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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Douglas MacGregor was commissioned as a U.S. Army officer after graduating from West Point in 1976. He soon developed expertise in armored cavalry and tanks that proved extremely valuable in the short, decisive ground campaign during Operation Desert Storm.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Col. MacGregor tells the story of how he turned an underperforming armored cavalry squadron into one of the most effective fighting units of the Gulf War. He also discusses his book, "Margin of Victory," and the five battles of the 20th century that drastically changed modern warfare.
James Wright joined the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating high school. His three years of service in the Marines fell during peacetime, but just a few years later American found itself fully immersed in the Vietnam War. Wright followed the war carefully at the time, but it was years later as an academic that he began studying the war very closely.
For his book, "Enduring Vietnam: An American Generation and Its War," Wright interviewed many Vietnam veterans and family members of those who never came home. He also visited Vietnam and some of the key battlegrounds of the war.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Wright explains what Vietnam veterans want Americans to know and appreciate about their service, what surprised them most when they came home, and how they ought to be thought of today.
Steven Fenves and his family enjoyed a nice middle class life in Hungary for his first ten years. In 1941, Hungarian authorities began discriminating against Jewish families. Within three years, he and his family were headed for the notorious concentration and death camps.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Fenves provides incredible detail as he describes the persecution his family faced from 1941-1945, his time at the brutal Auschwitz camp, moving to a smaller facility near Buchenwald, and his eventual liberation by U.S. forces.
Fenves also tells us about escaping the expansion of Communism and getting to the U.S. after the war, serving in the U.S. Army, and his determination to inform as many people as possible about the truth of the Holocaust.
From a young age, Mike Dowe knew that he wanted to attend the U.S. Military Academy and serve our nation in uniform. In 1950, he graduated from West Point and was immediately sent to Korea. After months of successfully pushing the North Koreans back to the north, American forces suddenly faced an endless surge of enemy Chinese soldiers pouring across the border.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Col. Dowe discusses his his time in combat, being taken prisoner, the horrific conditions in the prison camp, and the remarkable heroism of Father Emil Kapaun, an Army chaplain and fellow POW, who would posthumously receive the Medal of Honor.
Tom Fitzpatrick grew up in Pennsylvania and had never been on an airplane before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II. Before long, he was serving as a radio navigator on a B-17 bomber crew.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Fitzpatrick explains his role on bombing missions, the close calls his crew endured, targeting the critical Nazi oil facilities in Ploesti, and how his plane and many others were protected by the Red Tails of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen.
Retired U.S. Army Major General Victor Hugo, Jr. takes us through his distinguished Army career, from West Point through Vietnam to perfecting the Patriot Missiles that served us so well during the Gulf War.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Gen. Hugo describes his time in Vietnam shortly after the French left in the mid-1950s as well as his critical assignments throughout the war. You'll also hear about his duty in the Old Guard at Arlington National Cemetery, his thoughts about how the Vietnam War ended, and the treatment he received after coming home.
Don't miss learning about Gen. Hugo's decades of service to our nation.
Dakota Meyer decided to have some fun with the U.S. Marine recruiter visiting his high school. Within minutes he had a change of heart and signed up to serve. Meyer would serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a horrific day in September 2009 would change his life forever.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Meyer shares the very difficult story of watching from a a mile away as his fellow Marines came under deadly enemy fire. Defying orders, Meyer spent the next several hours against nearly impossible odds to save and recover his fallen comrades.
For his actions that day, Meyer received the Medal of Honor. But while sharing his story with us, Meyer explains why the medal actually made his life more difficult.
Charles Temple Jr. was a skilled craftsman by the time he was a teenager and when he joined the U.S. Navy near the end of World War II his skills were put to immediate use. Temple served aboard a refueling ship that was deployed to the Pacific and arrived there in the spring of 1946.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Mr. Temple explains the process of refueling aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers, and other vessels. He also describes his first-hand experience with the Communist revolution in China and witnessing atomic weapons tests.
Bill Dawson joined the U.S. Navy shortly after World War II. His first choice was submarine duty but the Navy had other plans. Dawson and other sailors were chosen as part of the new Naval Combat Demolition Unit, known informally as "frogmen".
Their job was to clear mines and other booby traps to allow U.S. forces to land on enemy shores - from Normandy to the island-hopping campaign in the Pacific.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Mr. Dawson describes the stressful training he received for this special unit, how he executed his missions in the Pacific, what it was like to have his ship targeted by Japanese kamikaze pilots, and what it means to him to be a trailblazer for the elite Navy SEAL program.
R.V. Burgin joined the U.S. Marine Corps because "it's the best that Uncle Sam had." Serving in the Pacific, Burgin saw action as a mortar man and as a leader of his unit at New Britain, Peleliu, and Okinawa.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Burgin describes the fierce combat at all three battles, how he adjusted to what the Japanese were doing, and the admiration he has for the Marines he served with.
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