Warriors In Their Own Words | First Person War Stories

In this special episode, Captain Torres explains how landfill-like burn pits in Iraq gave him a chronic lung injury and a toxic brain injury. Captain Le Roy Torres served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 24 years, and spent a year on duty in Balad, Iraq. While there, Torres lived and worked in close proximity to a burn pit. These burn pits act as landfills, where everything from trash, to jet fuel, to medical waste was burned. They were extremely large, and the one near CPT Torres was approximately 10 acres in diameter. It burned 24/7, pumping toxic chemicals and smoke into the air, and into the lungs of soldiers. As a result of breathing in these fumes, CPT Torres developed chronic lung and brain injuries, which forced him to visit the hospital over 400 times in 10 years. Burn Pits 360 was founded by Torres and his wife in an attempt to improve post-deployment health outcomes for veterans, especially those caused by the burn pits. Recently, they helped pass the PACT Act, which expands benefits for veterans who were exposed to the burn pits. You can find CPT Torres on Twitter at @leroytorres01 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MGen Roger Rowley describes his experiences fighting as a ground forces officer in the days following the invasion of Normandy, and how he missed the D-Day invasion. MGen Rowley served in World War Two as ground forces officer in the Canadian Army. For months he and his unit prepared for the invasion of Normandy, but when the fateful day came, no orders arrived, so they weren’t sent to France. Instead they arrived on the beaches of Normandy two days after D-Day. In this interview, Rowley describes his whole D-Day story, as well as Allied and German equipment, the destruction he witnessed, the controversy over Falaise, Operation Totalize, and the taking of Caen. During the episode, Rowley recounts his feelings after finally arriving on the beaches of Normandy: “I was very exhilarated. I keep saying that. I was very excited about this thing. It was going fine, and I was kind of... Well, I shouldn't say this I suppose, but it's truly true: I think I was sort of... Couldn't wait. I was a little trigger happy. I wanted to shoot at somebody. I really did at that stage. You get trained to a peak where this is what you've been looking at for four years. And it's like, if you're a boxer, and you've got a fight coming up, you're ready. And we were ready. And I can't speak... All the fellas that I had anything to do with felt very much the same way. “ To hear from the famous Canadian tank ace mentioned in this episode, listen to his two-part episode: BGen Sydney Radley-Walters (Part I): A Tank Ace on D-Day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It Was Said, the 2021 Webby Award winner for Best Podcast Series, returns with a new season to look back on some of the most powerful, impactful, and timeless speeches in history. Written and narrated by Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author-historian Jon Meacham, this documentary podcast series takes you through another season of ten generation-defining speeches. Meacham, along with top historians, authors and journalists, offers expert insight and analysis into the origins, the orator, and the context of the times each speech was given, and they reflect on why it’s important to never forget them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Hessman was a Navy Corpsman who served in the Korean War. He was assigned to the Marine Corps, and fought in the famous battle of the Chosin Reservoir. During the battle, he faced freezing cold conditions, and at one point had to play dead in order to avoid being killed by Chinese soldiers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus Veterans Day episode, we hear from Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia. Staff Sergeant Bellavia served in the Army and deployed to Iraq in 2004. During the Second Battle of Fallujah, Bellavia cleared a house filled with 5 insurgents in order to save his squad. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at a White House ceremony in 2019. In Bellavia’s new book, Remember the Ramrods, he reflects back on the events that earned him the Medal of Honor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a grenade injured both his legs and sent him home from Vietnam, Army Specialist Robert Patrick "Rocky" Bleier made a full recovery and went on to win four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh steelers. In college, Bleier played for Notre Dame and was a part of the ‘66 National Championship team. He was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 16th round draft pick, but was drafted by the US Army after the 10th game of the season. Bleier was sent to Vietnam, where he patrolled the Hiep Duc Valley as a grenadier. During a firefight, he was shot, and then a grenade exploded right by his feet. Bleier had this to say about being evacuated by a sister platoon: “All of a sudden a fellow soldier reaches down and picks me up and throws me over his shoulder and starts carrying me to the helicopter. And the helicopter was still a far way away. And so he would put me down, my blood all over him and he'd catch his breath and pick me up again and continue on until he got me onto that chopper. And I never saw him again and didn't know who he was or where he came from, where he lived or anything. But the interesting thing was that he was a soldier of color. Now, it may not mean much now in that society, but at that time, back in the sixties. I mean, a lot of things were going on from a social basis. I mean, there was segregation still going on in colleges that would not let Black students be there or sign up. And so now all of a sudden, here it is, you have a Black soldier picking me up, not because he's Black and I'm white, but it was like brother to brother. And it was the immediacy of the time. And you don't think about race, you don't think about anything. And I think that's one of the great things about the military. It just levels the playing field for human beings to react with one another and as a fellow soldier. And so that was like we became brothers in that brotherhood of war.” SPC Bleier earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service, and was sent home after his injury. Upon arrival in 1970, he returned to the Steelers, and began intense training in order to fully heal from his leg injuries. In 1974, he finally earned a spot in the starting backfield. Bleier would go on to win four Super Bowls with the Steelers, in 1975, 1976, 1979, and 1980. To learn more about Bleier and his