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History Podcasts

Servicemembers from across the military, sharing their accounts of combat and survival. Hosted by sports talk radio host and Army veteran, Mark Zinno, this podcast brings you firsthand accounts of war, with a perspective you only get from someone who has lived through it. From WWII to Vietnam, Somalia, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, hear inspirational stories of service and resiliency from those who have fought on and off the battlefield!

Servicemembers from across the military, sharing their accounts of combat and survival. Hosted by sports talk radio host and Army veteran, Mark Zinno, this podcast brings you firsthand accounts of war, with a perspective you only get from someone who has lived through it. From WWII to Vietnam, Somalia, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, hear inspirational stories of service and resiliency from those who have fought on and off the battlefield!

Location:

United States

Description:

Servicemembers from across the military, sharing their accounts of combat and survival. Hosted by sports talk radio host and Army veteran, Mark Zinno, this podcast brings you firsthand accounts of war, with a perspective you only get from someone who has lived through it. From WWII to Vietnam, Somalia, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, hear inspirational stories of service and resiliency from those who have fought on and off the battlefield!

Language:

English

Episodes

Ep. 174 - Fred Wellman (Army Scout Pilot)

6/30/2020
Fred Wellman has experienced some pretty significant highs in his military career. He was commissioned in Aviation out of West Point; flew Scout missions in Desert Storm; studied at Harvard; learned to fly Black Hawks so he could return to active duty to serve in combat in the Global War on Terror; as well as served as the spokesman for Generals David Petraeus and Martin Dempsey. But with those highs came unimaginable lows. From personal tragedy to combat loss, to fractured relationships...

Duration:01:40:24

Ep. 173 - James Stejskal (Green Beret/Det "A")

6/23/2020
Green Beret James Stejskal holds the distinction of serving in one of the Army's most unique and at one time, highly classified Special Forces Detachments operating in East Germany during the Cold War. Known simply as Detachment "A", the unit operated behind the Iron Curtain within the Soviet-controlled German Democratic Republic. The unit's primary mission was to wreak havoc behind the enemy's lines, and buy outnumbered NATO forces time to breakout from Berlin if hostilities commenced...

Duration:00:58:12

Ep. 172 - Rocky Bleier (Vietnam/Pittsburgh Steelers)

6/16/2020
Following a promising college football career at Notre Dame, Rocky Bleier was on his way to starting a pro career in the NFL. It was 1968, and Bleier, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, was nearing the end of his first NFL season when he received another draft notice. This time it was from the Army, and it was for a report date the morning after a Steelers game Bleier was suited up for. It was the height of the war in Vietnam, and Bleier's number was called, budding NFL career or...

Duration:01:12:33

Ep. 171 - Rob Jones (Marine/Paralympian)

6/9/2020
Searching for a higher purpose, and a sense of selflessness and brotherhood, Rob Jones enlisted in the Marine Corps at 20, while still attending college at Virginia Tech. His sense of purpose and the warrior mentality that the Corps gave him were put to the test after he sustained devastating injuries on July 22, 2010 in Afghanistan. While sweeping a field for suspected IEDs, Jones stepped on a land mine. The blast would leave him a double amputee. What most people see as insurmountable, Rob...

Duration:01:13:32

Ep. 170 - Matt Klein (Army Infantry/"Battle Tribe")

6/2/2020
Matt Klein grew up with vivid stories of his grandfather flying dive bomb missions in World War II. His grandfather had signed up shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Much like his grandfather, Klein joined the military shortly after 9/11. He signed up to serve in the Infantry - a job that would provide more than its fair share of hairy moments through two combat deployments to Iraq as the insurgency there gained steam. A chance opportunity to take the NYPD entrance test eventually led...

Duration:01:06:25

Ep. 169 - Gary Wetzel (Vietnam/Medal of Honor)

5/26/2020
It's safe to say that fate has been on Gary Wetzel's side since the day he stepped foot in Vietnam. He survived 5 helicopter crashes; he's a living recipient of the Medal of Honor from his time there; he was shot, stabbed, and blown up on the battlefield; and he's come full circle in meeting those who treated him after his 5th helicopter crash, decades later. That 5th crash and subsequent firefight that earned him the Medal of Honor came on January 8, 1968. Wetzel's arm was nearly blown off...

Duration:01:04:07

Ep. 168 - Justin Lascek (Green Beret)

5/19/2020
Strap in folks, because in this episode we go deep into the life and survival of Justin Lascek. Justin is a Green Beret Medic, who was blown up a little over a year ago while fighting in Afghanistan. The blast ended up taking both of his legs, and a couple of other vital parts which you’ll hear about in the episode. What the blast didn’t take was Justin’s indomitable warrior spirit, which is undeniable when you hear him tell his story. Ultimately, his strength, cultivated well before he...

Duration:02:30:14

Ep. 167 - Joe Chenelly (Marine/AMVETS)

5/12/2020
Joe Chenelly’s path to the Marine Corps started from a very unlikely place. As he describes it, his parents were hippies. And after initially finding college to be something he didn't necessarily have an affinity for, Chenelly enlisted in the Marines. Joining not long before 9/11, Chenelly would eventually end up at the forefront of America’s war on terror as a combat journalist. In fact, Chenelly was the first Marine combat correspondent to step foot into enemy territory after 9/11. He was...

Duration:01:15:50

Ep. 166 - Vincent Vargas (Army Ranger/Actor)

5/5/2020
Vincent "Rocco" Vargas thought his life would be baseball. He was on the path to take a stab at the majors, but academic ineligibility while playing college ball pushed him in a different direction. Inspired by military service and seeking a way to provide a stable means of supporting his first child, Vargas enlisted in the Army in 2003. He knew he wanted the most challenging job possible in the military, and ultimately settled on becoming an Army Ranger. After 3 deployments with the 75th...

