Episodios

  • LtCol Doug Bahrns, USMC, Iraq, Afghanistan, Battle of Fallujah

    LtCol Doug Bahrns, USMC, Iraq, Afghanistan, Battle of Fallujah
    Jun 25 2025
    Doug Bahrns knew he wanted to be a U.S. Marine Corps officer when he finished high school a couple of years before 9/11. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and was commissioned as a Marine Corps officer. After going to officer's training at Quantico, Bahrns was assigned command of 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines in 2003. By 2004 they were in Iraq, and a few months later they would be involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war - the Second Battle of Fallujah.

    In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Bahrns discusses the ramping up to the battle, how he got orders to get his men ready for the fight in the middle of the night, and what he went over in his mind just before the battle began.

    Bahrns describes the successful push to the mayor's complex, the vicious fighting to move out from there, and the brutal house-to-house fighting that followed. He explains the very effective method of clearing houses, how those gains stayed secured, and how his Marines escaped from a very precarious situation at a place they called "The Alamo."

    Finally, Bahrns details the devastating loss of Cpl. Bradley Faircloth in late November 2004 and how Faircloth's death still weighs on him today.
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    36 m
  • SGT Scotty Hasting, U.S. Army, Afghanistan, Purple Heart

    SGT Scotty Hasting, U.S. Army, Afghanistan, Purple Heart
    Jun 18 2025
    Scotty Hasting is now a popular country music singer but his story of service will explain a lot about the performer you see today.

    Hasting grew up in the Cincinnati, Ohio-Northern Kentucky area and developed immense respect for the U.S. military from the movies and television shows he watched. He enlisted in the Army at age 21, which quickly made him the "old man" in basic training. Hasting wanted to serve in the infantry because he wanted to be in the fight. Just a few months after basic training, he was off to Afghanistan with the 4-4 Cav. In April 2011, Hasting was severely wounded after being shot 10 times by an enemy gunman.

    In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Hasting takes us to the day he was wounded in great detail. He explains how his brothers in the 4-4 Cav responded to his wounds and got him evacuated. He will also share how close he came to dying shortly after everyone in Kandahar thought he was stable enough to fly to Germany.

    He also tells us about his recovery at Walter Reed and his determination to return to active duty with his unit despite his wounds. Hasting then describes the path that led him to music and a very unlikely career in country music where he focuses a lot on helping veterans. He even shares a powerful story about how one veteran who planned to commit suicide changed his mind after hearing one of Scotty's song.
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    35 m
  • PO2 Bob Ingram, U.S. Navy Corpsman, Vietnam, Medal of Honor

    PO2 Bob Ingram, U.S. Navy Corpsman, Vietnam, Medal of Honor
    Jun 11 2025
    Bob Ingram joined the Navy after graduating high school in 1963 to give himself some direction. He was initially assigned to work in electronics, but after getting a bad case of pneumonia, Ingram was so impressed by the dedication of the Navy corpsmen, that he decided to become one. Corpsman training was long and demanding and Marine Corps aid training followed that.

    After struggling to find a good Marine unit to join, Ingram was off to Vietnam in late 1965 - attached to C Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. They saw a lot of action right from the start.

    In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Ingram takes us into corpsman training, being assigned to the wrong company, and the joy of being moved to a great one. He then details his actions in February 1966, as he rendered aid to his Marines and also manned a machine gun to expose the enemy position. Ingram would receive the Silver Star.

    Just a few weeks later, on March 28, 1966, C Company found itself in another vicious fight, and lost a platoon almost instantly. Ingram provided aid to wounded Marines, gathered weapons and ammo from those who were killed and brought it to those still in the fight, and, again, grabbed a gun to target and drive out the enemy. He did all of this despite being shot several times, including once in the head.

    Ingram will tell us about his long road to recovery, how he learned of the effort to award him the Medal of Honor, and what the medal means to him and the men he served alongside.
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    36 m
  • CPL Harold Terens, U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II

    CPL Harold Terens, U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II
    Jun 4 2025
    Harold Terens was just 18 years old and playing basketball with his friends when he heard the news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Like many Americans, he had no idea where Pearl Harbor was but he definitely wanted to serve. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942 with dreams of becoming a pilot. A vision test dashed those dreams but he quickly proved proficient at receiving and sending Morse Code.

    Terens left for Europe on his 20th birthday in 1943. He was assigned to the 350th Fighter Squadron in the Eighth Air Force. His job was to make sure radios on P-47 Thunderbolts were in good working order. He was also stationed there on June 6, 1944, when many of the planes in his squadron were part of the D-Day invasion. Many did not return to base.

    In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Terens describes D-Day in vivid, painful detail and why he went to Normandy a short time later. We'll also hear about Terens narrowly escaping with his life after a German V-1 rocket, or "buzz bomb" landed next to his building in London.

    A few weeks after D-Day, Terens was transferred out of England. He tells us about serving in North Africa, the Middle East, and Russia. And he shares two more instances in which he was forunate to emerge alive.

