American Warrior Radio

9/11 survivor & FDNY Veteran Tim Brown lost nearly 100 of his friends in the September 11 terrorist attacks, including his two best friends.  He has made it his mission to assure that our nation never forgets.

Tim is no stranger to the face of terrorism. He responded to the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing and was dispatched to help with the recovery efforts following the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing. But nothing could have prepared him for the events of 9/11.

He had been assigned to Mayor Giuliani’s Office of Emergency Management – a role Tim describes as “taking off his helmet and putting on a tie.” He was in his office across the street from One World Trade Center when the first plane hit the North Tower.

Tim describes some of the horrible moments he experienced, including last seconds with his fellow firefighters before they climbed the stairs with full knowledge that they may never return. “It was what all the firemen, policemen and EMT’s did that day. They fulfilled the oath they had taken to give their lives for someone they didn’t know.”

Tim was 20 feet from the front of the South Tower when it collapsed and sought cover in the Marriott Hotel next door, which was subsequently buried under the rubble. Drawing upon his training, he held on to a vertical column while the wind (later proven to be has high as 185 mph) picked him up.  “I was just waiting to be crushed in that moment”. Tim and a few dozen others were able to find their way out of the rubble.

We discuss how the number of rescuers dying from 9/11 illness is rapidly approaching the number killed during the attacks.

Tim has become a national leader in preserving the memories of those who were murdered on 9/11 at Ground Zero. He feels particularly compelled to share these stories with younger generations who had not been born at that time.

Tim volunteers with the National September 11 Memorial Museum and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. He can be reached via Eagle Rise Speaker's Bureau.

Irv Brandt’s evolution from a Navy torpedo man to law enforcement was an awkward transition but it worked out. Irv served with the US Marshal  Service for more than 20 years. After leaving the Navy, he went to college to study business. After Black Monday no one was hiring business majors, but there were lots of opportunities in Law Enforcement. “I went into law enforcement and it turns out I was really good at it.”

As a member of the Atlanta Police Department, Irv was assigned to Centennial Park during the Olympics. He was fifty feet away from the bomb detonated in the park by Eric Rudolph. “I’ve been shot at, I’ve been stabbed, but nothing is more terrifying than a bomb. It’s amazing to me that I wasn’t hit”.

Irv tested for a position with all the Federal Agencies and was waiting for a DEA academy class when the Marshal Service called. The Marshal’s academy began earlier so Irv jumped at the chance.

We discuss one of Irv’s cases that was featured on America’s Most Wanted; Jodie Thompson. Thompson escaped from prison and was on the run for more than three months. Victims said Thompson could open a gambling machine quicker with a crowbar than staff could with keys. “He was one of the coolest persons under pressure I have ever seen. I had him at gunpoint and he smiled at me.”

Irv spent much of his career working international cases. The US Marshals conduct ALL international extraditions for local to federal agencies. He used to charter jets and bring home cartel members a dozen at a time. Irv says the most satisfying arrests were sex offenders because they will keep offending and leave a wake of misery if they are not caught.

Since retiring, Irv has become the author of the Jack Solo thriller series.

TAKEAWAY: “Once a warrant is issued, the US Marshal service WILL CONTINUE looking for you until you are arrested or dead."

A “moral injury” can occur in response to witnessing behaviors that go against an individual’s values and moral beliefs.  I was first introduced to this concept by Col. Marc Walker of the 12th Air Force and asked him to explain it further to our listeners.

Clearly, in war, there are many situations that can cause moral injury. These can include death or harm to civilians, “same team” violence, concealed acts of cowardice, sexual trauma or the inability to prevent death or suffering.  These incidents don’t happen only in combat – Marc shares examples he witnessed while maintaining equipment.

While moral injury has been with us since the beginning of time, it wasn’t until recently that it began to be examined through current psychological lenses.  It is estimated that there is a 50-65% moral distress rate among service members. While one would think it disproportionally impacts younger persons who have not have as much exposure to the world, Marc says it is more common in senior service members as they take on added responsibilities of command. “Even for those special operators who are trained to compartmentalize and put it in a box, eventually that box can become full and overflow.”

