Bedste Honor Flight-podcasts (2024)

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Episode 76: Vietnam Vet Jerry Zabel's Intelligence of War 42:21

13d ago42:21

42:21

Jerry Zabel was born in Munich, Germany, to a mother and father who barely survived Nazi concentration camps. The young family emigrated to the United States and Jerry found his parents always reluctant to talk about their experiences during WWII. When the Vietnam War broke out, Jerry's off-the-charts intelligence and insatiable curiosity about the…

1
Episode 75: F-4 Phantom Pilot Dave Adams 32:37

28d ago32:37

32:37

Air Force Captain Dave Adams was an F-4 Phantom fighter pilot in Vietnam, flying more than 200 missions over North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. A long-time member of the Honor Flight Chicago volunteer interview team, it's time for us to tell Dave's own remarkable life story.Af Honor Flight Chicago

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Episode 74: Sonny's Sequel: Zdancewicz Receives His Day of Honor 43:38

2M ago43:38

43:38

In Episode 47 of this podcast, we profiled long-time Welcome Home flag line member Sonny Zdancewicz, whose bravery in Vietnam earned him three Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts. Only recently did he become interested in receiving those medals at the urging of his family, and at the same time decided that it was time for his own Day of Honor. Tha…

1
Episode 73: Bob Gatenby's Vietnam Tale of Love and War 46:39

3M ago46:39

46:39

Robert Gatenby had just married his wife of 56 years, Diane, when his draft notice arrived. During his service in Vietnam, Bob experienced the darkest moments war can bring. To protect his wife and parents, however, Bob's steady stream of letters home never let on to the danger he faced. This is a story of how war changes those who fight, and how l…

1
Episode 72: D-Day Veteran Dick Rung Returns To France 37:21

3M ago37:21

37:21

On June 6, 1944, Richard "Dick" Rung was aboard LCT 539 as it attempted repeatedly to land at Omaha Beach in Normandy among fierce German resistance. The memories of what he saw and experienced that day remain vivid, even as he approaches his 100th birthday and especially as he traveled to France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.…

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Episode 71: Ken Molnaire and Patton's Third Army 29:48

4M ago29:48

29:48

While Ken Molnaire was working as an usher at the Des Plaines Theater in 1941, news broke of the Japanese bombing at Pearl Harbor. Though Ken had never heard of this faraway location, the attack there set into motion world events that would send Ken across the pond to Europe as an integral member of Patton's Third Army.…

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Episode 70: Our D.C. Guardians 31:40

4M ago31:40

31:40

In July of 2024, we celebrate the 11,000th senior war hero Honor Flight Chicago has brought to our nation's capital -- the most of any hub in the nation. How do we fly so many veterans while giving them all a personal 1-on-1 Guardian for the day? Our dedicated, selfless volunteers who live in the Washington D.C. area. This is their story.…

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Episode 69: Vietnam Purple Heart Veteran Tom Brown 40:45

5M ago40:45

40:45

Tom Brown served as an infantryman in Vietnam, where he faced frequent and ferocious firefights as a member of the Big Red One. About six months into his tour, his unit was ambushed near the Cambodian border and Tom was severely wounded by a grenade. He describes his journey from there in today’s episode.…

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Episode 68: The Music of the Vietnam War 54:15

6M ago54:15

54:15

The Vietnam War had a soundtrack. For the men and women in-country, music -- and often one specific song -- provided an escape and a connection to "the world." Join Paul Meincke as he listens in to a recent talk by Doug Bradley, co-author of "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War."…

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Episode 67: Master of the Air Richard Bushong 46:22

7M ago46:22

46:22

On March 6, 1944, Richard Bushong was at the controls of a B-17 Flying Fortress as part of the first daylight bombing raid to reach Berlin during WWII. The air armada that day stretched for 94 miles in the sky and inflicted heavy damage on the Nazis -- but at an alarming cost to the Allied forces as well.…

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Episode 66: The 2 Sides Project 46:02

7M ago46:02

46:02

On December 7, 1966, Air Force Captain John W. Carlson was shot down near Bien Hoa. To this day, he remains listed as Missing in Action. He left behind a wife and two young daughters, Margot and Kim, who struggled to grasp the depth of their loss. While they continue to search for his final resting place, Margot also founded the 2 Sides Project, wh…

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Episode 65: Donald Talbot's Fight to Live in Vietnam 46:45

8M ago46:45

46:45

As a teenager in Vietnam, Donald Talbot was involved in a firefight so intense that many of his fellow Marines were killed. Himself badly wounded, Talbot emerged from unconsciousness with the realization that his hands were being bound together. He quickly understood that to stay alive he would have to play dead -- and that was just the beginning o…

1
Episode 64: A Son's Career of Service Honors His Father 37:13

8M ago37:13

37:13

Russel McClintock served over three decades in the Navy, beginning during the Vietnam War and continuing through and beyond the first Gulf War. That service was -- in part -- meant to honor the father whose name he shares. Russel McClintock, Sr., was a B-26 gunner in WWII when his plane was shot down over Italy, leading to his capture and eventual …

1
Episode 63: William Fireside, Korean War Psychological Warrior 39:34

9M ago39:34

39:34

Long after the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in 1953, American service members were still fighting on the peninsula -- though their weapon of choice was not a firearm or a mortar but the power of the pen. William Fireside's mission in Korea was Psychological Operations (PsyOps for short), and the adventures he had in the execution of that m…

1
Episode 62: Cold War Spy John Lee 36:11

9M ago36:11

36:11

John Lee's Air Force basic training testing in 1955 revealed a hidden skill: an aptitude for foreign languages. His first assignment was a yearlong intensive study of Russian at Syracuse University. He then took those skills -- and a top-secret clearance -- to the border with East Germany where he and others listened in on Soviet pilots flying over…

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Episode 61: Duane Buttell and the MiG-21 Victory 42:35

10M ago42:35

42:35

On July 14, 1966, Duane Buttell, Jr., was the "Guy in Back" of an F-4 fighter escorting F-105s to a target over North Vietnam. Suddenly, several enemy MiG-21s appeared. Buttell and his co-pilot, William Swendner, shot down the MiG in one of the first victories over that aircraft during the Vietnam War. The aerial battle made such an impact that Han…

1
Episode 60: Vietnam Veteran Jim Davidson, A Survivor 48:16

11M ago48:16

48:16

Army Sergeant Jim Davidson arrived in Vietnam in March of 1968 with the intensity of the Tet Offensive still at a fever pitch. Jim stepped into the 101st Airborne as a replacement troop and soon found out why that unit's casualty rate was so high. Jim was wounded three times, the last time by a booby-trapped grenade that left him hospitalized for w…

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Episode 59: Tomb Guard Joe Varanauski and the Standard of Perfection 42:48

12M ago42:48

42:48

From late 1956 through the summer of 1957, Army veteran Joseph Varanauski held the esteemed position of Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Listen in as Joe details his journey to one of the most prestigious posts in the U.S. Armed Services and reveals what it means to live by the creed "my standard will remain perfection."…

1
Episode 58: Every Hero Has a Story 42:53

1y ago42:53

42:53

Honor Flight Chicago has now flown over 10,600 senior war veterans to Washington, D.C., to celebrate their service and give them the proper Welcome Home they never received. That number is big -- possibly impenetrable -- but each one of those heroes has a story. Join Paul Meincke on September's HFC111 as he learns the stories of eight different her…

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Episode 57: David Mann, Vietnam War Gold Star Son 42:25

1y ago42:25

42:25

David Mann's father was in Vietnam for only a short time when he was killed in a rocket attack months before his namesake son would be born stateside. The younger Mann has spent his life getting to know his dad, recently becoming involved with a group of Gold Star children called Sons and Daughters in Touch. David flew with us on HFC111 to honor hi…

1
Episode 3: Debbie Nease 16:41

1y ago16:41

16:41

This week, we are talking about Edward James Nease. In 1962, he enlisted in the Air Force, serving as a nuclear and conventional weapons specialist on a weapons crew for the F-105 “Thunderchief”, until 1966. Ed was excited to go on his honor flight this fall, but unfortunately, he passed away June 8 2023. Today, we are pleased to welcome his daught…

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Episode 56: Norm Bowens, Mike Masello and the Brotherhood of Vietnam Veterans 54:37

1y ago54:37

54:37

Norm Bowens and Mike Masello served in Vietnam at different times and at different places. Still, they each brought something home so common to veterans who served in combat: PTSD. Many years later, a chance encounter around a specific chair at a group meeting led the two to become fast friends and brothers. Both flew together on Honor Flight Chica…

1
Episode 2: Vietnam Veteran Jack Douglas Sumner 1:05:38

1y ago1:05:38

1:05:38

Welcome to the Valor Vault Podcast, the official podcast of South Willamette Valley Honor Flight. The goal of the Valor Vault podcast is to record and preserve the stories of our local veterans. Each week, you will hear from different veterans as they tell their military stories and tell the stories of their honor flight. This week, the Valor Vault…

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Episode 1: WWII Veteran Vern Thompson 33:58

1y ago33:58

33:58

Welcome to the Valor Vault Podcast, the official podcast of South Willamette Valley Honor Flight. The goal of the Valor Vault podcast is to record and preserve the stories of our local veterans. Each week, you will hear from different veterans as they tell their military stories and tell the stories of their honor flight. In our premier episode, we…

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Episode 55: Vietnam Veteran Jim Parker’s Unique MOS as the ”Bug Man” 26:23

1y ago26:23

26:23

Jim Parker grew up an Air Force brat. When the time came for him to join the service during the Vietnam War, he chose the same branch as his father. Despite being raised to know all things Air Force, his assigned role in the war was not one he had ever heard of. While his comrades in arms fought VC and NVA, Jim's adversaries were much smaller and m…

1
Episode 54: Vietnam Veteran Dante Plata and the Power of Music 35:50

1y ago35:50

35:50

Dante Plata grew up in the church and fell in love with music and the guitar at an early age. Later, after entering the Army, he spent two years as a corpsman in a hospital in Japan treating the wounded of the Vietnam War. Seeing the results of the horrors of war up close led Dante to turn to his music for healing -- both for himself and for the be…

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Episode 53: WWII Aviator Howard Cain and the Aftermath of Little Boy 34:38

1+ y ago34:38

34:38

The son of Jewish immigrants from Russia, Howard Cain was so eager to serve in WWII that he forged his parents' signatures to enlist at 17 toward the end of the war. Later, as a flight engineer on a B-29 Superfortress following Japan's surrender, Cain was aboard a reconnaissance flight over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What he saw has stuc…

1
Episode 52: Celebrating 10K Heroes Flown with Purple Heart Veteran Ray Szweda 38:58

1+ y ago38:58

38:58

Honor Flight Chicago flew its 10,000th senior war hero to Washington D.C., on May 10, 2023. On that flight was Vietnam Veteran and Purple Heart recipient Raymond Szweda. Each of the 10,000 veterans we have honored has an individual story of service and sacrifice. Learn Ray's as you follow him throughout his much deserved Day of Honor during which h…

1
Episode 51: Vietnam War Sniper Ronald Baltierra 46:53

1+ y ago46:53

46:53

Ronald Baltierra served as a sniper in Vietnam, an assignment so difficult mentally that he failed to pull the trigger the first time he was ordered to do so. He eventually came to understand that as hard as it was to knowingly take a life, he was saving countless more in that brutal war with his actions.…

1
Episode 50: Bob Bruzek and the Seabees in Vietnam 36:40

1+ y ago36:40

36:40

Navy Seabee Bob Bruzek traveled with Honor Flight Chicago in June of 2019 aboard our very first flight to include Vietnam veterans. Flying with him on a laminated card inserted into his hat were the names of two men, friends from Vietnam who did not make it home from the war. As we honored Bob that day, he continued to honor his fallen comrades-in-…

1
Episode 49: Celebrating 100 With Rev. Hank Roberson 12:45

1+ y ago12:45

12:45

Featured in Episode 6 of our podcast, WWII Veteran Hank Roberson is back to celebrate his 100th Birthday! In this short episode, Paul Meincke joins Rev. Roberson at his West Side church on Easter Sunday as the community comes together to honor this hero. Listen in!Af Honor Flight Chicago

