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When the United States retreated from the chaos of Kabul in August of 2021, General Sami Sadat was still fighting until the end. He recounts how his troops were starved for ammunition for two years before the final pullout, while the U.S. was negotiating with the Taliban. He also talks about how earlier in his career he fought alongside the CIA to track down al-Qaeda in the mountains on Hindu Kush. General Sadat provides a uniquely different view of the war in Afghanistan, how it was fought and how changing U.S. military goals and tactics made it increasingly difficult to succeed. He currently leads opposition efforts against the Taliban from outside of Afghanistan.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Is the Film Industry failing?
Oғғ ᴛʜᴇ Cᴜғғ Pᴏᴅᴄᴀsᴛ | Eᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ #23"Altruistic Action" - SPO Jarett BlainHelping people. A sense of purpose. A humble approach to life. We sit down with Senior Officer Jarett Blain and why his altruism has taken him from youth pastor, to salesman, to an effective School Resource Officer for the school district. Affectionately referred to as "Padre" by shiftmates, SPO Blain exemplifies what is great about our profession and our department. Timecodes00:00 - Intro 01:40 - Spring Recap11:43 - Guest Takeover | SPO Jarett Blain21:20 - Combat Medic | North Dakota Army National Guard27:10 - School Resource Officer & Challenges40:15 - No Cellphone in School Policy52:00 - Cooper Craig-Mellmer Leadership Award57:85 - Advice to Prospective Officers1:05:00 - Speed Cuffing1:06:56 - Closing GratitudesPlease subscribe to the podcast at:Buzzsprout : https://offthecuffdickinsonpd.buzzsprout.comiTunes : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-cuff-with-dickinson-pd/id1570884709Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/5gbmUwtX1na3kwROT8Kvg2Amazon Music : https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8ac1f628-fec0-4cff-a0a9-766d878c9194/OFF-THE-CUFF--WITH-DICKINSON-PDFacebook @DickinsonPDMUSIC FEATURING:Epic Americana 4 - ExtremeMusic#offthecuff #dickinsonpd
Commissioned a Marine second lieutenant on November 8, 1967, G.M. Davis arrived in Vietnam less than a year later to lead a rifle platoon against the North Vietnamese Army in the northernmost province of what was then the Republic of Vietnam. In his deeply personal book, My War in the Jungle: The Long-Delayed Memoire of A Marine Lieutenant in Vietnam, 1968-69, Davis brings to life the relentless heat, the worry, the responsibility he carried and the daily grind of firefights, battles, victory, and death. Contact with the enemy was frequent, and the chaos of even a small fight was daunting. Davis also examines the political reality of the time, arguing that the war was lost before it began, but that the nation kept fighting and losing soldiers so politicians could look strong and keep their jobs.With his tour of duty completed following two serious injuries, Davis went on to earn a law degree at the University of Florida and was appointed to the federal bench as a US Magistrate Judge.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Robert F McLean was just 19 years old when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy to do his part in WWII. Invited to join the Navy Seals, he declined and enrolled in the U.S.N. Patrol Torpedo Boat School in Melville, R.I. Upon graduation Bob was assigned to Squadron 30, destined for the European Theatre of Operations. Shortly after midnight on June 6, 1944, his squadron became the outermost fighter convoy of the Normandy Invasion. The largest force ever assembled included his Patrol Torpedo Boat 461, a fighter escort. Bob valiantly participated in the fall of Le Havre, France and received a Bronze Star. He also was awarded a Presidential Citation for his squadron's heroic rescue work in the English Channel during the Battle of the Bulge. He also took part in the liberation of the Channel Islands off the coast of France.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
