Podcasts about silver star medal

In Due Time. The true life story of a Viet Nam veteran, and his Silver Star Medal.

Andrew (Sully) Sullivan, retired Navy SEAL and DEVGRU operator, and founder of BlueForce Strategies and Community First Project joins me on this episode. Andrew's combat commendations include the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals with combat valor, the Purple Heart Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, six Joint Service Commendation Medals with combat valor, two Navy and Marine Commendation medals with valor, three Presidential Unit Citations, and numerous other joint and individual awards. Andrew is a subject matter expert in Special Operations and law enforcement training, instructing, leading, and mentorship, with a passion for service. Topics we cover include being a lifelong learner, growing up with patriotism, the moment that changed the trajectory of Andrew's life, leadership, the transition back to civilian life, training law enforcement officers, and more. Get connected with Andrew: Website: https://c1p.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551444688279 Twitter: https://twitter.com/C1Porg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/community_first_project/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-sullivan-647826175/ Donate to Community First: https://c1p.org/donate Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324  Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ  Want to learn how you can work with me to gain more clarity, build a rock-solid foundation for your business, and achieve the results and success you deserve? Visit http://jayscherrbusinessconsulting.com/ and schedule a 1:1 discovery coaching call. Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

Joining me on The Scuttlebutt this week to kick off our ninth season is Navy SEAL Veteran Rick Kaiser.   Born and raised in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Rick Kaiser joined the U.S. Navy at age 17. He attended Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) training Class 109 in Coronado, CA. Rick was assigned to SEAL Team TWO in Little Creek, VA in 1980. He served at SEAL Team TWO from 1980 until 1985, specializing in winter warfare, combat diving, and sniping until he was selected for duty at SEAL Team SIX in 1985.   In 1993, Rick received the Silver Star Medal for Valor during the Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down). He served at ST-6 from 1985 through October of 2012. During his time at ST-6, Rick acted as sniper, explosives expert, lead training Chief, sniper team leader, and Deputy Operations Officer.   Rick continues to serve his country and fellow SEALs by helping to educate others about this unique special operations force and further the Frogman heritage as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum.   Rick talks about his service, what challenged him in BUD/S, the leaders he looked up to, the missions he was assigned, and when the history of the SEALs started to mean something to him. Hint: It's not when you think!   For more information about Rick's book FROGMAN STORIES and to check on the goings-on at the Navy SEAL Museum check out the links below.    Frogman Stories: https://www.amazon.com/Frogman-Stories-Leadership-Lessons-Teams/dp/1636243517   Navy SEAL Museum: https://www.navysealmuseum.org/   Support this podcast:   Thank you to our sponsor: Tobacco Free Adagio Health: https://tobaccofree.adagiohealth.org/     To find out more information about the Veterans Breakfast Club and view our upcoming schedule of online and in-person events, visit our website at: http://www.veteransbreakfastclub.org/   #podcast #zoom #scuttlebutt #thescuttlebutt #humor #storytelling #headlines #news #oralhistory #militaryhistory #roundtable #navy #army #airforce #marinecorps #marines #military #coastguard #veteran #veterans #veteransbreakfastclub #vbc #nonprofit #501c3 #veterans #veteran #vet #militaryhistory #usarmy #army #vietnam #usnavy #navy #pilot #airforce #veteranowned #coastguard #aviators #militaryveterans #Iraq #vietnamveterans #veteransstories #veteranshistory #veteranshistoryproject #veteranstravel #veteranstrips #veteranshistoricaltours #veteransoralhistory #militaryretirees #armyretirees #navyretirees #warstories #airforce #vietnamwar #veteraninterview  

Secretary Deb Haaland made history when she became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. She is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and a 35th generation New Mexican. Secretary Haaland grew up in a military family; her father was a 30-year combat Marine who was awarded the Silver Star Medal for saving six lives in Vietnam, and her mother is a Navy veteran who served as a federal employee for 25 years at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. As a military child, she attended 13 public schools before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque. As a single mother, Secretary Haaland volunteered at her child's pre-school to afford early childhood education. Like many parents, she had to rely on food stamps at times as a single parent, lived paycheck-to-paycheck, and struggled to put herself through college. At the age of 28, Haaland enrolled at the University of New Mexico (UNM) where she earned a Bachelor's degree in English and later earned her J.D. from UNM Law School. Secretary Haaland and her child, who also graduated from the University of New Mexico, are still paying off student loans. Secretary Haaland ran her own small business producing and canning Pueblo Salsa, served as a tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and became the first woman elected to the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors, overseeing business operations of the second largest tribal gaming enterprise in New Mexico. She successfully advocated for the Laguna Development Corporation to create policies and commitments to environmentally friendly business practices. Throughout her career in public service, Secretary Haaland has broken barriers and opened the doors of opportunity for future generations. After running for New Mexico Lieutenant Governor in 2014, Secretary Haaland became the first Native American woman to be elected to lead a State Party. She is one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress. In Congress, she focused on environmental justice, climate change, missing and murdered indigenous women, and family-friendly policies.

Andrew (Sully) Sullivan, retired Navy SEAL and DEVGRU operator, and founder of BlueForce Strategies and Community First Project joins me on this episode. Andrew's combat commendations include the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals with combat valor, the Purple Heart Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, six Joint Service Commendation Medals with combat valor, two Navy and Marine Commendation medals with valor, three Presidential Unit Citations, and numerous other joint and individual awards. Andrew is a subject matter expert in Special Operations and law enforcement training, instructing, leading, and mentorship, with a passion for service. Topics we cover include being a lifelong learner, growing up with patriotism, the moment that changed the trajectory of Andrew's life, leadership, the transition back to civilian life, training law enforcement officers, and more. Get connected with Andrew: Website: https://c1p.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551444688279 Twitter: https://twitter.com/C1Porg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/community_first_project/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-sullivan-647826175/ Donate to Community First: https://c1p.org/donate Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324  Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ  Want to learn how you can work with me to gain more clarity, build a rock-solid foundation for your business, and achieve the results and success you deserve? Visit http://jayscherrbusinessconsulting.com/ and schedule a 1:1 discovery coaching call. Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

Welcome back to The Criminal Justice Evolution Podcast. Thank you for listening to the show. If you are a first time listener - Welcome. Long time listener - Welcome back. Thank you all for the support.  A big thank you to YOU. For what you do everyday as a first responder and criminal justice professional. Remember you are honored, cherished and loved. Please be safe. I struggled. I was in a dark place for a long time. I was in pain, and I masked it with alcohol.  I was contemplating hurting myself.  I finally decided to reach out and ask for help, and I am grateful I did. FHE Health and The Shatterproof Program saved my life. If you are struggling, you don't have to stay there. We can and will help you. Reach out today at 303.960.9819. https://fherehab.com/ https://www.cjevolution.com/shatterproof/ Every time I have a Special Warfare Operator on I am always amazed by their humility, dedication and devotion to this great country. I had the honor of having Andrew "Sully" Sullivan on the show recently. Andrew is the CEO of Community First Project and BlueForce Strategies. They provide law enforcement organizations with no-cost training in areas such as de-escalation, stress mitigation and management, target identification and other critical skills, Community First Project can give police officers the confidence and critical skills to continue safeguarding our communities. Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Andrew Sullivan medically retired from the US military in 2020 after nearly two decades of service in the Special Operations community, including six years at SEAL Team Two and eleven years at Naval Special Warfare Development Group.  His many combat commendations include the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals with combat valor, the Purple Heart Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, six Joint Service Commendation Medals with combat valor, two navy and Marine Commendation medals with valor, three Presidential Unit Citations and numerous other joint and individual awards. Following his time in service, Andrew started BlueForce Strategic Action Group, a SDVOSB that provides tactical, security, and leadership consulting to the DOD, Federal, and Law Enforcement Agencies. Additionally, Mr. Sullivan has consulted with several organizations advocating for mental health treatment for Veterans and First Responders. He is a board member at One Summit, a 501c3 that provides resilience training for pediatric cancer patients.  Andrew has a MS in Strategic Leadership from the University of Charleston, West Virginia, and currently resides in Virginia Beach, VA, with his two daughters.  You can find Andrew here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-sullivan-647826175/ https://c1p.org/about-us Check out more great episodes on The CJEvolution Podcast. www.cjevolution.com   Patrick

