Podcast

Matthew Marsden made a comment during an interview last year that just floored me. So much so that I invited the British born actor/director to join me for a special Independence Day show. Sometimes it is valuable to examine ourselves through the lens of an “outsider”. Marsden was raised by a single mother living in public housing. He was fascinated by US television and even comic books. While he established a respectable career as a singer and actor in the [...]

Soldier Strong was originally established by Christopher Meek as “Soldiers Socks” in 2009. Chris was in the World Trade Center towers on September 11th and was responsible for getting 29 persons out on that day.  Following those attacks Chris knew he had to do something to give back but didn’t know what form that would take. A few years later Chris learned from a Marine Corps mentor that some deployed troops were lacking essentials like socks and baby wipes. He [...]

Col. Michael Drowley has flown a wide assortment of aircraft over his career. Heavy bombers like the B-1 & B-52, the C-130 and C-17 heavy transport planes, F-15 & F-16 fighter jets, the B-2 Stealth bomber and even helicopters. But the slow and tough A-10 Thunderbolt is his favorite.   He is careful to make a distinction between fighter pilots and attack pilots. The A-10 was designed and built with one singular purchase – to support troops on the ground. [...]

Exposing stolen valor became a mission for Don Shipley and his wife Diane when they were approached by a man seeking to support their program for children afflicted with cancer. Something about man didn’t seem right so Don looked into his background. Fraudulently claiming to be the recipient of certain military decorations or medals in order to receive benefits is a federal crime. Don has become THE go to person for investigating Navy SEAL claims. There have been days when [...]

Here I Am, Send Me documents a very special parachute jump conducted over Normandy on the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.  The film can be found on the Devinsupertramp YouTube channel. Two of the participants join us to share their thoughts and motivations. Scoti Domeij is the Gold Star mother of Army Ranger Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer Domeij, the most deployed soldier in US history to be killed in action.  Matthew “Griff” Griffin served with Kristoffer and did four [...]

Stalag 17B was “home” for B-17 radio operator Walter Ram for two years. Stalag 17B was one of the Nazi regime’s most notorious POW camps. Walter lied about his age in order to enlist at the age of 16. One year later the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. His crew was assigned to the 94th Bombardment Group, 331st Squadron of the 8th Air Force.  He shares the humorous story of how his aircraft, the “Helno-Gal” came to be named. On his [...]

Excellence in Policing author Andy Harvey has the resume to back up his concepts. He has over two decades of law enforcement experience; 21 years with the Dallas Police Department, two years as Chief of the Palestine, Texas PD and currently serves as Chief of the Ennis, Texas.  Andy also served 21 years as a member of the Air Force Reserve and the Texas Air and Army National Guards. In testimony before the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Andy [...]

Gary Sinise Foundation CEO Robin Rand joins us to discuss their programs in support of military members, first responders and their families.  He updates us on the Foundation’s Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service program. Since March 9, this new element of their programming has funded over 5,000 pieces of PPE and large scale decontamination equipment for 56 first responder units in 25 states. Over $700,000 of the $ 1 million raised for this program has already been allocated and Robin assures [...]

Will and Cairo Cairo was a very special dog for many reasons – not the least of which was the fact he was part of the elite team chosen to execute Operation Neptune Spear – the mission to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden. Cairo’s partner and handler Will Chesney joins us to discuss his tribute to Cairo as presented in his book “No Ordinary Dog; My Partner From the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden Raid.” Fellow [...]

Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation President and CEO Michael “Rod” Rodriguez certainly has the “bonafides” to lead this initiative. Military service is a “family business”; his grandfathers served in World War II and his father served in Vietnam. Rod’s wife is a Veteran and his son currently serves with the 82nd Airborne. Rod himself served 21 years, much of it as a member of the elite Green Berets. Green Berets are often the “first to go” and it was [...]