The success of the submarine-borne Polaris missile was a critical nuclear deterrent that helped President Kennedy stare down Khruschev during the 1961 Berlin Crisis. Ever since, this weapon has been a key strategic tool of the U.S. Tom Ramos's book "From Berkeley to Berlin," chronicles the scientific journey leading to the development of this and other nuclear weapons and the singular man whose "buoyant optimism spread to everyone around him and accounted for the attainment of many an 'impossible' objective."Founded in 1931 on the U.C. Berkeley campus by famed physicist Ernest Lawrence, (Nobel Prize-winning inventor of the cyclotron in 1938) "The Rad Lab" attracted some of the finest talent in America, including J. Robert Oppenheimer. In 1941, Lawrence challenged his team to deter Joseph Stalin's nuclear program in the USSR. Oppenheimer and Lawrence collaborated for more than a decade, their work together culminating on the Manhattan Project. Lawrence then founded the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, whose team further developed nuclear technology, including the Polaris missile.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Former U.S. Air Force Combat Controller Dan Schilling relates the heroic story of John Chapman captured in his book "Alone at Dawn" – a fellow combat controller who fought and perished on an Afghan mountainside, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Chapman was the first airman to be so awarded in nearly fifty years. Dan gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Air Force Combat Controllers – the worlds deadliest and most versatile special operations force.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
A financial investigator for Federal law enforcement, David Asher is an expert in the financial side of organized criminal activities. He has been working for decades 'finding the money' to help build cases against some of the most notorious criminal organizations, (including the Gambino crime family) terrorists, and China. In this episode, David lays out the link between China and Mexican drug cartels to promote drug trafficking into the U.S., especially of deadly fentanyl. He also discusses heading the Federal investigation into the origins of the COVID.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Shetland, Scotland native and independent journalist Jen Stout was in Russia in late February 2022 when the war with Ukraine broke out and quickly left for a border post in southern Romania to cover the great flood of refugees who were fleeing the fighting. Weeks later she entered Ukraine to report first-hand from the front lines and cities across the country. A writer with a great sense of empathy, Jen's main interest was not military strategy or international politics, but the Ukrainian people – their indomitable spirit, their poetic sensibilities their hopes and fears. Her perspective is from the ground and her stories are filed from night trains, birthday parties, military hospitals and bunkers. Her very moving book is entitled: “Night Train to Odessa: Covering the Human Cost of the Russia's War.”Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Former SAS medical officer and current war surgeon, Richard Villar, volunteered to provide medical support in Gaza during the 2024 invasion following the October 7 Hamas attack. He found himself working in a 200-bed hospital overrun with 700 patients, many of whom were women and children The hospital was under constant threat from drones, missiles and naval shells. Despite the constant danger, he and his fellow medics performed complex surgeries on bombing victims. His moving account of his experience, captured in his book, Gaza Medic, transcends the politics of war and focuses on the raw, brutal realities faced by medical professionals in conflict zones.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Past guest and highly decorated former CIA operations officer Gary Berntsen is back and he's breaking down the facts about Tren Del Aragua--the notorious gang of trained criminals at the heart of the illegal immigrant debate.Gary explains how he and his colleagues gathered intel about Tren Del Aragua as part of their investigations into the Cartel Del Sol, the largest criminal organization in the world, and how they provided the government with a list of names of TdA members intentionally sent into the U.S. to cause mayhem. Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
CIA contract pilot William "Tosh" Plumlee is back—this time with his eyewitness account from the South Knoll of Dealey Plaza, in Dallas on November 22rd, 1963. Present as part of a Pentagon abort team, Tosh counted five shots, coming from at least two directions, with the fatal headshot coming from the South Knoll parking lot. Tosh drew a map of the events as he saw them, and shared his eyewitness account under sworn testimony to the FBI, the Church Committee, the House Select Committee on Assassinations and others. Over the years, Tosh has received visits from anonymous 'agents' warning him to keep quiet. Now he's telling his story to HBH.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Adam Speigelman talks about his Journey - from Kimmel to Access Hollywood and beyond AND MUCH MORE!
Doctor of behavioral science and pastor Michael Caparrelli spent 100 hours with convicted serial killer David Berkowitz in an effort to better understand the reasons he committed the notorious Son of Sam murders, which terrorized New York City during the late ‘70s. His highly compelling book on the subject is called The Monster Mirror. Michael Caparrelli's approach is unique. Not only is he a doctor of human behavior, he's also pastor who regularly lectures on mental health in churches, schools, and prisons throughout the country. In other words, he looks at psychology through a biblical worldview. He applies this perspective with great insight and compassion to his many conversations with David Berkowitz and arrives as at an understanding of the psychological and paranormal factors behind the 'Son and Sam' killings revealed by David Berkowitz himself, and gives us great insight into evil and how it preys on vulnerable humans. Said David Berkowitz during their meeting: "Truly, I deserve to die. There are no excuses. But I do want to explain as best as I can the psychological and paranormal factors behind this madness as a cautionary tale for other troubled young people.”Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
In Iceland, known for its rigorous gun control and low crime rate, the 2013 incident in Hraunbær shook the nation. Despite high gun ownership due to hunting traditions, violent gun use is rare. This case marked a tragic exception, leading to the first police shooting fatality in Icelandic history. The event, involving a mentally troubled individual and a tense standoff, resulted in critical reflections on police procedures and sparked discussions on law enforcement and public safety.Binge the entire season immediately and without ads by becoming a Plus subscriber, and enjoy the added perk of exclusive access to a hidden bonus episode each season.This episode was written and reported by Ragnar Tómas. Producer and sound designer was Eiríkur Sigurðsson. Executive producer is Nils Bergman.Music from Epidemic Sound and Extreme MusicNordic Crimes is a Tall Tale production.Contact: nils@talltale.se Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/nordic-crimes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Historian Hampton Sides describes one of the most brutal ground battles ever fought – the 17-day Battle of Chosin Reservoir, which began on the 27th of November 1950. The conditions were relentlessly difficult – frigid temperatures, frozen, rocky ground, and an enemy that kept coming in waves. And they weren't the North Koreans who General MacArthur had expected. No this was Mao's Red Army. More than 120,000 Chinese soldiers surrounded 30,000 US Marines and UN troops. What was a desperate situation could have been much worse, save for the incredible bravery of the Marines and the sage leadership of U.S. Marine battalion General Oliver Prince.Hampton Sides, in his excellent book On Desperate Ground, explains how General Smith's strategic thinking preserved the lives of many of his men, helping them receive supplies during the battle and eventually break through enemy lines to find a path to safety. It's a rosing tribute to the “Chosin Few!"Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
When Alfred Brenner enlisted in the Marines, he was told that the K-9 unit got to travel with air conditioning so he volunteered, even though he didn't really know anything about dogs. He was assigned a German shepherd named Grief and these two forged a bond during four months of training and in combat in Afghanistan. Alfred explains the role of a K-9 team as part of a platoon, how they train the dogs to detect explosives and bravely lead the way on patrol in enemy territory. This highly dangerous work eventually led to tragedy. Discovering a powerful IED, Grief was killed, and Alfred was grievously wounded. He ultimately recovered.Now a confirmed dog lover, Alfred recounts his unique experience and the job of these canine heroes in our military in his book, Surviving with Grief. Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Oғғ ᴛʜᴇ Cᴜғғ Pᴏᴅᴄᴀsᴛ | Eᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ #22"Trooper Talk" - SGT Jenna Clawson-HuibregsteWe go from blue uniform to brown as we sit down with North Dakota Highway Patrol's SGT Jenna Clawson-Huibregste. Though the trooper hat invokes the first reaction most people think, the true story is the "many hats" that SGT Clawson-Huibregste has worn over the course of her career. Currently serving as the NDHP's Public Information Officer, she also holds a portfolio in Cultural Liason, Dignitary Protection, Operations, and many other unique specialties of the troopers.Timecodes00:00 - Intro 00:50 - POP Team Update04:10 - Hero's Ball/Daddy Daughter Dance/NDPOA07:25 - New K-9 Arriving10:00 - Guest Takeover | SGT Jenna Clawson-Huibregste15:05 - Women in Law Enforcement21:10 - Youth Academy & Recruiting26:00 - Basic Academy & Specialty Training31:50 - Cultural Liason OFficer38:10 - Amber/Silver/Blue/Feather Alerts43:50 - Many Hats & Services54:10 - 2025 Women in Law Enforcement Expo58:45 - Advice to Prospective Troopers1:00:50 - Speed Cuffing1:01:55 - Closing GratitudesPlease subscribe to the podcast at:Buzzsprout : https://offthecuffdickinsonpd.buzzsprout.comiTunes : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-cuff-with-dickinson-pd/id1570884709Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/5gbmUwtX1na3kwROT8Kvg2Amazon Music : https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8ac1f628-fec0-4cff-a0a9-766d878c9194/OFF-THE-CUFF--WITH-DICKINSON-PDFacebook @DickinsonPDMUSIC FEATURING:Epic Americana 4 - ExtremeMusic#offthecuff #dickinsonpd