We discuss how moral injury also occurs in civilian life like witnessing a bad auto accident or acts of betrayal in an office environment or personal relationship. While it can be difficult to diagnose, some symptoms include poor self-care, irritability, trouble sleeping and even fatigue and headaches.

Marc currently serves as Director of Logistics, Installations & Mission Support for the 12th Air Force. He is a “Mustang”, having begun his career as an enlisted airman before becoming an officer.  He strongly believes that this gives him an added advantage in commanding his personnel as he has walked in their boots.

TAKEAWAY: Like with any mental situation, if one suspects someone is suffering it is better to bring the issue up and be wrong than to overlook it and live with the regret of not taking action. This in itself can cause a moral injury.

“Frogmen” was the nickname given to the members of the newly formed Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) during World War II. Their fellow service members called them “Half Fish, Half Nuts”. They were the predecessors of today’s Navy SEAL teams.

George Morgan

The history of the formation of these special units is the subject of a new book by award winning journalist & author Andrew Dubbins. It is called “Into Enemy Waters; a World War II Story of the Demolition Divers Who Became the Navy SEALs”. Much of the book is based upon the personal experiences of one of the last living original Frogmen George Morgan.

Draper Kaufman is credited as the being the “father of the Navy SEALs”. Although the son of a Navy Admiral, Kaufman was denied a commission from the Naval Academy due to poor eyesight. He volunteered with the American Ambulance Corps in France prior to the US entering the war. He then volunteered with the Royal British Navy where he gained valuable experience defusing bombs during the London blitz. When Admiral Nimitz asked Draper why he wasn’t in the US Navy, He replied that our Navy didn’t want him because of his eyesight.  Nimitz resolved THAT issue immediately.

The Frogmen of UDT would see action in some of the most famous battles of World War II including D-Day, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and even the waters of Tokyo Bay gathering intelligence for an invasion that never took place. Very often they would swim long distances to the enemy beaches armed with only a knife, their demolition tools and their bravery.

Dubbins shares the creativity Kaufman and the original Frogmen used in developing techniques and tools, versions of which are still in use today.  Kaufman insisted on recruiting strong swimmers as he felt it was easier to train a man to use explosives than to swim. Upon reflection, George Morgan jokes that it was probably a mistake he told the recruiter he was a lifeguard.  George also shares firsthand accounts of the terror of war and bravery of his fellow UDT Frogmen.

TAKEAWAY: It took a particular type of bravery for George Morgan to help Andrew on this project. It caused him to recall bad memories that he had been trying to forget for decades.

Valor Club is an innovative master planned community specifically designed for transitioning Veterans. The development will be built on 200 acres five miles southeast of San Antonio. At full build out, the $330 million dollar community will include 1,400 residential units on a campus also featuring various support amenities and services. This community will be the first of its kind on this scale.

Michael McDowell is the President  & CEO of Valor Club and a Marine Veteran with multiple combat deployments.  He has earned four college degrees with his PhD focusing on the effects of stress and military transition to civilian life.

Valor Club will be built around five pinnacles of a successful transition with the residential piece just one part of the equation. The other pinnacles include an educational component, extensive social service support, recreation & fitness and career selection & placement.  The mortar that will hold all these elements together will be the fact that ALL the community residents will be Veterans who understand the struggles of transition and are willing to step up and support their neighbors.

Valor Club is working with both private and public partners to keep the lease rates affordable and below the local market rate price. Once the San Antonio project proves itself, Mike would like to see the concept scaled to other markets. San Antonio was chosen not only because it is “Military City, USA” but also because of the extensive & diverse corporate presence that will provide apprenticeship and career options.

Failure to assimilate is one of the biggest impediments for Veterans making the transition to civilian life. Mike discusses the potential lack of “civilian cultural competency” among Veterans. “From day one of boot camp, we put these individuals into a socialized system where everything is taken care for them. It is a phenomenal system for winning wars but sets them up for potential failure when they leave the military.

