American Warrior Radio

“Lost At Sea” by author  John Wukovits masterfully recounts the amazing story of famous aviator Eddie Rickenbacker and 7 other crewmembers’ twenty four days adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Wukovits used survivor’s accounts and other records to create a compelling story of survival, leadership and faith against tremendous odds.

Eddie Rickenbacker developed a reputation for cheating death early on in his life. He dropped out of school in 7th grade to support his family after his father’s death. A job at an automobile company began his life-long love with mechanics. He built his first reputation as a race car driver, once again cheating death several times.

He was initially rejected for the pilot corps in World War I but found a workaround. Despite partial sight in one eye from a childhood accident, he would become America’s “Ace of Aces”, shooting down 26 enemy aircraft. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for one mission where he single handedly took on 7 enemy aircraft.

While head of Eastern Airlines he survived another terrible plane crash.

In the early days of World War II, Rickenbacker was chosen to deliver a top secret message to General Douglas MacArthur.  Rickenbacker boarded a B-17 crewed by Capt. William Cherry (Pilot), Lt. James Whittaker (Co-Pilot), Sgt. James Reynolds (Radio Operator), Lt. John De Angelis (Navigator) & Private John Bartkek (Engineer). SSgt Alexander Kaczmarchcyzk, recovering for a long illness was also on board returning to his outfit in Australia. Col. Hans Adamson accompanied Rickenbacker as his aide.

A broken hydraulic line caused the B-17 to veer into a ditch. They immediately loaded into a second aircraft, not allowing time to properly check the navigation equipment. This was one of the factors that led them to become lost at sea and have to ditch in the Pacific Ocean.

For 24 days the 8 men huddled in three small life boats, short of food & water and constantly surrounded by sharks. The harsh sun burned their skin so badly they were never comfortable. Close to starvation, a tern miraculously landed on Rickenbacker’s head. This gave them some food but more importantly, bait they could use to catch fish. After 24 days adrift, SSgt Kazcmarchcyzk, already weak from his illness, was the only one not to survive.

TAKEAWAY: A key element of the book describes the tension between Rickenbacker and Captain Cherry. As the pilot, Cherry should have been in command, but that proved difficult with a national hero sharing the raft. However, it was Cherry’s decision to separate the rafts that led to their eventual rescue.

Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. While I was born a US citizen, my first nine years were spent overseas. This has embedded in me a deep appreciation for how special this country is. Joining me to discuss this topic is Jeff Utsch.  He is a constitutional scholar and Senior Faculty Lead Instructor at the Leadership and Freedom Center in Gettysburg. Jeff also founded the Heirs of the Republic. He is a former All-American swimmer and put those skills to work training Special Forces personnel in tactical swimming.

Our conversation centers around an article titled “What Makes America Exceptional”, published in 2019by John Steel Gordon.

Independence Day should remind us that our constitution is truly an exceptional document, created by a group of political amateurs. At that point in time, no other nation had a constitution and Jeff believes its creation was providential. Jeff shares that many Americans early on wanted to address grievances against the crown but were not openly seeking revolution. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense (Which sold 150,000 copies in a matter of a few weeks) was very influential in moving the colonies in that direction.

In Gordon’s article he proposes several providential things that made the unique emergence of our nation possible including geography and the fact that the colonies already had lots of experience with local governance. Jeff proposes that the “colonial mindset” turned into the “American mindset” in March of 1775 when Patrick Henry gave his famous speech. (“Give me liberty or give me death”) He also introduces us to other influential voices like James Otis.

Jeff also points out the dangers of revisionist history and current concerns about branches abdicating their constitutional powers. We agree that average citizens must reengage and exercise their role in government.

TAKEAWAY: “A people are free to the extent their government faithfully operates within the sphere of legitimate powers delegated to it by its citizens”.

Military Broadcast Radio principal Joel Hunt is an Army Veteran. The mission of MBR is to provide a forum to help Veterans heal by teaching them to host their own radio programs.

Joel’s path into the military is an ageless one. He had his heart broken. Joel was driving a Humvee that was hit by an improvised explosive device. While he has memory issues his DD-214 states it was not the only time. He still suffers from a traumatic brain injury and partial paralysis of his leg. His physical injuries are healing but he feels his TBI is getting worse. The way he describes it is “I’m forty four years old and I feel like I have the brain of a sixteen year old.”

After being medically retired, he was briefly confined to a wheelchair. His parent lived with him for over a year to help with his rehabilitation. They encouraged Joel to attend a TBI camp in Breckenridge, Colorado where he was introduced to skiing. He would go on to compete in the Sochi 2014 Paralympic games.

Joel met station owner Jim Butler in 2015 and shared his vision for Military Broadcast Radio. Butler loved the idea and when he retired transferred the reins to Joel.  Joel sees his role as a teacher and mentor for his Veteran broadcasters, most of who broadcast from home studios. MBR also helps them get their programming on stations.  Joel emphasizes that one of the keys to addressing PTSD is staying busy and he likes to think they are helping in that vein.

One of his female DJ’s hosts a show called “Yes I AM a Veteran”. We discuss the challenges that “battle sisters” still face in context of the recent Female Veterans Day June 12th.

Any Veterans who would like to get involved can contact Joel at [email protected]

TAKEAWAY:  “It’s my dream to have a studio available to Veterans in every town so they can have their voices heard. “

EOD Fudge founder Aaron Hale could have easily given up after losing his sight to an IED blast in 2011. Two years later he lost his hearing. Instead of retreating, Aaron decided if he was going to be blind, he would be “the best blind guy I could be.” Following his injuries he has climbed mountains, gone white water kayaking and run the Boston Marathon – twice.

Aaron joined the Navy as a cook. Following the 9/11 attacks he felt called to use his abilities and intellect to a better use. He volunteered to go to Afghanistan where he cooked for NATO & Army troops. It was there he met some Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) teams and decided he would rather save lives than cook. The Navy did not see a path from culinary specialist to EOD. So when his reenlistment window came up, Aaron left the Navy for the Army and became an EOD specialist.

In 2011 his team successfully defused an IED with their robot but when Aaron went forward to gather evidence, a second hidden bomb detonated. It broke every bone in his face, cracked his skull and took both eyes. Three years later, a bout with Meningitis took his hearing. (He has since regained hearing with the help of a cochlear implant.)

Thanks to the donation of an adaptive home from Building Homes for Heroes, Aaron returned to cooking. His wife noticed him smiling for the first time in years. He was churning out so much fudge his wife began giving it away. It was so good those persons asked if they could buy more and EOD Fudge was born. During the pandemic he also produced a Tik Tok series called “Cookin Without Lookin”.

Aaron also hosts the Point of Impact podcast which focuses on stories of turning tragedy into triumph and can be booked for inspirational presentations through his website.

TAKEAWAY: “Don’t ask why is this happening TO me?  The proper mindset is why is this happening FOR me?”

With Them Frontlines will be so much more than just a video game. While featuring actual missions undertaken by actual warriors is pretty cool, merging the game with other technologies to gain insights into PTSD treatment is a REAL game changer. The US video gaming market is a $97.6 billion industry and a technology readily embraced by many Global War on Terror Veterans.

With Them Frontlines is being produced by Austin based ORE System and in this episode we are joined by their Chief Operating Officer Shawn Piatz.  Shawn served 28 years in the Army, 23 of those as a Green Beret. Many of the ORE System senior management personnel are also Veterans.

ORE System is integrating technologies to produce “the most advanced gaming experience ever”. Satellite images and topographical maps are being used to recreate mission locations. Shawn says they want it be a game built by Veterans for Veterans & using actual warriors is being done by design.  One of the goals is to allow Veterans to reconnect with their “tribe” while helping to create a more informed civilian population.

The game will also feature the ability to synchronize with wearables that will gather data like heartrate, O2 levels, etc. This data will help researchers and healthcare professionals identify triggers and physiological responses. ORE is working with psychologists to incorporate therapeutics into the game as well. Shawn also sees the game as a method of breaking down the stigma often associated with PTSD.

Shawn encourages warriors who might be interested in integrating their stories into the game to contact the company via their website.

With Them Frontlines is currently available for pre-sale with the full software expected to roll out in December. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Veterans charities. Listeners can also support project development through their Indigogo campaign.

Shawn serves as a Board Member of the Special Operations Solutions Fund. Their niche is filling and addressing the immediate needs of Special Operations soldiers.

TAKEAWAY: “Check on your friends, reach out to your tribe. It’s all about taking care of one another and being a good human being.”

Royce Williams kept a huge secret for fifty years.  He had been given strict orders. Royce joins us as part of our partnership with the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.

Royce and his brother signed up after the attack on Pearl Harbor. During his career he flew everything from open cockpit biplanes to jets at Mach 2 in three wars.

During the Korean War, Royce was a member of a task force that sailed north to attack “juicy” targets close to the Russian border. On November 18, 1952 his flight flew a morning bombing mission then returned to their aircraft carrier for a quick lunch. Despite a snow storm moving in over the task force, he was ordered to go back out on a combat air patrol.

His four ship flight was immediately notified of incoming aircraft from the North and Royce spotted seven contrails high above. Two planes were ordered back to the task force because of an emergency fuel warning.  Royce and his wingman saw seven planes “flying directly at us and all of them were shooting”. After shooting down one, Royce would soon find himself in a desperate 35 minute solo dogfight against six MIG-15’s; consider the preeminent fighter of the era. He shot at least four before turning back to the carrier with his hydraulics shot out and out of ammunition. When he landed, 263 holes were found in his plane.

Due to the political ramifications of publicly acknowledging that the Russians were actively engaged in the war, Royce was quietly awarded a Silver Star and ordered to keep the mission a secret. He did so for 50 years.

After the end of the cold war, Russian records verified that he had shot down three planes and a fourth crashed while trying to land with severe damage. On January 20, 2023 his Silver Star was upgraded to a Navy Cross, the second highest award for Valor. Royce was also award two Distinguished Flying Cross medals for missions in Vietnam.

Kill Cliff founder Todd Ehrlich had no idea that his concept for a “recovery” drink that tasted good could be made so successful. He describes the original idea as an all natural “liquid aspirin”.

Todd felt a calling to serve our nation in a more meaningful way so he dropped out of college to join the Navy SEALs.  In the mid-nineties there was “a lot going on” so he left the TEAMS after four years. He regrets not staying in the Navy but says it DID give him an interesting perspective.

A serial entrepreneur, Todd has been involved in the creation and growth of several companies. He prefers working in the early stages and then handing off the company to others. He started Kill Cliff with $100,000 in savings and shares some cautionary tales about venture capital for other aspiring entrepreneurs. It took him nearly four years to go from concept to product, including testing numerous formulas with a beverage manufacturer before he felt the mix was right.

Todd and G.W. Garrison (a friend who supported the cause for sweat equity) spent much of their early days peddling Kill Cliff out of the trunks of their cars. “I’d sell Kill Cliff to a dry cleaner if I could.” Things really began to take off when bar goers in the Atlanta area discovered that the drink made a great mixer. The product also began very popular among the cross fit community and they have remained a very loyal part of the customer base.

An important part of Todd’s motivation for creating Kill Cliff was to provide a sustainable giving platform for the Navy SEAL Foundation. To date, the company has donated over $1 million in proceeds from sales to the Foundation.

Inspired by his own start up struggles, Todd created Rule 1 Ventures Studio in order to give aspiring entrepreneurs the tools to be successful and “compress time” in their journey.

TAKEAWAY:  “Everyone is going to have bad days and get discouraged. It is about how you process the discouragement and make it to the next day and remain optimistic.”

National Police Week is an outgrowth of President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officer’s Memorial Day. Each May tens of thousands law enforcement officers gather in Washington D.C. to recognize the sacrifices and valor of those who wear the badge.

In this episode we examine National Police Week through two lenses. Nohemy Hite is a police widow and founder of the Erik Hite Foundation. Dave Bray is a former Navy Corpsman who is now a national recording artist and staunch advocate for the men & women of law enforcement.

When a fan sent Dave a recording of the “last call” for Brad Fox, a Pennsylvania officer killed in an ambush,   he could hear the clear emotion in the dispatcher’s voice.  Dave himself was so shaken by the recording that he picked up his guitar and wrote the song “Last Call.” He also wrote the song “Survivor” for the families of fallen officers.

Nohemy’s husband Erik had a life of service. He served in the Air Force security forces for 21 years before joining the Tucson Police Department. Erik had been an officer for four and half years when he was ambushed and killed on June 2, 2008. She formed the Erik Hite Foundation the following year as a way to cope with the pain and provide support for other law enforcement families.

Both Nohemy and Dave both describe their experiences participating in National Police Week activities. Nohemy says that even though participation is painful for her, it does help survivor families find hope. Dave participates regularly because he feels more Americans need to know about the sacrifices that law enforcement families make on our behalf.

Dave shares that the average citizen experiences 2-3 truly traumatic events in their life but the average law enforcement officer experiences over 700 traumatic events over a 20 year career. He encourages any first responder that is struggling to connect with the Resilient Minds on the Front Lines organization.

TAKEAWAY: “It’s Painful. Time doesn’t really heal. Time just helps you learn how to deal with your new normal.”

“Ernie & Joe; Crisis Cops” is a multiple Award winning HBO documentary that follows two San Antonio police officers and their work to help persons experiencing a mental health crisis. It is estimated that 20-30% of a patrol officers’ call load involves some sort of mental health crisis. Ernie Stevens joins us to share his journey from a “regular” cop to one of our nation’s leading advocates for crisis intervention training for law enforcement officers. His book “Mental Health and De-escalation: A Guide for Law Enforcement Professionals” has reached #1 on Amazon.

Ernie was initially not excited about the training. His entire attitude changed when a community member shared her story. Her adult son had schizophrenia and she feared calling the police because the police may shoot and kill her son during one of his violent episodes.  Her next statement really changed Ernie’s life. “But if you do show up and shoot and kill my son, it’s okay. Because you have a family to go home to and I want you to be safe. You will never understand what it is like for me to live inside my son’s illness.”

Ernie immediately became an advocate for establishing a formal Mental Health Unit. It took five years from the time he took the training before his Chief agreed assign two officers. When Ernie retired, the unit was up to 20 officers and more than 100,000 persons had been diverted. In 12 years with the unit, Ernie never once had to use force.

Ernie says that an internal mental health unit doesn’t only save lives on the streets. Establishing a better mental health understanding throughout departments can also reduce officer suicide rates. Joe Smarro, Ernie’s partner in Crisis Cops is a Marine Veteran and also experience childhood trauma himself.

TAKEAWAY: “Psychological trauma is a real issue for military and first responders. We have to normalize the conversation. If we don’t talk about it we are failing each other. “

“Fly Girls Revolt” by Dr. Eileen Bjorkman tell the stories of the pioneering woman who had to fight in order to allow women to fly in combat. Eileen logged more than 700 hours in 25 different types of military aircraft as a flight test engineer and retired from the Air Force as a Colonel.

Two of the first pioneers were well known aviatrixes Jaqueline Cochran and Nancy Harness Love. Each convinced authorities to create sanctioned groups of female pilots to assist with the war effort in 1942. The two groups would eventually be merged into the Woman Airforce Service Pilots organization. (WASPs)

They principally ferried planes from factories to bases but also performed other roles such as towing air targets. About 38 of these women were killed ferrying aircraft. All these women served as civilians and were not granted Veteran benefit status until the late 1977.

1977 was also the first year women were allowed to undergo Air Force Pilot training. However, there was still a prohibition to women serving in combat roles. As such, these female pilots were assigned to fly cargo, refueling and similar planes. Fly Girls Revolt highlights several examples of situations where this prohibition was shown to be hollow. While planning the 1986 bombing raid against Libya, the commander of the Air Refueling tankers said he would not fly the mission without his female pilots.

In some cases, there were suggestions that female pilots who flew into “hot” zones should not be awarded the same medals as their male counterparts because they were “not supposed to be there”.

It was not until 1993, fifty one years after the WASPs that women were finally officially allowed to fly in combat aircraft. The first three were Capt. Sharon Preszler (F-16), Capt. Martha McSally (A-10) and Lt. Jeannie Flynn (F-15).

Eileen also wrote “Unforgotten in the Gulf of Tonkin”.

TAKEAWAY: “You know you are in a combat plane if you are allowed to shoot back.”