American Warrior Radio

Being a Marine rifleman was a huge part of BJ Ganem's identity. After losing a leg to an IED he had trouble transitioning and faced a spiral that included depression, divorce, bankruptcy and self medicating. He adopted a bulldog and his life turned around.

Sierra Delta now helps fund training for other Veteran's dogs. "Most of us don't NEED a Ferrari. We just need an F-150"

Huey gunship pilot Bob Lifesy was awarded FOUR Distinguished Flying Cross medals over the course of twelve months of combat in Vietnam.
* This is a replay of interview originally broadcast Aug. 11, 2024

Retired Army Intelligence Officer and West Point instructor Charles Faint joins us to discuss several topics pertinent to military and first responder communities.

The motto of Code of Vets is "Taking Care of Our Own..One Veteran at a Time." They have raised and distributed over $8 million in emergency gap funding to Veterans who have fallen on hard times. Founder Gretchen Smith joins us.

The US Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth is the only Level III maximum security prison in the Dept. Of War. Sergeant Major Daniel Dodds shares more about the institution's history and their reform and rehabilitation progams.

Operation Sparrow was either genius or suicidal..or both. Jason Bell tells us the amazing on little known story of three American Commandos who may have saved hundreds of thousands of lives by convincing the Nazis that the Allied invasion would come through Hungary.

When Army officer Patrick Naughton began researching his father's service in Vietnam, he identified several parrallels between that war and the war the current generations fought. His book "Born From War: A Solider's Quest to Understand Vietnam, Iraq and the Generational Impact of Conflict" is a fascinating read.

Ed McKenzie was a combat search and rescue crewmember in Vietnam. Folowing the war he became a Franciscan Priest. He uses lessons learned from Saint Francis of Assisi's journey from soldier to saint to help other Veterans address their Post Traumatic Stress.

Kevin and Lauren Wallace moved out of their condo, bought a used FedX van with 300,000 miles on the odometer. Their mission was to record 100 stories of Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star families.

280 days, 27,000 miles and 48 states later, they recorded 317.

California Fish and Wildlife game warden John Nores helped build the nation's first dedicated wildlife officer special operations units to reclaim America's wildlands from drug cartels. He explains the war taking place right in our own backyards.

"What if your ugliest scar could become your most beautiful gift?" Retired Green Beret Scott Mann now works helping Veterans and others tell their stories.

Air National Guard Veteran Bonnie Carroll lost his husband, Brig. General Tom Carroll, in a aircraft crash. It was then she learned how inadequate the government's Survivor assistance programs were on their own. Turning her tragedy into something good, Bonnie founded the Tragedy Assistance Program for Surivors. TAPS has helped thousands of military families in the US and even overseas.

When his 13 year old son told him there were some man "In fancy suits with ribbons on their chests", Mark Murphy came up from the basement to see an Army Next of Kin notification team. Several years later he would lose that 13 year old, a Navy Veteran to suicide.

Mark's family would become two time members of the club no one wants to join - Gold Star Families.

Multiple New York Times bestselling author and noted Pacific War historian James M. Scott joins us to discuss his last book in a trilogy about the war in the Pacific.

Jay Wiley is a medically retired Baltimore Police Sergeant. His broadcast introduces listeners to the reality behind the badge and stories of inspiration, resilience and recovery from trauma.

Havok Journal owner Charles Faint checks in to discuss some of their recently published articles.

Dr. Arielle Jordan is an Army Veteran and licensed clinical professional counselor. She entered the mental health field because of trauma in her own life. One of her specialties is working with military and first responders.

Ben Read believes that current job search tools are broken and specifically make it difficult for Veterans to find fufilling, long term employment in the private sector. He develop "Redeployable" to specificaly address the issue.

John Mollison is a very talented artist who draws combat airplaines. But the drawings are just an excuse to tell that pilot's story. John makes an encore appearance to talk about a recent trip back to Vietnam with several Veterans.
We also discuss cautions about the impact of AI upon historical accounts.

Navy Veteran John Paul DeJoria was homeless and living out of his car. He took out a $700 loan ot start his own company. He is now a multi-billionaire.

Sara Vladic has written an excellent book about the variety of characters who protected the homefront in World War II. From the Mafia to thousands of volunteer Civil Air Patrol pilots. Even a Boy Scout who helped to capture two German spies.

Army Veteran Ayman Kafel is now a police sergeant. He has written numerous insightful articles on leadership in police organizations.

New York firefighter Clarence Singleton responded to the first World Trade Center attack in 1993. Even though he had retired, on Sept. 11 he immediately rushed to volunteer at the scene. He was nearly crushed in the collapse of the second tower.

Retired IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent Brian Watson shares some of the most common scams perpetuated upon our elderly populations.

Air Force Intelligence Specialis Emma Przybyslawaki spent much of her career attached to various Special Operations units. She was credited with 1,634 kills. As Co-Founder and CEO of Strike Solutions she is now working to make our forces even more lethal.

Ed Mechenbier had already flown 79 of the 100 required missions over North Vietnam before he could return home. He didn't have to fly that day but volunteered and was shot down on his 80th mission. He would spend nearly 6 years as a POW.

Since it's founding, Combat Hero Bike Build has awarded 43 custom adapted motorcycles to severely injured Veterans and First Responders. President Ken Dugas and motorcycle recipient Bobby Henline join us.

"Sheepdog" is a gritty film about Traumatic Brain Injury, Veteran suicide, Post Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Growth.

Writer, Director and Lead Actor Steven Grayhm joins us.

Havok Journal owner Scott Faith gives us an update on subjects impacting our military and Veterans.

Bob Wells had a distinguished 30-year Navy career including serving as a White House and National Security Council advisor in the Bush 43 and Clinton administrations. We discuss the current global threats.

Air Force Combat Search and Rescue pilot John Mangan flew more than 200 missions in Afghanistan. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor.
He wroted "The Three Rings Mindset" to help others apply techniques used by high performers to deal with the stressors or modern day life.

Col. Brandon P. Alford, Commander - US Space Forces Southern joins us to share more about our nation's newest military branch and its mission.

A 2002 USO trip would inspire Darryl Worely to compose and perform the song "Have You Forgotten", a song about the 9/11 attacks. The song spent seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard country charts. Darryl joins us to describe his latest project.

Diveheart Founder Jim Elliott and Exec. Director Tinamarie Hernandez join us to describe how they are helping Veterans using the equalizing power of scuba diving.

Doug Hegdahl likely had the most unusual capture of any Vietnam POW. But the South Dakota farm boy would become one of the war's most unlikely heroes. Marc Leepson joins us to tell his story.

Bob Breault was one of the first Air Force pilots to be assigned to fly the very dangerous "Wild Weasel" mission in Vietnam. Afer leaving the service, he would go on to become a global leader in the optics industry.

Ryan McDermott is a West Point graduate and earned the Ranger tab. He led an infrantry platoon during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ryan shares his motivation behind wrting " Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet"

Base Camp for Veterans used equine theragpy to help heal Veteran families. Founders Deborah Plum and Theo Windish join us.

Michael Durant flew with the elite 160th SOAR "Night Stalkers". His helicopter would be the second shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu and he spent 11 days in Somali captivity.

The 9/11 attacks forced Navy Chaplain Larry Cripps to finally confront the trauma he had suppressed from his time in combat in Vietnam.