Last time we spoke about the naval battle of Empress Augusta Bay. Operation Cherry Blossom kicked off taking the Japanese by complete surprise. All of the diversionary actions had managed to confused the Japanese into thinking the Shortland Islands were the real target. Wilkinsons flotilla managed to land 14,000 men and 6200 tons of supplies at Cape Torokina. When the Japanese finally received news of the landings they tossed massive air attacks and prepared a counter landing force. The air attacks were not nearly enough to put a dent on the unloading process. Vice admiral Omori set out to intercept the Americans, but was caught off guard by Admiral Merrills figure 8 maneuver that saw two Japanese warships sunk, many heavily damaged and hundreds of Japanese killed. The Japanese tried a second time to hit the Americans, but Admiral Halsey unleashed his carriers to quell the action. This episode is the Counterattack on Bougainville  Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Things were looking bad for the Japanese at the start of the Bougainville campaign. Many Japanese lay dead on the island from the futile attempt to counter the landings. In the depths of Empress Augusta bay lay other bodies and warships. Rabaul was being pulverized systematically. The Japanese needed to dislodge the enemy from the island lest it become another Guadalcanal. General Turnage's marines had successfully made their landings and now they would expand their perimeter. The naval battle of Empress Augusta Bay combined with Admiral Sherman's carrier raid against Rabaul's harbor had delivered a crippling blow the IJN's power in the region. Admiral Kusaka's air force at Rabaul had been reduced to 270 aircraft including the last minute 100 aircraft he was loaned from the IJN carriers. To make matters worse, on November the 5th, Admiral Halsey received a new task group led by Rear Admiral Alfred Montgomery. Task Group 50.3 consisted of carriers Essex and Bunker Hill; light carrier Independence and destroyers Edwards, Murray, McKee, Kidd, Chauncey and Bullard. On November 8, the destroyers Stack, Sterett and Wilson were also given to this group, though they would be withdrawn by November 14. These new carriers were packing heat. Essex carried 36 Hellcats, 36 SBDs and 19 TBFs; Bunker Hill 24 Hellcats, 33 SB2C Helldivers and 18 TBFs, plus 24 Corsairs ran CAP for her from Ondoanga and Segi Point; Light Carrier Independence carried 24 Hellcats and 9 TBFs, plus  12 Hellcats (CAP from Ondoanga and Segi Point). With all of that Halsey had an additional 45 torpedo bombers, 69 dive bombers and 120 fighters to continue putting the hurt on Rabaul. The only catch for all of this was Halsey lacked an adequate destroyer screen to protect these super weapons, thus he would be unable to fully utilize them until a bit later on.Halsey was also reinforced with Rear-Admiral Laurance DuBose's Cruiser Division 13 consisting of light cruisers Santa Fe, Birmingham, Mobile and Biloxi; and destroyers Harrison, John Rodgers, McKee and Murray. Admiral Merrill's exhausted task force was given some much needed R&R beginning on November 7th.  Back over at the beachhead, General Vandegrift was so certain the operation was 100% successful he handed the keys to the car to Turnage and returned with Admiral Wilkinson to Guadalcanal, of course he was about to receive a promotion and would soon be on his way to Washington. Turnage now sought to expand the beachhead further inland to give the marines more defense in depth, as it was expected the Japanese would launch major attacks to dislodge them. He shifted the 3rd Marines, whose units had suffered the most casualties thus far to the left sector of the beachhead. He then moved the more fresh 9th marines to the right where he believed was the most likely area the Japanese would hit the hardest. Still meeting no enemy resistance, these shuffling actions were accomplished by November 4th. Simultaneously many units also extended the perimeter. By the end of November 3rd, the 2nd raider battalion extended their part of the perimeter 1500 yards or so. The only real action anyone saw for awhile was patrol skirmishes and some fighting over roadblocks. The 2nd Raiders were under the temporary command of Major Alan Shapley who took responsibility for a few roadblocks; companies rotated out of their positions every couple of days. The key roadblock positions were found along the Piva and Mission trails. The 3rd raiders were working out ways to lure out a small group of Japanese holding out on Torokina island. On November 3rd, 3rd defense battalion and a 105 mm battery of the 12th marines fired upon the small island for 15 minutes. The 3rd raiders followed this up to storm the suspected Japanese position to find nothing but corpses. An outpost was established by M company of the 9th marines far to the left of the main perimeter which was hoped to guard against surprise attacks coming over the Laruma river. Turnages patrols at this point became a daily chore for all units on Bougainville. These patrols would go on for 20 grueling months. The thick undergrowth and lack of well defined trails made it extremely easy for the Japanese to set up ambushes at their leisure. Thus to combat this, the marines had to turn to some very good boys, K9 companies. The war dogs used their superior senses to hunt and track down the enemy during patrols. During the early stages of the Bougainville campaign the dogs were able to locate a number of small groups of Japanese. The Bougainville campaign despite being a warzone would not see as brutal fighting as say places like Peleliu. On Peleliu many of the war dogs literally were driven mad, but for Bougainville the dogs had a less intensive time. The patrols scouted as far north as Laruma and south to the Torokina River finding no meaningful resistance. By the 5th of November, the perimeter was extended inland a further 3 miles. Now 5 battalions were manning a 10,000 yard front, with the bulk of the raider battalions located on Puruata island and at cape Torokina in the reserves. Wilkinson's convoy would bring over another 3548 troops of the 21st marines and 5080 tons of supplies on November 6th. Because the beaches were already so cluttered up with supplies everything and they still lacked developed facilities, the incoming LST's had to land their cargo on Puruata island where there was open beaches. There was still no shore party to organize the unloading and a supply jam would hit the smaller island just like it was on Bougainville. Turnage now had nearly 20,000 men to man a pretty small beachhead. On the other side, the Japanese were under the belief, no more than 5000 Americans hand landed on Bougainville, getting those guadalcanal vibes aren't we? Admiral Kusaka still sought to send over the specially trained amphibious 2nd mobile raiding unit of Major Miwa Mitsuhiro, 1000 men strong. He hoped to perform a counter landing north of the American beachhead. If the special unit could disrupt the marines enough perhaps the Iwasa detachment could march overland to join up and together they would dislodge the Americans. On the 6th the destroyers Amagiri, Uzuki Yunagi and Fumizuki departed Rabual carrying 475 of the special unit with 375 support troops. The small convoy was escorted by Admiral Osugi's destroyer squadron consisting of Urakaze, Kazagumo, Wakatsuki, Makinami, Naganami, Onami and Hayanami. Fortunately for them, the naval force managed to sneak past a PT Boat guard force of 8 PT boats operating out of Puruata Island. On November 7th and 4am the IJN destroyers doubled back and unloaded the troops onto 21 landing barges to make a run for the beach. The 8 PT boats operating patrols in the area had established a new base on Puruata island, but not a single one of the discovered the Japanese landing force. Sailors aboard one of the PT boats reported seeing a strange craft, which might have been one of the barges and consequently a PT boat did check out the report. Yet before it arrived the Japanese were already landed ashore and about to charge into the left flank of the perimeter. The landing craft was seen by a Marine anti-tank platoon along the beach, but they did not fire upon it, thinking it to be American. Thus in the end the amphibious assault was a complete surprise to the Americans. The small Japanese force had landed on the beaches between the Laruma and Koromokina rivers. Not only were the Americans surprised, the Japanese were also surprised to find out the American perimeter extended further west than expected, as a result they would be unable to assemble into a unitary force before a firefight broke out. The Japanese had landed so close to the marine beachhead, the 5th company, 54th regiment were cut off from the Laruma outpost at 6am and were forced to attack the left flank of the perimeter. The Japanese raiders came ashore scattered along two miles of beach on either side of the Laruma River. Major Miwa Mitsuhiro gathered the men he could and sought to take advantage of the element of surprise they held. At 6:30am a skirmish broke out against Company K's 3rd platoon. The platoon had been out patrolling inland towards the Laruma river right at the same time as the landing. The platoon ran right into the force killing some japanese before the platoon leader disengaged realizing the size of the enemy. He took his men into the swamps going eastward, it would turn into a 30 hour grueling adventure. Company K of the 9th marines then were attacked by company 5 of the 54th regiment in a 5 hour long firefight. The guns of the 12th marines and the 90 mm anti-aircraft weapons of the 3rd defense battalion managed to fire upon the invaders who were forced to pull back to some captured foxholes. Company K then launched a counterattack. They found the Japanese dug in 150 yards west of the Laruma river. Fierce fighting broke out, but Company K could not dislodge them. At 1:15pm companies B and C of the 1st battalion, 3rd Marines came in to relieve the exhausted defenders and launched an attack through Company K's position. Major John Brady's men attacked the Japanese in the entrenchments. Company C hit the right flank as B hit the left. Both ran into heavy machine gun fire. The men requested tank support and soon the tanks 37mm were firing upon the Japanese at point blank range causing tremendous casualties. Meanwhile the 1st battalion of the 21st marine led by Lt Colonel Ernest Fry had just landed on Puruata island and they were given orders to spearhead a new assault upon the Japanese. Two LCPRS were sent to evacuate the Laruma outpost and by the night time the marines and Japanese were having shouting matches as they fired upon another. The Japanese yelled "Moline you die" and the Marines made earthy references to Premier Tojo's diet. Marine Captain Gordon Warner was fluent in Japanese, so he could quickly reply to the Japanese, apparently he even yelled believable orders prompting a bayonet charge. He would receive the Navy Cross for destroying machine gun nests with a helmet full of hand grenades, but lost a leg in the battle. Sergeant Herbert Thomas, would give his life near the Koromokina. His platoon was forced prone by machine-gun fire, and Thomas threw a grenade to silence the weapon. The grenade rebounded from jungle vines and the young West Virginian smothered it with his body. He posthumously was awarded the Medal of Honor. The attack would come to a halt, to allow a strong bombardment to hit the Japanese positions provided by the 12th marines. The following morning saw another bombardment by 5 batteries of the 12th marines before Lt Colonel Fry led two companies through the 3rd marines position to attack. They crashed into a concentrated area around 300 yards wide and 600 deep. Light tanks supported the attack. However they would only find slight resistance alongside over 250 dead Japanese. Major Miwa had pulled the men out heading further inland to try and join up with Major General Iwasa Shun's soon to be counteroffensive. The battle cost the marines 17 dead and 30 wounded, but took a hell of a toll on the Japanese. After this action the defensive line behind the Koromokina Lagoon was strengthened. On november 9th, allied dive bombers hit the area to clear it of possible Japanese infiltrators. Patrols in the area would find more Japanese dead and the Marines would ultimately claim over 377 dead Japanese. Over on the Japanese side, the Iwasa Detachment were marching towards the Mission and Numa Numa Trails. These two positions would allow them to thwart a lot of the possible American advance, which they still believed were smaller than they actually were.  Back on November 5th the E company of the 2nd raiders had skirmished with some Japanese at the Piva Trail roadblock. The actions alerted Colonel Edward Craig and he ordered most of the raiders to head north to support the position. On November 7th, Colonel Hamanoue Toshiaki led the 1st battalion to hit part of the roadblock managed by H company. This would be occurring simultaneously with the amphibious assault on the Koromokina. H company supported by some mortars from the 9th marines were able to beat off the attack, giving Major Alan Shapley's G company enough time to come and reinforce the position. By the afternoon, the raiders were forcing the Japanese to retreat over to Piva village where they dug in. Hamanoues men then began to use their new position to fire mortars and artillery into the marine perimeter. The next day, General Iwasa ordered two battalions to attack the position supported by a mortar barrage. However the swamp land on either side of the trail prevented proper flanking maneuvers so the Japanese were forced into a frontal attack. Companies E and F easily repelled the attack receiving aid from the 3rd raiders. The Americans formed a horseshoe defensive formation connecting the roadblock to the main perimeter. The new position was reinforced with mortars from the 9th marines and some light tanks of the 3rd tank battalion. The Japanese suffered heavy casualties for their efforts. E and F company then attempted flanking maneuvers through the treacherous swamps and did manage to hit the Japanese. The heavy fighting eventually resulted in a stalemate and both sides pulled back. The marines had 8 deaths and 27 wounded while it is estimated the Japanese had 125 deaths. On November 9th Major General Roy Geiger arrived at Bougainville to take command of the 1st Marine amphibious corps. Turnage now turned his attention to clearing the Piva Trail as it could threaten the building of the planned airstrips. He ordered the 2nd battalion, 9th marines led by Lt Colonel Roert Cushman into a support position and two raider battalions to clear the trail. Beginning at 7:30am on the 9th, artillery of the 12th marines began to pound the area as the Raiders advanced forward through the narrow trail between the two swamps. Some Japanese had survived the artillery bombardment and began moving 25 yards within the marines position. The raiders ran directly into them beginning a firefight. The action saw a series of thrusts and counter thrusts at point blank range. The Japanese were trying to breakthrough the marine defenses just as the raiders were coming up to smash them. It was fierce fighting and Private 1st Class Henry Gurke of the 3rd raiders was maning one of the tow man foxholes in the forefront that met the attack. To protect his partner Private 1st class Donald Probst firing with a BAR, Gurke pushed Prost aside and tossed himself over a grenade that was thrown into their foxhole. Gurke was killed, saving his friend. Probst would receive a Silver Star Medal and Gurke posthumously received the Medal of Honor. As the brawl raged on Colonel Craig sent in his reserves to check a flanking maneuver right of the roadblock. The marines gradually overcome Iwasa's men causing them to pull back again to Piva village. By midafternoon, the Marines reached the junction of the Piva and Numa Numa trails and would dig in for the night. The marines suffered 12 dead and 30 wounded, while patrols would counter over 140 dead Japanese bodies. If accurate this meant the Japanese had suffered 500 casualties during this four-day combined counteroffensive. To strengthen their new position, bombers from Munda began bombing the 50 yard area on either side of the Piva trail going as far north as Piva village. Afterwards the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 9th marines settled into new defensive position along the Numa-Numa trail and began tossing patrols forward. Meanwhile Turnage and Geiger were seeing the arrival of the first echelon of General Beightlers 37th division. Wilkinsons transports landed the 148th regiment, 5715 troops and 3160 tons of supplies. In response Kusaka tossed 15 Kates and 60 zeros to try and hit the transports during the afternoon. They managed to land a hit on the transport Fuller, killing 5 men and wounding 20, but ultimately it did nothing much. The beach situation had improved a bit, so the 129th and 145th regiments, some 10,277 men were beginning to land alongside 8500 tons of supplies between november 11th and 12th. Im sure by hearing these numbers for the landings you are already realizing how dramatically things had shifted for the allies in the Pacific. There was no way for Japan to challenge such landings at this point, the Americans were simply out producing them in every imaginable way.  Admiral Halsey now sought to smash Rabaul again on the 11th. He planned to launch a three pronged air raid. Sherman's and Montgomery's carriers from the south and General Kenney's bombers from New Guinea. Yet terrible weather hit New Guinea as it typically dose, preventing Kenney's aircraft from participating. Thus the carriers would go it alone. Sherman launched his aircraft in the vicinity of Green island 225 miles from Rabaul. Shermans aircraft ran into 68 Zeros over the harbor. The bombers tried to hit the already damaged heavy cruisers Chokai and Maya, but missed. However within the inner harbor was the light cruisers Agano, and single torpedo landed a critical hit, blowing off a large portion of her stern, flooding her engine room. Montgomery launched his aircraft 160 miles southeast of Rabaul. Essex and Bunker Hill tossed 80 aircraft each, Independence tossed 25 and 24 additional Corsairs came to provide CAP. Lt Commander James Vose led 33 Curtiss SB2C Helldivers, the new dive bomber replacing the Dauntless throughout the fleet. The Naganami was hit by a torpedo and forced to be towed into the harbor. The Suzunami was hit by a dive bomb attack and would sink near the entrance to Rabauls harbor. Strafing from the fighters and bombers inflicted additional damage against light cruiser Yubari; and destroyers Urakaze and Umikaze. 6 zeros were also shot down. While Shermans pilots had managed to withdraw from their raid using rain squalls, Montgomery's group would not be so lucky. Admiral Kusaka responded to the raids by launching one of the largest anti-carrier strikes of the War. The wave consisted of 11 G4M bombers, 27 D3A dive bombers, 14 B5N torpedo bombers and 67 Zeros. Despite radar alerts of the incoming air strike, Montgomery decided to get his aircraft aloft and perhaps carry out another strike. Montgomery was confident in his CAP and his task force was operating a new carrier formation. The carriers were grouped together rather than separated, forming a triangle in a 2000 yard circle with 9 destroyers spaced around evenly around 4000 yards. They would also be utilizing new anti-aircraft fuses. The Japanese pounced on the task force in a battle that would last 45 minutes. The CAP engaged the zeros while the Japanese bombers tried to hit the carriers. Bunker Hill suffered 5 near misses, one one puncturing the hull of the Essec in a number of places. Independence received 4 near misses. It was minor damage and it came at the cost of 2 zeros, 14 kates and 24 vals, absolutely terrible for the Japanese. The action did however stop Montgomery from launching a second strike. In just a week Kusaka had lost 43 zeros out of 82; 38 vals out of 45; 34 kates out of 40; 6 D4Y Susui “comets” out of 6 and 86 pilots out of 192. Such losses were absolutely crushing. Admiral Koga would be forced into a terrible situation later with the invasion of the Gilberts due to a shortage of aircraft. Koga was forced to pull out his surviving carrier planes from Rabaul and replace them with inferior planes and pilots from the Marshalls. But that's it for Bougainville for we are now traveling back to the China theater.  At dusk on November 2nd, General Yokoyam began his offensive into the Changde area. His 39th division advanced southwest of Yidu, followed by the 13th division headed to Nanmu; the 3rd division with the Sasaki detachment headed for Wanjiachangzhen; and the 68th and 116th divisions plus the Toda Detachment attacked the Anxiang. After routing some smaller forces out of the way, the 13th and 3rd divisions attacked the 79th army along the Nanmu-Wangjiachangzhen line on november 5th, while the 116th and 68th divisions hit the 44th army near Anxiang. Commander of the 10th army group, Lt General Wang Jingjiu assembled the 66th army at Niajiahezhen and ordered Major General Wang Jiaben to resist the enemy at all costs. The Chinese were absolutely crushed by the two Japanese divisions and were forced to retreat towards Moshi with the Japanese in hot pursuit.  Meanwhile the 116th and 68th divisions hit both flanks of Anxiang breaking General Wang Zuanxu's lines held by the 29th army. Zuanxu had to order a withdrawal and from that point the 116th pursued the 44th army towards Jinshi where they annihilated a small part of the unit. To the north on November the 9th the Miyawaki Detachment was advancing to Nanmu and the Sasaki detachment to Xinguanzhen, white the 3rd and 13th divisions were catching up to the 79th army in the Moshi area. The 13th division attacked Moshi while the 3rd division attacked Xinmin. During this battle the 79th army was effectively destroyed as a fighting force. After this, Yokoyama ordered the 3rd division and Sasaki detachment to attack Shimen where the 73rd army was defending. Yokoyama also ordered the 116th division to attack Chongyang and for the 68th division to advance by river towards Hanshou. This was all done in preparation for the upcoming attack against Changde, being defended by Major General Wang Yaowu's 74th and 100th armies. On November 14th, the Japanese offensive hit Shiman, seeing the defeat of the 73rd army in just two days. On the 19th, the second phase of the offensive began with the 3rd division joining up with the 116th to attack Chongyang. Simultaneously, the 13th division and Sasaki detachment began an occupation of Tzuli. On the 21st the assault of Chongyang began seeing the 51st and 58th divisions of the 74th army crushed. From Chongyang the Japanese forces immediately began an advance towards Changde. The 13th division met tough resistance from the remnants of the 29th army group led by Wang Zuangxu. The Chinese were able to utilize the mountainous terrain to their benefit hitting the Japanese with artillery. The 68th division defeated the 100th army at Hanshou and then annihilated its remaining survivors around Junshanpuzhen. This left only Major General Yu Chengwan's 57th division defending Changde.  Unbeknownst to Yokoyama, General Xue Yue had dispatched reinforcements led by Lt Generals Li Yutang and Ou Zhen to try and halt the Japanese offensive. By November 23rd, Yokoyama's assault on Changde began. The 3rd, 68th and 116th divisions surrounded the city. Two days later the 30,000 Japanese began attacking Yu Chengwan's brave 8300 defenders. The defenders were hit with artillery and aerial bombardment. With each attack the Chinese were pushed back little by little until they only held 300 meters around their main command post. Yu Chengwan's only hope was to hold on until the reinforcements arrived to try and make a breakthrough, but by December the 1st the 3rd and 68th divisions performed a pincer attack defeating them. On December 2nd, Yu Chengwan was forced to evacuate the city. Changde fell on the 3rd of December and Yokoyama celebrated the success by ordering chemical and biological units to attack cities in the region. Whenever the Japanese found too much resistance they had Unit 516 deploy chemical weapons in liquid or gas forms including mustard gas, lewisite, cyanic acid gas and phosgene. Some of the weaponry was still in experimental stages. Artillery was used to launch shells filled with the gas into cities inflicting massive civilian casualties. Most of the artillery shells contained mustard gas and lewisite. The effect of the chemical weapons caused massive panic to both humans and livestock. Its alleged bubonic plague was also deployed and spread within a 36 km radius of Changde city. It is estimated 300,000 civilians would be killed in Changde alone, alongside 50,000 soldiers. The Japanese began to withdraw on December 9th, but by this time Ou Zhen launched a counteroffensive and managed to reclaim the city. By December 24th, the 11th Army returned to their original positions, for the Japanese it was another hit and run offensive, aimed to cause massive death. The Japanese suffered 1274 deaths and 2977 wounded, though these are their claims and they most likely lost more. The Chinese estimated 14,000 had died with 10,000 being captured.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Japanese counteroffensive against the Marine beachhead on Bougainville was not going according to plan. Admiral Halsey gave Rabaul another crushing air raid and now the Japanese air power in the pacific was dwindling dangerously. Within China the horror of Japan and their chemical and biological units continued. 