incredible football career, check out his book, Fighting Back. You can follow him on Twitter at @RockyBleier. This Veterans Day, consider donating to help veterans in need. The National Veterans Foundation provides assistance to veterans with needs including medical treatment, PTSD counseling, VA benefits advocacy, food, shelter, employment, training, legal aid, suicide intervention and more. Visit nvf.org to learn how you can help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Specialist Nathan Dowds discusses his training, the moments when his life was on the line, and the hazy morality of the conflict. Dowds served as an Army paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Afghanistan twice, in 2002 and in 2004, and once to Iraq in 2003. During the episode, he says this about his struggles: “The world is full of pain and suffering, and has been since the beginning of time. And for me to expect my brief moment in this world to be different than every other moment is kind of naive” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brigadier General Sydney Radley-Walters was a tank commander in the Canadian Army and was the Western Allies leading tank killer during WWII. In the final part of his interview, Radley-Walters finishes his recount of the D-Day invasion, including the battle of Buron, Operation Totalize, and capturing Caen, and more. He also talks about the booby traps he encountered, air support, the smell of death, his tactics as a tank commander, and how he, without knowing it, killed Michael Wittmann, the Black Baron, an infamous German tank commander and tank Ace. Radley-Walters is credited with destroying 18 German tanks and many other armored vehicles, and he was awarded an Order of Military Merit, the Distinguished Service Order, the Military Cross, and a Canadian Forces Decoration. During the episode, Radley-Walters describes the aftermath of death inside the tanks: “The smell of death, it sticks on you. And if you take a body and bury it or pick up a person who's dead and move them around, it gets on your hands, it gets on your clothes. You can't get rid of it. And it gets on a tank. Even though they took the tank back, they wash it all out, they repaint the inside with white paint and it's glistening, you get that horrible smell. The men, they called a ‘Jonah’ and they said, ‘We won't get back in that bloody Jonah, like the belly of a whale. We're we're going to get the new tank.’" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BGen Radley-Walters was a tank commander in the Canadian Army and was the Western Allies leading tank killer during WWII. He’s credited with destroying 18 German tanks and many other armored vehicles, and he was awarded an Order of Military Merit, the Distinguished Service Order, the Military Cross, an a Canadian Forces Decoration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olds describes his experiences in Vietnam, his most memorable dogfight, and more. – Brigadier General Robin Olds is a triple ace fighter pilot who shot down a total of 17 enemy aircraft during World War II and Vietnam. He flew all sorts of aircrafts, including P-38s, P-51s, P-80s and F-4s during his tenure. By the time he retired, Olds had collected numerous decorations, including the Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, the French Croix de Guerre, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olds talks about his experiences in WWII and about managing fear, and describes the craziest coincidence you’ve ever heard of. – Brigadier General Robin Olds is a triple ace fighter pilot who shot down 17 enemy aircraft during World War II and Vietnam. He flew P-38s, P-51s, P-80s, F-4s and other aircraft during his service. By the time he retired, Olds had won numerous medals, including the Air Force Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the French Croix de Guerre, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major Richard Neece Ojeda II served in the Army for 24 years. During that time he deployed to Germany, Korea, Iraq, Haiti, and Afghanistan, and was almost killed five times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CPT Jason Kander served as an Army Intelligence Officer in Afghanistan where he conducted extremely dangerous meetings with traffickers, informants, and local officials. As a result of his deployment, Kander developed PTSD that severely affected his work and personal life. He decided to leave his very promising political career in order to receive treatment via the Veterans Community Project, where he is now the President of National Expansion. To learn more about Kander, check out his memoir, Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD. All of Jason’s royalties from the book go to supporting the Veterans Community Project, which you can learn more about here. To hear more from Kander, check out his interview on our other podcast Burn the Boats when it releases on September 7th. You can find Kander on Instagram and Twitter at @JasonKander. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Capt. Tom Smith attended the Air Force academy before becoming a Combat Rescue Officer (aka CRO). As a CRO, Smith led a team of pararescuemen that flew into combat zones in order to save fellow military personnel and civilians. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major General Frederick “Boots” Blesse served two tours as a fighter pilot during the Korean War, flying the P-51, the F-80, and the F-86. When he returned to the United States in October of 1952, he was America’s leading jet ace, and was credited with shooting down nine MiG-15s and one La-9. Blesse’s motto and doctrine, “No Guts, No Glory” became famous after he returned from his second tour in Korea. He was asked to travel throughout the Air Force to teach it, and he eventually authored the textbook, “No Guts, No Glory”, that became a part of standard Air Force curriculum for years to come. In this, the final episode of a three part series, Blesse talks about what inspired him to join the Air Force, what makes a good pilot, and the heartwarming story behind how he met his childhood hero, the famous WWI pilot, Eddie Rickenbacker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major General Frederick “Boots” Blesse served two tours as a fighter pilot during the Korean War, flying the P-51, the F-80, and the F-86. When he returned to the United States in October of 1952, he was America’s leading jet ace, and was credited with shooting down nine MiG-15s and one La-9. Blesse’s motto and doctrine, “No Guts, No Glory” became famous after he returned from his second tour in Korea. He was asked to travel throughout the Air Force to teach it, and