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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Gene Kranz grew up idolizing World War II pilots like Jimmy Doolittle and the Doolittle Raiders. Kranz later joined the U.S. Air Force, which would prepare him for an historic career at NASA.
In this interview with Greg Corombos, Kranz talks about his Air Force work and then shares in great detail what it was like to be on the front lines of history as the flight director for the Gemini and Apollo programs, including the Apollo 11 moon landing and the rescue of Apollo 13.
Don't miss this extended conversation with NASA legend Gene Kranz.
"So I prayed that God would give me the strength to save this man. I wasn't really concerned about asking for my life, but I wanted to save this guy."
On June 6, 1944, U.S. Army medic Ray Lambert came ashore in the first wave on Omaha Beach with the 1st Infantry Division, known as "The Big Red One."
Lambert describes the carnage on the beach as the Germans hammered the American forces. Lambert was shot multiple times but kept administering aid to the fallen troops.
Omaha Beach was his third amphibious landing of the war, following missions in North Africa and Sicily.
Listen in as 99-year-old Ray Lambert shares his powerful story of service to our nation.
Retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis shares his story of military service, from his plebe year at Annapolis to Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
In this conversation, Stavridis tells Greg Corombos why he went to the U.S. Naval Academy intending to be an infantry officer but instead pursued surface warfare. He also walks us through the military buildup of the 1980's, his important command assignments in the 1990's and beyond, and his various and vital roles during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including his critical position at NATO.
Stavridis is also the author of "The Leader's Bookshelf," and shares the most important lessons he learned about leadership during his 37 years in service to our nation.
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Kyle Carpenter deployed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2010. Just before Thanksgiving, he was nearly killed after falling on a Taliban grenade to save his fellow Marines.
In our conversation, Kyle describes the terrible events of that day. He also walks us through the amazing "domino of miracles" that kept him alive in the moments following the attack and all the way back to the U.S.
Kyle discusses his very lengthy physical recovery and also the mental and emotional challenges he faced along the way. Finally, he tells us what it was like to receive the Medal of Honor and what the recognition means to him.
U.S. Army veteran Ron Rosser joins us to share the story of his actions in the Korean War that earned him the Medal of Honor.
Rosser joined the Army in the final days of World War II and was discharged before the Korean War broke out. But after his younger brother was killed in Korea, Rosser re-enlisted and served as a forward observer during many intense battles.
Listen here as Rosser talks about his service, the seemingly impossible orders to take a hill held by the Chinese, and what he did that day to be recognized with the nation's highest award for military valor.
U.S. Army Green Beret Dillon Behr shares his military journey, including the dramatic story if being severely wounded while pursuing an enemy target on the side of a mountain in Afghanistan in 2008. He also describes the excruciating evacuation once the fighting had stopped.
Behr tells us why he joined the Army, why he pursued special forces, and what combat was like in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Finally, Behr shares how he decided to give back to other wounded soldiers following his successful rehabilitation.
Clint Hill served this nation in the U.S. Army during the 1950's. Then, for nearly twenty years, he served as a U.S. Secret Service agent in five presidential administrations, starting with Dwight Eisenhower and concluding with Gerald Ford.
During the Kennedy administration, Hill was assigned to protect First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and was the agent who jumped onto Kennedy's car in the moments following the shooting of JFK in Dallas in 1963.
In this conversation, Mr. Hill shares his historic story of military service and the Secret Service with Greg Corombos, walking us moment by moment through the horrors of the Kennedy assassination and the days that followed.
Paul Roach served in the U.S. Army during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. While serving in Korea, Roach was held as a prisoner of war.
In this 2017 conversation with Greg Corombos, Paul Roach discusses the brutal conditions in the prison camp, the chaplain who inspired the men during their darkest moments, and his many years of service to our nation.
U.S. Air Force veteran Mary Jennings Hegar shares her story of serving as a Medevac helicopter pilot in Afghanistan and the harrowing story of her crew needing to be rescued after coming under fire.
In this interview with Greg Corombos, Hegar also tells the story of how she was refused an assignment because she was a woman and how she then became a leader in the effort to lift the ban on females serving in ground combat.
Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Mike Thornton shares his story of service from the Vietnam War. Thornton tells Greg Corombos about the challenge of SEAL (BUD/S) training and his actions from October 31, 1972, that earned him the Medal of Honor.
Hear how Thornton and three others fended off 75 enemy fighters, how he ran across 500 yards of open ground under fire to save a fellow SEAL, and how he swam himself and others to safety after being wounded multiple times.
And you'll hear the wonderful reason Thornton was reprimanded for his conduct on the day he received the Medal of Honor.
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