It was pointed out to me that I tend to do a lot of stories on aviators. That is true, and today is no exception. I myself was an aviator in my younger days, and to be honest, since about 3rd grade, that is all I wanted to do. I looked up to these men and women. I read every book I could find on the Wright Brothers, Chuck Yeager, Charles Lindberg, Amelia Earhart, and Jimmy Doolittle. Even some that only the Air Force types listening may have heard of –Clair Chenault, Curtis LeMay, and Paul Tibbits. My show today is once again, an aviation themed show. In it, I will talk about a group of women pilots that the Nazi’s were so afraid of, that Hitler gave the order to execute them on sight if any were ever captured. They were the Night Witches of World War II. Our hero for today saved an entire AC 47 Spooky in Vietnam, by jumping on a burning magnesium flare, holding to his body, and throwing out of the back of the plane, all while suffering severe wounds and bleeding profusely.

In this episode, we will hear about an unusual man-made disaster that, like all man-made disasters, could have been avoided if common sense and decency had only prevailed. We have seen countless industrial accidents caused by corporations cutting corners or allowing greed to get in the way of human decency; the Ford Pinto fiasco, the Bhopal explosion, or the Triangle Shirtwaist fire for example. The Great Molasses Flood is one more example where the greed of the factory owners, led to the deaths of innocent bystanders.

In our True Heroes segment, we have my first “Audience Request”…I will tell you of the epic bravery of Desmond Doss. To say that his service in World War II was awe-inspiring does not come close to doing him justice. In 2016, Andrew Garfield starred in a Hollywood production of Doss’ life called Hacksaw Ridge. While the film garnered acclaim from critics and audiences alike, it did not give the complete picture of the man’s incredible story.

Transcripts, references and sources: https://randhist.bio.link

In this episode, we will hear about one of the most inspiring and daring escapes in history. The story of Robert Smalls is one that should have been made into a movie long ago. The man stole a Confederate gunboat and sailed it, full of runaway slaves, to freedom. He would later become one of the first African Americans to serve in Congress.

In our True Heroes segment, I will introduce you to Daniel Inouye. His service in World War II was absolutely one of the most heroic and awe-inspiring you will ever hear about. Severely wounded, he helped his company take a key hilltop, paving the way for the Allied sweep though Italy as we pushed the Germans back towards their homeland.