TAKEAWAY: “ Our ideal prospect is a year from leaving service in order to create an option for them and reduce stress.”

Hometown Heroes Radio creator and host Paul Loeffler has done some amazing work assuring that the stories of World War II and Korean era Veterans are not lost to history. Since 2005 Paul has interviewed an average of one World War II Veteran per week.

Much of Paul’s inspiration came from an early moment in his life when he accidentally came across a framed newspaper article hidden away in his grandfather’s closet. It described how Dr. Robert Loeffler pulled 26 men out of burning tanks and half tracks while under fire in a German ambush. Those actions earned his grandfather a Silver Star commendation and he would be awarded a Bronze Star at the Battle of the Bulge.

While a television broadcaster, Paul pitched the idea of adding short feature segments with World War II Veterans to their regular broadcasts. His boss discounted the idea saying “Nobody wants to hear a bunch of old guys talking.” Paul did it anyway and the series won awards. He founded Hometown Heroes Radio in 2007 and began syndication in 2013. The program is currently airing on 13 stations.  His job as a radio sports announcer allows him to travel all across the country and he seeks out Veterans to interview in all those communities.  Listeners can hear over 740 archived shows and even suggest potential guests via Paul’s website.

Paul shares some of the more interesting stories he has helped tell. While the stories are all different, he says one common theme is the humility that all these Veterans display. We share the fact that we both feel a sense of urgency to make sure these stories are told. It is estimated that only 174,000 of the 16 million persons who served in World War II are still alive today.

TAKEAWAY:  “No matter where you live in this country of ours, no matter how big or small your hometown may be – there are stories that should not go untold.”

Landing craft and the men who sailed them were often unheralded. But they were a critical part of our victory in World War II. They were especially important to the island hopping campaign in the Pacific theater.

Like many of his generation, Steven Ganzberger enlisted as soon as he turned 18 following the attack on Pearl Harbor.  His grandson Zach Morris has always been an avid World War II historian. He was visiting town on May 18, 2011 and decided to conduct a 2 hour interview with his grandfather. Two days later, Steven passed away. This put Zach on a 10 year odyssey to learn more about the landing craft that his grandfather and his comrades sailed. The result is a wonderful book called “When the Beaches Trembled.”

Three types of landing craft were used during the second world war; Landing Craft Infantry (LCI), Landing Craft Tank (LCT) & Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM). Service aboard these craft was miserable. All were designed with flat bottoms that allowed them to get close to shore and beach themselves in order to deploy their troops or equipment. This meant that sea sickness was a regular curse for their crews. There was only one restroom for a crew of up to 60 men and fresh water was at a premium.

After a disastrous experience at the Battle of Tarawa, the Navy converted some landing craft to gunboats in order to provide better fire support for the troops landing on the beaches.  In addition to providing fire support against opponents on land, they also served as anti-aircraft platforms. One of Steven’s best friends was killed by a Kamikaze pilot at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Steven participated in seven campaigns in the Pacific. He and his fellow crew members were in constant combat for two years.

TAKEAWAY:  Most “old Navy” officers weren’t keen on the idea of beaching their ships. LCI command was NOT a preferred assignment.

The Distinguished Flying Cross is our nation’s fourth highest award for heroism and the highest award for extraordinary aerial achievement. Three time DFC recipient Ross Detwiler and his fellow “Misty” pilots volunteered to fly some of the most dangerous missions of the Vietnam War. Twenty two percent of the forward air controllers were shot down. Ross was among them.

The original Forward Air Control missions were flown in much slower, propeller driven aircraft. However, because the loss rates of pilots and aircraft were so high, the mission was renamed Fast Forward Air control and transitioned to F-100 and F-4 aircraft. Ross flew both. He says that their mission was basically to go out and get shot at so they could discover where the enemy was. The lives of the pilots who flew “Misty” missions are detailed in his book “The Great Muckrack and Rosie”.

In his book Ross recounts the sometimes tragic and often heroic stories of some of the men he flew with. There are also more light hearted anecdotes of the adventures of the pilots who lived day to day and developed a rather morbid sense of humor. Ross shares his recollections of the day his aircraft was hit by multiple rounds and caught fire. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion but the equipment worked precisely the way it was supposed to. He is everlastingly grateful to the crew of the “Jolly Green” helicopter rescuers who pulled him out the jungle and lists each by name in his book.

Ross has also written a second book; “Pacific Musick” that describe the life of Captain Ed Musick, chief pilot of the Pan American Airways China Clipper.

The Distinguished Flying Cross Society is a membership organization consisting of DFC recipients and their family members. Their mission is to honor the legacy of the men & women who have received the award, preserve their rich legacy & historical narratives and educate the public on the values of courage, patriotism and character.

Havok Journal editor Scott Faith joins us for a regular update. Scott is currently an active duty officer with half a dozen combat deployments. He writes under a pseudonym.

We begin with one of the first articles he published for Havok Journal, “What Veterans Are (Still) Owed on 4th of July”. The article caused quite a stir because in Scott’s opinion his fellow citizens don’t owe him anything. He doesn’t expect free drinks or store discounts and is perfectly okay with fireworks. He finds THOSE yard signs particularly vexing because they feed into the dysfunctional Veteran subculture. We agree that our government DOES owe Veterans fulfillment of the contract they signed including functional healthcare and full payment of their pensions.

Military recruiting shortfalls are an issue that should concern us all. Some are even questioning the sustainability of the all-volunteer force concept.  The numbers are startling. Of the pool of 31.8 million age appropriate persons, only approximately 465,000 meet academic/fitness requirements and have clean drug/criminal records. Most concerning to Scott is the increasing politicization of the military. Scott has loved his time in the Army but he is seeing more of his brothers in arms recommending  against enlistment. The “Afghanistan exit debacle” motivated Scott himself to submit his retirement papers.

Scott believes that, in general,  members of the military are compensated pretty fairly. “Making a career out the military is a ticket to the upper middle class if you play your cards right.” He feels that addressing the issue of toxic leadership is key to retention. Recent changes that allow for “blended retirement” have also helped.

We wrap up the show discussing the potential benefits and downsides idea of compulsory conscription and Byron Chen’s article on Veteran transition.

TAKEAWAY: “Veterans need to get out there and be our own best representatives. Being successful in the community and continuing to serve pays off more in the long run than any temporary recruiting boost.”

Shadow Tier author Steve Snyder served in the White House Communications Office, worked with the Secret Service and earned his Green Beret.  Much of that experience is reflected in the pages of his first published book.

While in Army basic training at Fort Ord, a group of men wearing suits and sporting non-regulation hair addressed his class asking for volunteers for a special assignment. Steve figured wearing suits sure beat crawling around in the mud. He would become a member of the White House Communications Agency. This is a multi-service unit that provides communications support for the White House staff both in Washington and around the world.

His experience made for a natural transition to becoming a technical support member for the US Secret Service. One year he was on the road for 300 days.  Steve entered the private sector as a contractor and then decided to earn his Green Beret as a member of a National Guard Special Forces Unit. The Guard operates two Special Forces units – the 19th & 20th in Utah and Alabama. Much of his time in the Guard was spent conducting special training with Latin American Forces. This is the reason Steve made the characters in Shadow Tier members of the National Guard Special Forces.

The antagonists in Shadow Tier are members of the Sinaloa drug cartel. The main protagonist is a Native American character named Lance Bearwolf.  Looking at the protagonists in other military thrillers, Steve decided a Native American character would provide a different take with that kind of cultural background.

In his “day job”, Steve developed cyber security products that support the war fighter and intelligence communities. We spend some time discussing how the drug cartels are rapidly expanding into the use of cyber capability.

Steve is currently working on two more books that will be a continuation of the Shadow Tier series.