he eventually authored the textbook, “No Guts, No Glory”, that became a part of standard Air Force curriculum for years to come. In this episode, the second of a three part series, Blesse tells the whole story behind “No Guts, No Glory”, and explains how dogfighting has changed over the years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major General Frederick “Boots” Blesse served two tours as a fighter pilot during the Korean War, flying the P-51, the F-80, and the F-86. When he returned to the United States in October of 1952, he was America’s leading jet ace, and was credited with shooting down nine MiG-15s and one La-9. Blesse’s motto and doctrine, “No Guts, No Glory” became famous after he returned from his second tour in Korea. He was asked to travel throughout the Air Force to teach it, and he eventually authored the textbook, “No Guts, No Glory”, that became a part of standard Air Force curriculum for years to come. In this episode, the first of a three-part series, Blesse describes allied and enemy aircraft, his second tour in Korea, a couple of intense dogfights, and becoming an Ace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final part of his interview, Col. Anderson describes how and why he joined the Air Force, his training, patriotism, his appreciation for his squadron, and more. – Col. Clarence (Bud) Emil Anderson served in the United States Air Force during World War II, and is a triple ace fighter pilot. He’s the highest scoring living American fighter ace, and the 10th highest scoring Mustang Ace of all time. Col. Anderson was a member of the 357th Fighter group, which was said to have “shot down the "most airplanes in the shortest time of any unit in the European theater, perhaps the whole Air Force.” They had over 600 aerial victories in 14 months, and 42 aces, more than any other fighter group. He also commanded the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, an F-105 Thunderchief unit, during its final months of service in the Vietnam War. Col. Anderson was inducted in to the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008, and in 2013, was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame. This year, Col. Anderson celebrated his 100th birthday. Click here to learn about his birthday celebration. For more pictures of Bud during the war, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Col. Clarence (Bud) Emil Anderson served in the United States Air Force during World War II, and is a triple-ace fighter pilot. He’s the highest scoring living American fighter ace, and the 10th highest scoring Mustang Ace of all time. Col. Anderson was a member of the 357th Fighter group, which was said to have “shot down the most airplanes in the shortest time of any unit in the European theater, perhaps the whole Air Force.” They had over 600 aerial victories in 14 months, and 42 aces, more than any other fighter group. He also commanded the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, an F-105 Thunderchief unit, during its final months of service in the Vietnam War. Col. Anderson was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008, and in 2013, was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame. This year, Col. Anderson celebrated his 100th birthday. Click here to learn about his birthday celebration. For more pictures of Bud during the war, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many of us, Memorial Day is more than just a three day weekend. We’d like to take a moment to honor the friends and family of you, our listeners, who have paid the ultimate price for this country. We thank them for their bravery and sacrifice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Col. Darrell Whitcomb served in the United States Air Force as an OV-10 Forward Air Controller. He joined the classified Steve Canyon Program (Project 404), also known as The Ravens, which operated in secret in Laos. He flew missions over South and North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. As a Forward Air Controller, it was his job to coordinate airstrikes, and ensure that no friendly troops were hit. In the final part of his interview, Whitcomb describes The Rescue of Bat 21. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Col. Darrell Whitcomb served in the United States Air Force as an OV-10 Forward Air Controller. He joined the classified Steve Canyon Program (Project 404), also known as The Ravens, which operated in secret in Laos. He flew missions over South and North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. As a Forward Air Controller, it was his job to coordinate airstrikes, and ensure that no friendly troops were hit. In the first part of his interview, Whitcomb discusses aircrafts, airstrikes, and joining The Raven program. Whitcomb is also the author of The Rescue of Bat 21. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Col. Ché Bolden is a Marine Corps veteran who served for 26 years, and credits his time at the US Naval Academy with shaping him into a leader. He went on to become an F-18 Weapons Systems Officer, with multiple combat deployments and service in the Pacific and the Middle East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan Scruggs went to Vietnam in 1969 to serve as a rifleman in the U.S. Army. By the end of his service, he had received the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge, and an award for gallantry. After the war, he researched post-traumatic stress, which led to him testify before congress in support of establishing the nationwide Vet Center Program. In 1979, Scruggs decided he wanted to create a memorial to all the Americans who died in the Vietnam War in order to help the country heal. Three years later, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was completed in Washington D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we've decided to share another interview from our other podcast, Burn the Boats. Like the rest of these bonus episodes, this one departs from our typical Warriors format, but we think you’ll appreciate the insight. As always, we welcome your feedback, either in iTunes reviews, or by email at [email protected]. David Chasteen is a former CIA officer on the covert action staff. While at the agency, David conducted overseas operations, guided human intelligence collection, evaluated foreign threats to computer systems, and provided analysis on cyber issues to the president. David was also a consultant for the Amazon Prime series, Jack Ryan, starring John Krasinski, and the show is heavily influenced by David's experiences. You can find David on Twitter @DavidChasteen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices