The Bonus Army – Christopher Otero
The Bonus Army was a term used to describe the tens of thousands of World War I Veterans who marched on Washington during the hot summer of 1932. Veteran and Havok Journal Author Christopher Otero joins American Warrior Radio to share this often overlooked piece of history and how lessons of the past can provide lessons for the future. Following World War I, Veterans could not rely on many of the protections available to service members today; the Veteran’s Administration, GI Bill or even employment protections when they went to war. Despite President Calvin Coolidge’s statement that “..patriotism bought and [...]
Unknown Soldier
Sgt. Edward F. Younger On this Day in 1921 – The bodies of four American Soldiers exhumed from four different cemeteries in France arrived at the Hotel de Ville in Paris. The four bodies selected represented the remains of soldiers for which there were no records indicating name, rank, organization or date of death. Upon arrival at the Hotel de Ville, the official forms regarding the transfer and selection of the bodies were burned, assuring the destruction of any paper trail that would indicate where in France the remains came from. The four caskets were draped with US [...]
George Armstrong Custer in the Civil War
Few historical military personalities arouse more inspiration and controversy than George Custer. Most know about his defeat at the Little Bighorn, but not as many about his success as a cavalry commander during the Civil War. We are joined by Eric Wittenberg, acclaimed and award winning civil war historian, author and lecturer. Eric has authored 16 books about the civil war and focuses his topics on the lives of the average cavalryman during the war. Three of his books deal specifically with George Custer and the stories of troops under his command. George Custer graduated LAST in his class from [...]
Twenty Third Anniversary of “Blackhawk Down”
Col. Lawrence Casper Their mission changed when the call went out; Blackhawk Down. Twenty three years ago, a US Joint Special Operations Force with combined elements of Special Forces units from Army Special Operations Command, Air Force Special Operations Command and Navy Special Warfare Command were dispatched on a mission in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia. Their objective was to capture two high value targets. Ranger Jeff Struecker A mission planned for an hour turned into a running overnight battle and rescue operation when the Blackhawk Down call went out. By the end of the operation, [...]
USS Arizona Respect and Honor
RESPECT Lauren Bruner Twenty one year old Fire Controlman 3rd Class Lauren Bruner scrambled to his duty station 87 feet above the deck of the USS Arizona when the attack on Pearl Harbor began. 10 minutes later Japanese bombs fatally crippled the Arizona, trapping Bruner and his shipmates in an inferno. The repair ship Vestal was moored nearby and threw over a line. Bruner and six other men climbed hand over hand across the rope. Bruner was the second to the last man to leave the USS Arizona and had burns over 70 percent of his body. After [...]
Protecting our Independence
Listening to today’s Independence Day guests, great patriots and warriors all, I found myself getting a little choked up. My first reaction was slight embarrassment. Then it dawned on me that this should be the natural response of anyone who holds a deep and abiding love for their country. Having spent the first nine years of my life overseas incubated my love for the USA in a manner that is hard to shake. The United States was a magical land. One could drink tap water without fear and daily trips to the market were unnecessary. Every home seemed to have [...]