"Desert Storm" vet and Army Times reporter Kelly Kennedy leapt at the chance to embed with an infantry unit to work on a story about PTSD. What Kelly couldn't have known is that her unit, Battalion 1-26, Charlie Company, was one of the first to serve 15 months in combat conditions. (A decision later reversed by the U.S. Army.)Kelly's unit was placed in a "hot spot" and given the impossible mission to win hearts and minds. In fact, these soldiers faced almost daily IED incidents, earning them the dubious distinction of becoming the hardest-hit unit in Iraq. Things came to a head when one day the team refused to go on patrol, following the death of a comrade. Their 'mutiny' became a political lightning rod that resulted in ruined careers, ostracism, and penalty by the military upon Charlie Company. Many struggled when they got back home, and predictably there were a number of suicides within their ranks.Kelly reports on her experience, her own PTSD, and that of the soldiers whom she befriended, with whom she remains connected.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Retired Commander Mark Divine served for over 15 years as a U.S. Navy Seal around the world in Asia Pacific, Africa, Bahrain, and Iraq. A native of upstate New York, and a lifelong student of karate and zen meditation, Mark entered the U.S. Navy in 1989 and entered the Seals' BUDS training in 1990. As an outgrowth of his training and his service, he ultimately developed his own systems for mental and physical fitness, described in his books "SEALFIT" and “Unbeatable Mind.” In his latest book "Uncommon," Mark lays out the steps to applying his trademark warrior monk philosophy to the summit of personal development.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Our remarkable guest from Season One returns explaining how a small group of powerful men create celebrities out of abused children:Anneke Lucas was only a small child growing up in a little town in Belgium, when her mother began taking her to adult parties, and trafficking her to be abused as part of an organized system. When she was nine, she was spotted at one of these events by none other than David Rockefeller, who made her his own special project, whisking her away to America and presenting her as his ‘niece.' Presented to David's superior in the group, Sir Evelyn Rothschild, Anneke was invited to “join the family,” pledge her soul, and began preparing for her designated role as a future singing star. This training included not only music and dance lessons, but mental conditioning during a stint in the MK Ultra program in Germany, where she was tortured in order to prep her for her ‘real' career– spying on the powerful men with whom Rockefeller ‘shared' her. Anneke ultimately rejected the plan that had been set for her, and had to endure the torture inflicted for her disobedience.Anneke now enjoys a thriving life and her own podcast. She shares her story in hope that someday no child will endure this type of experience.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.comDesperately Seeking the '80sRevisit the crime and culture of NYC in the '80s with BFF Gen-Xers Jessica and Meg.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Oғғ ᴛʜᴇ Cᴜғғ Pᴏᴅᴄᴀsᴛ | Eᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ #21"SWAT Talent" - SPO Alex Schroeder & SPO Andy StidhamWhen citizens call for help, they get the police. When police call for help, they call for SWAT. As cliche as it sounds, the Southwest Tactical Team stands ready to resolve critical incidents in our region. Two of our top operators, SPO Alex Schroeder and SPO Andy Stidham, join us to discuss their vision and leadership principles in making the SWTT the strong team it is today.Timecodes00:00 - Intro 01:50 - Honoring Cooper Craig03:20 - New Axon Interview Room System08:10 - Problem Oriented Policing Team12:15 - Guest Takeover - SPO Schroeder and SPO Stidham21:00 - Intro to Southwest Tactical Team25:00 - Team Leader School and Scene Size Ups28:15 - Old SWAT vs New SWAT31:35 - Safety of Life Priority Concept39:00 - Getting onto SWAT43:45 - Leadership Philosophies51:10 - The Tactical Games54:50 - One Quality for Best SWAT Operator56:55 - Quick Draw1:00:10 - Closing GratitudesPlease subscribe to the podcast at:Buzzsprout : https://offthecuffdickinsonpd.buzzsprout.comiTunes : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-cuff-with-dickinson-pd/id1570884709Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/5gbmUwtX1na3kwROT8Kvg2Amazon Music : https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8ac1f628-fec0-4cff-a0a9-766d878c9194/OFF-THE-CUFF--WITH-DICKINSON-PDFacebook @DickinsonPDMUSIC FEATURING:Epic Americana 4 - ExtremeMusic#offthecuff #dickinsonpd
This is the first part of a series of interviews with 87-year-old CIA contract pilot William “Tosh” Plumly in which he describes being recruited into a top-secret military intelligence unit with other juvenile delinquents at the age of 16. Among the colorful incidents he relates are supplying weapons to Fidel Castro in the mountains of Southern Cuba at age nineteen, and attending the School of Illusionary warfare with Lee Harvey Oswald. Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Military historian Patrick O'Donnell puts a spotlight on America's original Special Forces units:Founded in Missouri by Major General John C. Fremont, (and ‘named' after his wife) the Jessie Scouts were a valuable intelligence cadre for President Lincoln during the Civil War. On the other side were Mosby's Rangers and the Confederate Secret Service. Created to infiltrate and disrupt, these groups operated behind enemy lines, sometimes disguised as women or opposing soldiers, taking huge risks to accomplish their missions. They also participated in combat, beginning at the Second Battle of Manassas (or Bull Run.) Patrick describes these remarkable groups, and the plot to assassinate President Lincoln in his book, “The Unvanquished.”Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
A fantastic WWII adventure: On June 16, 1944, the storied 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions accidentally dropped U.S. paratroopers off-target behind enemy lines in France near the ancient town of Graignes, Normandy, as part of the D-Day offensive. At great risk to themselves, including penalty of death, the 900 townspeople of Graignes determined to protect the paratroopers and fight the Nazis as a combined force, using the weapons the paratroopers had brought with them. What transpired could be the best WWII movie never made. Acclaimed U.S. military historian, Professor Stephen Rabe's own father was a paratrooper in Graignes. While he grew up hearing the story and meeting other surviving solders, it took Stephen over 60 years to research and write the story in his book, “The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village.”Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Don Haase joined the U.S. Army in 1966, and ultimately became crew chief with the 195th Assault Helicopter Company in the 2nd Platoon (“Ghostriders”) that —beginning in December 1967 — supported top-secret MACV-SOG Recon teams during the deadly secret war fought during the Vietnam War. Don received 12 Air Medals over 300 combat missions, and the Presidential Unit Citation. Don and his unit participated in the defense of Plantation Airfield during the 1968 Tet offensive and the subsequent counterattack. Don shares some of his adventures.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Prior guest Martha LaGuardia-Kotite is back with three U.S.C.G. Rescue Swimmer vets: John Whitten, Jason "Quitty" Quinn, and Ashley Ulbrich—who each share their adventures piloting helicopters over swimmers struggling to save people, leaping out of helicopters into the brink, or saving stranded folks in a hurricane. This lesser-known band of heroes are the brave people who come to our aid in often frigid or stormy seas, within 300 miles of the U.S. coastline, including Alaska.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
As a toddler, Quan Huynh came to the U.S. as a Vietnamese refugee. A few years later he lost his father to cancer, and as an angry teenager joined up with the Vietnamese gangs of Los Angeles. He quickly got into trouble, shooting three people and killing a fourth. Quan was sentenced to 15 years to life, and sent to prison.Quan shares his story of redemption and inner discovery during his incarceration, built upon the principle of taking responsibility, as detailed in his book "Sparrow In The Razor Wire." He was ultimately paroled and now counsels those currently serving sentences and former inmates to create constructive lives after prison.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
A riveting account of a true crime, the criminal justice system, and unlocking a decades-old cold case: In 1964, David Miraldi's father Ray L. Miraldi was a prominent Ohio former city prosecutor and then a private attorney when he jumped at the chance to defend tavern keeper Caspar Bennett of the lurid bathtub murder of his wife, Florence Bennett, believing him to be innocent.Attorney Miraldi won an acquittal but oddly never spoke of this professional triumph to his family. Years later while going through his father's papers, David found some important information about the crime and subsequent trial, and began his own investigation, discovering some darker truths as detailed in his book, "The Edge of Innocence."Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.comHang Out With Your Slang OutWords can be deceptive. Fear not, Matt Dan are here to help. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