Kelly Rizzo from Special Forces: World's Toughest Test on Fox. Charles Ritter and Bobby Tuttle, co-hosts of Pineland Underground podcast. Major Bobby Tuttle is currently the Director of Outreach and Strategic Communications for the Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS) where they assess, select, train and educate Army Special Operations Forces. Chuck Ritter is an active-duty Army Special Forces Sergeant Major with 23 years of service. He currently serves as the Deputy Commandant for SWCS Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. He has conducted a total of seventeen deployments, with twelve deployments being to combat. He has also been recognized multiple times for his service and possesses a Silver Star Medal, a Bronze Star for Valor, an Army Commendation Medal for Valor, three Purple Heart Medals and numerous other military awards. Reality Life with Kate CaseyMust Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.comPatreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecaseyTwitter: https://twitter.com/katecaseyInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseycaTik Tok: http://www.tiktok.com/itskatecaseyFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245Amazon.com: www.amazon.com/shop/katecaseySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” — H. Jackson Brown Jr. Today, we're joined by one of the most well-trained individuals on the planet, Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator, Andrew Sullivan. After watching the events of 11th September 2001 unfold, Andrew enlisted in the Navy, completed BUD/S training, and became a Navy SEAL. After six years at SEAL Team Two, he was selected to screen for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), also known as “DEVGRU,” where he spent the remainder of his time in service. In an 11-year stint at NSWDG, Andrew served as Team Leader for a 24-man counter-terrorism unit that conducted numerous missions pursuing high-value targets and conducting hostage rescue operations worldwide. He medically retired from the US military in 2020 after nearly two decades of service in the Special Operations community. Andrew has been awarded the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals with combat valor, the Purple Heart Medal, and numerous other joint and individual commendations. In 2021, Andrew founded the Community First Project, a nonprofit organization designed to improve community safety by providing much-needed, no-cost training to police officers. The Community First Project delivers comprehensive, up-to-date tactical and operational training that allows officers to serve, protect, and survive – and keep our communities safe. In this episode: » Andrew's career as a Special Forces operator and the work he's doing today » The importance of the right training – and the right team – in every mission you're on » What mindset you need to perform under pressure; and » How to build resilience when you're faced with pain and loss. Let's WIN THE DAY with Andrew Sullivan! _

