Clayton Hutmacher enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1978. Six years later he jumped at the chance to go to Army flight school and pursue a career in special operations. He would later see action in Panama, Desert Storm, and in both Iraq and Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Maj. Gen. Hutmacher shares his story of service, including what was required to become a special operations aviator and what his service entailed in Operation Just Cause in Panama. Months later, he was in the Saudi Arabian desert as part of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Hutmacher shares the details of his missions against critical targets in northern Iraq and why the combat was much more intense there than in Panama.He also tells us about his service in Iraq and Afghanistan, how the theaters of operation were very different from one another, and why Iraq provided the most intense combat of his career.Gen. Hutmacher also reveals how he kept in touch with the concerns of enlisted personnel as he rose up the chain of command and the challenges he faced as Director of Operations at U.S. Special Operations Command.Finally, he tells about his work now at the Special Operations Warrior Foundation serving the children of fallen special operators and others.

In the first half of our conversation with retired U.S. Navy Commander Porter Halyburton, we learned about the day he was shot down over North Vietnam, how he was captured and tortured, and the bond he formed with fellow POW Fred Cherry. Today, Halyburton explains the biggest shock of all during his imprisonment, how the prisoners kept their morale up in worst possible conditions over the years, and how they finally got home.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Halyburton details how he found out that he was listed as killed in action and that his wife, family, and government all thought he was dead for about 18 months - and how that problem finally got straightened out. Halyburton also explains how the famous tap code developed, how they taught it to each other without being able to see or speak with one another in many cases, how they hid the true meaning of the code from the enemy, and how it built the prisoners into a close-knit community.Halyburton also tells us how he figured out he might soon be free more than seven years after being taken prisoner. He shares what that long awaited day of freedom was like and the critical, difficult decisions he made while being released that helped immensely every day after that.

Porter Halyburton was born in Florida and grew up in North Carolina. After college, he got married and joined the U.S. Navy with a clear goal of becoming a naval aviator. He got his wish, flying the F-4. Shortly after becoming a new father, he was deployed to Vietnam in May of 1965. He wouldn't come home for more than seven years.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," you'll hear the first half of Porter Halyburton's story of being a pilot, being shot down, and the horrors he endured after being captured by the North Vietnamese.He takes us moment by moment through his experience of being hit by enemy fire, his decision to eject, his futile effort to avoid capture, and what he experienced after becoming a POW.Halyburton also explains how the clear training he went through in case he was captured was very helpful in some circumstances but unnecessarily burdensome in others. He also shares what he suffered for refusing to answer questions from his captors. And he details how the North Vietnamese tried to use racial politics to turn him and a fellow prisoner against one another - an enemy plan that backfired spectacularly.In our next edition, you'll hear how Halyburton learned the U.S. government and his family thought he was killed in action, how the prisoners used the famous tap code to keep their hopes up, and how he finally came home.

Ron DiFrancesco moved to the New York City area in 2000 to take an investment job with a firm based in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He was already at work on September 11, 2001, when the first plane hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists struck the North Tower. People working in the South Tower were immediately told their building was fine and they should continue working. Soon a friend called DiFrancesco and urged him to evacuate. Just moments after leaving the spot where he had been working, a wing from United Airlines Flight 175 sliced through the office.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," DiFrancesco describes the horrors of what he saw happening in the North Tower after it was struck and before the South Tower was hit. He then walks us through the impact of the jetliner hitting his building, the intitially futile efforts to get downstairs and the "voice" that guided him to an exit that could get him away from all the debilitating smoke. DiFrancesco tells us about getting to the lobby, where he was directed to go, and the last thing he remembers as the South Tower came down. Some experts later concluded he was likely the last person to get out of the World Trade Center alive.He also discusses the injuries he suffered while getting out and the severe mental and emotional trauma that he and his family then endured for an extended time. DiFrancesco explains why he later decided to start speaking publicly about the horrific ordeal he endured.

In 2022, we presented the oral history of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Rob Riggle, who later became famous as an actor and comedian. Riggle told us all about his service in Kosovo and Afghanistan and how his time in the service was a huge asset in his pursuit of a career in show business. During that interview, Riggle also mentioned being a USMC reservist in Manhattan on 9/11 and working in the search and rescue operation at Ground Zero for a week after the terrorist attacks. Today, we hear that part of his story in much more detail.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Riggle takes us moment by moment through the 9/11 attacks, from wondering how such an airplane plane accident could happen to realizing our nation was under attack, and from what it was like on the stunned streets of New York City to getting notified that his unit was being called up to help at Ground Zero.Riggle then describes the painstaking efforts to sift through six stories of rubble in hopes of finding survivors, the "bucket brigades" set up to prevent cave-ins, and how he nearly suffered a major injury during that time.Finally, he explains how he then volunteered to go back on active duty - a decision that would have him in Afghanistan within just a few weeks.

David Rodriguez has a legacy of military service in his family, but his real motivation for joining the Army was to move on from working in the family business of farming. Soon he was off to Ft. Lewis, Washington, for basic training. He was then trained as a combat engineer. By late 1966, he was off to Vietnam.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Rodriguez tells us about his first time in combat and how training could never fully prepare him for it. He also explains the mindset needed to have a chance of surviving. Rodriguez also shares the details of his actions in December 1967 to counter a U-shaped ambush the enemy launched against his unit. His charging and takeover of a machine gun position led to the end of the threat and a Bronze Star.Rodriguez also tells us about his three wounds, including two serious bayonet injuries. Finally, he tells us about his work as National Commander of the American GI Forum and his advocacy for our veterans to get much better care than they currently receive.

Ernie Mogor wanted to join the U.S. Navy during World War II but he was rejected for being colorblind. He then chose the Army over the Marines and was soon off for "vigorous" infantry training. He became very proficient with the M-1 rifle, only for the Army to have him switch to a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) not long before he was sent into combat. Much to his surprise, he loved the BAR even more. Mogor was assigned to the Army's 76th Infantry Division and was put into action just as the division was crossing the Saar River under heavy German fire.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Mogor tells us what it was like to cross the river on flat-bottomed boats using rifles as oars and somehow making it to the other side when so many other Americans did not. He also describes fighting consistently for the next three months as his division pushed to the Rhine River. And he details how he was shot, injured, and evacuated for the remainder of the war, just before tha U.S. crossed the Rhine.Finally, Mogor recounts his emotional return to where he fought - nearly 80 years later. He shares what it was like to find the grave of his good friend who was killed crossing the Saar - and what he said while standing at the gravesite.

John Dailey remembers the day he decided to become a U.S. Marine. He was a young boy at a U.S. bicentennial parade in 1976. When he saw the Marine in dress uniform, he was hooked. Eleven years later, fresh out of high school, Dailey enlisted in the Marines. Soon he was guarding the U.S. embassy in Hungary while the Iron Curtain was teetering and later held the same role in Argentina. He also passed sniper and reconnaissance training. But in his first 14 years of service, he never saw combat. That is until 9/11 happened while he was half a world away.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Dailey tells us how he learned of the devastating attacks on our nation, how he was among the first Marines in Afghanistan, and the judgment and decisiveness he exercised in his first combat duties there.Then Dailey explains how he helped to stand up a U.S. Marine Corps recon unit and get it ready for service in Iraq. He also takes us along for the ride as he recounts what it took to find and capture high value targets in Iraq and how he put his sniper skills to use against allies of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.Finally, Dailey details why the special operations unit was disbanded after he returned to the U.S. and how he soon worked to help establish the the Marines' own special operations command (MARSOC) and the current generation of Marine Raiders.He is also the author of "Tough Rugged Bastards: A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations."

In last week's edition of "Veterans Chronicles," U.S. Marine Corps veteran Darren Walton told us about his role on a seven-man reconnaissance team in Vietnam from 1969-1970. He explained his role of point man, what the team's most common objectives were, and how life and death decisions had to be made within seconds. He also described how the jungle itself was also a fierce enemy.In this week's "Veterans Chronicles," Walton shares the rest of his story of service, starting with the jungle and how every small noise had him wondering whether it was something insignificant or a sign of an imminent enemy attack. He also takes us inside some of his most harrowing missions, including some that required extraction and at least one that would have been fatal for his team if the rescuing helicopter crew had not disobeyed orders. And he explains what happened the day his rifle malfunctioned at the worst possible time.Walton also tells us how the Marines helped a local Vietnamese orphanage and how they found financial help from the unlikeliest of sources. Finally, he shares how fierce opposition to the war - particularly in his community just north of San Francisco - compelled him to stay silent about his service for more than 40 years.

Darren Walton grew up north of San Francisco and stood out as a distance runner in high school. When he found out he would soon be drafted into the U.S. Army, Walton joined the Marine Corps, intending to be part ofthe track team. Things did not turn out that way, and Walton was soon undergoing all sorts of elite special forces training and eventually being assigned to a USMC reconnaissance unit.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," we share the first half of Walton's story of service. He explains the training he went through, how a recon team is assembled, how it prepped for missions, and what it was like to be the point man.Walton also shares battling the jungle along with the enemy, difficult life and death decisions that had to be made within seconds, and having to be extracted after being attacked by "rock apes."And don't miss next week's podcast when Walton shares his most harrowing moments in Vietnam, being snatched from almost certain death by extraction teams who disobeyed orders, how the Marines helped a local Vietnamese orphanage, and how hostility to the war back home compelled Walton to keep his service hidden for more than 40 years.

Last week, we began sharing the story of Col. Frank Cohn, U.S. Army (Ret.). He told us about growing up in a Jewish family in Nazi Germany, how his family fled to the U.S. after Kristallnacht in 1938, and how he was drafted into the Army after turning 18 years old in 1943.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Cohn continues his story of service, including his Army training and the issue that delayed him from deploying with the rest of the 87th Infantry Division. He also tells us how he was transferred to interrogating Nazi prisoners of war and his service at the Battle of the Bulge.Now nearly 99 years old, Cohn also tells us about his many years of ongoing work with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and his relentless quest to make sure that nothing like the Holocaust never happens again.

Frank Cohn was born in Breslau, germany in 1925. His Jewish family lived very comfortably there. But soon anti-Semitiam was on the rise, even before Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933. Within a few years, his family fled to the U.S. and within a few more years, Cohn would be at war against his homeland.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," we bring you the first half of our conversation with Frank Cohn. He describes what it was like to watch the Nazis take over society, force his father out of business, and even make his life miserable in school. He also describes how his father left for the U.S. and how he and his mother soon followed.Cohn also shares what it was like to arrive in the U.S. knowing almost no English and the creative steps he took to learn it quickly - and without a German accent. He also describes learning about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and eventually realizing he would be fighting against his homeland.And don't miss the second half of our conversation with Frank Cohn in next week's podcast. You'll hear about his Army training, why his deployment was delayed for several months, how he ended up interrogating German prisoners of war and much more.

Dick Nelms was fascinated by flight at an early age. Born just five years after the end of World War I, he still vividly remembers what an event it was to see a plane in the sky when he was a child. Not long after the U.S. entered World War II, Nelms volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps. He would eventually pilot or co-pilot 35 missions aboard a B-17 bomber.In this edition of " Veterans Chronicles," Nelms reveals why the Army pulled the plug on him becoming a fighter pilot and assigned him to a bomber crew. He also walks us through a typical mission from briefing to pre-flight checks to take off and formation to the dropping of the bombs over German targets.Now 101 years old, Nelms takes us inside two of his most harrowing missions and also details his mental approach to confronting fear and carrying out the missions. He also shares how he and other bomber pilots saved thousands of American troops in Normandy. Finally, Nelms shares how his love of art led to a unique opportunity years after the war and how his artistic legacy lives on today.

Michael Trotter, Jr. was born into a family with a rich tradition of military service, but that had nothing to do with his decision to join the Army in 2003. By his own admission, he had made a lot of mistakes and his life needed to change course. So he joined the military just a a couple years after the 9/11 attacks and the same year the war in Iraq began. Soon he was a supply sergeant in theater, stationed in what he calls the "so-called Green Zone." His second tour would bring his unit to Ramadi in some of the worst fighting of the war. After leaving the Army, Trotter and his wife formed the musical duo "The War and Treaty."In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Trotter explains his role as a supply sergeant and how that put him up close to the combat. He also goes into detail about the impact that losing one brother in arms has on a unit and how his singing ability helped his fellow soldiers deal with the painful loss of their friends. He also tells us how much tougher the second tour was in Ramadi and how his time in war left him with an undiagnosed case of post-traumatic stress.Finally, Trotter reveals how he and his wife created The War and Treaty and the opportunities that helped them break out into stardom. He also shares how his service and honoring the men he served with is closely linked to his music. And he details what Memorial Day means to him.

James Baynham had never flown a plane before entering the service in 1942. In fact, he didn't even have an interest in aviation. What he did know is that he did not want to be in the infantry, so he volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps. Soon he was off to training, eventually being assigned as a B-24 pilot with the Mighty Eighth Air Force based in England. By mid-1944 he was flying missions, but his war service came to an abrupt end over the skies of Germany in late September.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Baynham tells us what it took to make it through flight school, the planning and execution that went into each mission, and why his fourth mission was even more harrowing than his last one.Baynham also walks us step-by-step through his eleventh and final mission, during which his bomber was shot down by German fighters. He describes jumping out of a burning plane, being captured as he hit the ground, and what it was like to be interrogated by the Germans. He also tells us about the conditions at Stalag Luft 1 and what daily life was like there. Finally, Baynham shares his memories of the prison being liberated by the Russians in April 1945, how he and a buddy did not want to wait around under Russian control and their grand adventure to get across Europe and eventually make it home.

In this second half of our interview with retired U.S. Navy SEAL Mark Greene, we will focus on Lt. Greene's deployments - first to Iraq and then to Afghanistan.And he discusses his work helping veterans transition from the military back into civilian life.Greene shares what sound was so common in Iraq that it served as an alarm clock just about every day. He also details the role his SEAL team played on that deployment.Greene also takes us along on multiple deployments to Afghanistan. He explains why he really couldn't put his sniper skills to use there and what it was like operating in Afghan villages. He also tells us about the firefight there that he describes as "mayhem."Finally, Greene tells us about his very difficult transition to civilian life, what helped to set him on the right path, and how he is helping other veterans thrive after leaving the military.

Mark Greene grew up in a military family but his dream was to play quarterback. And he was doing well until an injury suddenly ended his career in college. After half-heartedly (at best) trying to finish college and taking other jobs, he and a friend joined the U.S. Navy with dreams of becoming Navy SEALs.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Lt. Greene discusses how he wound up in the Navy, how he struggled mightily to meet the qualifications to attend BUD/s training, and the physical and mental challenges of the six month gauntlet of becoming a SEAL.Greene also takes us with him to sniper school - from the random way he got the assignment to the very high standards required to pass to the teamwork and quick calculations that sniper teams go through in training and in combat.You'll also hear how Greene was almost killed by falling off Navy ships on two different occasions and the unexpected challenges he faced when trying to become an officer.This is the first of two episodes featuring Lt. Greene. Please listen next week when we discuss his deployments to Iraq & Afghanistan and the work he does helping servicemembers transition from military to civilian life.

Jake Larson joined the U.S. Army National Guard in 1938 in order to earn money and help his family during the Great Depression. He was just 15 years old. By late 1941, he was preparing to leave the service. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the Army required him to stay. By 1942, he was in England helping to train American forces assigned for invasions in North Africa and in the European theater. Finally, Larson himself was part of an invasion - the largest amphibious assault in history - the D-Day invasion in Normandy.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Larson details his top secret work on the D-Day invasion olans long before most troops knew what was coming. He also shares tremendous detail about coming ashore at Omaha Beach, being under fire from German machine guns, and how he made it up the bluffs.Larson also chronicles several close calls at Omaha Beach, including how a very unwelcome assignment likely saved his life. And he does his best to convey what the invasion sounded like that day.Finally, at age 101, Larson discusses the responsibility he feels as one of the final D-Day survivors to tell his story, the stories of the men who never made it homr, and the stories of the veterans who have passed on.

Raul "Art" Sifuentes was born in Michigan and knew he wanted to be a U.S. Marine when he watched John Wayne in "The Sands of Iwo Jima" when he was just 11 years old. At age 17, while still in high school, Sifuentes enlisted in Marine Reserves and went on active duty after graduation. He left the Corps after three years and attended college.After receiving his undergraduate degree, Sifuentes planned to pursue a Masters degree, but a meeting with a Marine officer selection official changed all that. Soon, we was off to flight school to learn how to fly helicopters. Shortly after that, he was off for the first of three tours in Vietnam.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Sifuentes takes us through flight training, the wide variety of missions he flew in Vietnam, including many in hot zones to extract reconaissance teams or wounded service members. He also details the work on his third tour in helping to remove mines from Haiphong Harbor and discusses the horrible treatment our troops received from Americans when they returned home.Finally, Sifuentes details his rewarding work with the Iwo Jima Association and why he is forever grateful to have served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

On Monday, Americans will pause for Memorial Day and honor the service and sacrifice of those gave what President Lincoln called their last full measure of devotion. And the reason we are often able to remember the fallen is because those who died had a friend who lived to tell the story.That is certainly case for Don Mates and his great friend, Jimmy Trimble, a highly promising pitcher who delayed a Major League career to serve his nation in uniform.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Mates describes the lifelong bond he formed with other Marines in training. He also shares a vivid, detailed account of being seriously wounded by a series of Japanese grenade attacks in the foxhole he shared with Trimble - and the sucide attack from a Japanese solder that followed.Finally, Mates explains why he spent so much time over the remainder of his life telling people about Jimmy Trimble and their friendship and how it forever changed his life.It's a powerful story that exemplifies the cost of freedom and the commitment to forever honor our fallen heroes.