Walk Among Heroes is proud to welcome four members of the Band of Brothers cast and Scott Gibson from the Pacific cast, for podcast episode 42.  Sara Kessel and Jeff Wells sat down with Peter Youngblood Hills (Shifty Powers), Nolan Hemmings (Chuck Grant), Alex Sabga-Brady (Francis Mellet), Christin Black (Walter Hendrix), and Scott Gibson (Captain Andrew Haldane) from the Pacific series, to discuss their experiences filming, relationships together, encounters with the soldiers they play, favorite scenes, and many other topics.  The guys were amazing, and we're excited for you to listen.  After spending a week with these guys in Normandy for the 79th Anniversary of D-Day, it's apparent how passionate they are about carrying forward the legacy of the characters they play, as well as the history surrounding one of the greatest TV series of all-time.  

For Episode 41, we are providing a recording of Walk Among Heroes' inaugural Night for Our Heroes, an evening dedicated to honor those who served D-Day and the battle for Normandy.  Also those who have dedicated their lives to preserving these memories and stories.  The evening consisted of a panel discussion between World War II Veterans, Band of Brothers' actors, and Maurice Renaud, son of the Alexandre Renaud, mayor of Sainte-Mere-Eglise on D-Day, June 6, 1944.  Guest included:

Local Guest:

Maurice Renaud:  Son of Alexandre Renaud, President of AVA, Overseas majority of D-Day Activities.  

Actors:

 Peter Youngblood Hills:  Actor, Band of Brothers series.  Played Darrell ‘Shifty’ Powers in the award-winning Band of Brothers series.

 Scott Gibson:  Actor, Pacific Series.  Captain Andrew Haldane.

 Matt Leitch:  Actor, Played Floyd Talbert in Band of Brothers series.  Founded a called We Happy Few 506, which leads Band of Brothers related tours in Normandy and other Band of Brothers’ sites.

 Peter McCabe:  Played Donald Hoobler in Band of Brothers series.  

 Nolan Hemmings:  Played Chuck Grant in Band of Brothers series.

 Alex Sabga-Brady:  Played Francis Mellet in Band of Brothers series.

Christian Black:  Band of Brothers series, and a world-renowned photographer.

 World War II Veterans:

 Gilbert Clarke:  Born in Jamaica, Gilbert was one of several thousand volunteers for the RAF.  Installed and maintained the new aircraft radar systems developed during WWII.

 Reid Clanton:  Landed on Omaha Beach, D-Day, June 6, 1944, with the 29th Division.  Fought in the Battle of the Bulge and through Germany with the 84th Division.

 James ‘Jim’ Kelly:  James Kelly landed in a glider on D Day, June 6, 1944, near the village of Ranville with the 1st (Airborne) Royal Ulster Rifles, on the eastern flank of the main landing front.  The Royal Ulster Rifles’ mission was to capture the bridges over the Caen Canal and the River Oren and to seal the eastern flank, thus protecting the main invasion from any possible counter attacks by German armored divisions.  

Walk Among Heroes is pleased to welcome Gilbert Clarke.  Originally born in Jamaica, Mr. Clarke volunteered to join the British Royal Air Force as a teenager, and was trained to install and maintain radar technology on planes in the RAF fleet.  Radar technology was developed during World War 2, as it became necessary to track German rockets approaching London.  Mr. Clarke was on the forefront of this technology.  Walk Among Heroes had the honor of meeting Mr. Clarke in Normandy in June 2023.  Such an inspiring man!

Walk Among Heroes is pleased to welcome James Kelly as our guest for episode 39.

James Kelly landed in a glider on D Day, June 6, 1944, near the village of Ranville with the 1st (Airborne) Royal Ulster Rifles, on the eastern flank of the main landing front.  The Royal Ulster Rifles’ mission was to capture the bridges over the Caen Canal and the River Oren and to seal the eastern flank, thus protecting the main invasion from any possible counter attacks by German armored divisions. 

The famous Pegasus Bridge mission was part of this operation.  Mr. Kelly was one of the first Allied soldiers to land in France, landing just after midnight on D-Day, June 6, 1944.  After the Normandy battles, his battalion fought in the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 and then the Rhine Crossings....and on into Germany.

Mr. Kelly will be traveling with us all week throughout Normandy, so lots more to come!

