Veterans Radio 2006 Archived Programs

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24 Dec 06	Bob Hope, Thanks for the Memories. No name is more synonymous with America’s veterans than Bob Hope. See, you’re already smiling. Bob Hope did more for the morale of America’s servicemen and women than any other entertainer in our history. From the jungles of the Pacific to the deserts of North Africa in World War II to the frozen mountains of Korea, from the steamy outposts of Vietnam to the flea infested sands of Desert Storm the only constant was Bob Hope and his USO shows for the men and women so far from home.
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17 Dec 06	Israel The Mid-East has been in turmoil for as long as most of us can remember. And Israel is right in the middle. Don Shepperd, a CNN Military Analyst and retired USAF Major General, just returned from a trip to Israel. What did he find out? What are the major issues on the minds of Israeli citizens? What’s the future hold for Israel and the Mid-East? Is Israel the spoiler or the peacemaker? We also talk about the Iraq Study Group. What’s in it? Will their recommendations be put in place?
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10 Dec 06	Lest they be forgotten... Lest they be forgotten...is a memorial mission to create and establish hometown memorials to our military service members who have lost their lives defending the United States in the war against terrorism. Our guests, Gregg Garvey and Skip Bushart, both lost sons in Iraq. They made it their mission to honor our fallen Servicemembers.
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3 Dec 06	Gifts for Veterans What can you give your favorite veteran this holiday season? Veterans Radio learns about the new books, music, military clothing, jewelry and collectables available locally and on the internet. We talk with authors, musicians and suppliers from around the country.
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26 Nov 06	The March of Death: BATAAN Join hosts Gary Lillie and Bob Gould, along with death-march survivor Steve Raymond. The Bataan Death March began 3½ years of captivity for Steve Raymond. During that time he witnessed horrors that we may not even be able to discuss on radio. In the first year after being captured, 30% of all Bataan POWs had died of malnutrition, disease, execution, beatings, slave labor, living conditions and refusal by the Japanese to provide even simple medical treatment. One example you will hear is that of a young American boy having his leg amputated with no sedation or medication. Mike Pride, co-writer of Raymond’s memoir Too Dead to Die, joins us to read an excerpt from the book.
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12 Nov 06	It’s Our Anniversary! On November 15th 2003, Veterans Radio broadcast their first program from the studios of WSDS in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Since then we have produced over 150 live programs on a wide variety of topics. From the sands of Iwo Jima and Normandy to the jungles of Vietnam. From the freezing winters of Korea to the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq. And everything in between. Extraordinary stories about ordinary men and women who have served in the armed forces of America. Join as we remember some of those amazing tales of courage and heroism. We could never have done it without your stories or your support.
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5 Nov 06	JAGs You’ve seen the TV show (maybe you even had an encounter with one while in the service); now learn what the Judge Advocate General is all about. Are JAGs there only to prosecute or defend members of our military? What happens when a member of our military runs afoul of the law in another country? Who created the position of Judge Advocate General? When? Is the US military the only military that contains this branch? Do our troops really need a legal opinion before they can return fire? (The answer may amaze you). What is the role of the JAG in Iraq and Afghanistan? Hosts Gary Lillie and Dale Throneberry talk with guests Capt. David Machoda and Capt. Russell Brown, both of them Army JAGs.
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29 Oct 06	Koga's Zero It is said that three major events shortened the war with Japan. They were The Atomic Bomb, Breaking the Japanese Code, and Koga’s Zero…hosts Gary Lillie and Dale Throneberry interview the PBY pilot, Bill Thies, who found the Zero along with Jim Rearden, the author of Koga’s Zero. They will recount the discovery and how the American military used it to fight the Japanese Zero, thus saving countless American…and Japanese…lives.
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22 Oct 06	AFRTS AFRTS (Armed Forces Radio and Television Service) was born during World War II. Its mission was to inform and entertain American military personnel overseas. That mission has changed little in the 64 years since, although the methods used have changed immeasurably. What was it like to serve in AFRTS? Ken Rogge (a former AFRTSer) talks to Gerry Fry who spent 32 years in AFRTS (many of them at the Headquarters) and with two former members of AFRTS about their experiences.
