Warriors In Their Own Words | First Person War Stories

Sergeant Jim Purvis served in the Army as an infantryman during the Vietnam War. In this interview, he recounts being kicked out of Officer Candidate School, his time in Vietnam, and how Vietnam differed from previous American military conflicts. “Anytime you have a war, it's a very, very sad experience.” - SGT Purvis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today as a bonus episode, we’ll be airing an episode of History Daily about the Battle of Stalingrad in WWII which we think you’ll enjoy.  History Daily is a show that tells the fascinating stories of what happened “on this day” in history. Every weekday, they share the overlooked and often forgotten stories behind the names and dates of history. They cover a wide range of topics, like war, politi...

Staff Sergeant Aquilino Gonell served in the Army in Iraq. He was born in the Dominican Republic, and was granted US citizenship after joining the military.  In this interview, he discusses the difficulty of gaining citizenship, discipling a fellow soldier for being cruel towards an Iraqi child, and defending the Capitol on January 6th as a Capitol Police Officer.  Learn more about your ad choices...

In this interview, Rick Render describes the Christmas of 1944, when he spent all day waiting in line to enter a German prison camp. Render served as an army infantryman in World War II. He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and taken as a prisoner of war by the Germans. He spent time in prison camps in Nuremberg and Hammelburg, and was liberated in 1945 by his own division. Learn more ab...

At 30 years old, Beth King was a single mother, and joined the Army as a way to provide for her five-year-old son. She deployed to Afghanistan and became a Chinook helicopter maintainer.  As one of the few women in her field, SSG King felt extra pressure to excel. She had to prove herself to her male colleagues, and if she failed, she was told they would take a “long break” before allowing another...

In this preview, SSG King recounts the night that her Chinook helicopter was hit by an RPG. Make sure to catch out full interview with King when it releases tomorrow.  – At 30 years old, Beth King was a single mother, and joined the Army as a way to provide for her five-year-old son. She deployed to Afghanistan and became a Chinook helicopter maintainer.  As one of the few women in her field, SSG...

Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser served in Vietnam as an Army Medic. In spite of numerous wounds and excruciating pain, he continuously administered aid to fellow soldiers for 20 hours as his company was attacked in Vietnam.  Sasser later said this about spending the night under fire: “The tough part wasn’t enemy fire, it was listening to guys call for their mama, and you can't do anyth...

In this preview, SP5 Clarence Sasser relives the traumatic mission for which he was later awarded the Medal of Honor. Check back tomorrow to hear our full interview with Sasser. Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser served in Vietnam as an Army Medic. In spite of numerous wounds and excruciating pain, he continuously administered aid to fellow soldiers for 20 hours as his company was attacke...

After witnessing the attack on Pearl Harbor from his home in Hawaii, Daniel Inouye, a second-generation Japanese American, enlisted in the US Army. He later was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in Northern Italy.  To hear the details of what earned him the Medal of Honor, check out our episode about him on the Medal of Honor Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...

Tomorrow, on the 82nd Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, we’ll be sharing our full interview with Captain Daniel Inouye. At 17 years old, Inouye witnessed the attack first-hand from his home in Hawaii, and he joined the US Army a year later when the government reversed its policy on Japanese Americans serving. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in Northern Italy, and he beca...

Lieutenant Colonel Terence Otway DSO served in the British Army during World War II. In the hours before the Invasion of Normandy, he and the 9th Parachute Battalion were dropped over German lines, and tasked with destroying the Merville Gun Battery. Armed with four 150 mm guns, the Merville Gun Battery was crucial to the German defense. In this interview, Otway describes organizing and leading th...

In this preview, we'll be sharing a clip from tomorrow's interview with Lieutenant-Colonel Terence Otway DSO. Make sure to catch our full interview with Otway when it releases tomorrow.  Lieutenant Colonel Terence Otway DSO served in the British Army during World War II. In the hours before the Invasion of Normandy, he and the 9th Parachute Battalion were dropped over German lines, and tasked with...

Captain Loran B. Morgan M.D. served as a battalion surgeon and paratrooper in the Army during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and at the Rhine River Crossing.  After the war, Morgan became an optometrist, and invented an irrigation device for eye wounds that is still used by medical personnel in the field today. He also went to Vietnam for 60 days as a civilian to run an eye cli...

In this preview, we'll be sharing a clip from tomorrow's interview with Captain Loran B. Morgan M.D.. Make sure to catch our full interview with Morgan when it releases tomorrow.  Captain Loran B. Morgan M.D. served as a battalion surgeon and paratrooper in the Army during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and at the Rhine River Crossing.  After the war, Morgan became an optometri...

Content Warning: Gore, Violence Lieutenant Colonel James Wirth served in the US Army Air Force during World War II. As a togglier, he flew on bombers and was tasked with arming and dropping bombs as well as manning a turret on board. In this interview, Wirth describes serving on a B-17 bomber, and the time his bomber was hit, injuring him and destroying one of their engines. Learn more about your...

Content Warning: Gore, Violence In this preview, we'll be sharing a clip from tomorrow's interview with Lt Col James Wirth. Make sure to catch our full interview with Wirth when it releases tomorrow.  Lieutenant Colonel James Wirth served in the US Army Air Force during World War II. As a togglier, he flew on bombers and was tasked with arming and dropping bombs as well as manning a turret on boar...

Lieutenant Colonel Jim Riordan served as a forward observer in the Marine Corps in Vietnam. 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 coordinating artillery fire support via radio.  In this interview, Riordan desc...

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 invasi...

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.  Lea...

"’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....

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, Sperb...

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...

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 an...

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 F...