Stay ConnectedVeterans Chronicles brings America’s military heroes to life through raw, first-person stories. Veterans recount the battles and moments that shaped their lives, from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan. Powerful, personal, and deeply human, Veterans Chronicles preserves history one voice at a time.
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John Billings was hooked on flying when he was three years old, so when it came time to serve in World War II, the Army Air Forces was a natural fit. He came a B-24 bomber pilot but later served on clandestine missions for the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Billings describes his bombing missions, getting recruited for the OSS, how his first secret mission had a terrible conclusion, and his role in the mission made famous by the movie "Inglorious Basterds."
A member of the 101st Airborne Division, Kayla Williams was among the very first American forces to enter Iraq in 2003 and roll from Kuwait to Baghdad within a matter of weeks. While serving there she also met her future husband, Brian McGough.
In the fall of 2003, Brian's convoy was attacked. At first, doctors did not expect him to live and then they doubted his ability to care for himself. He proved them wrong. In the midst of Brian's recovery from serious head injuries and Kayla's own reintegration challenges, they struck up a romance and were married.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Williams describes her service in Iraq, the major challenges she and Brian faced due to his injuries, their frustrations with Veterans Affairs, and how other military families can find the physical and mental health care they need.
Mathias "Matt" Gutman came from a military family and joined the U.S. Navy shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He became a coxswain on LST 553, delivering men and equipment under fire on several amphibious landings.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Gutman takes us through his first landing at Peleliu all the way to Okinawa and beyond. He also describes what it's like to land under fire and then turn around and go back to sea, and he shares the feeling of jubilation when the Japanese surrendered.
Lewis Varvel joined the U.S. Navy because he didn't want to be in the Army, but his service during World War II would still be harrowing and consequential. Varvel enlisted prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor and was sent to Norfolk, Virginia, to be part of the original crew aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet.
After arriving on the west coast, Varvel and the Hornet headed into the Pacific to play a critical role in the fight against imperial Japan. In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Varvel takes us onto the flight deck as the Doolittle Raiders took off to bomb Japan just four months after the attack at Pearl Harbor.
Varvel also provides vivid detail of the Hornet's role at Midway and Guadalcanal, and he shares his memories of the day it was sunk by Japanese October 1942.
Jack Holder joined the U.S. Navy fresh out of high school in 1940. He arrived in Pearl Harbor in December of that year. Twelve months later he was diving into a ditch to avoid the strafing of Japanese pilots. He remembers thinking, "God, please don't let me die in this ditch."
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Holder walks us through his memories of the horrific Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, his role at the critical Battle of Midway, patrolling the skies over Guadalcanal, and being transferred to fly B-24 bomber missions against Nazi targets in Europe.
Don't miss this conversation with Jack Holder, who just recently celebrated his 100th birthday.
On January 16, 2022, retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Charles McGee died at the age of 102. His story is one of profound courage, excellence in service, and inspiring personal character.
McGee joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. At the time, however, McGee and the other black pilots were deemed unworthy to be in units with their white counterparts.
In this edition of "Veterans Chonicles," McGee details the outstanding service record of Tuskegee pilots in World War II, the discrimination they faced upon returning home, the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces in 1947 and his service in Korea and Vietnam.
McGee piloted more than 400 total combat missions and served more than 30 years in uniform. Perhaps even more impressive is his complete lack of bitterness in response to the ugly discrimination he faced.
This interview between McGee and the AVC's Greg Corombos was conducted in February 2019, when then-Col. McGee was 99 years old. Shortly after turning 100 on Dec. 7, 2019, Col. McGee was promoted to Brigadier General by President Trump.
Yoshio Nakamura grew up working on his family's farm in California. Despite the Great Depression, it was a good life and Nakamura had many friends as a teenager. But his life changed drastically after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
Less than three months later, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered Americans of Japanese descent on the west coast into internment camps out of fear of their loyalty to Japan. In this episode, Nakamura describes the indignity of that designation and the determination that and he and others like him had to prove their love for America.
Nakamura joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was comprised of Japanese-American service members. The 442nd endured some of the most brutal fighting in the European theatre.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Nakamura describes the horrific fighting in the mountains of Italy and how the 442nd was used to break Nazi Germany's Gothic Line. Finally, Nakamura reveals the stunning explanation given to him and other members of the 442nd as to why they would not be sent to the Pacific theatre following the German surrender.
Fred Clifton Berry, Jr. joined the U.S. Force in 1948 due to his interest in radio and airplanes. He soon found himself in Germany and in the middle of a major international drama - the Berlin Airlift. Berry tells us about the critical importance of quality air traffic control during that ordeal both in delivering goods and in protecting pilots from their Soviet adversaries.
Berry later left the Air Force and subsequently joined the U.S. Army. Years later, he was deployed to Vietnam with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. Berry tells about his responsibilities as an officer and about his actions on November 23, 1967, as he worked under fire to rescue wounded American servicemen - an action that would earn him a Bronze Star.
Ned Connor was planning to join the ground forces of the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II. But he soon found out he wasn't going to make that decision. After ending up in the Navy, Connor was assigned to the Seabees.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Connor shares his story of service in the Pacific Theater, mostly on New Guinea, as a winch operator loading and unloading cargo ships. He also shares the leadership and life lessons he took from his years in the service and applied to his career and his life.
Andrew Faltum started as a detective for the Chicago Police Department but by the early 1970's he decided it was time for a change. Faltum joined the Navy in hopes of becoming an aviation officer but a medical evaluation forced a change in plans. Instead he became an intelligence officer while on active duty and for another two decades in the reserves.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Faltum shares his experiences aboard the USS Midway in 1975 and the frantic effort to save some 3,000 Vietnamese as Saigon fell. Faltum also discusses his work writing a series of book on carriers and much more.
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