Veterans Chronicles

Amelia Cunningham was one of the few black women to enlist in the U.S. Air Force in 1954. Still sharp and spunky at 85 years young, Ms. Cunningham reflects on her service, and a recent Honor Flight trip she made to Washington, DC.

David Lucier served in the Vietnam War as a Green Beret. Upon returning home, he experienced Post-Traumatic Stress, and had difficulty transitioning out of his military life. He eventually sought the care he needed and is an advocate for veterans coping with mental health challenges.

Wade Spann is a Marine Corps veteran who served three tours in Iraq. He was in boot camp on September 11, 2001, and was among the first US Marines in Iraq. Following his service, he has become active in helping his fellow veterans find the support and resources they need while transitioning back into civilian life.

Marc Yablonka is a military journalist and author. He has written for Stars and Stripes, Soldier of Fortune, Army Times, and previously worked for ABC and Reuters. He also served as a Public Affairs Officer with the U.S. Army's 40th Infantry Division Support Brigade. This conversation focuses on his book 'Vietnam Bao Chi: Warriors of Word and Film,' which brings together interviews with 35 combat...

A veteran of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, Lt. Colonel Robert Friend flew 142 combat missions with the famed unit and served as wingman to the unit's leader, the first African American general in the Air Force, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Lt. Col. Friend passed away on June 21, 2019 at age 99. We are honored to have had the opportunity to record his story, and we will remember his incredible legacy.

Captain Lauran Glover made history in 2014 as the first female commander of the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Drill Team. Captain Glover reflects on her service, including a tour at Guantanamo Bay and as Platoon Leader for the Old Guard's 289th Military Police (M.P.) Company. Since her time as Drill Team Commander, Capt. Glover has begun a doctoral program in clinical psychology.

PFC Deloris Ruddock enlisted in the Women's Army Corps in October 1943 in Washington, DC. She would be assigned to the history-making 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the first and only all-female African American unit deployed overseas during WWII. They were sent to Birmingham, England and Rouen, France to sort through the two year logjam of mail to send to American troops overseas.

Lt. Colonel James Harvey III served as a pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group, better known as the famed Tuskegee Airmen. In 1949 he flew on the team that won the military's first "Top Gun" contest in 1949. He was the first African American jet fighter pilot to fly in the Korean War, and is the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Lt. Jason Redman spent eight years as an enlisted U.S. Navy SEAL, and was commissioned as a SEAL Officer in 2004. He completed combat deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2007, outside of Fallujah, Iraq, Lt. Redman's Assault Team came under heavy fire and he was severely wounded. While recovering at Bethesda Medical Center, Redman authored a bright orange sign on his door, which became a statem...

U.S. Senator of Arkansas Tom Cotton discusses his distinguished service in the U.S. Army. Cotton served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, is a recipient of the Bronze Star, and served with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard. The unit conducts funerals for soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, and is the topic of Cotton’s new book Sacred Duty: A Soldier’s Tour at Arlington...

Arnold Taylor served in the U.S. Army's 99th Infantry Division as a Military Policeman during World War II. Taylor served in Europe with the unit as it advanced into Germany, and witnessed the terrible impact of war on the German people. The horrors of war shaped Arnold Taylor into a man of peace, and when he returned home he devoted his life to helping others. Arnold Taylor was a good friend of t...

During his second tour in Vietnam, Colonel Anthony Wood was tasked with planning and executing the evacuation of Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam. When the city fell to the NVA on April 30, 1975, Col. Wood worked with about 100 American civilian volunteers who assumed great risk in helping Vietnamese citizens flee from the collapsing city.

On April 18, 1942, the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders left a legacy by boosting American morale after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The story of the Doolittle Raiders is one of extraordinary valor and serves an example of the courage and selflessness presented by veterans of the Greatest Generation. As we mourn the passing of Lt. Colonel Richard E. Cole - the last surviving Doolittle Raider - and honor the...

Miki Nguyen is the son of Ba Nguyen, a South Vietnamese Air Force helicopter pilot who demonstrated incredible heroism on April 29, 1975. As Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces, Ba Nguyen commandeered a massive Chinook CH-47, loaded up with his family and friends, and embarked on a daring mission to escape to refuge. Miki was just six years old, but the dramatic event has stayed with him many y...

PFC James “Pee Wee” Martin, veteran of G Company, 101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, saw some of the greatest action of the European theater throughout World War II. PFC Martin participated in the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy, parachuting into the town of St. Come du Mont, and taking part in the fight to liberate France. Martin and his comrades held the Belgian town o...

Colonel Charles McGee's distinguished flying career has seen three wars and witnessed critical moments in American history. A veteran of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, Col. McGee flew missions with the famed Red Tails during World War II. He is the recipient of three Distinguished Flying Crosses, and would go on to set an Air Force record of 409 combat missions flown during WWII, Korea, and Vietna...

Many know the photo, few know the story. The famed photo "VJ Day in Times Square" and its key figures - US Navy sailor George Mendonsa, and dental assistant Greta Friedman - share their stories recalling that infamous day, August 14, 1945. They recount their experiences during the Second World War, and upon learning they were featured in one of the most iconic photos of the twentieth century. Thes...

Bill Lord was a young draftee at the height of the Vietnam War. He served in Vietnam as an infantry sergeant carrying a radio in the U.S. Army's Charlie Company, 4th/47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. Later in his career he served as television news executive and general manager of WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. His book "50 Years After Vietnam" is available here: https://www.amazon.com/50-Years-A...

A veteran of the Tuskegee Airmen, Lt. Colonel Harold Brown is a combat pilot of 30 missions, shot down over enemy territory on March 14, 1945.

Lieutenant Jim Downing was aboard USS West Virginia when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Here he shares his incredible story of survival - including a mission he took on to ensure his fallen comrades would not be forgotten.

U.S. Army Captain William Reynolds' life was forever changed on November 7, 2004, while on a dismounted patrol in Southwest Baghdad. After an IED was remote detonated, the explosion left his arm and left leg seriously wounded. Years later, he would serve as Captain to the U.S. contingent at the 2016 Invictus Games. Guest host Senior Chief Beck talks with Captain Reynolds about his remarkable journ...

Dave Yoho served in the U.S. Maritime served during World War II when he was just 15 years old. Too young to serve, he lied about his age, eager to join the fight. He would serve on a T2 Tanker ship in the South Pacific, profoundly impacted by his experience.

Gareth Hugh "Cy" Tanner was as stationed in Bassingbourne, England from July 1944 to January 1945. He turned 19 just days after arriving in England. Tanner flew 35 bombing missions on B-17s as a waist gunner, primarily over Germany, with the 8th Air Force, 91st Bomb Group, 324th Squadron. He kept a small diary with a flight log of each mission. In this episode, Tanner reflects on how his service i...

Colonel Frank Cohn was born in Breslau, Germany in 1925. Cohn's father owned a store which was boycotted by the Nazis since the family was Jewish. He and his family managed to escape to the United States on October 30, 1938 -- just over one week before Kristallnacht. In 1943, Cohn was drafted into the US Army, where he served in an Intelligence unit.

A graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a veteran of the US Marine Corps, Major Katelyn Van Dam served in Operation Enduring Freedom as an attack helicopter pilot. Major Van Dam conducted combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and later conducted anti-pirate operations in the horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden. She served more than ten years on active duty.