1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,000 All across America and around the world, this is Veterans Radio. 2 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:20,000 And now your host for today's program, Dale Throneberry. 3 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,000 Welcome to Veterans Radio. 4 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,000 My name is Dale Throneberry. 5 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:31,000 I'm a CW2 helicopter pilot in Vietnam, the United States Army. 6 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,000 Welcome to Veterans Radio. 7 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,000 I'm really excited to have you here today. 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,000 We've got two great stories that we're going to be talking about. 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,000 Number one is Operation Song. 10 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:50,000 Those of you that have been listening to Veterans Radio over the years know that we bring on Operation Song veterans and songwriters. 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,000 Usually about once a month to talk about their songs and to play them for you. 12 00:00:54,000 --> 00:01:05,000 What Operation Song does is that they, as I mentioned, they combine a veteran with a songwriter, they get together, and then one day they write a song and normally they record it right away. 13 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:13,000 And they're just great. They're really beautiful songs. They're heart-regionate sometimes. Sometimes they're humorous. 14 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,000 We'll see what goes on with ours today. 15 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:24,000 And the second half of the program, we've got a gentleman's name is Andrew Bezio, and he wrote a book entitled The Rifle. 16 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:40,000 And just a brief description of it is that Andrew went around the country talking to World War II veterans, average age, 93, 94 years old, to talk about what the Am1 Garin rifle meant to them during World War II. 17 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:59,000 It's a great story, a very compelling story, and I invite you to stick around to find out more about it because it's really heart-wrenching to know what Andrew was able to accomplish and talk into these really older gentlemen over the last couple of years. 18 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:10,000 But before we get into our program, first thing we have to do all the time is we need to thank our sponsors because we can't do this program without them and without you and our listening audience. 19 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:20,000 Number one, of course, is Legal Health for Veterans. Legal Health for Veterans has been a sponsor of Veterans Radio, I think, since about the beginning, 2004, 2005. 20 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:36,000 They specialize in veterans disability claims, so give them a call at Legal Health for Veterans at 800-6934-800-8693-4800, or go to their website that's Legal Health for Veterans.com. 21 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:46,000 The National Veterans Business Development Council, better known as MVVDC, is the nation's leading third party authority for certification of veteran-owned businesses. 22 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:55,000 For more information, go to their website that's MVVDC.org, or give them a call at 888-237-8433. 23 00:02:55,000 --> 00:03:03,000 You want to do business with the federal government and you are part of a veteran-owned service-connected disabled veteran-owned business. 24 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:08,000 I know that's a mouthful, but that's what it is. You need to be certified. 25 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:18,000 And this is what the organization does. This is what MVVDC does. They certify your business as an official, legitimate, veteran-owned business. 26 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:23,000 So again, give them a call at 888-237-8433. 27 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,000 The Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center here in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 28 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:31,000 For more information about them, you can go to va.gov. 29 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:38,000 And you can find our website at www.aubarhealthcare.org. 30 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,000 The residential, home, health, and hospice care for veterans and their families. 31 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:53,000 You know, as we age, we need these services more and more, and this organization, the residential health care group, is able to help us answer some of those questions that we have as we age a little bit more and more and more and more. 32 00:03:53,000 --> 00:04:06,000 And need more and more assistance and help. So give them a call at 866-902-5854 or go to their website as residentialhealthcaregroup.com. 33 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:19,000 Also, we make sure we thank our local veterans organizations, the Irwin Prescor and American Legion Post 46, and the Charles S. Kettles Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 310, both of Ann Arbor, Michigan. 34 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:24,000 We also want to thank you, our listeners, for your support over the last 20 years. 35 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:31,000 And if you'd like to help keep Veterans Radio going, just go to our website, veteransradio.org, and click on the donate button. 36 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,000 We've been doing this for 20 years, so we're asking for $20 donations. 37 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:43,000 Feel free to give more if you can. We'd greatly appreciate anything that you can help us with. 38 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:49,000 All right, so let's get right into our first guess for the evening. 39 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,000 And this is, as I mentioned before, it's Operation Song. 40 00:04:53,000 --> 00:05:04,000 And as I said, Operation Song writes music, helping veterans, you know, talk about their issue, get their issues down and song and so forth. 41 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:13,000 Their motto is bringing them back one song at a time. And joining me on the line right now is the veteran in this case. 42 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:17,000 That is Roger Blackwood. Roger, welcome to Veterans Radio. 43 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,000 All right, thank you, Dale. 44 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,000 Thank you, Roger. Tell us a little bit about your background in the military. 45 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:28,000 I think I found you on Google, but I want to make sure it's the right one. 46 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:36,000 Well, daily, probably as I've never been wanting to put a lot up there, but some positions I did serve in, of course, there's things out there on Google. 47 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:48,000 I joined the Army in 1978. Well, I actually joined a March 78 delayed entry program, and then went active duty in September 1978. 48 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:52,000 Out there in the Midwest, in Nebraska, on the farm. 49 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:58,000 A couple of recruiters came in there, a little small school, and I said, yeah, I'll talk to them. 50 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:03,000 And as you know, the Army just started the volunteer force just a couple of years prior. 51 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,000 And anyway, not many choices out there in the Midwest. 52 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:11,000 Armored, go to a tech school. Anyway, I joined in 1978. 53 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:21,000 Armored crewman. And I ended up doing a 35-year active duty career and had a very good career of many places around the world. 54 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:29,000 And in many positions where I was able to enjoy my time in the service and actually impact and influence many others. 55 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:33,000 And in short, and I was an armored crewman, a tanker. 56 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:41,000 And out of that, 35 years, I did spend 13 years in the 82nd Airborne Division with the armored unit. 57 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:45,000 And deployed numerous times to Iraq. 58 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:56,000 The first one, actually in Desert Storm, Bosnia-Herskovina, the old border camp in Europe with tours in Korea. 59 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,000 And many of them in the 18th Airborne Corps. 60 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:09,000 In short, I had a great career, and I'm still standing and served with many good soldiers and a lot of great people. 61 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:19,000 That's the important thing now, you're still standing. Well, I guess that I found because I saw that you were a command sergeant major at Fort Polk, Louisiana. 62 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:26,000 And that was one of my favorite places I ever went to when I was in the service. 63 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:31,000 Yes, actually, I was the regimental command sergeant major for 2nd ACR. 64 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:42,000 And that's where I deployed initially an OIF-1 during the initial invasion, if you call it that, and did the first 15 month tour. 65 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:51,000 And that's actually where I got to serve with Sergeant Major retired Sam Rhodes, who runs Warrior Outreach and Operation Song. 66 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:58,000 And that's how years later, Sam invited me a few years ago to Operation Song. 67 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:06,000 And that's where I got to be a part of that. And as you know, as a command sergeant major at different levels, you don't open up to a lot of people. 68 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:12,000 You keep a lot inside. And Sam, I think, knew that, because he was in service together during OIF-1. 69 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:18,000 And he pulled me in to that, and I thank him for that to this day. 70 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:31,000 Well, you know, you obviously had a great military career, and then we want to thank you for your service, as they say, and all the dedication, obviously, that you put into that 35 years. 71 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:39,000 I can't imagine, you know, I was so anxious to get out after three and a half different time period. 72 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:45,000 So you ended up with Operation Song. And I'm reading the song that we're going to be talking about is, Was It Worth It? 73 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:51,000 And we've got the songwriter on with us right now as well. And his name is Will Nance. 74 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:57,000 And Will is a songwriter, performer, well-known songwriter. 75 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:04,000 I'm looking up your history, Will, and see that you had a number one song with Brad Paisley called She's Everything. 76 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:12,000 A lot of Grammy-winning awards and albums and all sorts of things. So Will, welcome to Veterans Radio. 77 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:18,000 Well, thank you, Dale. And Roger, how are you doing, buddy? Good to hear your voice. 78 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:23,000 Fine, Will. I think you all from there, so. 79 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:31,000 This is what I love about doing this program. We reconnect some people that had some, you know, some things going on for a little while. 80 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:37,000 And so, Will, how did you get involved with Operation Song? 81 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,000 Did I lose him? 82 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:46,000 Maybe. Welcome back to that. So let me get back to Roger here. 83 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:54,000 So, Roger, when you went down to, you met up with Will, was it Warrior Outreach Ranch? Was that where you went? 84 00:09:54,000 --> 00:10:00,000 So I got there. I'm not sure. I didn't know really what it was all about. 85 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:08,000 And then Sam, I got down. Of course, I knew Sam, and that was very comforting. And there's also a couple of soldiers there, veterans, who had served with me in the regiment. 86 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:17,000 No, I have one. So immediately I felt comfortable. And then I found out what it's all about. And I got linked up with Will Nance. 87 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:31,000 And I will tell you, Dale, Will is just a great person. I never really, I'm not kind of a person to open up much, but when we started to write that song, Will's ability to talk with people, 88 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:43,000 it just gives you such a comfort zone that you kind of really opened up. And that's where I opened up to Will. And he kind of pieced it all together from some of my comments that he asked about my career. 89 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:47,000 And they came up with that song, Was It Worth It? 90 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:48,000 Well, we got Will. 91 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:53,000 Which I do have a story about what that meant, where it came from, Was It Worth It? 92 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:58,000 Let me hold on to that thought and come right back to Will. We were back on a line, correct? 93 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,000 Okay, can you hear me? 94 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,000 Yeah, now we got you. All right. So how did you get involved with Operation Song? 95 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:17,000 Well, you know, my buddy Bob Regan founded this organization. Gosh, I'm just track of time. How fast it goes by. Probably at least 10, 11, 12, 13 years ago. 96 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:26,000 And he asked me if I would want to be a part of this, you know, writing, writing with some victims and stuff. I said, sure, man, I would love to do that. 97 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:38,000 That's how I got started, you know, and I've been fortunate enough to be a part of this. And it's really a blessing to me as a writer to be able to do this, you know, and it helps a lot of people out. 98 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:47,000 You know, I've written with at least four or five World War II guys. And, you know, it's a blessing, but that's how I got started. 99 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:53,000 Bob Regan's a award-winning songwriter, and that's how I got started doing this. 100 00:11:53,000 --> 00:12:08,000 All right. So, Roger, you sat down with Will at the Outreach Ranch and came up with your song. Was it worth it? You were just going to tell us a little bit about how did you come up with the title? 101 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:16,000 Well, Dale, I was a Northern Iraq command sergeant major, as the division sergeant major in 2007-2008. 102 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:24,000 And we had a lot of different forward operating bases out there in Northern Iraq. And one day I was visiting one. 103 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:35,000 And of course, the little small forward operating bases, dusty as can be, hot, dusty, and some soldiers had just came off patrol and they were in a striker unit. 104 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:42,000 So there was myself and about five soldiers sitting behind some T-walls, which are those cement protective barriers. 105 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:54,000 Eating MREs, they're rifles, and I will note they're rifles. And I do have a picture of my rifleman who was with me, took that unstage photo without me knowing it. 106 00:12:54,000 --> 00:13:02,000 Myself and those soldiers, clean rifles, all dirty, and sitting across from me was Corporal Luke Runyon. 107 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:12,000 And you know, as a sergeant major sometimes we get to talking and stuff with soldiers. And he looked at me and I got that photo where he's staring right at me and he goes, 108 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:23,000 Sergeant Major, how long have you been in? And I told him at that time I was, I've been in the 30 years. I've been in the Army 30 years. 109 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:32,000 And then he goes, well, I'm thinking about relisting. I don't know. I've got a two-year-old daughter at home. 110 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:37,000 Whether or not to relist, he looked at me and goes, was it worth it? 111 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:44,000 And I told him, well, I can't answer that question for each or every individual. That's something you have to answer yourself. 112 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:51,000 For me, I told him yes. My service, it was worth it being in the United States Army. 113 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:56,000 I walked some more a little bit and then of course, you know, I move out. And that was October 2007. 114 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:05,000 I get back to that fob around November. I'm walking through the little small fob there and then he comes running and Corporal Luke running. 115 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:14,000 He had just re-enlisted. He wanted to see me and ran up to me and he was so proud and said, I re-enlisted, Sergeant Major. I'm going to stay. 116 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:22,000 And I said, of course, you know, great, great. Congratulations. Fast forward to February 2008, the casual report came in. 117 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:28,000 Corporal Luke Runyon with his fellow soldier, a specialist groper, was killed in action. 118 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:40,000 They were in a trench. They jumped into the trench and the surgeons, whatever we want to call it, put the name tag on those who were fighting. 119 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:50,000 And he got hit. He got hit in the leg area and he bled out, which means he was killed in action, February 2008. 120 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:59,000 And that hit pretty hard in that. The words always, to this day, they stick with me when he asked, was it worth it? 121 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:05,000 And his daughter is probably about 18, 19, what, 20 years old now? Probably somewhere. 122 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:15,000 And General Hurtley, my division commander, he got a copy of that picture and he framed it with the words on there, was it worth it? 123 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:24,000 And that's where that song came up as I was talking to Will. Was it worth it? And that came from Corporal Luke Runyon. 124 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,000 He was killed in action in February 2008. 125 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:38,000 So Will, when Roger told you this story, I'm guessing it just naturally flowed out of you, how much of that? 126 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:44,000 Well, yeah, I mean, Roger, he told me the story and we just put what he said to some music, you know. 127 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:50,000 It's all coming back to me now. I ranked with so many soldiers and stuff and I remember writing with Roger. 128 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:59,000 I remember Roger, but him telling that story there and I'm looking at the lyric of this song, it's like, wow, it's all coming back to me. 129 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:05,000 You know, like, like, like, yesterday, you know, it's like, but yeah, that's quite the story, man, very touching. 130 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:13,000 Yeah, when he said that, well, there's your song, we just, it's his song. I just, I just helped him with it. 131 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:21,000 Yeah, because, because so many of us have a talent to write songs and, you know, music and lyrics and everything along the line that goes with it. 132 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:26,000 Well, why don't we play the song right now for our listeners and for you. 133 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:36,000 And when we come back, we'll talk a little bit more about the meaning of the song and, and maybe you guys could help me out by sending me the lyrics. 134 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:44,000 And Roger, I would love to get a copy of that picture to put up on our website, promoting today's program. 135 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:46,000 I can do that deal. 136 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,000 Okay. All right, so here we go. 137 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,000 Was it worth it? 138 00:16:51,000 --> 00:17:07,000 Country boy at 18, never been on a plane. 139 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:12,000 Left the fields of the Midwest Plains. 140 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:23,000 Join the airborne. Junked out of planes. 800 foot journey out the door down to the ground. 141 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:36,000 As a soldier, traveled around the world, from the heat of the desert to the cold of Korea. Yeah. 142 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:46,000 Was it worth it? You got to walk it to know. 143 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:56,000 Was it worth it? You got to walk it to know. 144 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:07,000 When it was time for me to leave, I got to say, I didn't want to go. 145 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:17,000 I think of Luke Runyon. Every time I turn around, that picture of us in the dust cleaner rifle's on the ground. 146 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:26,000 I was asking for an answer. So I gave him one. There's a stone with his name on it on a grave. 147 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:30,000 And all of them done. 148 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:41,000 He asked me, was it worth it? You got to walk it to know. 149 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:50,000 Was it worth it? You got to walk it to know. 150 00:18:50,000 --> 00:19:00,000 When it was time for me to leave, I got to say, I didn't want to go. 151 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:10,000 Nearby are some Twinkies and the desert was a little taste of fun. 152 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:22,000 And the minute with your family was a blessing on that satellite phone. 153 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:32,000 Was it worth it? You got to walk it to know. 154 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:41,000 Was it worth it? You got to walk it to know. 155 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:51,000 When it was time for me to leave, I got to say, I didn't want to go. 156 00:19:51,000 --> 00:20:03,000 Yeah, when it was time for me to leave, I got to say, I didn't want to go. 157 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:11,000 I don't know. Was it worth it from Roger Blackworth and Will Nance? It's part of the operation song program. 158 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:21,000 I think it's part of the operation song. 159 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:27,000 They match up soldiers with songwriters and this was one of the results. 160 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:32,000 Just a great song. 161 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:42,000 Yes, Dale, brings back a lot of memories just hearing it again. 162 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:47,000 I'm sure that it does, especially when we know the backstory about Luke Runyon asking you if it wasn't worth it. 163 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:53,000 I'm sure that brings back a lot of memories for you. 164 00:20:53,000 --> 00:21:01,000 Yes, it does. And the Twinkies and Nearby are just some of those words and the story with that. Yes, it does. 165 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:11,000 Will, you mentioned that you feel that this is a privilege to sit down with these veterans and write these songs. 166 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:15,000 I can't imagine how it really feels. 167 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:25,000 To be able to take these men and women's stories and put them to songs, I think I would take it as really such a privilege. 168 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:34,000 It's amazing and it helps these people. It helps these veterans and stuff. 169 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:40,000 I've seen it change lives, to be honest with you. 170 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:46,000 Something about the music, they told us some things that they haven't told anybody else. 171 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:55,000 That is definitely a privilege. It's a blessing to be able to sit down with these men and women and be a part of this. 172 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:59,000 I can't put it into words, to be honest with you. 173 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:05,000 This from a songwriter. There's a song there somewhere. 174 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:13,000 I want to thank both of you, Roger Blackwood and Will Nance from the Operations Song. 175 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:22,000 This particular one, it wasn't worth it. I encourage you all out there, all of our listeners out there to go to operationssong.org and find out more. 176 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,000 There's a lot of sample songs on there. 177 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:32,000 Maybe they can put on an event in your area to connect some veterans with their songwriters. 178 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:42,000 I know it's something that I'm trying to figure out how I can get them to come up to Michigan so we can do it up here. 179 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,000 Did I hear somebody say, oh, we'd be happy to do that? 180 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,000 We can make that happen, I wish. 181 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:52,000 I'll make sure I talk with the powers that be at Operations Song. 182 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:58,000 So Will Nance, Roger Blackwood, thank you very much for being on Veterans Radio. 183 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,000 Well, thank you. And Roger, good hearing your voice, my friend. 184 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:06,000 Oh, maybe we must have lost Roger. 185 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:15,000 So anyway, thank you very much, Will. We'll be in touch. Hopefully we can get you back on and talk about another song as you've written for Operations Song. 186 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:21,000 All right, so we are going to take a break right now and play our Medal of Honor segment. 187 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:29,000 When we come back, we're going to have Andrew Buzio on and he's going to be talking about his book entitled The Rifle. 188 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,000 You're listening to Veterans Radio. 189 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:37,000 The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in combat given a member of the Armed Forces of the United States. 190 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:43,000 There have been over 3,400 recipients of the nation's highest award. This is one of them. 191 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,000 Staff Sergeant Homer Wise's platoon was pinned down four times. 192 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:53,000 Each time Wise led a breakout of the platoon. Details after this. 193 00:23:53,000 --> 00:24:01,000 If you have a VA claim denied by the Board of Veterans Appeals, contact legal help for veterans at 1-800-693-4800. 194 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:05,000 They're experts in handling cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. 195 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:09,000 Their number again, 1-800-693-4800. 196 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:13,000 While his platoon was pinned down by enemy small arms fire from both flanks, 197 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:18,000 he left his position of comparative safety and assisted in carrying one of his men, 198 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:24,000 who had been seriously wounded and who lay in an exposed position, to a point where he could receive medical attention. 199 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:30,000 The advance of the platoon was resumed, but it was again stopped by enemy frontal fire. 200 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:36,000 A German officer and two enlisted men armed with automatic weapons threatened the right flank. 201 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:42,000 Fearlessly exposing himself, Wise moved to a position from which he killed all three with his submachine gun. 202 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:47,000 Returning to his squad, he obtained an M1 rifle and several anti-tank grenades, 203 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:53,000 then took up a position from which he delivered accurate fire on the enemy, holding up the advance. 204 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:59,000 As the battalion moved forward, it was again stopped by enemy frontal and flanking fire. 205 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:06,000 Wise procured an automatic rifle and advancing ahead of his men, neutralized an enemy machine gun with his fire. 206 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:12,000 When the flanking fire became more intense, he ran to a nearby tank and, exposing himself on the turret, 207 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:17,000 restored a jammed machine gun to operating efficiency and used it so effectively, 208 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:25,000 that the enemy fire from an adjacent ridge was materially reduced, thus permitting the battalion to occupy its objective. 209 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:29,000 The Medal of Honor series is a production of Veterans Radio. 210 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,000 A message from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 211 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:10,000 We're back here on Veterans Radio. This is Dale Throneberry, your host for today's program. 212 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:14,000 And joining me on the line right now is Andrew Bugio. 213 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,000 And Andrew's book is entitled The Rifle. 214 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:26,000 And it's a story about World War II veterans that Andrew chased across the country to have them sign this M1 Garin rifle. 215 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,000 And I'll let him talk a little bit more about that in just a second. 216 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:32,000 But let me tell you just a little bit about Andrew. 217 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:36,000 He was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2006. 218 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:43,000 He served as an infantry rifleman during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. 219 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:53,000 He did six years in a Marine Corps as a sergeant and also learned his degree from Suffolk University when he got out. 220 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,000 It seems like he was a glutton for punishment. 221 00:26:55,000 --> 00:27:04,000 But after college, one of the can-do-do's served, so he was sworn in as a police officer in 2015, where he has worked there ever since. 222 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:05,000 Excuse me. 223 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:10,000 One of the things that he founded, which is this is a veteran veteran, I think. 224 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:18,000 He's the founder of Boston's Wounded Veteran Run, New England's largest motorcycle ride dedicated to severely wounded veterans. 225 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:26,000 The last 10 years, Andrew saw the need to assist soldiers, Marines, airmen and soldiers who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries. 226 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:36,000 Non-profit has been responsible for housing modifications, new transportation, financial support, basic living needs, and some of America's most severely combat veterans. 227 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:42,000 Andy's a policeman and a new father. Everything is happening here. 228 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,000 So Andrew, welcome to Veterans Radio. 229 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,000 Thank you for having me. That's a great introduction. I appreciate it. 230 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:57,000 Well, you've accomplished more in the last 10 years than most people do in a whole lifetime. 231 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:07,000 So let's start talking about the rifle. How did it come about around this idea? 232 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:14,000 Yeah, well, you know, it spawned from, unfortunately, my great uncle being killed in World War II. 233 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:26,000 And I'm named after him. So when I came home from Afghanistan, I said to read all the letters he wrote home, this young man who never got to live his life, really. 234 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,000 And I read all of his letters that he wrote home before he died. 235 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,000 And in one of the letters, how much he enjoyed the M1 grant. 236 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:37,000 So I went out and bought one. I wanted to feel what he felt. I wanted to hold what he held. 237 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:50,000 And I began to take the rifle to other World War II veterans and putting it into their hands and seeing their reaction to see how much it meant to them. 238 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:59,000 I can only imagine what, you know, in reading the book, and it was a real, actually, it was a real joy to read your book. 239 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:05,000 I love all the stories and will kind of try to talk about some of the people that you interviewed. 240 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:14,000 And, but this rifle, you know, the M1, I didn't realize I was called, is it a Garand? 241 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,000 M1 grand, yep. 242 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:25,000 Garand, okay. I knew that I just knew the word M1. My dad was in the Coast Guard, so he didn't have a lot of exposure to these things. 243 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:31,000 So this was, this was the weapon or the rifle of World War II, wasn't it? 244 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:34,000 Yeah, it was the standard rifle of that era of that time. 245 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:44,000 Almost everyone had experience with it, whether they shot it in basic training or carried in combat, you know, no matter if you were a cook, a medal of honor, a recipient, infantry, anything. 246 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:53,000 It was something that these veterans were able to connect with. It represents the whole war, this rifle. 247 00:29:53,000 --> 00:30:09,000 So when you decided that you were going to go out and have some of these World War II veterans sign this rifle, who was the first person that you talked to? 248 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,000 I'm sorry, could you repeat that a cutout? 249 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:18,000 Yes, sir. Who was the first veteran that you talked to that you got to sign the rifle? 250 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:29,000 Oh, Joe Drago was the first. I know I, I thought you said first. Joe was my next door neighbor. He had held the rifle basically for the first time. 251 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:40,000 It had no signatures on it whatsoever. As soon as I put this rifle into his hands, he shot up and we started talking about the battle of Ocona for almost four hours. 252 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:49,000 And, you know, because I was trying to figure out, you know, here I was reading Andrew Bidio's letters that he wrote home before he was killed, but the letters end, you know, a few days before he died. 253 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:56,000 And then I figured, like, who else can I take this rifle to? Who else can I talk to that went through something similar that my uncle did? 254 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:05,000 And Joe had been living next door to me and with 92 at the time, he had really weakened it, gotten skinny and it was bound to his recliner. 255 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:12,000 And then when I went over his house and put this rifle into his hands again, it was like a gave him a strength of being 18 years old again. 256 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:19,000 He said, waving it around, smiling from ear to ear. And I said, Joe, please sign your name on this rifle. I always want to remember this moment. 257 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:29,000 And he did. He signed his name. We talked about the battle of Ocona and then now today, you know, seven years later, there's over 320 names covered all over this rifle. 258 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:34,000 You can't even see the wood of it. 259 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:37,000 I can't imagine. 260 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:42,000 You know, the book is called the rifle. It's by Andrew BGO BI GG IO. 261 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:53,000 Look it up, folks. I'm encouraging you to read it. Make a great Christmas present to, you know, your history buffs that are out there. 262 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:58,000 So you've been traveling all over the country doing this for the last what seven years you said. 263 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:07,000 Oh, yeah, coast to coast, different countries. You know, I wanted to represent the whole war in the rifle. I wanted to get men's signatures on the rifle. 264 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:18,000 You know, be 17 pilots, Tuskegee airmen, and he was him a vets battle of the bulge veterans ex prisoners of war nurses doctors. 265 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:27,000 Everything every every I want to represent every battle every campaign and I did as best as I could. 266 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:33,000 I just love the cross section. I mean, obviously you couldn't include all the people in your book. 267 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:46,000 But there are there are there are Marines in here there are there are army guys as you mentioned there are POWs there's ambulance drivers and everything across the board. 268 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:56,000 And you know, I was trying to think of the ones, some of the stories that I thought were really, I don't know, I guess, touch my heart more than anything else. 269 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:04,000 And one was toward the end of the book and that and that was the one Aubrey, I guess name was all I got to look it up right here. 270 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:07,000 I wrote it down and then I lost my piece of paper. 271 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,000 All my notes. 272 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:18,000 Yeah, they all they all taught me something, you know, meeting over 300 of these vets, you know, I had to pick 19 of the best stories from my first book, the rifle. 273 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:25,000 And after the it became a number one bestseller people demanded more they wanted more they wanted to hear more see more they. 274 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:39,000 And I wrote a second book with 19 more stories, you know, these stories are some that have never been told some of them that have been told but a different spin on it, you know, I interject a lot of myself, going to these veterans homes and bonding from one veteran to another 275 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:51,000 and me being an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran it's it's a story of the youngest generation generation of Americans veterans saying goodbye to the oldest and how to live a successful life after combat. 276 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:59,000 Well, I think the thing I got out of it was, you know, obviously 75 years ago, you know, the world was a different place. 277 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:05,000 And, you know, you talked with Japanese American soldiers. 278 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:18,000 The article I read this just this morning was Robert Andrew and he was the patents last Panther, and he is a black soldier and talking to you know it came from. 279 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:31,000 Alabama, and, you know, just the, the world that he suddenly was, you know, thrown into was so different than small town Alabama for a black soldier. 280 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,000 And how he was. 281 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,000 He's one of my heroes I got to see him actually on veteran day. 282 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:45,000 This last verse veterans they won't buy I mean, just amazing I've been trying to actually even get into France to show him exactly where his tank was destroyed. 283 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:56,000 He's one of those guys that won't go back and relive that but his stories he was one of the first black tankers to ever see combat in the United States military history. 284 00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:05,000 And that's huge and his story. Oh my God, I mean between white infantry guys protecting the tanks and the black tankers protecting the white infantry men. 285 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:12,000 I mean it was a story on how to end racism quickly because these men fought for each other and died for each other. 286 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:27,000 Yeah, absolutely and he was, you know, and actually, when he was going through his training, I think it was going through his training at Fort Knox is young lieutenant was Jackie Robinson the baseball player. 287 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:28,000 Mm hmm. 288 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,000 Yep. 289 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:45,000 Jackie Robinson was a famous gentleman in that unit. He did not deploy to combat with those men. He stayed home and trained the other tankers. But Robert remembers them well actually. 290 00:35:45,000 --> 00:36:00,000 I, again, the stories are great and how you were able to pull these out of him because it was the first time that that Robert Andrew told his story I think allowed was when you were talking with it because you mentioned how his family was around him. 291 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:02,000 Mm hmm. 292 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:18,000 He kept quiet about his, his conditions, you know, basically, they didn't know anything about him and he kept it to himself until I showed up with a rifle in their home. 293 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:25,000 I can't imagine. Did you have any trouble not getting in to see some people that you wanted to see? 294 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:42,000 No, they, um, yeah, I mean, most veterans were receptive if they didn't understand what we were doing, then I would, I would send them letters and, and mail and show them photos of the rifle and, and they said, Oh my God, what a project I'd love to be a part of it come on down. 295 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,000 I would I can. 296 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:47,000 I wouldn't. 297 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:55,000 I think the idea of these people in their 90s. 298 00:36:55,000 --> 00:37:11,000 And you mentioned one of the things I've always been amazed at at World War two veterans is every time I've participated in a parade or gone to, you know, both of July parade or something along those lines and you go past the, you see the really older veterans. 299 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:23,000 And they go by with a flag raising, you know, being carried in front of them, they all stand up, even if they're in her Walker suddenly they get straight, and they salute it, you know, they snap a salute up. 300 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:38,000 And you can tell how proud they are of what they had been able to accomplish. I just think it's, it's wonderful. You know, obviously, what you've done to encourage these people to tell their stories. 301 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:41,000 Thank you very much. 302 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:47,000 So, as I mentioned, you know, you talked to Robert Andrew, I thought he was kind of cool. 303 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:56,000 Steve, and I'm throwing these names out. I know you have 300 of them that you talked to us. I'll try and give you a lead into it. 304 00:37:56,000 --> 00:38:05,000 But tell me about, if you can Bob White, he was part of the 17th airborne in the Battle of the bones. 305 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:12,000 Yeah, Robert White, he just passed away last week actually at age 100. 306 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:31,000 He was a magnificent fellow. He was in a 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment had never returned to his drop zone in Germany had never returned to the Battle of the Bulge sector where he fought and I got to return with him and see about this, you know, this little known 307 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:42,000 infantry unit, you know, the 17th airborne was disbanded after World War II. A lot of people won't realize that they also jumped over the Rhine River and into Germany during Operation Varsity. 308 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:54,000 A lot of the major airborne jumps of the 101st airborne, the second airborne are often focused strictly on Normandy and Holland and the forgotten jump they call it was Operation Varsity. 309 00:38:54,000 --> 00:39:07,000 And to be bringing Bob back to his drop zone was amazing and we actually erected a monument together for the 17th airborne in Germany, which one never existed. 310 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:12,000 You've been really involved in a lot of these monuments. 311 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:27,000 I think I've talked about the story about Bob White. I don't know, I guess it was tongue in cheek a little bit. He wasn't really jealous of the 101st, but he says they got all the glory. Nobody ever heard about the 17th. 312 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:41,000 That's the truth. Yeah. He said that and then when we got to the drop zone, of course, there was not even like a monument or memorial to these men who took 2000 casualties during this operation. 313 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:52,000 I think that those things are the most amazing to me is the number of casualties that these men suffered. 314 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:58,000 You know, not being around of course during the 1940 myself either. 315 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:08,000 You know, to take a town they would lose two to 500 or sometimes even more than that, not only kis but wounded. 316 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:29,000 To me, it's just mind blowing. I can't imagine the trauma that these men and women, you know, went through just trying to get up through Italy or get across, you know, the Netherlands or Hollander Belgium or all those things that we heard about in our history classes, but not really heard about. 317 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,000 You know what I mean. 318 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:38,000 Yeah, sure. It took me to get out there and meet all the events to learn about all the different units. 319 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:44,000 There was, you know, there was one there was a Steve. 320 00:40:44,000 --> 00:41:02,000 I think his name is he was an ambulance driver and he got caught up in a POW situation where the Germans, you know, executed all these. This whole group of army military people. 321 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,000 Yeah, the malmite massacre. Yep. 322 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,000 He was a survivor of it. 323 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:14,000 No, how did he, how did he talk about his story? What did he tell you? 324 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:20,000 Oh, well, you know, he, that was one of the biggest war crimes against us soldiers during World War two. 325 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:27,000 Germans had nearly killed 100 men who had surrendered in a field. 326 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:35,000 He laid there and played dead as Germans were walking around and shooting other wounded and dying soldiers. 327 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:52,000 And after several hours he got up and ran to the woods and they put him right back into circulation right back into being a soldier on the front lines again after he experienced that traumatic incident where they just were slaughtered in a field by machine guns. 328 00:41:52,000 --> 00:42:04,000 And this guy went his whole life without, you know, I'm sorry for himself or anything like that, you know, he just he kept going and he was a huge inspiration. 329 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:19,000 And I, yeah, I mean, just the idea of always these men that were, I don't know, you know, they would get wounded and then the next thing you know they're back, they're back on their fronts, you know, it's because it wasn't bad enough to be sent home. 330 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:25,000 You know, they, what does that do to your mind. 331 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:26,000 Right. 332 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:29,000 Think about it. 333 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:45,000 Yeah, they, they were able to prevail out through a lot in their lives and that's why I love this story is you know I want younger veterans to see this and know that they too can can make it to the finish line and grow to old have a family and career go to college have 334 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:48,000 work after going what they went through. 335 00:42:48,000 --> 00:43:08,000 Well, I, yeah, I think that that's, that's really important is for the younger veterans to realize that, you know, these older ones that are out there went through, you know, very similar situations came out the other side and you know and most of them were able to make a life for themselves. 336 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:29,000 I think that's one of the transitioning from, you know, the being in combat and being shot at or maybe even being wounded and so forth, and then coming back and just trying to, you know, ease your way back into civilian life is so difficult for so many people. 337 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:40,000 Yeah, it is. And some people can overcome it others can't but I think taking a page of these guys chapter these guys live is a good way to learn. 338 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:53,000 I think I think it a great history lessons. I was interested in talking a little bit about Al, which are really is another one of your people from Massachusetts. 339 00:43:53,000 --> 00:44:04,000 Yeah, Al, yeah, Al lost his leg in Italy when he was 19 years old, got blown off and I took him back to show him where he lost his leg. 340 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:17,000 75 years later, I brought him back to Italy. He had never returned and brought him back to the vicinity, lost his leg and showed him the grave of the squad leader, his squad leader that was killed by the same explosion that took his leg. 341 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:35,000 And man, he was also another inspiration. On that trip I paired him up with another Marine, actually, who lost his leg in Iraq. So the two of them together was just really something amazing to amputees from two different wars 75 years apart. 342 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:50,000 And that's what I was really excited to talk to you about was this particular veteran and you know the Iraq veteran as well, because you have a photo in the book the rifles were talking with Andrew. 343 00:44:50,000 --> 00:45:07,000 And the book is entitled the rifle I guess this is volume one of a series and it looks like it's probably going to be but you have a nice really nice picture of them two of them sitting there and you can see both of their prosthetic legs there and I'm sure that they must have bonded just over that. 344 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:09,000 Oh yeah totally. 345 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:21,000 It was so unique. You mean that photo will probably be famous one day. I was many of your photos I think would be would be will be famous someday. 346 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:27,000 It's just, as you go through each chapter in here. 347 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:48,000 Andrew has a picture of the veteran holding up the rifle. And you can see how just don't know it just brings us them. Most of them it brings back an extra shot of adrenaline I guess be the word I'm using for because these folks are not young at all. 348 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:56,000 No they're not. I mean, now the youngest World War two veteran really, you could be about 97 right now. 349 00:45:56,000 --> 00:46:01,000 And that's 18 during the war. 350 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:17,000 I don't know. I don't know. It's it's it's the thing I found really cool was the way that some of these veterans would we refer you to other veterans. 351 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:35,000 Yeah, they took so many of them still remain friends with each other or having coffee or going to their local VFW together and you know I'd visit one guy with the rifle and he said you gotta go see my friend George and my buddy from my reunion so my cousin who also jumped into Normandy. 352 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:46,000 I was this was so many cool stories like that that meant because these guys didn't touch each other and getting harder and harder for these men to find one another. 353 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:52,000 And I was going to ask unfortunately because they're disappearing I'm sure rather rapidly. 354 00:46:52,000 --> 00:47:10,000 I was, I was, I was looking at the story of the Japanese American, when I got to find his name here now again, probably recall it, but he was talking about his family did not get put into the. 355 00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:16,000 In tournament camps that's what it was. 356 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:19,000 But that here he is. 357 00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:26,000 Lawson, Lawson Sakai was the 442nd regimental combat team. 358 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:30,000 And when you interviewed him he was 95. 359 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:37,000 And he was talking about that he said he wasn't angry still doesn't hold a grudge. 360 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:44,000 He was at a reunion of Japanese American soldiers, and their children were coming in. 361 00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:49,000 You know, grandchildren were coming to find the stories about their relatives and so forth. 362 00:47:49,000 --> 00:48:06,000 And you know this whole unit, just like the you know the black tankers, you know going up through Italy and you know growing across France and so forth, having to prove that they were true American soldiers. 363 00:48:06,000 --> 00:48:13,000 It's the truth they ended up being the most decorated infantry regiment of all time. 364 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:24,000 These Japanese Americans, and it's true to this day the 442nd regimental combat team and Lawson himself had three purple hearts, two bronze stars. 365 00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:29,000 I mean, he was just what a guy. 366 00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:53,000 I had to write about him I knew when I first met him because his story was one of the toughest and most powerful ones of overcoming severe racism, and having to be put through a cannon fodder, you know through Italy, fighting up the gauntlet up those mountains, and being one of the most heavily decorated men in his regiment. 367 00:48:53,000 --> 00:49:08,000 I don't think many of us are aware of, you know, these battles, you know, in Italy because you know these were occurring at the same time the D day occurred and of course, that was the, you know, that was the one that got the big stories at the time. 368 00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:19,000 And many of these men in this story is talking about some of the generals and you know general officers that they were under that, you know, 369 00:49:19,000 --> 00:49:28,000 had really strong egos, let's put it that way, you know they wanted to be the first in Rome where they wanted to be the first in Paris and they wanted to be the first in Germany. 370 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:43,000 And they just kind of use the kept pushing these, these men, you know, continually pushing no breaks in the battlefield I mean some of these guys were in, you know, in the field for weeks at a time months at a time, without a break. 371 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:52,000 And I don't know how they did that, I wish I had read this book, you know, 50 years ago. 372 00:49:52,000 --> 00:50:03,000 So I could have figured out, you know, why, why certain friends of my family or my dad, you know, and so forth, acted the way that they did. 373 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:15,000 And even we were talking the other day with some friends of our teachers, when I went to high school back in the 60s, the vast majority and probably were a World War two veterans and we didn't even know it. 374 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:31,000 Oh yeah, even even when I grew up in the 90s, you know, taking about these old men and saying you know they can not really know who the other sides being a little kid thinking like look at that old grouch or that old guy or, you know, and man, 375 00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:35,000 I wish I could go back in time and talk to more of them. 376 00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:44,000 Why didn't you say you mentioned that you have other other volumes of this book coming out or are they out already. 377 00:50:44,000 --> 00:50:49,000 Yeah, the rifle to rifle volume two came out about two months ago actually. 378 00:50:49,000 --> 00:51:02,000 And it's been doing good became a bestseller as well and a little bit more controversial and a little bit more stories of guys who had rougher times coming home and adapting to civilian life. 379 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:15,000 Some of them ended up in jail, some of them became alcoholic, some of them were liars about their service and I was able to include those men's story to that sometimes the great generation isn't perfect. 380 00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:26,000 You know, there's a few embellishments out there we did a story about a mellow honor recipient a couple of months ago, that evidently had embellished his, his events. 381 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:35,000 We all go into that. But it really happens in the fog of war. Sometimes you don't remember what really happened. 382 00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:36,000 Right. 383 00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:50,000 So, so we've been talking with Andrew BGO, the book that we're talking about right now is entitled the rifle and it could be found pretty much everywhere. I know it's on Amazon and major bookstores and so forth out there. 384 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:58,000 And now that we have a new second one rifle to and I'd love to have you back on the program after I get an opportunity to read that one. 385 00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:01,000 Thank you so much. I'd love to. 386 00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:11,000 I think I really do appreciate what you are. You know what you've done as a young veteran, not only the books that you're writing but also your nonprofit. 387 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:19,000 Can you just talk about that real briefly and give a little plug so maybe there are people out there that would like to help you out financially with that one. 388 00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:28,000 Absolutely, you know, for the last 13 years I've been helping my fellow Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who came home with severe serious wounds. 389 00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:35,000 And I do a motorcycle charity ride every year in Massachusetts. It's one of the largest about three, four thousand motorcycles. 390 00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:46,000 And they fought. We ride.com. And you can see on there how to donate or support the cause or start a local charity ride in your state. 391 00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:56,000 They fought. We ride.com. And my book is the rifle and it can be found at Amazon or on Facebook, Instagram, the rifle. 392 00:52:56,000 --> 00:52:58,000 And I appreciate being on the show. 393 00:52:58,000 --> 00:53:03,000 Thank you. Thank you very much and be careful with your real world. Please. 394 00:53:03,000 --> 00:53:05,000 Thank you. God bless. 395 00:53:05,000 --> 00:53:12,000 God bless you. And you, Andrew, the author of the rifle. He's also a full time policeman. 396 00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:31,000 All over the country finds these World War II veterans that have an opportunity to open up and tell their stories that we've, you know, this is what we do here at veterans radio as well. We, if we don't tell their stories and they disappear and we never know about what Uncle Joe or Jim or Bob did, you know, when they were younger, 397 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:36,000 not everybody, you know, not everybody at 90 years old is an old guy. 398 00:53:36,000 --> 00:53:43,000 You know, they're still 18 years old in their brains. That's what they want to be. And that's where they were when they were at their finest. 399 00:53:43,000 --> 00:53:48,000 So I encourage you to read this. 400 00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:57,000 Talk to veterans, participate in the veterans history project. You're a veteran listening to me now. And you've never told anybody your stories. 401 00:53:57,000 --> 00:54:01,000 Make sure that you go to the veterans history project. 402 00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:09,000 And record your stories. Wouldn't it be great to have your grandchildren go in and say, Hey, Uncle Joe was, he did what? 403 00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:13,000 Holy moly. See, you never know what happened with these. 404 00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:15,000 So do that. 405 00:54:15,000 --> 00:54:21,000 Ben and women are in the military now increasing numbers. And their stories are out there just as well. 406 00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:23,000 So anyway, 407 00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:37,000 tune in next week for veterans radio. Jim Fauston will be here. Have a great some more great stories for you. We'll be back in two weeks to talk with Keith King, the National Veterans Business 408 00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:46,000 NVBDC National Veterans Business Development Council to talk with you about businesses and how you can become a good veteran business owner. 409 00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:53,000 This is Dale Thromberry for all of us here at Veterans Radio. 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