Duration:01:07:23

Ep. 165 - Amber Smith (Kiowa Pilot/Combat Vet)

4/28/2020
Amber Smith grew up around aviation. It was in her blood - her father and grandfather were pilots, and it wasn't uncommon for aviation to be the center of nightly conversation around the dinner table. But, Amber didn't immediately follow the path to becoming an aviator. It wasn't until after heading off to college and then 9/11, which she says made her re-prioritize her life, that she decided to join the military to fly in combat. She would go on to become an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter...

Duration:01:15:37

Ep. 164 - Will Bardenwerper Returns! (Writer/Army Infantry)

4/21/2020
Will Bardenwerper returns to the show, and goes back to Ranger School. Will graduated the Army's grueling combat leadership school in 2004, but returned recently to write a piece for Outside Magazine on Ranger class 05-19. Bardenwerper admits he's more often jolted from a deep sleep by a dream about Ranger School than he is by anything related to his own experiences in combat. Going back to chronicle class 05-19 may have actually changed that, but if anything, it gives outsiders a look into...

Duration:01:06:36

Ep. 163 - Special Guest: Marc Fucarile (Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor)

4/14/2020
This week we're featuring another Special Guest, whose story is characterized by resilience as well as connected to recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. On April 15, 2013, Marc Fucarile was severely injured by the second of two bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon. He was attending the race as a spectator, watching a friend of his run, and was standing just a few feet away from the second bomb when it detonated. Fucarile lost his right leg above the knee in the blast,...

Duration:01:26:16

Ep. 162 - Tom Kerr (Green Beret)

4/7/2020
A measured decision led Tom Kerr to pursue the Green Beret after 4 years in the Infantry. He wanted to do more in combat, serve with the elite, and know that what he was doing every time he deployed to a combat theater was not only challenging, but tangible. Following more deployments as a Green Beret, a back injury nearly sent Kerr out of the military and a job he loved more than anything. But, he found purpose in a new position working to modernize and innovate combat gear and systems for...

Duration:01:14:49

Ep. 161 - Dr. Bob Adams (Navy SEAL to MD)

3/31/2020
Dr. Bob Adams is fifth generation career military, dating all the way back to the Civil War. His military career spans 30 years, and began at the U.S. Naval Academy. Following graduation, Dr. Adams served a few years in the Navy before pursuing his dream to become a Navy SEAL. He would serve 12 years as a SEAL before embarking on a career shift, enrolling in medical school, and becoming a doctor - specifically an Army doctor. From there he would go on to fill such prestigious positions as...

Duration:01:11:11

Ep. 160 - Mike Maroney (Air Force PJ)

3/24/2020
He is credited with making roughly 5,325 rescues during his 20 year career in the Air Force. That's an average of approximately 5 rescues each week for 20 years straight! Mike Maroney joined the Air Force to become a PJ. He says he joined the military to earn his keep for living in a free country. And when you look at what he's done during his military career, it's clear he's done more than earn his keep. He's saved the lives of not only American servicemembers, but also those of Coalition...

Duration:01:19:16

Ep. 159 - Jeremy Staat (From NFL to Marine Corps)

3/17/2020
When Jeremy Staat was drafted out of Arizona State by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1998 NFL draft, it looked as if his life for the foreseeable future would be based solely around pro football. He was a standout player, but after four seasons in the NFL Staat decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and serve in the military. Staat enlisted in the Marine Corps, and served from 2005 to 2009, deploying to Haditha, Iraq as an infantry Marine. In this episode, Jeremy...

Duration:01:11:02

Ep. 158 - Nick Lavery (Green Beret)

3/10/2020
If you're looking for motivation, or simply inspiration to never, ever quit, then you should listen to this episode with Green Beret, Nick Lavery. Nick enlisted in the Army to become a Green Beret after he graduated college in 2007. Since earning his Special Forces tab, Lavery took shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade to his shoulder, leaving a sizable wound; he was shot in the face; and ultimately lost part of his right leg from machine gun fire, all in three separate encounters with...

Duration:01:35:52

Ep. 157 - Thomas Gibbons-Neff (Marine/Journalist)

3/3/2020
Following in the footsteps of his father and both grandfathers, Thomas Gibbons-Neff joined the military at the end of his senior year in high school. He enlisted in the Marine Corps. Like many of his contemporaries, he just wanted to get in the fight. He was in 8th grade when 9/11 happened. So any doubt that he would follow his family into the military, and eventually war, vanished when his country was attacked. But war would bring a new revelation for Thomas and his fellow Marines: that...

Duration:00:55:19

Ep. 156 - Robert Patrick Lewis (Green Beret/Author)

2/25/2020
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a Special Forces Medic, Robert Patrick Lewis can certainly tell you. They are some of the most highly trained field medical professionals in the world. Lewis signed up to become one after 9/11, and deployed multiple times to Afghanistan, Iraq, and North Africa, eventually finding himself on the receiving end of field medical care. He received the Purple Heart for wounds he sustained on one of those deployments to Afghanistan. In this episode,...

Duration:01:24:49

Ep. 155 - Terry Wilson (Army Combat Engineer)

2/18/2020
Originally, Terry Wilson wanted to be a Marine. But, following a brief education on the recruiting business, Terry opted for the Army instead when he learned his "guaranteed" MOS wasn't so guaranteed with the Marine Corps. He would eventually become a Combat Engineer with the Army, deploying to Afghanistan where his job was lead Husky vehicle driver, searching for IEDs during route clearance operations. Prior to his assignment as a Husky driver, Terry was blown up by three IEDs in the...

Duration:01:13:12

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