Warriors In Their Own Words | First Person War Stories

Ensign Nathan Erwin served in the Navy in World War II, and was among the first to invade Normandy on D-Day. As a member of a Naval Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU), it was his job to use explosives to destroy obstacles that could prevent allied landing craft from reaching the beach. During the interview, he says he was struck when he saw all the headstones of civilians that were killed in the invasion: “These civilians were killed, because they were maybe five miles back of the coast. And when those naval guns were shooting, these 16 incher guns and when the bombs were coming down and there was a lot of smoke and everything on the shore, they got hit. And you'll see them on the headstones…” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Staff Sergeant Brian Keith was among the first Marines deployed to serve in the Gulf War. He served as a Forward Observer. Forward observers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the Army and Marine Corps. They deploy near, and sometimes beyond, the front lines, and are tasked with analyzing the battlefield, locating allied and enemy positions, and ordering artillery fire support via radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"’You think I'm going to make it?’ And he said, ‘You just might.’" Captain Cleland (later Senator Cleland) lost both his legs and an arm from a grenade explosion while serving in Vietnam. In this interview, Cleland describes the explosion and the crucial role that medics played in saving his life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boatswain's Mate First Class Nelson Dubroc served in the Normandy Invasion with a Naval Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU) when he was just 18 years old. It was their job to destroy obstacles with explosives in order to clear the way for the rest of the invasion. In this interview, Dubroc recounts the chaos of D-Day. To hear more from Dubroc, check out his interview with the Veterans History Project. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Captain Harold Sperber served in World War II as a Pathfinder co-pilot. Pathfinders were small paratrooper groups that were sent to mark landing zones ahead of major paratrooper missions. Their work helped insure the success of the drop, but it was incredibly dangerous because they flew in very small numbers, very low to the ground (to avoid radar), and had no backup chutes. In this episode, Sperber describes the mission he had on the night of June 5th, 1944, the day before the D-Day. Sperber and the rest of the pathfinders flew over Normandy and were hit, forcing them to retreat back to the English channel. They narrowly avoided crash landing and freezing to death in the cold waters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major Richard Jacobson served as a pathfinder pilot during WWII, and fought in the Invasion of Normandy. Pathfinders were paratroopers that dropped into enemy territory first, tasked with setting up signals that would direct the rest of the paratrooper fleet into the correct landing zones. Since they were often the first soldiers sent across enemy lines, this was an incredibly dangerous job. As a Pathfinder Pilot, it was Pedone’s job to fly the Pathfinders into enemy territory. As a pathfinder pilot, Maj. Jacobson was responsible for flying the pathfinders over enemy lines to the landing zone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Staff Sergeant Alfred Bell served as a Tank Platoon Sergeant during World War II. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge as a member of the famous Spearhead Division. In this episode, he recounts the Battle of the Bulge. During the battle, Bell commanded all five tanks in his platoon. When the company-wide radio communications weren’t working, he left his tank on foot and fought across the battlefield to the aid station where they had battalion-wide communications. Bell still wasn’t able to contact his company with that radio, so he fought tooth and nail to protect the aid station as it was evacuated. By nightfall, Bell had lost an eye, a large portion of his left hand, and most of his fingers. Due to his severe injuries and massive blood loss, he faded in and out of consciousness, and woke up a few days later in a hospital in France. Bell spent the next two years recovering in a hospital in Texas, where he underwent many reconstructive plastic surgeries. To learn more about the evacuation of this aid station, and Sergeant Aurio Pierro, who was mentioned in this episode, listen to our interview with Pierro. – Alfred Bell was born to an impoverished French Creole family. He was forced to quit school in the 8th grade due to the great depression, and left home at 16 to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Yosemite National Park. After the war, Bell’s injuries left him unable to work with his hands. His mother was able to send him to college instead, which was previously unimaginable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today as a bonus episode we wanted to share an episode of The French History Podcast, which we think you'll find incredibly interesting. This episode details the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre of WW2. The French History Podcast tells the story of France from 3 million years ago to present. The main series is a narrative, ala Mike Duncan's the History of Rome that has gone from woolly mammoths