When he joined the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, Jerry Blaine thought that that his service in the underwater demolition teams (UDTs) would be his life's biggest adventure. Instead, he returned stateside to a career as a Secret Service Special Agent accompanying Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and LBJ. Jerry shares his memories, including his closeness with the Kennedy family and that fateful trip to Dallas.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Frederick Rutland was nothing short of a navy hero in the UK following WWI, but his own charisma, quirks, and opportunism led him to Hollywood to spy for Japan in the years leading to Pearl Harbor, playing a key role in the Japanese attack. Though British officials knew what he was doing, they quietly sidelined him to avoid the public embarrassment of revealing one of their own as a traitor. Author Ron Drabkin shares the outrageous story of Rutland, including his friendships with Hollywood stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Boris Karloff, from his book "Beverly Hills Spy." Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Oғғ ᴛʜᴇ Cᴜғғ Pᴏᴅᴄᴀsᴛ | Eᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ #20"Many Hats, Many Talents" - Detective Tiffany WhineryFrom humble beginnings, Detective Tiffany Whinery has had a long desire to help, especially those whose voices may go unheard. With a law enforcement career that launched in a sleepy Wyoming town, Detective Whinery brings many skills, talents, and abilities to our department. She has previously served as a School Resource Officer, and during that time, has impacted many youth in our community through her approachability and genuine care. Now serving within our Criminal Investigation Division, Detective Whinery continues an accomplished career by providing closure to victims of crimes and being a positive example for future officers.Timecodes00:00 - Intro 01:00 - No Shave November and Cooper Craig03:05 - Winter Parking Ordinance07:00 - OIS Update15:00 - Guest Takeover - Detective Tiffany Whinery21:05 - Wheatland PD, WY27:17 - Dickinson PD Arrival30:30 - School Resource Officer and DARE40:10 - Detective Work46:30 - Side Projects50:00 - Cops and Kids59:50 - Work Day/CIU Life1:11:15 - Cases of Preference1:28:30 - Finding the Why1:31:07 - Advice to Newbies1:35:20 - Speedcuffing1:36:22 - Closing GratitudesPlease subscribe to the podcast at:Buzzsprout : https://offthecuffdickinsonpd.buzzsprout.comiTunes : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-cuff-with-dickinson-pd/id1570884709Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/5gbmUwtX1na3kwROT8Kvg2Amazon Music : https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8ac1f628-fec0-4cff-a0a9-766d878c9194/OFF-THE-CUFF--WITH-DICKINSON-PDFacebook @DickinsonPDMUSIC FEATURING:Epic Americana 4 - ExtremeMusic#offthecuff #dickinsonpd
Run by the Venezuelan regime and military, the Cartel del Sol is currently the largest transnational criminal organization in the world, earning trillions of dollars per year from drug and human trafficking, and other crimes. The name derives from the fact that the Venezuelan military wear suns on their uniforms in place of epaulets. In fact, this cartel oversees better-known criminal groups, including the Tren del Aragua (recently, Colombia's Cali cartel, and Mexico's Sinaloa cartel. Ex-CIA Operative Gary Berntsen lays out the facts: The Cartel del Sol's origin, leadership, and administration—as well as its partnership with Russia and China, both of which help launder drug money in the U.S. and around the globe.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Shot down October 1965, Lt. Commander and naval aviator Porter Halyburton, who was part of Fighter Squadron 84, was helped by local villagers and then taken into custody by the North Vietnamese Army. He was then imprisoned in the infamous Hanoi Hilton and moved to other prisons throughout North Vietnam.Initially declared dead, Porter describes how he and his fellow POWs forged friendships and developed unique mental exercises to help them cope and survive the deprivation and torture during their years in prison. In 1973, after eight years in captivity, Porter was finally released. The day he left Vietnam he decided to forgive his captors. In his book “Reflections on Captivity” he shares his philosophy of forgiveness and rising above hate. He and wife continue to visit Vietnam.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
While patrolling the waterways in Vietnam's Mekong Delta as Operations Officer, Bill Retz nearly lost his life. Doctors advised him that his navy career was over yet—defying the odds after a difficult recovery—he ultimately rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. Among his commands were the destroyer USS Stump and the Naval War base at Pearl Harbor. As Destroyer Squadron commander he was closely involved in anti-submarine warfare and in early tests of the Tomahawk cruise missile system.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.comCold Case Western AustraliaThey're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Special Forces legend "Tilt" Meyer is back in a special two-part episode, sharing stories from his new book “On The Ground!”If you joined MACV-SOG–-the Studies and Observations Group—in the 1960s for America's "Secret War" in Laos and Cambodia, the first thing you did was sign an oath to never speak about what happened for 20 years. Now able to speak freely, Tilt shares the sheer adventure and reality of jungle combat. Each SOG team was named after a U.S. state, and they were comprised of both American and local Vietnamese soldiers. HBH is thrilled to have him back to describe the friendships, firefights, and fortitude of this remarkable fighting group. Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Retired CIA Operative and government whistleblower Gary Berntsen continues to share insights and details from the results of a four-year investigation into election tampering. His team's conclusion: Enemies of the United States including Venezuela, Cuba, China and Serbia have been determining the results of elections in the U.S. since 2006 through the use of electronic systems that they have developed. Using these systems, they now manipulate the results of elections in 72 countries around the world.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Retired CIA Operative and government whistleblower Gary Berntsen reveals the results of a four-year investigation into election tampering. His team's conclusion: Enemies of the United States including Venezuela, Cuba, China and Serbia have been determining the results of elections in the U.S. since 2006 through the use of electronic systems that they have developed. Using these systems, they now manipulate the results of elections in 72 countries around the world.Gary Berntsen is arguably the most decorated CIA operations officer in modern times. He is the man who recruited and led the combined CIA-Special Forces teams that helped overthrow the Taliban after the attack of 9/11 and had Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda fighters trapped in the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan. He also served as a CIA Station Chief in three counties; led the Hezbollah working group; investigated the East Africa embassy bombings in 1998; and stopped various terrorist attacks around the world. Gary and his team are now going public with a criminal investigation that will shock the world. The evidence they have assembled is described in a new book by Ralph Pezzullo called "Stolen Elections: The Plot to Destroy Global Democracy" published by Skyhorse Publishing.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Oғғ ᴛʜᴇ Cᴜғғ Pᴏᴅᴄᴀsᴛ | Eᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ #19"Patrolman West of Richmond" - OFC Robert KleinholzQuickly proving he is a diamond-in-the-rough, Officer Robert Kleinholz's 22-year career in law enforcement embodies the exact thought that comes to mind when someone envisions a professional officer. Coming to us from Richmond, VA as one of our first Lateral Patrol Officers since the program began, OFC Kleinholz takes us on a journey that draws stark contrast of a dangerous urban city with our seemingly sleepy rural community. His love for the profession and a deep respect for suspects and victims alike is a commanding characteristic that is evident during our sit-down with him.Timecodes00:00 - Intro and 18-month recap10:35 - OFC Robert Kleinholz21:55 - Army Reserves & Kosovo23:10 - Richmond PD, the beginning years32:45 - Career Highlights37:05 - Compassion Fatigue & Verbal Tactics53:05 - Proactive Policing and Agent of Change1:22:00 - Advice to New Officers1:26:20 - Speedcuffing1:27:47 - Closing GratitudesPlease subscribe to the podcast at:Buzzsprout : https://offthecuffdickinsonpd.buzzsprout.comiTunes : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-cuff-with-dickinson-pd/id1570884709Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/5gbmUwtX1na3kwROT8Kvg2Amazon Music : https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8ac1f628-fec0-4cff-a0a9-766d878c9194/OFF-THE-CUFF--WITH-DICKINSON-PDFacebook @DickinsonPDMUSIC FEATURING:Epic Americana 4 - ExtremeMusic#offthecuff #dickinsonpd #policepodcast
Mikael Cook served as a U.S. Army engineer in the reserves. He was sent to Afghanistan in 2019 helping to build out infrastructure for U.S. military camps, working with local translators and other workers. He befriended his Afghan co-workers, especially an interpreter, Muhammad, and his brother Abdul.Following the Trump administration's decision in 2020 to withdraw from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years, it fell to the Biden administration to execute the withdrawal which they did very abruptly in August 2021, creating administrative and civil chaos and abandoning our allies and billions of dollars of U.S. military equipment. The scene at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport were horrific with thousands of Afghans, who had worked for the U.S. and feared Taliban reprisals, desperate to escape. With no helping coming from the Biden administration, it fell to an ad hoc coalition of U.S. civilians and military members – later dubbed “Digital Dunkirk' – to help rescue as many Afghans as they could. On August 26, 2021, in the midst of the chaos at the airport, an ISIS-K terrorist suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt that killed 13 U.S. servicemen and over 169 Afghan civilians.Mikael Cook tells this tragic and dramatic story from various perspectives in his riveting book, “Life and Death at Abbey Gate: The Fall of Afghanistan and the Operation to Save Our Allies.”Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Former Florida police investigator James Byrd-Williams, Sr. recounts the story of his son's murder in 2020. 44-year-old Michael Williams was an African-American man living in the mostly White college town of Grinnell, Iowa, to be near his ex-wife and kids. Occurring just weeks after the George Floyd incident, Michael Williams' body was found strangled and burned in a ditch outside of town. Three people were later convicted.J.B. expresses his frustration with the thoroughness of the investigation and the fact that officials and the NAACP—eager to avoid any media attention of the type recently seen in Minneapolis—denied it was a hate crime, and avoided the word 'lynching' in describing the homicide. UK newspaper The Guardian asked, “When is a lynching a lynching?” Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Becky Ellis was one of her father's eight children by four wives, and the chaos of her childhood, dominated by a haunted and difficult father, marked her and all her siblings. As a child, she suffered through her father's paranoia about Nazis attacking them; trips to the dentist without anesthesia; and other irrational behaviors.Only at age 89, when Becky was a grown wife and mother, did her father Staff Sgt. Louis K. Boswell finally share his wartime recollections as part of the legendary ‘Timberwolves' – the nickname for the 104th infantry division. The ‘Timberwolves' were deployed in northwestern Europe and saw almost 200 straight days of brutal fighting through France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and western Germany, including participating in the Battle of the Bulge. The group saw an extreme level of casualties, and Becky's father described how he survived and how it felt when he returned stateside, with what was then an undiagnosed case of severe PTSD.This compelling account is a glimpse inside military families who must welcome home a traumatized parent. Personally liberated by finally solving the mystery of her father, Becky shared her story in her book, “Little Avalanches,” and continues to work with military families coping with PTSD.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Admiral Robert Stiles Harward, Jr. grew up in a Navy family, living overseas, and eventually joined up himself as a means to pay for college. Adm. Harward ultimately went on to an amazing career and leading the U.S. Navy Seals, and the Naval Special Warfare Group Task Force KBAR. He explains his amazingly positive view of the world and philosophy of team collaboration and information sharing, which he calls "The Gouge," with our host and in his book of the same name.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Mark Paul's outrageous adventure,“The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told," is the hilarious story of two buddies who won't give up on their stroke of luck. While the horse is the real hero of the story—a filly who broke the odds when she won the Kentucky Derby out of sheer heart. Mark and his friend Dino determine to try, along with a third gambling buddy, to go collect their winnings of over a million dollars from a racetrack in Tijuana owned by a cartel... Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
David Crow had a childhood like no other—with a mentally troubled mother and a criminally sociopathic father who raised his kids on a Navajo reservation, despite not actually being Native-American. David describes how his father tried to train him to be his criminal accomplice, until as an adult David broke away and ultimately built a successful life as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. David's book, “The Pale-Faced Lie,” describes the scrapes and adventures he experienced.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Bobbie Myers served for years as a Florida policeman, de-stressing from his first responder experiences by living at the beach and surfing. Suddenly, after dramatically saving a drowning boy, his PTSD was triggered. He sought help and found a unique way to heal himself—repairing the headstones and tending the gravesites of fallen heroes, soldiers, and others whose resting places had fallen into disrepair and whose remarkable lives had been forgotten to the mists of time. Now he devotes a portion of his life every year to travel across the country, visiting different graveyards and cemeteries to help maintain the people he's found. Bobby shares stories of discovered heroes via social media at “Our Heroes Headstones.” Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
When he started playing video game “Red Dead Redemption 2”, (which has sold over 64 million copies) Professor Tore Olsson from the University of Tennessee was inspired to use the game's setting in the American West to inspire his students and provoke a conversation about the real history of this romanticized era. And his curriculum has been a wild success.Tore explains how even though the game isn't perfectly historically accurate, it does raise themes and ideas that are critical to a real understanding of a critical period in American history.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com