Walk Among Heroes is honored to welcome Episode 38 guest, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Harry Baker.  LTC Baker, 102 years-old and a resident of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, served as an artillery officer during World War II in Company C, 302nd Field Artillery Battalion, 76th Infantry Division.  He arrived in Europe right as Germany was mounting their largest counterattack of the war, later known as the Battle of the Bulge.  LTC Baker and his men landed and immediately moved straight to the front lines.  After repelling the German attack and eliminating the ‘bulge,’ the 76th Division advanced eastward into Germany, eventually forcing the Germans to surrender.  

Following the war, LTC Baker remained in the Army Reserve and finally retired as a lieutenant colonel.  As a civilian, LTC Baker had a wonderful career with Sears & Roebuck, and his proudest accomplishment, a 77-year marriage to Pat, the love of his life.  An amazing man with an amazing story.  We are so honored to meet him and to share his story.

A special ‘thank you’ to Mike Tarr, Louie Schultz, and Coey Podraza, for helping to arrange this amazing meeting.

Mr. Clanton, our previous guest for Episode 5, joins us for Episode 37 to discuss his upcoming trip to Normandy, Belgium, and Germany in June of this year.  This week, we met with Reid and Carolynn Clanton to present their day-by-itinerary.  Also, we surprised Mr. Clanton with Mike Tarr's extensive research, which allowed us to pinpoint several dates and locations for Mr. Clanton's major battles during the war.   

Currently a resident of San Antonio, Texas, Mr. Clanton was raised in West Texas, where he grew up on a farm in a very poor household, common during the Great Depression.  Mr. Clanton was asked to leave home at age eleven, as his parents could no longer afford to take care of him.  With only a fourth grade education under his belt, he was hired by a local farmer and was eventually drafted into the U.S. Army.  Mr. Clanton was assigned to the 84th Infantry Division (Railsplitters) and soon deployed to Europe.  

Mr. Clanton landed on Omaha Beach, France and fought through Belgium and Germany, before eventually reaching the Elbe River, where General Eisenhower halted the Allied advance to allow the Russians to enter Berlin.  Mr. Clanton fought along the Siegfried Line, where his division punched through the stout defensive line.  When Germany attacked during the Battle of the Bulge, Mr. Clanton’s division was forced to travel overnight to Marche, and after brutal fighting, stopped the advancing German forces and kept the Allied lines from totally collapsing.  Following victory in Marche, the 84th Division resumed its’ advance crossing the Roer and Rhine rivers, eventually reaching the Elbe.

We are honored to introduce Mr. George Koch as our guest for Walk Among Heroes Podcast Episode 36.  Mr. Koch is our first guest who served as a U.S. Merchant Marine.  Born and raised in New York, Mr. Koch (pronounced ‘Coke’) dropped out of high school in tenth grade to join the Merchant Marines.  At age 16 in September 1944, he reported to his first ship in New York Harbor.  He soon found himself sailing north on the Murmansk Run.  The Murmansk Run was a LONG, treacherous journey through German-controlled, Arctic frozen waters, from the United States to Russia, past Norway and through northern Europe.  At the time, the United States was manufacturing weapons and supplies to support our allies (Lend-Lease Program) including Russia, in their fight against Germany on the Eastern front.  Because Japan had the Pacific blockaded, we were forced to deliver supplies from the Atlantic north of Europe to the Russian port of Murmansk.  

During the journey to Murmansk, Mr. Koch’s ship was attacked by a German U-Boat and was nearly hit by a torpedo.  Other ships in his convoy were hit.  Upon arriving in Murmansk, Mr. Koch was able to visit the city, interact with Russian soldiers and local civilians, and became one of just a few U.S. soldiers who set foot on Russian soil during World War II.  In February 2021, Russia awarded Mr. Koch with the Medal of Ushakov, a rare military honor seldom awarded to anyone outside of Russia.  

Today, Mr. Koch resides in Rotonda West, FL with his lovely wife of 75 years, Jean.  

This episode features an AMAZING, detailed overview of the Battle of the Bulge and the actions at Bastogne.  Johnny, a historian from the 101st Airborne Division Museum in Bastogne, takes us through one of the largest and most complex battles in our history.  Bastogne was right at the center of it!

The 101st Airborne Museum is simply amazing.  It's one of the best museums we've ever visited.  If you'd like to learn more about it, visit: 

http://www.101airbornemuseumbastogne.com/

If you're a military or history lover, you will love this.