    Finally, Terens tells us all about his wedding in Normandy on the 80th anniversary of D-Day and how he and his new bride were treated like royalty in France.
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    34 m
  • Captain Charles Plumb, U.S. Navy, Vietnam, POW

    Captain Charles Plumb, U.S. Navy, Vietnam, POW
    May 28 2025
    Charlie Plumb ended up in the U.S. Navy because money was tight for his family and it was a big economic relief when he was recommended and accepted at the U.S. Naval Academy. Upon commissioning from Annapolis and competion of flight school, Plumb would soon be flying an F-4. Little did he know what awaited him just a few years later in Vietnam.

    Plumb was deployed to the war zone in November 1966. He routinely flew missions over North Vietnam, including Hanoi, which he says was the most heavily protected city in the world at that time. On each mission, he came under fire in a variety of forms.

    In May 1967, Plumb was shot down by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) and taken prisoner. He was soon held prisoner at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton."

    In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Captain Plumb recounts his memories of being shot down, his remarkable prayer and other actions while parachuting into enemy territory, the brutal torture and deprivation he suffered in the prison, and how the U.S. POW's kept each other going. Finally, he shares what it was like to breathe as a free man after nearly six years of captivity.
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    37 m
  • Kathleen Faircloth, Gold Star Mother of USMC LCpl. Bradley Faircloth

    Kathleen Faircloth, Gold Star Mother of USMC LCpl. Bradley Faircloth
    May 21 2025
    Kathleen Faircloth received the news that no parent wants to get. In late November 2004, she learned that her son, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Bradley Faircloth, was killed during the Second Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. What followed was the anguish over losing her only child, slowly emerging from the immense grief that followed, and the unexpected joy of finding a family she never expected.

    In this Memorial Day edition of Veterans Chronicles, Kathleen Faircloth tells us how the 9/11 attacks sparked Bradley's interest in joining the military and how he joined the Marines impulsively while home from college.

    She then explains how Marine Corps boot camp produced significant, positive changes in her son, how much he loved being a Marine, and how she stayed in touch with Bradley while he was deployed to Iraq.

    We'll also hear Kathleen's detailed recollection of the day she found out Bradley was killed, receiving his body as it returned to the U.S., and the incredible bond she formed with the surviving members of Alpha Company, 1/8 Marines. It was forged at Bradley's memorial service and has strengthened exponentially over the past 20 years.

    Kathleen speaks very openly about her struggles following Bradley's death, the powerful moments that proved she was healing, and her desire to help the men of Alpha Company heal as well.

    As we honor those who gave their lives for our nation on Memorial Day and every day, Kathleen Faircloth's candor, humor, and tears will give you a powerful glimpse into those who put their ilves on the line for our nation and the powerful legacy they leave behind.
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    36 m
  • 1LT Doug Greenlaw, U.S. Army, Vietnam, Silver Star

    1LT Doug Greenlaw, U.S. Army, Vietnam, Silver Star
    May 14 2025
    Doug Greenlaw sees his life as a series of "lightning strikes." He was literally struck by lightning when he was 13 years old, thankfully making an immediate recovery. He later left Indiana University to join the Army, become an officer, and serve in in the Vietnam War - first as a platoon commander and then as a company commander. He arrived in Vietnam in 1967.

    In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Greenlaw takes us through his training, including a terrifying story from jungle training, and through his most harrowing moments in Vietnam. Greenlaw details the events of Thanksgiving Day 1967, when his platoon was dropped off in the wrong spot and quickly found itself facing a North Vietnamese battalion of 400-500 fighters. He explains the actions he took to keep his men alive until air and ground support could arrive - and he describes hand-to-hand fighting with an enemy officer in a North Vietnamese tunnel.

    Greenlaw also tells us his responsibilities and priorities as a platoon and company commander and how he and his men painstakingly looked out for enemy booby traps and explosives. He also reveals the extensive injuries he suffered after a soldier in his company tripped one of those wires.

    We'll also hear how Greenlaw's military service impacted his impressive rise as a sales and marketing executive, all the way to the top of MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH-1.

    Finally, we'll learn about Greenlaw's leadership with the Military Order of the Purple Heart, from leading his local chapter to serving as national commander for two years.
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    40 m
  • S/Sgt Melvin Hurwitz, U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II

    S/Sgt Melvin Hurwitz, U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II
    May 7 2025
    Melvin Hurwirz was 16 years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Within just a few years, all four boys in his family were at war, each in a different branch of the service. After enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps, Hurwitz was assigned as a gunner and as a radio man for a B-17 bomber crew after an aptitude test showed his proficiency at Morse Code. His crew then had a bit of an adventure flying the bomber over to Great Britain. It was Spring 1945 by the time he saw his first bombing mission.

    In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Hurwitz explains why he chose the Army Air Corps, what he was thinking as he went up on that first mission, and the amount of enemy resistance he faced in those final weeks of the war.

    Hurwitz also details his four bombing missions, particularly two aimed at German personnel still in France and how his was among the first planes ever to drop napalm in Europe. Hurwitz also tells us about bringing desperately-needed humanitarian aid to Belgium and the Netherlands at the end of the war and bringing French POW's back from Germany.
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    32 m