This week's episode feature Robert Kerman, Master Sergeant (USMC Retired). I am super excited to share this episode with you due to the impact young Lance Corporal Kerman, had on me and subsequently my squad in Third Battalion Second Marines. When we were in our final exercise prior to pushing out on deployment, I pulled one of the more recent Silver Star Citations I could find. I wanted to inspire my younger Marines and make them realize that the junior enlisted Marines were taking the fight to the enemy.  The citation reads as follows, KERMAN, ROBERT P. Citation: The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Robert P. Kerman, Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as Rifleman, Combined Anti-Armor Platoon, Weapons Company, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, on 25 March 2003, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Lance Corporal Kerman exhibited exceptional bravery when the lead elements of the battalion were ambushed with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic weapons fire. As the vehicle he was traveling in drove directly into machine gun fire and into a trench line, Lance Corporal Kerman sprang from the vehicle and began assaulting down the enemy-occupied trench with two other Marines. As enemy soldiers fired at him, he fearlessly plunged towards them firing his M-16 with lethal accuracy. Continuing to move through the trench he repeatedly came under enemy fire. Each time he would calmly occupy a steady firing position and take well-aimed shots that had devastating effects on the enemy. As the group ran out of ammunition, they pressed forward 200 to 300 meters utilizing captured enemy AK- 47s. Lance Corporal Kerman showed no regard for his own personal safety, and his actions directly contributed to the successful outcome of the engagement. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Lance Corporal Kerman reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.  18 years later, I met Robert Kerman at the Post 9983 VFW in Holly Ridge while shooting with some buddies of mine. The introduction was anti-climactic for everyone but me, we all shot and had a great time. I was honored to attend his retirement last month on Camp Lejeune and have been looking forward to bringing you all this story.

This week's episode feature Robert Kerman, Master Sergeant (USMC Retired). I am super excited to share this episode with you due to the impact young Lance Corporal Kerman, had on me and subsequently my squad in Third Battalion Second Marines. When we were in our final exercise prior to pushing out on deployment, I pulled one of the more recent Silver Star Citations I could find. I wanted to inspire my younger Marines and make them realize that the junior enlisted Marines were taking the fight to the enemy.  The citation reads as follows, KERMAN, ROBERT P. Citation: The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Robert P. Kerman, Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as Rifleman, Combined Anti-Armor Platoon, Weapons Company, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, on 25 March 2003, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Lance Corporal Kerman exhibited exceptional bravery when the lead elements of the battalion were ambushed with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic weapons fire. As the vehicle he was traveling in drove directly into machine gun fire and into a trench line, Lance Corporal Kerman sprang from the vehicle and began assaulting down the enemy-occupied trench with two other Marines. As enemy soldiers fired at him, he fearlessly plunged towards them firing his M-16 with lethal accuracy. Continuing to move through the trench he repeatedly came under enemy fire. Each time he would calmly occupy a steady firing position and take well-aimed shots that had devastating effects on the enemy. As the group ran out of ammunition, they pressed forward 200 to 300 meters utilizing captured enemy AK- 47s. Lance Corporal Kerman showed no regard for his own personal safety, and his actions directly contributed to the successful outcome of the engagement. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Lance Corporal Kerman reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.  18 years later, I met Robert Kerman at the Post 9983 VFW in Holly Ridge while shooting with some buddies of mine. The introduction was anti-climactic for everyone but me, we all shot and had a great time. I was honored to attend his retirement last month on Camp Lejeune and have been looking forward to bringing you all this story.

This week's episode feature Robert Kerman, Master Sergeant (USMC Retired). I am super excited to share this episode with you due to the impact young Lance Corporal Kerman, had on me and subsequently my squad in Third Battalion Second Marines. When we were in our final exercise prior to pushing out on deployment, I pulled one of the more recent Silver Star Citations I could find. I wanted to inspire my younger Marines and make them realize that the junior enlisted Marines were taking the fight to the enemy.  The citation reads as follows, KERMAN, ROBERT P. Citation: The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Robert P. Kerman, Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as Rifleman, Combined Anti-Armor Platoon, Weapons Company, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, on 25 March 2003, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Lance Corporal Kerman exhibited exceptional bravery when the lead elements of the battalion were ambushed with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic weapons fire. As the vehicle he was traveling in drove directly into machine gun fire and into a trench line, Lance Corporal Kerman sprang from the vehicle and began assaulting down the enemy-occupied trench with two other Marines. As enemy soldiers fired at him, he fearlessly plunged towards them firing his M-16 with lethal accuracy. Continuing to move through the trench he repeatedly came under enemy fire. Each time he would calmly occupy a steady firing position and take well-aimed shots that had devastating effects on the enemy. As the group ran out of ammunition, they pressed forward 200 to 300 meters utilizing captured enemy AK- 47s. Lance Corporal Kerman showed no regard for his own personal safety, and his actions directly contributed to the successful outcome of the engagement. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Lance Corporal Kerman reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.  18 years later, I met Robert Kerman at the Post 9983 VFW in Holly Ridge while shooting with some buddies of mine. The introduction was anti-climactic for everyone but me, we all shot and had a great time. I was honored to attend his retirement last month on Camp Lejeune and have been looking forward to bringing you all this story.

Mr. Pineiro joined the Marines at age 17 and was part of the first division, spending time in Central America and South America since he was fluent in Spanish. He transitioned to the intelligence division and spent time in Granada, where he was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his bravery in saving several agents in the field of combat. He was subsequently recruited to the CIA and was sent to Nicaragua for reconnaissance.

