Taco Bell

Tall Tales with Taco Bell

Leisure EN ↓ 6 episodes

This is a Military themed podcast by a retired Marine Corps Officer dealing with everyone from former Military, actors, U-2, SR-71 pilots, a ton of F-14 Top Gun stories, grunts and their time in the service. You name it, you might find it here. Each Tuesday, I interview old friends or others who I just find interesting. There is a YouTube channel by the same name and all of these shows are on there. They also include photos and other visual aides that you won’t get from the audio so please join me there and subscribe if you enjoy the content. Semper Fi, Taco

Author

Taco Bell

Episodes

S5E180 “War Junkie” Kirk Spradley 21.05.2026 1:46:38

Send us Fan Mail A good friend Dom recommended this book to me and told me it is a must read. I bought a copy off Amazon and no kidding; this is a page turner! Kirk has had a Hollywood movie type life in and out of the Military as a Recon Marine and as a Private Military Contractor which led to a three letter “ABC” agency job. Just when you couldn’t get more interesting, he changes careers and bec...

Flying the speed of sound Mach 1.3 in an F-4 Phantom 21.05.2026 30:09

Send us Fan Mail The answer is always no unless you ask. Years ago, I asked if I could get in the backseat of an F-4 Phantom fighter jet with a guy who turned out to be a secret military astronaut named Col Richard "Dick" Lawyer. He was part of the MOL program which was Top Secret and only declassified in the 90's before he died. this is how Mike Aldrich and myself got to hit 53K f...

S6E204 Larry Wilcox, from the Marines to Hollywood 18.05.2026 1:47:38

Send us Fan Mail For those Gen Xer’s who remember the TV show CHiPs on Sat nights, it was the buddy cop motorcycle duo and one of my favorite shows in the late 70’s. In honor of the Marine Corps 250th anniversary I am sitting down with Larry Wilcox who played Officer Jon Baker. Crazy question, did you know that he was an Artillery Marine in Vietnam during Tet in ’68 and was honorably discharged in...

S4E141 CJ “Heater” Heatley Part 1 F-14's to MiGs 18.05.2026 1:11:44

Send us Fan Mail If you do not know CJ or “Heater” as we call him, please join us to tonight as we talk about Top Gun and the how it all started with him back in the day. We will hit on his time as an instructor, the Movie in 1986 and perhaps…UFOs at Area 51 when he was at Constant Peg as a secret MiG pilot. No matter, it will be a blast! Do not worry if you miss any shows live, they are all on t...

Tim “Sluggo” Bleidistel “What the hell am I doing in the war, I don’t have to be here” 30.11.2021 2:25:36

Send us Fan Mail As Marine Corps reservists, we are sort of free agents sometimes when it comes to filling holes on the active-duty forces side over in the war. Hundreds of thousands over the years have volunteered for numerous tours in Iraq and Afghanistan taking the pressure off of some guy who maybe just finished his 3rd tour. It’s actually pretty cool to pick the job you want vice being told...

“The Swede” Heart Break Ridge with Pete Koch 30.11.2021 1:26:24

Send us Fan Mail Swede, Swede, Swede, Swede!!!! For my 50th Podcast Tuesday the 14th at 7pm CST (1900), it’s a real honor to have Pete Koch join me on Tall Tales with Taco! He is going to talk about his time on a little movie that Marines love to quote, Heartbreak Ridge with Clint Eastwood. At the time, Pete was a defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs when he made his first venture into Holly...