to the First Crusade. Interspersed are guest episodes by world-renowned scholars discussing their latest research. Whether you're looking for one-offs on obscure topics you've never heard of, or a long-form narrative podcast, the French History Podcast does both. Learn all about Europe's country of art, culture, love and war with The French History Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seaman First Class Richard Coombs served in World War II as a Navy Seabee. He fought in the first wave of the Invasion of Normandy, where he was a part of the Naval Combat Demolition Unit. In the interview, he says his about crawling up the entire beach: “If you were to stand up, you're dead, you would've got hit for sure. I never knew there was so much firepower like that. You can't imagine, bullets hitting the sand, 88s going over your head and explosions here. And it smelled like death. You heard moaning, guys screaming, smell of gunpowder in the air. It was a very bleak, stormy day. How we ever accomplished and got in there, I don't know, but we did it.” The Naval Construction Battalions, which quickly became known as the Seabees due to their abbreviation (CBs), were formed at the beginning of American involvement in World War II. They were created as an amphibious force to construct advanced bases in combat zones. Many Seabees volunteered to join Navy Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs), who were tasked with destroying obstacles in an advance of amphibious assaults. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colonel Robert E. Stoffey served in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot and Forward Air Controller in the Marines. It was his job to support ground troops by directing fire and performing evacuations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technical Sergeant Donald Malarkey served in WWII as a Paratrooper. In this interview, he recounts the D-Day invasion and hedgerow warfare. To learn more about Malarkey, check out the HBO show Band of Brothers , which tells the story of Malarkey and his Company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Captain Warren “Bing” Evans served in World War II as a Ranger. The Rangers were an elite American task force that trained and operated with the famous British Commandos. Using the element of surprise as their main weapon, the Rangers played an important role in the Invasion of Normandy, the Dieppe Raid, and many other significant campaigns. In this episode Evans recounts the allied invasion of Italy, including the landing at Salerno and the battles of Monte Cassino, Anzio, and Cisterna. He also describes being captured and escaping from a prisoner of war camp in Poland. If you’d like to learn more about Captain Evans, check out his book, Heroes Cry Too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Captain Warren “Bing” Evans served in World War II as a Ranger. The Rangers were an elite American unit that trained and operated with the famous British Commandos. Using the element of surprise as their main weapon, the Rangers played an important role in the Invasion of Normandy, the Dieppe Raid, and many other significant campaigns. In this first part of his interview, Captain Evans describes the Rangers, Operation Torch (the invasion of North Africa), the Invasion of Sicily, almost losing his life, and the nightmares that have haunted him since. In the next part of his interview, Evans recounts the battles of Monte Cassino, Anzio, and Cisterna, and describes being captured and escaping from a prisoner of war camp in Poland. If you’d like to learn more about Captain Evans, check out his book, Heroes Cry Too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporal Ted Fleser served as an Army Ranger during World War II. He was a BAR gunner (Browning Automatic Rifle), and fought in North Africa and the Allied Invasion of Sicily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commander Ronald Leonard Smith Sr. served in the US Navy and sailed all over the world in the 80s and 90s. In this interview, he describes one of the Navy’s famous initiation rites, his deployments, and the dangers of Mother Nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Captain Zeke Zellmer served as a Communications Officer aboard the USS Cavalla during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the largest carrier-to-carrier battle in history, and helped destroy a Japanese aircraft carrier called the Shokaku. Thanks in large part to the contribution of the USS Cavalla, the Japanese lost the battle, and their navy never recovered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Staff Sergeant Leonard Goff served as a Tank Commander in World War II, fighting in both the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. In this interview, he describes what it’s like to be a Tank Commander, and the Invasion of Normandy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jim White, callsign Sneaky White, served in the Marine Corps before transferring to the Army to become a helicopter pilot. In this second part of his interview, White talks about returning home, and why he was sent to prison. While in prison, he created a veterans group with Geronimo Pratt, an influential and high-ranking member of the Black Panther Party who was wrongfully convicted. With the help of that vet group, he went on to raise over $350,000 dollars for various causes during his time in prison. He also received national attention for creating a program that helped inmates earn college degrees while incarcerated. Over 1500 earned degrees through the program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jim White began his military career in the Marine Corps as a machine gunner and helicopter pilot in Vietnam. After earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, the first Marine to do so since World War II, he got the opportunity to transfer to the Army. His plan was to transfer, fly with them for a few years, and then transfer back to the Marine Corps as a commissioned officer. He liked the Army so much that he stayed there for the rest of his military career. White earned the callsign “Sneaky White” after fleeing from military police through a minefield to get back on base. Next time on Warriors In Their Own Words, White explains why he went to prison, how he raised $350,000 from behind bars, and his connection to Shad Meshad, one of our previous guests. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colonel Leo Thorsness served as a fighter pilot in Vietnam. He was a Wild Weasel, whose missions required them to draw surface-to-air (SAM) missiles away from bombers, and then destroy the SAM sites. This meant that Weasels spent sometimes more than 20 minutes over the target, as opposed to the one or two minutes bomber pilots spent. On one mission, COL Thorsness’ wingman was shot down, forcing him to eject. As he parachuted to the ground, rescue helicopters were called in to rescue him, but they were threatened by encroaching enemy fighters. Despite being incredibly low on fuel, Thorsness fought off the enemy, saving his wingman and the rescue helicopters. Eleven days later, Thorsness was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese Army. He was captured, and became a prisoner of war. During his first three years in captivity, torture was common. After six years, he was released and sent home. Shortly after returning to the United States, COL Thorsness was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving his wingman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporal Oda Charles “Chuck” Miller served as a tank loader and tank commander in World War II. He fought in the Normandy Invasion a week after D-Day, and in the Battle of the Bulge. During World War II, American tanks were inferior to German tanks in almost every way. As a result, serving as a tank crewman was incredibly dangerous. Few made it out alive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporal Clarence Smoyer served in World War II as a tank gunner. After fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, Smoyer was assigned to the ‘Eagle 7’ M26 Pershing, a “Super Tank” developed for the U.S. Army. With this new assignment came the responsibility of spearheading future attacks, including what would become the Battle of Cologne. Cologne was a German stronghold. It was defended by a German Panther tank, which was far superior to all American tanks. The Panther sat in the middle of the city, and as the spearhead of the attack, Smoyer and his division were the first to meet it in battle. In an astounding duel, the Pershing and the Panther faced off. Thanks to Smoyer’s quick thinking and spectacular aim, his crew destroyed the Panther, and Smoyer was dubbed the Hero of Cologne. Spectacularly, the entire battle was caught on camera by combat cameraman Sgt. Jim Bates. It was shared on newsreels, and seen by Smoyer’s family in a theater in Pennsylvania. To learn more about Smoyer, check out the New York Times Bestselling book about him and his division, Spearhead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode, Col. Jack Tomarchio provides his reflection on the war in Ukraine based on his research since leaving the military. This doesn't fit in with our usual content, but we wanted to share his insightful take. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COL Tomarchio talks about going to jump school, defending service members as a military lawyer, and nearly losing his life in Iraq. Jack Thomas Tomarchio served in the army as a JAG officer in Grenada in the early 80s. As a JAG officer, he provided legal advice to senior Army officials and represented servicemembers in a variety of misconduct and court martial cases. He was a paratrooper, and attended both jump school and law school. Later, in the early 90s, COL Tomarchio deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during the Gulf War. There, he nearly lost his life after saving a fellow service member from a burning vehicle. If you like Warriors In Their Own Words, check out the Medal of Honor Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sergeant Aurio Pierro served as a Tank Commander in WWII. He fought amongst the notoriously difficult hedgerows during the Invasion of Normandy, and in the Battle of the Bulge. During the Battle of the Bulge, Pierro and his platoon were under heavy fire in an extended battle with the Germans. After their tank was heavily damaged and they ran out of ammo, they left their tank and took cover in a bakery, but Pierro was injured in the process. The bakery was shelled relentlessly from all sides, and soon caught on fire, so they were forced to move down to the cellar. The Germans told Pierro and his platoon to surrender, but they refused. They spent the night in the cellar, and in the morning, fought their way back to their tank, suffering heavy casualties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices