Veterans Chronicles

This episode of Profiles in Valor features Marine Corps Sergeant Andy Lee, recipient of the Bronze Star with Valor for heroism while serving in Afghanistan. In August 2009, Lee's squad came under attack while conducting operations in the dangerous Helmund Province. Sgt. Lee directed the counterattack while coordinating the evacuation of a wounded fellow Marine. He is the second in his family to receive the Bronze Star with Valor, the first being his grandfather during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II.

Frank Caldwell joined the Marine Corps in 1942, and was assigned to the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion. He saw action on Guadalcanal, Vella La Vella, and Bougainville before the parachute battalions were deactivated and he was assigned to the 5th Marine Division. As commander of F Co., 2nd Bn, 26th Marines, he landed on Iwo Jima February 19, 1945. There, his men captured more ground than any other Marine company in the battle. Yet at the end of the battle, none of his officers remained, while F Co. suffered the highest KIA rate of any Marine company in U.S. history. Caldwell was awarded the Navy Cross for his valor on Iwo Jima.

A recipient of the Bronze Star for her service in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Colonel Susan Luz is the highest-ranking soldier in the 399th Combat Support Hospital, an Army Reserve unit based in Massachusetts. She made her first deployment at the age of 56, and was tasked with tending to the young men and women serving on the front lines of the "Surge" of 2007. Col. Luz is the daughter of a decorated World War II veteran, and her father-in-law is the late George Luz, one of the famed "Band of Brothers." She is the author of the book, "Nightingale of Mosul," chronicling her story of service.

In this Profiles in Valor, U.S. Army Reserves Colonel Rodney Faulk, recipient of the Bronze Star, recounts his deployments as a Military Police Battalion commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In this special two-part episode of Veterans Chronicles, U.S. Navy veteran of World War II Jack Yusen tells the epic story of the USS Samuel B. Roberts. After a chance accident forced the Roberts to move from the Atlantic to the Pacific Theater, Yusen and the crew found themselves up against overwhelming odds in the Battle off Samar Island. In the face of near-certain death, the men of the Samuel B. Roberts stood their ground in one of the great acts of valor and sacrifice in U.S. Naval history.

In this Profiles in Valor, U.S. Army Major David Bursac, recipient of the Bronze Star, recalls his experience as an advisor to the Iraqi Army soldiers and police while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In this Profiles in Valor, Dr. Dave Hnida, author of "Paradise General: Riding the Surge at a Combat Hospital in Iraq", shares his story of tending to American service members wounded during a critical period in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In this two-part episode, Veterans Chronicles profiles two acclaimed veterans of World War II - Bob Feller and David Thatcher. Feller was one of Major League Baseball's biggest stars in 1941, leading the league in wins. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he immediately enlisted in the Navy, and served in the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters aboard the USS Alabama, before returning home to resume a Hall of Fame career. David Thatcher took part in one of the most legendary events of the war - Jimmy Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, April 18, 1942. Thatcher would be portrayed in the famed movie, "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo."

In this episode, guest hosts Taylor Kiland and Regen Wilson speak with retired U.S. Navy Captain John Frank Gamboa, the first Mexican American to command a ship in the rank of commander and in the rank of captain. Gamboa would also become the first to command a squadron of ships.

This week's Profiles in Valor spotlights U.S. Army Reserve 1LT Timothy Keegan. A native of Florida, Keegan was inspired to join the Reserves at the age of 44 after seeing the professionalism and camaraderie among the Soldiers while he served as a U.S. Army Reserve Ambassador for his home state. Keegan earned the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his service in Afghanistan throughout 2009.

In this episode, American Veterans Center president Jim Roberts conducts a follow up interview with Rufus Phillips, author of the recently published "Why Vietnam Matters," and one of the earliest American advisers to serve in Vietnam. In this episode, Phillips discusses the Buddhist Revolution, the assasination of President Diem, and his personal experiences in Vietnam.

Profiles in Valor, the newest radio program from the American Veterans Center at Radio America, features a short interview with a decorated service member of today's generation. In this episode, guest host Dan Brosnan interviews "Major Matthew", an Army Special Forces officer and recipient of the Bronze Star for his actions in Afghanistan.

Profiles in Valor, the newest radio program from the American Veterans Center, features a short interview with a decorated service member of today's generation. In this episode, host Tim Holbert interviews Master Gunnery Sergeant Peter Proietto, recipient of the Bronze Star with Valor for heroism in Operation Enduring Freedom.

B.G. Burkett served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, earning the Bronze Star Medal. For the past decade, the now military researcher has investigated hundreds of cases where people have falsely claimed to have been awarded various military honors, including the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor. B.G. talks to Gene about his landmark book, "Stolen Valor."

Part 2 of a special documentary program telling the story of Jimmy Doolittle's legendary raid on Japan in April, 1942. Featuring Doolittle and his raiders telling their stories, in their own words.

In the four months following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States military suffered setback after setback. In an effort to strike at the heart of the Japanese Empire, American military leaders devised a top-secret plan in which aviation pioneer Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle would lead a raid of 16 bombers to attack targets on the Japanese home islands. The legendary assault would go down in history as one of the early turning points in World War II. This special documentary program features original interviews with several of Doolittle's surviving Raiders and the raid's official historian, Col. C.V. Glines, as well as archival audio from General Jimmy Doolittle himself. (Part 1 of 2).

This week, guest host Dr. Lewis Sorley speaks with Robert Caron, the pilot of the last helicopter to evacuate Saigon prior to its fall on April 30, 1975. The evacuation was captured in a famous photograph by Herbert van Es of UPI, and came to symbolize the tragic end of the Vietnam War.

This week's episode features two of the most acclaimed stories of modern war. The first guest, Michael Durant, was the American pilot who was taken prisoner when his helicopter was shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. His story was portrayed in the book and film, "Black Hawk Down," and he is the author of the recently published "The Night Stalkers." The second guest, Paul Monti, joins the program to share the story of his son, Army SFC Jared Monti, who became the second American service member to be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for valor in Afghanistan.

In this edition, hear the chronicle of Bob Slaughter, who wrote the memoir "Omaha Beach and Beyond..." which recounts the day when his company landed in Normandy on D-Day, and their later travels through Europe.

This special edition documentary features the story of the all-Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team in World War II. Told by the men whose motto was "Go For Broke," this program follows them as they faced discrimination - and in some cases internment - to the battlefields of Europe, where they would become the most highly decorated regiment in the history of the United States military.