The Warrior Next Door Podcast

Welcome to the final episode of the 5 part Leo Westerholm series.  In this episode Leo gets liberated by the Russians and witnesses the brutality of war. He makes his way back home where he was treated with disdain for being a POW. And finally we fast forward to June 2022 where Tony and I go to his capture location in France to pay homage to Leo where we experience a very powerful and unexpected m...

Hello Warrior Next Door friends - we have two big announcements to tell you about. FIRST We just launched our merchandise store on Etsy.com. If you find our mission at the warrior next door podcast worthwhile, please consider visiting our Etsy store and check out our merchandise. The proceeds will help us cover our costs such as website fee’s, podcast distribution fee’s, online recording fee’s and...

Welcome to the Leo Westerholm series. In this episode, Leo details his transport across France and into Germany by train to his first POW camp and horrible conditions and experiences that he endured.  He also recalls running the sick ward in Stalag IVB and his responsibility to bury 135 POWs who died in the camp. Support the show

Welcome to Episode  3 of the 5 part Leo Westerholm series.  In episode three we hear all about Leo’s capture and early hours as a newly captured prisoner of war.  Support the show

Welcome to Episode 2 of the 5 part Leo Westerholm series, a combat medic who jumped on D-Day near Carentan France. In this episode, we hear about Leo's time in England, his jump into Normandy and his capture at 1:30 am June 6, 1944.  Support the show

Welcome to Episode 1 of the 5 part Leo Westerholm series. In this episode we introduce you to Leo: a combat medic with the 501st PIR of the 101st Airborne  training to jump into Normandy at 1 am on D-Day.  Support the show

In this final installment of the series, Henry hits rock bottom. A place most of us have never had to dwell in. More importantly, it's the story of reclaiming his life and searching for redemption. This is a story all too common for our servicemen and women... Support the show

In Episode 2 Henry shares his experiences during his second deployment as part of a MEU, a Marine Expeditionary Unit. His stories on his exploits at various ports of call are NSFW and hilarious!  The episode ends with Henry suffering setbacks as his personal life starts to unravel from PTS associated with the suicide of two of his close friends.  Support the show

In Episode 1, Henry describes the pride he felt joining the USMC after the World Trade Center bombing and how he felt a sense of purpose when he was deployed to Afghanistan to support the MARSOC troops stationed there.  Support the show

As we hit the 100,000 milestone in downloads for the podcast (likely with this very episode) a few listeners of the show asked to interview US. So join us for this fun hour long conversation as we reflect on the show up to this point and what goes into the making of the show. Support the show

Welcome to the final episode in the Gerard Daley series. In this episode Gerard discusses his path of combat thru Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines as we well as the impact the war had on him. Support the show

In a Warrior Next Door first, we offer an addendum to the second episode of the Gerard Daley Series to provide additional information on how Archie Mitchell overcame the loss of his wife, Elsie, and their five friends from a Japanese balloon bomb explosion on May 5, 1945. These deaths were the "Only place on the American Continent Where Death Resulted from Enemy Action During WWII". Supp...

In this episode, we discuss other Japanese submarine attacks along the west coast of the United States during WWII as well as his additional training he undertook before he would ship out for Australia. Support the show

Welcome to Episode 1 of the 3 part Gerard Daley series. Mr. Daley served in the Western Defense Command and  the First Cavalry 49th Field Artillery. In this episode Gerard discusses his entry into the military prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and witnessing the Japanese sub I-17 shell an oil refinery near Santa Barbara California and the ensuing panic. Support the show

Join us for an exclusive, behind the scenes tour of the storied Liberation House in St Laurent sur mer, the first house liberated by the allies on Omaha Beach and a focal point for the French Resistance prior to the invasion! Episode 2 will focus on the people who lived in the area of St Laurent sur mer under NAZI occupation, many of whom joined the resistance movement and helped provide critical...

Join us for an exclusive, behind the scenes tour of the storied Liberation House in St Laurent sur mer, the first house liberated by the allies on Omaha Beach and a focal point for the French Resistance prior to the invasion! Episode 1 describes the history of the Liberation House as shared by the owner, Sebastian Olard, whose great uncles served in the local resistance movement during the war. Se...

In this episode we hear of the kamikaze attacks against the ship and divert to a short discussion on a topic Mr Edwards brings up, the destroyer USS Abner Reed, as well as the gory role Mr Edwards had to endure in body recovery after a kamikaze attack.  Support the show

Welcome to Episode 3 of the four part Allan Edwards series where we follow a Bugler aboard the battleship USS California during the second half of WWII. In this episode, the action starts heating up for Allan as he endures the Battle of Leyte Gulf and kamikazes aboard the battleship USS California.  Support the show

Welcome to Episode 2 of the four part Allan Edwards series. In this episode Mr Edwards discusses his role as a bugler as he served aboard during the USS California’s actions in late summer 1944.  Support the show

Welcome to the four part Allan Edwards series – an Oklahoman who served during WWII aboard the USS California as Bugler . In Episode 1 Mr Edwards discusses his entry into the Navy and eventually being shipped to the south pacific to Epiritu Santo to serve aboard the storied battleship the USS California. We also cover the damage the California sustained at Pearl Harbor where she was sunk, its rais...

The final installment, Episode 4, of the Obie O'Brien Series features commentary and first hand accounts of his impression of allied and German aircraft, the German fighter pilots he faced,  his injury during the war and how the Lend-Lease P-39s airplanes he delivered to the Russians may have contributed to the Cold War!  Support the show

The fight for air superiority prior to the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings are on full display in this third installment of the Obie O'Brien Series! Please join us as we hear first hand accounts from Obie about specific missions that involved legends of WWII aviation that include Chuck Yeager, Bud Anderson and Michal Gladych! Support the show

In Episode 2 you'll hear Obie talk about being assigned to the 357th Fighter group as part of the Eight Air Force during the air war over Europe in WW2. He'll describe his introduction to the P-51 Mustang, the missions he flew and the tactics a fighter pilot needed to learn if he wanted to survive a dogfight with a skilled and determined enemy, the German Luftwaffe.  Support the show

You're going to enjoy this first of a four part series featuring the fighter ace William R. "Obie" O'Brien! Listen in as he describes his journey to become a fighter pilot flying the legendary P-51 Mustang with the storied 357th Fighter Group!  You'll also hear commentary from our guest host John "OSCER" Nowakowski, an active duty F-16 Viper fighter pilot who mas...

Welcome to the final episode of the Wish Lemons series. In this episode we hear about Wish's experience after transitioning off of the USS San Francisco as well as his unique skills he put to use after the war as a counselor to oilfield workers. Support the show