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Episode 48: Ed Helrigel’s Two Tours of Vietnam 47:23

1+ y ago47:23

47:23

Ed Helrigel returned from Vietnam to a world he no longer recognized. From the heat of battle one day to arriving home the next, it was a reality that plagued many of his comrades-in-arms. For Ed, the toll of his transition back to the United States led him to volunteer for a second tour of Vietnam, where at least his brothers understood the world …

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Episode 47: Sonny Zdancewicz’s Leadership In The Jungles of Vietnam 42:19

1+ y ago42:19

42:19

Sonny Zdancewicz saw constant action in the Vietnamese jungles as a Sergeant in the 7th Cavalry Regiment. The physical and emotional scars of battle, though many, were not enough to dim his singular focus: keeping the men in his command as safe as possible. His bravery earned him three Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts, but only recently did he …

1
Episode 46: WWII B-24 Pilot Howard Levinson’s Dream To Fly 38:12

1+ y ago38:12

38:12

Howard Levinson grew up in extreme poverty in Chicago and from a very young age experienced rampant anti-Semitism. He dreamed to fly, pushing through the obstacles of resources and ignorance to become a B-24 pilot in the Pacific at the tender age of 21. Though his crew feared he would be a "coward" because of his Jewish religion, he taught them a l…

1
Episode 45: Vietnam Veteran Dee Simmons and the Impact of Agent Orange 36:45

2y ago36:45

36:45

Army SPC/5 Richard "Dee" Simmons saw and experienced a lot during his time in Vietnam, but nothing stuck with him more -- literally -- than the Agent Orange defoliant that would cake on his skin to the point that it could be peeled off. In addition to the resulting physical health struggles, Dee like so many deals with PTSD. After years of avoidanc…

1
Episode 44: Purple Heart Veteran Jerry Warren and Race in the Vietnam War 40:55

2y ago40:55

40:55

Jerry Warren is a born leader, a trait that was instantly recognized in his Army training prior to being sent to Vietnam. Jerry, who is Black, quickly made Sergeant and was placed in charge of a unit comprising all white soldiers. Though they functioned well as a team, there was a prejudicial undercurrent that could not be escaped.…

1
Episode 43: Korean War Veteran Elaine Ansbro and NORAD 31:32

2y ago31:32

31:32

Elaine Ansbro has had a fascination with flying and aviation since she was a young girl. With that in mind, she joined the Air Force during the Korean War in the hopes of taking wing. She soon found out she was too tall at 5-foot-8 to serve aboard aircraft, and instead learned a new skill she still has to this day: writing backward. Find out how th…

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Episode 42: Jerry Sperry, One of the Korean War’s Chosin Few 25:36

2y ago25:36

25:36

Marine Corps Veteran Jerry Sperry received two Purple Heart medals for his service in the Korean War. The first came in South Korea, while the second came during the frozen Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the North. Now in his 90s, Jerry's current mission is to educate future generations about the "Chosin Few" who fought that battle.…

1
Episode 41: Vietnam Veteran Jim Weinstein’s Mission To Find Himself 37:13

2y ago37:13

37:13

Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jim Weinstein enlisted in the Marines to escape a troubled youth full of drink and drugs. Jim endured many close calls on the battlefields of Vietnam including one that resulted in his family receiving an erroneous death notice. All of it added up to another battle with PTSD following his service. Jim says of his Honor F…

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Episode 40: WWII Veteran Howard Hill And the Aftermath of Nagasaki 31:07

2y ago31:07

31:07

Howard Hill joined the Navy at 17-years-old toward the tail end of WWII. At war's end, he was on a ship bound for Japan to pick up POWs who had been housed in prison camps near Nagasaki. With camera in hand, Howard walked the streets of the city and documented first-hand the destructive power of the atom bomb.…

1
Episode 39: Small Town America and the Vietnam War 39:19

2y ago39:19

39:19

Honor Flight Chicago alum Danny Anderson hails from Gardner, Illinois. A town of 1,400 that sits 60 miles southwest of Chicago in Grundy county, Gardner saw five of its young men not return home from Vietnam. Danny himself was wounded there. He and longtime friends Earl Fatlan and Gary Kociss -- also Vietnam veterans -- sat down with Paul Meincke t…

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Episode 38: WWII Veteran Bill Shoop, Witness to the Nuremberg Trials 38:00

2y ago38:00

38:00

Bill Shoop served as a teletype operator during the latter stages of World War II in Europe, first during the Battle of Bulge and later from the International Military Tribunal known as the Nuremburg Trials. Though he claims no special role in the Trials -- "I just happened to be there," he says -- Bill Shoop was quite literally a witness to histor…

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Episode 37: A Recap of Flight 103, Our Operation Education Mission 34:23

2y ago34:23

34:23

Our 103rd flight on July 20, 2022, featured 111 senior war veterans receiving their long-awaited and much-deserved Day of Honor, Thanks, and Inspiration. It also featured 13 teachers and students from our rapidly growing "Operation Education" mission that seeks to connect veterans with local schools to inspire gratitude and service among our younge…

1
Episode 36: Rodney Branch Plays TAPS In Combat 40:19

2y ago40:19

40:19

Rodney Branch has always been a musician. When he joined the Army in 1966, his first duty station was with the 55th Army Band in Alabama as a trumpeter and a bugler. Soon, though, he got his orders for Vietnam. There his MOS continued to be of a musical nature: Rodney Branch braved ambush and attack to fly into fire bases and perform TAPS for falle…

1
Episode 35: Mike Osika and the USS Enterprise Explosion 35:17

2+ y ago35:17

35:17

Mike Osika was aboard the USS Enterprise on January 14, 1969, when -- 75 miles from Pearl Harbor and in preparations to sail to Vietnam -- explosions ripped across the flight deck. Mike joined the fight on the deck to save the ship from the inferno that claimed 28 lives and injured more than 300. Years later, Mike was aboard HFC100 as an honored ve…

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Episode 34: Lew Bottando, ”Lucky” Vietnam Veteran With Three Purple Hearts 39:04

2+ y ago39:04

39:04

Lew Bottando describes himself as lucky. He has been married 50 years to his high school sweetheart, and retired from a long career in the Chicago Fire Department as a battalion chief. His luck began, however, before all of that: he came home alive from the jungles of Vietnam after earning two Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts. In this episode, …

1
Episode 33: Richie Louck, Vietnam Medic 56:14

2+ y ago56:14

56:14

Richie Louck served as an Army medic with the 1st Cavalry during the Vietnam War -- an assignment with a very short shelf life. In fact, he was the lone medic in his company to survive his tour. Richie also was a childhood friend of our host, Paul Meincke. The two lost touch for many decades, but have reunited in recent years. Their chemistry is ob…

1
Episode 32: Korean War Purple Heart Veteran Rich Bernier 35:30

2+ y ago35:30

35:30

Army Corporal Rich Bernier served "many months" on the front lines of the Korean War. One day, the bunker he had just left took a direct hit from a mortar, killing all inside. Rich received serious shrapnel wounds, recovered and came home. It was not until he and his son, Rick, traveled together on an Honor Flight Chicago mission to Washington, D.C…

1
Episode 31: Honor Flight Chicago Celebrates Its 100th Flight 28:42

2+ y ago28:42

28:42

In the predawn hours of April 13, 2022, 116 senior war veterans arrived at Midway International Airport to experience a day of Honor, Thanks, and Inspiration meant as a grand gesture of gratitude from a grateful nation. The life-changing trip would not only celebrate these heroes, but the more than 9,100 who came before and the thousands still wait…

1
Episode 30: Purple Heart Vietnam Veteran Luis Rodriguez 54:29

2+ y ago54:29

54:29

The 30th episode of our moving and meaningful Honor. Thank. Inspire. podcast spotlights Luis Rodriguez, a Purple Heart veteran of the Vietnam War. His deeply personal descriptions of the conditions of battle bring all of the rawness of the jungle home, and make the story of his actual homecoming all the more heart wrenching. This is a story that is…

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