In this episode we are joined by Bob Walker. Bob was an infantry officer during the Vietnam War with an incredible story and experience. Bob served as a platoon leader with the 9th Infantry Division, conducting air assaults and raids similar to how Ranger Regiment is used today. His military awards include: Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star Medal (3rd Award), Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device, Bronze Star Medal (4th Award), Air Medal with "V'' Device, Air Medal (6th Award), Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device, Army Commendation Medal (5th Award), Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal, Army Overseas Ribbon (2nd Award), National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and Ranger tab. Bob was inducted into the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame in 2020. Support the show and become a War Stories patron: https://www.patreon.com/warstoriespodcast Website: https://www.warstories.co

My old buddy from Gloucester, Va., Peter Teagle hooked me up with Bucky.  We sat down in Bucky's house to record this podcast. Bucky, an Emory and Henry College graduate, enlisted in the Army in 1965 and attended the Infantry Officer Candidate School, where he was a distinguished graduate. He was commissioned to the rank of second lieutenant in 1966. He volunteered for the Special Forces and served in the force until late 1970, by which time he had attained the rank of captain and served two combat tours in Vietnam, where he was assigned to the Special Forces' Mobile Strike Force. During this time he was awarded the Silver Star Medal, four Bronze Star Medals, the Air Medal and three Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry. After attending the Infantry Officers Advanced Course, Burruss served in Germany for three years, commanding airborne and mechanized infantry companies. He then returned to the Special Forces at Fort Bragg, N.C., as an instructor and faculty adviser in the Special Forces School, teaching in the Special Forces Officers Course, the Operations & Intelligence Course and the Military Freefall Course. In 1977, he completed the rigorous British Special Air Service Selection Course and was selected by the late Colonel Charlie A. Beckwith to help form and train the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta, where he served his remaining time in the Army. He commanded the unit's first operational element and later served as the commander of Delta's Selection and Training Detachment, as the operations officer and as the deputy commanding officer. During this time, he participated in the ill-fated Iran raid, the invasion of Grenada and a number of classified operations in the Middle East, South and Central America and elsewhere. He was commended by the British armed forces for his assistance to the Special Air Service in the Falkland Islands campaign. Burruss retired from the Army on Jan. 1, 1987 to pursue a career in writing. His published works include Mike Force, a personal account of his 22 months in Vietnam, four novels, and has written numerous pieces for the Philadelphia Inquirer 

This week in the studio a man with 23 years of service to this country. He currently serves as the Deputy Commandant for the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School's (SWCS) Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He began his career as an infantryman in the 25th Infantry Division, He then served in the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant, Intelligence Sergeant, Team Sergeant and currently serves as a Special Forces Sergeant Major. Throughout Chuck's military career, he has conducted a total of seventeen deployments, with twelve deployments being to combat. He has also been recognized multiple times for his service and possesses a Silver Star Medal, a Bronze Star for Valor, an Army Commendation Medal for Valor, three Purple Heart Medals and numerous other military awards. now here is where the story gets crazy, He has a passion for recovery and resiliency due to being severely wounded in combat on three combat rotations; and has recently undergone his 30th surgery in the past 13 years. In addition to his military career, Chuck is the Founder/Partner of LYCOS GROUP, LLC, a leadership consulting firm based in North Carolina and is a board member for the Talons Reach Foundation. He plans on retiring from the military in 2023 to continue with consulting and helping soldiers realize that being in control of your mental health should be one of the top priorities to make that next chapter after service as memorable as the service itself. Please welcome Charles “Chuck” Ritter.

Jason Harrington served in an elite unit that was deployed to Iraq in 2005. On September 19, 2005 his life would change when an IED blew up his Humvee. But little did he know that a split second decision he made prior to climbing in that Humvee would not only save his life, but dozens of fellow American soldiers. His valor earned him the nations 3rd highest combat honor, the Silver Star. #combatveteran #silverstarmedal #americanhero #warhero

-Paul McCullough co-founded O2X Human Performance in 2013 and serves as Managing Partner, along with Adam La Reau and Gabriel Gomez. Paul's vision steers the overall growth strategy of O2X, ensuring the company's products and offerings are best positioned for maximum impact across current and future O2X clients. Paul is driven by a passion for supporting those who serve others, focusing on improving the health, safety, and performance of our nation's tactical populations and elite organizations.-Through the company's formative years, Paul oversaw all areas business development, building a truly customized training platform that now services hundreds of federal, state, and local organizations across the United States. Paul guided the process of customizing O2X's proven methodology to meet the unique demands of every client, leading the development of industry defining programs, products, and services.-Prior to O2X, Paul served eleven years in the U.S. military as a Navy SEAL. He spent his career with SEAL Team Eight and Naval Special Warfare Development Group. Throughout his service, Paul conducted numerous combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and other contingency operations around the globe. Paul left the Navy as a Chief Petty Officer and his highest awards include a Silver Star Medal, 2 Bronze Star Medals with Valor, and 2 Joint Service Commendation Medals with Valor.FirstNet Built with AT&T:http://www.firstnet.com/healthandwellnessDownload the O2X Tactical Performance App:app.o2x.comLet us know what you think:Website: http://o2x.comIG: https://instagram.com/o2xhumanperformance?igshid=1kicimx55xt4f 

Thom joined the United States Navy (USN) in 1988 and served for 23 years as a Navy SEAL (Sea, Air and Land).In this episode he talks about life growing up, joining the military and becoming a Navy SEAL, his time over in the United Kingdom (U.K.) with the Special Boat Service (SBS), and deployments around world.Thom shares a bestselling book he wrote called Unbreakable: A Navy SEAL's Way of Life. He also talks about experiences in Afghanistan where he was awarded the Silver Star Medal (3rd highest military decoration for valour in combat), and lastly, he talks about training leaders through his company called Unbreakable Leadership.Watch Episode on YouTubePart 1: youtu.be/-I3ugxVDOF4Part 2: youtu.be/PqJEZa5oxy4TikTok:tiktok.com/@militaryveteranspodcastInstagram:instagram.com/militaryveteranspodcastTwitter:twitter.com/MilVetPodcastLinkedIn:linkedin.com/company/military-veterans-podcastMerchandise:milvetpodcast.com/merchIf you've enjoyed any episode from the show, please head over to Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and give the show a 5 star rating. It really will help the show be found by others. Many thanks! Message at the end of the recording is from your host Gav, giving you information on how you can support the show through Patreon.Supporting monthly would help the show record future episodes and help with the upkeep of previous recordings. £5 a month will give you access to bonus recordings, where Gav and the guest chat about things that don't make it into the main recording. Thank you.Support the show

This Weeks episode, Dolores Stands up with Retired USMC Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch.  Nick Popaditch was born on July 2, 1967, in East Chicago, Indiana, graduated from North Vigo High School, and enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 6, 1986. Following recruit training, he was assigned as a Tank Crewman and served the next 4 years in Okinawa, South Korea, and California with the 1st Tank Battalion, during which time he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He served as a Tank Commander on Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, participating in the breaching of two minefields and numerous offensive operations against Iraqi forces. In 1992, Sgt Popaditch was honorably discharged. During the next few years, Nick worked as a civilian. He worked construction in San Diego, then as a Correctional Officer in Indianapolis, Indiana until he re-enlisted back into the Marine Corps in 1995, returning to 1st Tank Battalion, serving as a Tank Commander until 1998. Popaditch next served as a Drill Instructor from 1999 to 2002 at MCRD San Diego, during which time he was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant and achieved the billet of Chief Drill Instructor.  Following his tour as a Drill Instructor, he returned to 1st Tank Battalion to serve as a Tank Commander and Platoon Sergeant on the march up to Baghdad in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He participated in numerous offensive operations against Iraqi forces and was present at the fall of the Saddam regime in Baghdad, where he participated in security and stabilization operations in the historic city. After returning stateside, Popaditch was promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant. He volunteered to return with the first Marine units to redeploy back to Iraq for counter-insurgency operations He was redeployed to Fallujah, again as a Tank Commander and Platoon Sergeant. He was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his actions against enemy forces during the first nettle for Fallujah. On April 7, 2004, he was wounded in action. GySgt Popaditch was awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds sustained in combat. He was medically retired on June 30, 2005. Nick Popaditch attended San Diego State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude. While in college, he authored 2 books, Once a Marine and The Ultimate Marine Recruit Training Guidebook. Once a Marine was the 2009 Military Writers Book of the Year and has been selected for the Commandant's reading list for 4 consecutive years. Popaditch was a candidate for the United States Congress in the 2010 and 2012 General Elections.  Following his graduation from college, Nick briefly took a position teaching Algebra in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Finding the role of a teacher not what he expected, Nick left education and took a position with Tesla Motors in Silicon Valley, California. He worked as a Supervisor there for 3 years before returning to Chula Vista, California. In 2021, Nick and April Popaditch relocated to Texas. They celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary there while awaiting the construction of their new home in Bulverde, Texas. They have 2 grown children, Nick Jr is a graduate of San Diego State University and Richard will graduate from Mesa College in December.Nick currently works part time as a consultant and continues to write.Thanks to our sponsor Coach Kim with Peak Performance Coaching. If you are feeling stuck and want to get unstuck, schedule a complimentary strategy session today at:Calendly.com/KimYeaterIt's okay to be stuck, but its not okay to stay there.