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15 Oct 06	Uncommon Valor, Common Virtue On February 23, 1945, as the battle raged below, Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal's camera captured five Marines and a Navy Corpsman raising the Stars and Stripes on Mt. Suribachi. Veterans Radio looks back at the incredible circumstances surrounding the most famous "War Picture" ever taken. Hal Buell, veteran photo editor, who spent more than 40 years with the Associated Press has written the definitive story of the photograph and the photographer.
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8 Oct 06	VSOs, VA Benefits & You: Part II 50% of initial VA claims are initiated by you, the veteran. The remaining claims are filed with the help of a VSO (Veterans Service Organization). Which way works better? Do you know who to contact to get that VA claim started? Where do you go if you get turned down? Do you go straight to the VA or to one of the many VSOs? How about your County Veteran’s Office? We talk with Mark Lindke and Michael Smith from the Washtenaw County, (Ann Arbor, MI) Veteran Service Office and find out what you need to know to file your claim and how to get it approved.
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24 Sep 06	Spy Planes We interview former spy plane pilots Norm Lohroff and Dan Bookout as they describe 32-hour missions on lumbering Super Constellations and P-3 Orions off the coast of China and over the Bering Sea - without refueling. While the missions were tedium boredom most of the time, there were the pucker moments when enemy MIGs were scrambled to shoot them down. It may not make the nightly news, but it happens.
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17 Sep 06	Love My Rifle..... We welcome Kayla Williams to Veterans Radio. Ms. Williams is a former U.S. Army soldier who served in the Middle East as an Arabic interpreter. She recounts her decision to enlist and her experiences during the Iraq war in a new memoir, Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army. Williams was a sergeant in a military intelligence company of the 101st Airborne Division.
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10 Sep 06	Are We Safer Today? Monday marks the fifth year anniversary of 9/11. Americans were shocked and appalled at the carnage and the event brought the nation together such as nothing had since Pearl Harbor. Now five years later, many wonder how Americans would react if there were another devastating terror attack. Would it shock us? Or would we view it as just another event and continue with our lives? Dr. Joshua Estrin, a leading psychotherapist and author, joins us and says five years after 9/11 with events such as the Madrid bombings, Katrina, and other devastations, Americans are numb to the carnage. He believes that a terror attack such as 9/11 would not have the shock and affects that the original terror attack had.
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3 Sep 06	Lee Greenwood On this Labor Day Weekend we took the weekend off and presented this Encore Presentation of Lee Greenwood.
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20 Aug 06	Agent Orange Agent Orange was used extensively in Vietnam to deprive the enemy of a hiding place in the jungles. But what price did our troops pay for its use? What are the lasting effects of AO exposure? And what did the chemical companies and the American government know about them before it was ever used? Is there a treatment to counter its effects? We invited two experts to talk about Agent Orange. Gary Moore is a Vietnam combat veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange. Sandie Wilson is a retired Army Nurse who also served in Vietnam. Both Gary and Sandie served on the Michigan Agent Orange Commission and both are well respected for their knowledge of this dangerous toxin.
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13 Aug 06	Lee Greenwood You’ve seen him on Larry King Live, Fox and Friends, and Hannity and Colmes and now Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum entertainer Lee Greenwood joins us on Veterans Radio. Best known for his great song, “God Bless the USA”, Greenwood's career stands as a shining example of the American success story. His recent concerts along with Hank Williams Jr. and Charlie Daniels and hosted by Sean Hannity, in support of the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund raised over $7 million. He continues to maintain a rigorous touring schedule, including visits to military bases and performances at government functions, including the Veteran's Day ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
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8 Aug 06	The Mid-East Crisis Don Shepperd, retired Air Force Major General and CNN Military Analyst, recently returned from Iraq. Don analyzes the Hezbollah and Israeli conflict. Who’s to blame? How do we resolve the conflict? Is there a danger of surrounding countries jumping into the fray? How effective are the rockets that Hezbollah is using? Then Don gives us some insight to the situation in Iraq. How will the Iraqi government maintain the peace between the three religious factions? How soon will the Iraqi military take over the security of the country? What about the Iraqi police?
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30 Jul 06	Paulette Carlson’s Country Music Homage to Vietnam Veterans Paulette Carlson gained country music fame in the late eighties and early nineties as the founder and lead singer with the band Highway 101. She recently performed her new song “Thank You Vets” from her “It’s About Time” album at the VVA’s Leadership Conference in Tucson. “Thank You Vets” is a tribute to her brother Gary, a Vietnam veteran who died in 2005, and to other Vietnam veterans she has known through the years. Dale Throneberry talk’s with the incredibly talented Paulette Carlson about her life and her music.
