-Day were the U.S. Navy Combat Demolition Unit. Jerry Markham and John Talton were members of this elite group. In this episode, these courageous veterans tell their dramatic stories, In Their Own Words.
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June 6th, 1944...D-Day. It was the greatest military assault ever staged. Code named Operation Overlord, the massive invasion of Normandy by the Allies involved more than a quarter of a million soldiers, sailors and airmen as well as 5000 ships and 3000 aircraft. Tom McCarthy and Francis Lamoureux were Parachute Infantrymen during the epic conflict. They tell their riveting first-hand accounts in this dramatic presentation, Airborne Assault on D-Day.
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In 1944, the Allies fought their way from the beaches of Normandy towards German soil. Their sites were firmly set on pushing all the way to Hitler's capital Berlin and putting an end to WWII. Robert Weiss was a US Army forward observer. His mission was to move ahead of the troops and find targets for the artillery, but being out in front placed him closer to the enemy and a greater risk of being cut off from his comrades. These are his experiences In His Own Words.
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Toward the end of 1944, it was clear that Germany was losing WWII. Low on fuel, munitions and morale, the ability of the Nazis was slipping away. Still Hitler burned with a passion for one more mad assault. In December, 1944, 600,000 Germans surged into the western front. The stage was set for total Allied defeat. Hitler could count the thousands of guns, the tons of munitions and the hundreds of tanks, but he failed to grasp the most important element, the unfailing courage and valor of the Allied troops
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By 1942, the skies over Germany were aflame with German fighters battling Allied bombers for the survival of Europe and the free world. Central to victory were the fighter planes of the Allies. At first they were obsolete and woefully inadequate. But with the advent of aircraft like the P-47 Thunderbolt and the P-51 Mustang, the tide of war was about to change. In this episode we hear the words of fighter aces Clarence "Bud" Anderson in his revolutionary P-51 and Francis "Gabby" Gabreski, flying the P-47
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In this episode of Warriors In Their Own Words, veterans of the 3rd Armored Division, Belton Cooper and Bertrand Close, transport us to the Race Across Europe in World War Two.
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En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.