World War II / Korea

Hell Below is a documentary series of the Smithsonian Channel describing submarine combat during the Second World War.  On today’s show we talk with James M. Scott, one of the experts featured in the series and retired Navy Rear Admiral Ron Morgan. James has written several excellent books about historical military events including Target Tokyo, Attack on the Liberty and The War Below.  Two of the submarines James highlights in The War Below are featured in the Hell Below series. [...]

President Truman presents Woody with the Medal of Honor Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams had no interest in joining the military but like many patriotic Americans decided to volunteer following the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Woody would have to wait until he was old enough join and his first attempt at the Marine Corps was rejected because he was too small. He was trained in the use of demolitions and operating a flamethrower after being shipped [...]

(L-R) Co-host John Eslinger, WWII Vet Al Arreola & BBG The purpose of the Collings Foundation is to organize and support living history events that enable Americans to learn more about their heritage through direct participation.  We broadcast today’s show from under the wing of a B-17 bomber taking part in the Collings Foundation “Wings of Freedom” Tour. Tiffany Denlinger, half of the Denlinger Team at Nova Home Loans begins our show by sharing information about the Veterans [...]

Tim Gray is the Founder and Chairman of the World War II Foundation. He has produced 18 World War II documentary films to date, with several more in post-production.  Tim is a master storyteller; just the kind of person we love on American Warrior Radio! His work has been recognized with FIVE regional Emmy Awards, THREE Indie International Film Fest Awards and American Public Television’s National Programming Excellence Award. Tim’s documentary films rank among the top five most requested programs [...]

Pearl Harbor, From Infamy to Greatness by best-selling author Craig Nelson is a real page turner! Five years of research and over 1 million pages of documents expose perspective and details that even well-read fans of World War II history will find enlightening. Craig delves into highlights from his book including the chaos in Japan that led to the ultimate decision to attack Pearl Harbor.  From conflicted military leaders to a revolving door of prime ministers, one gets the impression [...]

Douglas Dillard convinced his mother to let him enlist on July 3rd, 1942 when he was still 16 years old. He spent a number of Christmas holidays away from home – the Battle of the Bulge was his first. Dillard made his first combat jump into France as part of the 551st Parachute Infantry Regiment one month shy of his 18th birthday. He is proud that his company captured TWO German Generals within 24 hours of landing. One of those [...]

Don Collier enlisted in the Navy while he was still in high school.  But by the time he became eligible at 17 years old, the Second World War had been over for two months.  Nonetheless, Don completed his commitment to the Navy, serving aboard the light cruiser USS Astoria.  He volunteered for duty peeling potatoes in the ship’s “Spud Shack” because at least that got him up onto the deck level of the ship. Don accepted a football scholarship following [...]

By accessing Japanese, Chinese and Russian records from WWII, Author & Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott sheds new and intriguing light on the famous World War II “Doolittle” raid on Tokyo in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Through extensive research and interviews with survivors, he exposes the vengeance exacted upon the Chinese populace and the raid’s connection to the Battle of Midway, a critical turning point in the Pacific War. Scott is widely heralded as one of [...]

Astronaut Jim McDivitt's path toward being the 20th man in space was a circuitous one..including 145 combat missions in Korea and a Colonel who called him a "traitor" for leaving the Air Force to go to NASA. While flying in Korea, he completed his requisite 100 missions but extended his tour three times because they didn't have many combat experienced pilots flying at the time. Returning from R&R leave he missed the normal courier plane and that aircraft crashed while [...]

Everyone has heard of the Battle of the Bulge but very few may be familiar with the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest - the longest WWII battle fought on German Soil. Victor Brombert was a member of the special unit named "The Ritchie Boys" and saw his fair share of combat. Victor Brombert recounts his journey from the beaches of Normandy to the Hurtgen Forest.