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23 Jul 06	In Search of the Lost Black Sheep What happens when four boyhood friends gather on a front porch in Texas on December 7, 1941 and agree that it is time to go to war; and on that porch promise each other that no matter what happens, they will all come back. Years later the remaining three approach a man they have followed in the news; a former Marine pilot, a Vietnam Veteran, who, after his retirement, set many single-engine aircraft world records. Their request: go to the jungles of Espiritu Santo (present-day Vanuatu) and find their lost friend. The story of the recovery of 2nd Lt. Wayland Bennett after eight years of persistent searching includes intrigue, jungle adventures, double-crossing and low-life black marketeers that even today search for and trade in the remains of missing American aircraft and crews.
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16 Jul 06	WHAT IS THE VETERANS INITIATIVE? The Veterans Initiative is an historic effort that brings former enemies together to attempt to resolve the issue of those missing on both sides of the Vietnam Conflict. By sharing information veteran-to-veteran, America and Vietnam’s veterans will be able to develop new sources of information that will help resolve this painful issue.
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9 Jul 06	BATTLE OF BRITAIN The Battle of Britain began 10 July 1940 and ended 31 October 1940. It was the plan of the German military to “soften” the population, eliminate military targets and destroy the RAF. This was a prelude to the invasion of England. The invasion, planned for 1941, needed control of the skies. Dr. William F. “Jack” Atwater, Director of the U.S. Army Ordinance Museum tells us about the planes involved and military strategy. Eyewitness, Ms Iris Cole Morris, who served in “the king’s service” with the National Fire Service, recalls the conditions under the Blitz.
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2 Jul 06	"The cost of freedom is never free." We look at two of the most important battles in military history. Both began on the 1st of July. The Battle of the Somme: One hundred thousand men climbed out of their trenches and advanced shoulder to shoulder in line across the crater-torn waste of No Man's Land. The casualties sustained by the British army in the opening day of the Battle of Sommes totaled almost 60,000. Battle of Gettysburg: The turning battle of the Civil War. We talk with a group of Civil War reenacters to find out what really happened those beginning days of July 1863 outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
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25 Jun 06	Chasing Ghosts Our guest, Paul Reickhoff, founder and Executive Director of the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America(www.iava.org) discusses his new book: Chasing Ghosts
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18 Jun 06	Father's Day Father's Day has a special meaning for all of us. It has an extra special meaning for those who have lost a father, mother, son or daughter in war. Join us as we talk with members of Sons and Daughters in Touch. (www.sdit.org) Part of their mission is:To locate, unite and provide support to Sons, Daughters and other family members of those who died or remain missing as a result of the Vietnam War. Also joining us is Allen Hoe, sone of warriors and father of warriors. Don't miss this incredible story of his service in Vietnam with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade and that of his son with the same unit in Iraq. You won't believe the courage and sacrifice of this American family.
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11 Jun 06	Submarines! We all know submarines played a major role in the war in the Pacific. But did you know 27 subs were built in Wisconsin? We talk to Jerry Pilger who worked on the first seven built there. But, what was it really like to be a crewmember on a sub? How crowded and cramped were they? What was it like to be hunted by Japanese ships and attacked with depth charges? We ask World War II Sub veterans Earl Fosgard and Bud Masinck. What is life like aboard a modern day sub? Kevin Rolan served on a “Boomer” in the early nineties and tells us all about it.
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4 Jun 06	D-Day D-Day, 6 June 1944, was the largest invasion in the history of the world. Pointe-Du-Hoc was a nearly 100meter high cliff, with perpendicular sides jutting out into the English Channel. You won’t believe the story of this incredible example of American ingenuity as we learn how this small group of Rangers was finally able to accomplish their mission despite all the SNAFUs. Join us as we talk with Len Lomel, the last survivor of the assault on Pointe-Du-Hoc. Other guests will include Nick Mueller, Museum Director, National D-Day Museum and Retired Brigadier General William Leszczynski, Executive Director and COO of the American Battle Monuments Commission.
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28 May 06	Submarine Memorials There are numerous memorials across the United States. This show looks at some of the memorials in Michigan and Florida and the incredible dedication and work it took to get them erected. Meet the people who made these memorials possible.