Join MSgt Roger Sparks and host Jason Sweet for LIVE Q&A with aspiring special operations candidates across the United States. SOCOM Athlete is America's #1 resource in Special Operations career preparation. In this powerful episode of the "Send Me" podcast, Roger Sparks, a USAF Pararescueman (PJ) legend & the Author of “Warrior’s Creed" opens up for questions on battlefield experience, leadership, training tips, and more. Roger was considered for the Medal of Honor for his actions in Kunar Province, Afghanistan during Operation Bulldog Bite, receiving the Silver Star Medal for "distinguished valor & heroism in combat." A former USMC Force Reconnaissance Marine & USMC Basic Reconnaissance Course (BRC) instructor, Roger trained thousands of candidates during his time as a Marine before continuing his journey into the Air Force. After successfully graduating the 2-year PJ pipeline, Roger's first duty station was the 23 Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida, where he later transferred to the elite Alaska PJ team, 212 Rescue Squadron. Whether rescuing downed pilots from a remote glacier in Alaska, or braving Taliban gunfire to save infantrymen of the 101st Airborne in the austere mountains of Northeastern Afghanistan, Roger lives by the PJ motto: "These things we do, that others may live." It's a true honor to bring Roger Sparks on the podcast. "Send Me!"• SOCOM Athlete Website: https://www.socomathlete.com/• Become a Patreon Donor to support us & keep the podcast going: https://www.patreon.com/socomathlete• Follow SOCOM Athlete Instagram: https://instagram.com/socomathlete/• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:(With One Click!): http://www.youtube.com/c/SOCOMAthlete?sub_confirmation=1• Check out our Reviews on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socomathlete/reviews/The “Send Me” Podcast by SOCOM Athlete connects well-known U.S. Special Operators with America’s aspiring young leaders & warriors; sharing battlefield wisdom, leadership advice, childhood stories, and expert training tips. SOCOM Athlete is America's #1 resource in special operations career preparation. We are a special operations veteran-owned organization featuring nation-wide training events & a vast online community, providing individuals of all ages a full-spectrum resource to maximize readiness via: nation-wide hosting of assessment/developmental events, nation-wide online group chats, leadership skills & team communication development, workout programming, meal planning, elite physical training/mentoring, career information/Q&A, and more.Many SOCOM Athlete students have gone forward to accomplish their goals and are now serving as Special Operators in the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army Special Operations community. Will YOU be next? Contact us via website, email, or social media today!

SOCOM Athlete is America's #1 resource in Special Operations career preparation. In this powerful episode of the "Send Me" podcast, host Jason Sweet brings on Roger Sparks; a USAF Pararescueman (PJ) legend & the Author of “Warrior’s Creed." Roger was considered for the Medal of Honor for his actions in Kunar Province, Afghanistan during Operation Bulldog Bite, receiving the Silver Star Medal for "distinguished valor & heroism in combat." A former USMC Force Reconnaissance Marine & USMC Basic Reconnaissance Course (BRC) instructor, Roger trained thousands of candidates during his time as a Marine before continuing his journey into the Air Force. After successfully graduating the 2-year PJ pipeline, Roger's first duty station was the 23 Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida, where he later transferred to the elite Alaska PJ team, 212 Rescue Squadron. Whether rescuing downed pilots from a remote glacier in Alaska, or braving Taliban gunfire to save infantrymen of the 101st Airborne in the austere mountains of Northeastern Afghanistan, Roger lives by the PJ motto: "These things we do, that others may live." It's a true honor to bring Roger Sparks on the podcast. "Send Me!"• SOCOM Athlete Website: https://www.socomathlete.com/• Become a Patreon Donor to support us & keep the podcast going: https://www.patreon.com/socomathlete• Follow SOCOM Athlete Instagram: https://instagram.com/socomathlete/• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:(With One Click!): http://www.youtube.com/c/SOCOMAthlete?sub_confirmation=1• Check out our Reviews on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socomathlete/reviews/The “Send Me” Podcast by SOCOM Athlete connects well-known U.S. Special Operators with America’s aspiring young leaders & warriors; sharing battlefield wisdom, leadership advice, childhood stories, and expert training tips. SOCOM Athlete is America's #1 resource in special operations career preparation. We are a special operations veteran-owned organization featuring nation-wide training events & a vast online community, providing individuals of all ages a full-spectrum resource to maximize readiness via: nation-wide hosting of assessment/developmental events, nation-wide online group chats, leadership skills & team communication development, workout programming, meal planning, elite physical training/mentoring, career information/Q&A, and more.Many SOCOM Athlete students have gone forward to accomplish their goals and are now serving as Special Operators in the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army Special Operations community. Will YOU be next? Contact us via website, email, or social media today!

Dave Martinez, the founder of the La Habra boxing club, a former amateur boxer in the U.S. Army, a well-respected professional cut man and a lifelong La Habra resident who grew up in the camps. David was award the Silver Star Medal as an Army medic during the Vietnam War. He sits down and talks about his humble and beautiful life. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/matt-brown57/support

Ross Patterson and Jarred Taylor welcome special guest Silver Star recipient Earl Covel and discuss how he received the Silver Star Medal, go through stories from his deployment, and discuss how patriotism and devotion to his brothers in arms kept him fighting.

Ross Patterson and Jarred Taylor welcome special guest Silver Star recipient Earl Covel and discuss how he received the Silver Star Medal, go through stories from his deployment, and discuss how patriotism and devotion to his brothers in arms kept him fighting.

Ross Patterson and Jarred Taylor welcome special guest Silver Star recipient Earl Covel and discuss how he received the Silver Star Medal, go through stories from his deployment, and discuss how patriotism and devotion to his brothers in arms kept him fighting.

Ross Patterson and Jarred Taylor welcome special guest Silver Star recipient Earl Covel and discuss how he received the Silver Star Medal, go through stories from his deployment, and discuss how patriotism and devotion to his brothers in arms kept him fighting.

Michael Patrick "Murph" Murphy (May 7, 1976 – June 28, 2005) was a United States Navy SEAL officer who was awarded the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first member of the U.S. Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War.[1] His other posthumous awards include the Silver Star Medal (which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor) and the Purple Heart. Michael Murphy was born and raised in Suffolk County, New York. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University with honors and dual degrees in political science and psychology. After college he accepted a commission in the United States Navy and became a United States Navy SEAL in July 2002. After participating in several War on Terrorism missions, he was killed on June 28, 2005, after his team was compromised and surrounded by Taliban forces near Asadabad, Afghanistan. The Movie, The Lone Survivor is based on his story in Afghanistan. Mark Wahlberg and many other famous actors starred in the movie that tells their story and what happened. Links to other platforms:YouTube Video HighlightsYouTube Full Video EpisodesApple PodcastiHeart Radio SoundcloudSpotifyGoogle PodcastPodbean Instagram (The Comeback Team)Twitter Page Instagram (Bek Lover)

Chad Malmberg explores the similarities and differences of his police and military experience. He recounts the events that led to him receiving the Silver Star Medal. Malmberg describes the commonality of sacrifice, courage and discipline that both the military and police life require.

Vietnam War veteran and retired U.S. Air Force Major Gen. Edward Mechenbier, 76, of Columbus was held as a prisoner of war from 1967 to 1973 in North Vietnam, where he was beaten and tortured but survived on as little as 600 to 800 calories a day. The nearly 600 Americans who survived captivity in North Vietnam “weren’t special. We were just products of the American society,” Mechenbier said. “Some people say, ‘I couldn’t take the torture. I couldn’t take the isolation,’ ” he said. “People always sell themselves short, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, I could never do that.’ Yes, you could. “I mean, you just think about things in everybody’s life. We all face challenges. We all face hardships. We all face things that are going on and we say, ‘Oh, I couldn’t do that.’ “Well, I couldn’t do what I did in my own mind ... but you know, you look around at all the other guys who were in there with you. There were no supermen there. We were just ordinary guys doing our job, and we just never gave up.” Mechenbier was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, and graduated from high school in Dayton. His father, a welder and steamfitter, had told him he would need a scholarship to go to college, and bet his son $5 he couldn’t get an appointment to a federal military academy. Mechenbier won that bet, he said, and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1964. By 1967, he was flying a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II interceptor and fighter-bomber in Vietnam. On June 14, Mechenbier, who was with his crewman – Kevin McManus, who operated the plane’s radar, among other tasks – was on his 113th combat mission and 80th mission over North Vietnam. They weren’t required to conduct another mission that day, but they did. Their unit lacked enough qualified crews for a mission to Hanoi. Mechenbier and McManus were asked to join the mission, he said. Mechenbier said, “Well, let me check with Kevin,” who answered, “Why not? Let’s go.” First, they had a breakfast of pork chops, he said. Mechenbier remembered thinking, “This is a heck of a last meal.” “I’d never had that thought before,” he said. Normally, the F-4s flew as protection for Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bombers. As a result, 54 planes in Mechenbier’s unit took off at 10 a.m. on a mission to attack a railroad yard, he said. Mechenbier’s plane had been hit on another mission five days earlier but appeared to be in good shape, he said. While executing a maneuver over the target, he had one engine on idle while the second was using its afterburner. When he fired the first engine’s afterburner, the engine exploded, he said. Just before the explosion, he said, the plane was flying at 700 mph. Mechenbier and McManus ejected, and the plane hit the ground before Mechenbier’s parachute opened. He and McManus were under parachutes while “over 6 million people with 6 million guns (were) shooting at us.” Mechenbier carried a .38-caliber revolver but knew he was in no position to put up a fight, he said. He threw the pistol away before he landed on a roof in a village and rolled to the ground, where he immediately was surrounded. The North Vietnamese used machetes to cut away his gear and uniform, leaving him in his shorts and a T-shirt, he said. His captors threw rocks at him and jabbed him with bamboo sticks before leading him to an air-raid trench, where the North Vietnamese acted as if they would execute him before a laughing crowd. His introduction to ‘Hanoi Hilton’ Mechenbier’s next stop was at what the POWs called “New Guy Village” at Hoa Lo Prison, which the Americans called the Hanoi Hilton. The North Vietnamese goal at New Guy Village, he said, was to torture and beat the Americans into submission for two or three weeks. The North Vietnamese “just wanted to hurt you. They were mad. ... no doubt about that.” In addition to beatings, they would “tie your arms behind your back and then rotate them up over your head, dislocating one or both of your shoulders,” he said. “All the traditional things, you know, ... kicking you, burning you with cigarettes and things like that,” he said. North Vietnamese guards were “trying to beat you to the point you would do anything, say anything that they told you to do. It was not an intellectual discussion. It was not a rational thought process and no dialogue. They were just trying to get you to sign a confession and trying to intimidate you physically, and they did a pretty good job,” he said. Art of avoiding continued beatings According to the military code of conduct, prisoners of war should give only their name, rank, serial number and date of birth, he said. It also “goes on to say, ‘I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability,’ ” he said. “When they’re trying to get you to admit to crimes, of course, you wouldn’t do that,” he said. One strategy for a POW, he said, was “you don’t answer ... or you lie, you cheat, you make up answers and things like that,” he said. “For the most part, they didn’t understand you,” he said. “They wanted you to ... tell them things about your airplane, your missions and things like that, which you wouldn’t do, and their only resort was to beat the crap out of you.” The Americans made sure they endured “some days of abuse because you didn’t want to be an easy patsy,” he said. The POWs took advantage of the fact the North Vietnamese generally didn’t understand much English beyond a few key words, he said. The Americans could stop torture by giving the North Vietnamese a “confession” of obvious lies, mispronounced words and near-gibberish, he said. The North Vietnamese would be satisfied if words like crime, criminal and guilty were used. For example, Mechenbier said, a POW could say he flew for the Germans in World War II and was in a unit with Superman (in his secret identity) and a dead U.S. president and get away with it: “I, ... fumerly (made-up word), a lieutenant in the Luftwaffe, ... am guilty ... of bombing churches, dams, pikes, pagodas, cesspools, outhouses and other ill houses of repute. I and my squadron mates, Clark Kent, Jimmy Doolittle, Abraham Lincoln ... have committed heinous crimes.” Any English-speaking person “obviously would know, ‘Hey, here’s a joke,’ ” he said, but the North Vietnamese were satisfied because they recognized the words they wanted to hear. After his time at New Guy Village, Mechenbier was put in a 9-by-9-foot cell with his crewman, McManus, and spent “23 hours, 59 minutes and 45 seconds a day” there for four years. Meals were about a quart of soup made from seaweed, turnip tops or pumpkins, with moldy bread and rice that contained bits of rock. The door was opened for meals twice a day and to empty a chamber pot, he said. The door also might be opened for more beatings and torture. A frightening sound, he said, was “a jailer with keys. ... He was getting somebody for interrogation. That was scary.” By this point, the North Vietnamese goal was only to get POWs to participate in propaganda, Mechenbier said. One example is when American anti-war delegations visiting North Vietnam unwittingly caused the POWs to suffer more beatings, he said. The North Vietnamese wanted the POWs to meet the war protesters. “You don’t want to do that,” Mechenbier said. The North Vietnamese always had the same response – “beat the crap out of you” – whether they wanted the POWs to talk to U.S. protesters, issue an anti-war statement or record a tape to be played on radio. “You just never wanted to go outside your cell,” he said. The POWs coped, he said, by supporting each other. He and McManus got to know each other very well and would tell each other stories about everything they could think of. POWs in adjacent cells could communicate in code by tapping on the cell walls or by placing an ear next to a cup held against a wall, he said. Beginning of change for the better With the death of North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Mihn in 1969, the Hanoi Hilton guards eased up on beatings and torture for a time, he said. In November 1970, the U.S. military launched a raid on the Son Tay POW camp 23 miles from Hanoi. The effort to rescue U.S. POWs failed because the camp recently had been emptied of prisoners. The raid was criticized in the U.S., but it created a boon for the POWs. Fearing another raid, the North Vietnamese moved all the POWs in other camps to the Hanoi Hilton, creating a communal living area know as “Camp Unity.” That was quite a morale booster, Mechenbier said. “And now we had 39 guys in one room. ... That was wonderful,” he said. One group of POWs fashioned a deck of cards from scrap paper and played bridge nonstop for three days, he said. “The chatter was unbelievable,” he said. The Americans still had more than two years of captivity left, and Mechenbier was held for a time at a camp near the border with China. February 1973: prisoners’ release After the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973, the North Vietnamese told the POWs they would go home. The POWs thought that was a propaganda trick until a uniformed U.S. officer visited them and confirmed the news. “This is a dream,” Mechenbier thought at the time. It wasn’t a dream. He was released in February 1973 after nearly six years of captivity. He was flown to the Philippines, where he had 13 root canals on his long-neglected teeth. He weighed 198 pounds when his F-4 went down and 133 pounds by the time he had arrived in the Philippines, he said. Upon returning to the U.S., most POWs decided, “This is the first day in the rest of your life,” he said. The POWs were given a book on what had occurred in the United States while they were gone – such as the Watergate scandal, for example. Mechenbier stayed in the Air Force. “Putting on a blue uniform every day was a little bit of a security blanket,” he said. He left the Air Force in 2004 and has been a consultant to defense contractors and serves on several public and private boards. He also has been a technical consultant to air-show broadcasts and was the subject of a book called “Life on a $5 Bet,” by Linda D. Swink. The title is a reference to the bet he had made with his father prior to joining the service. Mechenbier is highly decorated. The short list includes the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star Medal with oak-leaf cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak-leaf cluster, the Bronze Star Medal with V device and Purple Heart with oak-leaf cluster. His advice to struggling veterans is, “Don’t be alone. ... Friends don’t let friends be alone. ... (Otherwise) they don’t have a beacon to look forward. They’re not being told how important they are.” This podcast was hosted and produced by Scott Hummel, ThisWeek Community News assistant managing editor, digital. This profile was written by Paul Comstock.

Chuck Jenkins | I Was Doing My Job On episode 34 of Longest War: The Post-9/11 Veterans Podcast, we talk with Marine Vietnam veteran Chuck Jenkins about fighting against the NVA, being wounded during Operation Swift and the Battle of Hue City, and receiving the Silver Star Medal–our military’s third-highest personal decoration for valor in […]

182: Lynn Lowder 1 Vet at a Time On today's episode, Joe Crane welcomes Lynn Lowder 1 Vet at a Time. Lynn has diverse leadership and management experience in business, law and the military. He is a nationally recognized veterans-rights advocate on: VA health care benefits, PTSD/TBI and entrepreneurship initiatives. A decorated combat veteran, he served as a team leader with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company (Special Operations) in South Vietnam where he was awarded the Silver Star Medal for valor, the Bronze Star Medal with combat “v” and the Purple Heart for wounds received in action. "Veterans have a lot more going for them than they think they do in terms of getting into business." - Lynn Lowder From the Marines to the Legal Profession Lynn was a football player in college during the Vietnam war. He always wanted to be in the Marine Corps, and so enlisted after the junior season. Within the military, he commanded a Marine rifle platoon, two Marine rifle companies, an overseas Marine security guard company and a Marine special operations team in Vietnam. He spent a total of 16 years in the Corps. Towards the end of his career in the military, he got a degree in law and transitioned into the civilian life as a trial lawyer. Helping 1 Vet at a Time Lynn served as a trial lawyer for 20 years. He eventually worked as general counsel for a large franchise. He also worked as a chief operating officer for other companies. "A number of our veterans would be far better off to be captain of their own row boat than being buried somewhere down in the engine room of a large ship." - Lynn Lowder In 2012, he helped start a veteran program at a regional university. His experience exposed him to many 9/11 veterans. In just less than a year, the program grew to 1400 vets. Choices for Veterans Under the Law Lynn learned that the basic thrust of legislation was full employment. The Servicemen's Readjustment Act (1944) provides a couple of choices for veterans. Under the Act, veterans may get a degree and have a job. They may also choose to get a trade instead. They may also purchase a business property with The Fed as their loan guarantor. To hear about Lynn Lowder 1 Vet at a Time, download and listen to the entire episode. Don’t forget to leave us a 5-star rating and review if you enjoyed the show. We would love to hear from you! Check out these links for this episode on Lynn Lowder 1 Vet at a Time: 1 Vet at a Time on Facebook Invite Lynn to Speak at an Event Download Joe Crane’s Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. TRANSITIONS 2.0: A Field Guide for Mid-Career Professionals and Veterans Seeking New Challenges in the Business World Join the Veteran on the Move on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests! It’s also a great place where you can stay in touch with other veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship, and get updates and free gouge on the people programs and resources to help you in your transition to entrepreneurship.   The Veteran On the Move podcast has published over 150 episodes giving listeners the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane featuring the people, programs and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship: Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard veterans, DOD, entrepreneurship, business, success, military spouse, transition, education, programs and resources.  Veteran On the Move has garnered over 500,000 listens verified through Stitcher Radio, Sound Cloud, Itunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.  

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Silver Star recipient, US Army Sergeant First Class Stephan Johns, "The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Stephan Johns, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Special Forces Sniper on a Special Operations Team, during combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, on 30 May 2004, in Afghanistan. On that date, Sergeant First Class Johns was in the last helicopter of a group mounting an assault on Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in a valley in northeast Afghanistan. His job was to shoot at the enemy from the air to provide cover to ground forces. When his helicopter was hit and briefly forced down, Sergeant First Class Johns jumped out to set up a one-man defensive wall between a group of enemy fighters and the main American assault group. Alone on the ground for 30 minutes before being picked up by another helicopter, he killed nine enemy fighters who repeatedly rushed him." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The SYSK archive can be found here and The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here and you can find us on iTunes at Pundit Review Radio. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Silver Star recipient, US Army Sergeant First Class Stephan Johns, "The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Stephan Johns, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Special Forces Sniper on a Special Operations Team, during combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, on 30 May 2004, in Afghanistan. On that date, Sergeant First Class Johns was in the last helicopter of a group mounting an assault on Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in a valley in northeast Afghanistan. His job was to shoot at the enemy from the air to provide cover to ground forces. When his helicopter was hit and briefly forced down, Sergeant First Class Johns jumped out to set up a one-man defensive wall between a group of enemy fighters and the main American assault group. Alone on the ground for 30 minutes before being picked up by another helicopter, he killed nine enemy fighters who repeatedly rushed him." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The SYSK archive can be found here and The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here and you can find us on iTunes at Pundit Review Radio. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about SFC Jose Rodriguez. From his Silver Star citation, "The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Jose R. Rodriguez, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company B, 3d Battalion, 69th Armor, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 3d Infantry Division, during combat operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, on 19 March 2007, in Iraq. On that date, Sergeant First Class Rodriguez rushed out of Forward Operating Base Hawas in a Bradley vehicle to help two of his platoon's Bradley vehicles that were on overwatch duty. They were attacked by an unknown number of insurgents who pinned them down with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. When he got there, he heard the gunfire, but he couldn't lay eyes on his two Bradleys and didn't want to lay down suppressive fire until he could figure out where they were. Sergeant First Class Rodriguez began looking down a series of alleys perpendicular to a main road. Turning down one of them, his driver struck a roadway bomb. The driver of the Bradley Sergeant First Class Rodriguez was looking for couldn't back up, either, because there was another roadway bomb. Pinned down, Sergeant First Class Rodriguez called for more help, and his tactical operations center dispatched two more Bradleys and a recovery vehicle for his own Bradley. While his driver was on the radio Sergeant First Class Rodriguez realized the front of his Bradley was on fire and the driver's compartment was filling with smoke and he crawled in through the space between the gunner's position and the driver's compartment and pulled him out by the handle on the back of his vest. The gunner was still engaging the enemy with his main gun and the two Bradleys on the main road were still taking and returning fire. More improvised explosive devices were being tossed everywhere making it harder and harder to move around. After pulling his driver to safety into the back of the Bradley, Sergeant First Class Rodriguez got out to help the recovery vehicle operator hook up the towing chains and saw a number of insurgents approaching their position. He raised the muzzle of his rifle and shot and killed eight of them." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about SFC Jose Rodriguez. From his Silver Star citation, "The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Jose R. Rodriguez, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company B, 3d Battalion, 69th Armor, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 3d Infantry Division, during combat operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, on 19 March 2007, in Iraq. On that date, Sergeant First Class Rodriguez rushed out of Forward Operating Base Hawas in a Bradley vehicle to help two of his platoon's Bradley vehicles that were on overwatch duty. They were attacked by an unknown number of insurgents who pinned them down with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. When he got there, he heard the gunfire, but he couldn't lay eyes on his two Bradleys and didn't want to lay down suppressive fire until he could figure out where they were. Sergeant First Class Rodriguez began looking down a series of alleys perpendicular to a main road. Turning down one of them, his driver struck a roadway bomb. The driver of the Bradley Sergeant First Class Rodriguez was looking for couldn't back up, either, because there was another roadway bomb. Pinned down, Sergeant First Class Rodriguez called for more help, and his tactical operations center dispatched two more Bradleys and a recovery vehicle for his own Bradley. While his driver was on the radio Sergeant First Class Rodriguez realized the front of his Bradley was on fire and the driver's compartment was filling with smoke and he crawled in through the space between the gunner's position and the driver's compartment and pulled him out by the handle on the back of his vest. The gunner was still engaging the enemy with his main gun and the two Bradleys on the main road were still taking and returning fire. More improvised explosive devices were being tossed everywhere making it harder and harder to move around. After pulling his driver to safety into the back of the Bradley, Sergeant First Class Rodriguez got out to help the recovery vehicle operator hook up the towing chains and saw a number of insurgents approaching their position. He raised the muzzle of his rifle and shot and killed eight of them." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Staff Sgt. Omar Hernandez, "Silver Star Medal and Purple Heart recipient Staff Sgt. Omar Hernandez showed extraordinary bravery on 6 June 2007, when his team was attacked by insurgents during a dismount patrol in Iraq. When the two members of the Iraqi National Police who he was mentoring were hit and wounded by enemy fire, he risked his life to pull them to safety despite his own injuries. Staff Sgt. Hernandez suffered a bullet wound to the leg which caused nerve damage and a 30% loss of muscle mass in his thigh. He was medically evacuated from the battlefield in Iraq to Germany and then back to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he underwent seven months of rehabilitation and physical therapy. Staff Sgt. Hernandez, who has served three tours of duty in Iraq since joining the Army nine years ago as a Reservist, is currently on Active Duty status and stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas. Though he began his Army career as a carpentry masonry engineer, he elected to become an infantryman after returning from his first deployment in 2004. Another significant milestone Staff Sgt. Hernandez experienced while wearing the Army uniform was becoming a U.S. citizen. He was officially naturalized while in theater during his second deployment to Iraq in 2005. A native of Houston, Texas, Staff Sgt. Hernandez says that when he returns to his hometown he strives to be a role model for kids in the neighborhood where he grew up. He recalls the adversity he overcame as a young person in an environment where many of his friends went to jail or were killed and wants others to see that the future holds great possibilities." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Staff Sgt. Omar Hernandez, "Silver Star Medal and Purple Heart recipient Staff Sgt. Omar Hernandez showed extraordinary bravery on 6 June 2007, when his team was attacked by insurgents during a dismount patrol in Iraq. When the two members of the Iraqi National Police who he was mentoring were hit and wounded by enemy fire, he risked his life to pull them to safety despite his own injuries. Staff Sgt. Hernandez suffered a bullet wound to the leg which caused nerve damage and a 30% loss of muscle mass in his thigh. He was medically evacuated from the battlefield in Iraq to Germany and then back to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he underwent seven months of rehabilitation and physical therapy. Staff Sgt. Hernandez, who has served three tours of duty in Iraq since joining the Army nine years ago as a Reservist, is currently on Active Duty status and stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas. Though he began his Army career as a carpentry masonry engineer, he elected to become an infantryman after returning from his first deployment in 2004. Another significant milestone Staff Sgt. Hernandez experienced while wearing the Army uniform was becoming a U.S. citizen. He was officially naturalized while in theater during his second deployment to Iraq in 2005. A native of Houston, Texas, Staff Sgt. Hernandez says that when he returns to his hometown he strives to be a role model for kids in the neighborhood where he grew up. He recalls the adversity he overcame as a young person in an environment where many of his friends went to jail or were killed and wants others to see that the future holds great possibilities." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about SSG Matthew Ritenour. From his Silver Star citation, "The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Matthew Ritenour, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving the 2d Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, during combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, on 4 September 2007, in Afghanistan. On that date Staff Sergeant Ritenour and his unit fought against 180 Taliban fighters who attacked Forward Operating Base (FOB) BAYLOUGH, in southern Afghanistan. Although he was shot in the head and partially paralyzed during the battle, Staff Sergeant Ritenour fought on, encouraging nearby soldiers and using a radio to call in mortar fire on the enemy." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about SSG Matthew Ritenour. From his Silver Star citation, "The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Matthew Ritenour, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving the 2d Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, during combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, on 4 September 2007, in Afghanistan. On that date Staff Sergeant Ritenour and his unit fought against 180 Taliban fighters who attacked Forward Operating Base (FOB) BAYLOUGH, in southern Afghanistan. Although he was shot in the head and partially paralyzed during the battle, Staff Sergeant Ritenour fought on, encouraging nearby soldiers and using a radio to call in mortar fire on the enemy." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Gene talks with Matthew Zedwick, a Staff Sergeant in the Oregon Army National Guard. In 2005, Zedwick became the first member of the Oregon Guard since World War II to be awarded a Silver Star Medal for heroism during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Zedwick is also one of the faces in the US Army's "America's Army" video game.

Bruce McQuain from QandO joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce is a veteran of the Vietnam war and spent 28 years in the U.S. Army. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. Tonight he told us about Spc. Joseph Gibson, “Rangers are proven over and over again in battle,” Navy Adm. Eric Olson, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, said in presenting Gibson with his Silver Star Medal. “Rangers are glorified in Hollywood movies, but you aren’t actors. You are real men who make real sacrifices.” Gibson said he is honored to serve as a Ranger and have saved his fellow soldier’s life. Following the incident, Gibson re-enlisted to fight with the Ranger platoon he accompanied that night." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce McQuain from QandO does an incredible job with the series every week. What is Pundit Review Radio? Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from QandO joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce is a veteran of the Vietnam war and spent 28 years in the U.S. Army. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. Tonight he told us about Spc. Joseph Gibson, “Rangers are proven over and over again in battle,” Navy Adm. Eric Olson, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, said in presenting Gibson with his Silver Star Medal. “Rangers are glorified in Hollywood movies, but you aren’t actors. You are real men who make real sacrifices.” Gibson said he is honored to serve as a Ranger and have saved his fellow soldier’s life. Following the incident, Gibson re-enlisted to fight with the Ranger platoon he accompanied that night." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce McQuain from QandO does an incredible job with the series every week. What is Pundit Review Radio? Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.