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As the War came to its end it brought about the confirmation that up to that point had been known but not confirmed. That the horrific genocide of a people had gone on throughout Europe. The Deathcamps that were discovered , one by one , by the Allied troops as they moved closer to Germany, from all directions, had practiced such organized, horrific, cruelty, that even these most hardened of war veterans could barely talk about it over 80 years later. Which we will hear when we ask about it. The short answer given by Mr. Hirsch is as powerful a moment as we will hear in these interviews. 

We will also hear the radio broadcasts marking the deaths of Franklin Roosevelt,  Adolf Hitler, and finally the surrender of Germany itself.  We will then hear the stories of how pilot Bob Hirsch flew the displaced persons to the new places that they were to go to be housed in, having lost everything, from their homes, and businesses, to their entire families. 

Then, just as Bob Hirsch is sent to Paris, France, to pick up his plane to be flown around the World to the Pacific Theater. His orders are suddenly changed, and he and his fellow troops are left to wonder,  why? 

Then we will focus in on the Potsdam Conference, the bluff to the Japanese Government, and the decision to drop an atomic bomb on Japan, that will finally bring this horrifically, bloody war, to its end. 

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Operation Market Garden was an enormous effort led by General Montgomery that included 41,268 troops from Allied countries. It was designed to capture several bridges so that the Army could cross over into Germany and , with any luck, end the war by Christmas of 1944.  The overall effort failed because the German forces fought hard to defend the bridges and they had help from the weather. 

This operation  was where Bob Hirsch was extremely active throughout and his stories will hold you spellbound as you hear about his return with a plane with 85 bullet holes, or death of a  jumpmaster killed by bullets that hit him as soon as the jump door opened, or the need to slowdown to allow two paratroopers with parachute problems to jump, to late for their targets, but still over enemy territory.  

This is a fascinating look at Operation Market Garden that was the inspiration for the movie " A Bridge to Far". Then we will follow our troops as they head into the Battle of the Bulge and on to the final days of the War.  

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Operation Overlord, known to the world as D-Day, was the beginning of the end for the Nazi Regime of Adolf Hitler.  It was the start of the Allied march across the European Continent.  Bob Hirsch had not yet arrived in England in time to take part in the invasion.  However, a decade ago he sat down with Rod Gragg of Coastal Carolina University and participated in several interviews about his experiences as a pilot that carried paratroopers over enemy lines.  Those interviews were a part of two videos we are using in this series :  "Military Memoirs" and "A Salute to American Veterans : Death Drop and the 82nd Airborne in the D-Day Battle of Normandy"

The latter video, "Death Drop" ,  is an extraordinary look at the air campaign that was such a major part of the success of D-Day. In this episode we have attempted to take our former Mayor's extraordinary insights of the air and paratrooper campaign and combine it with a fascinating look at D-Day Veterans and their account of those events from  a documentary titled "D-Day, Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944 Volume One" by Voices of History and documentarian Larry Cappetto.
{ Documentary Filmmaker Larry Cappetto
Voices of History YouTube Channel
Voices of History Radio Station, (KVOH)}

These veterans were on the ground or in the boats who came ashore on the beach's of France.  We also found several radio broadcasts recorded live in the middle of the night on June 6, as the folks on the Homefront were trying to find out for sure if the invasion had actually begun. 

I hope to give you a feel for how everyone felt, and what they dealt with as this historic day unfolded, be it from the air, ground, or back home, worrying about the boys so far from home. 

This episode also sets the stage for the situations to come for our former Mayor, Bob Hirsch, as he arrived on the seen to take part in the final crusade to liberate the enslaved people of Europe. 

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This is a quick announcement about the recent book release titled "The Blonde Bombshell: The Life of Robert J. Hirsch" available now on Amazon. We can highly recommend this book and we hope you will join us over the next few episodes as we look back at our documentary on the former Mayor of Myrtle Beach. 

Robert Hirsch is an amazing man, still going strong at 102 years of age. 

Here is the link to the book on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Blonde-Bombshell-greatest-Greatest-Generation/dp/B0FKH632G2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ARX62VL0VY4N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.g0EsF4gT93gSE_1WWgudkY02rtftj14mFstu-QLNJTBZ_QFIdgda82-WU2kCeZ_K_nOC2CATrSgMqV60yZ0P0ZiVn6s0R0tHP5klRWKVt7c.zg_tYEa95Cz-AveeGZrBv1hD32wpfDyJoV226A9UMJU&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+Blonde+Bombshell+Robert+Hirsch&qid=1769700373&sprefix=the+blonde+bombshell+robert+hirsch%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-1

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February 2026 on the Wallace Podcast Network — One Month. Three Podcasts. A Shared Journey Through History.

This February, all three shows across the Wallace Podcast Network come together for a powerful month of storytelling that connects world history with hometown legacy.

On Grand Strand Politics, we revisit our acclaimed January 2024 special series, “Robert Hirsch: Our Mayor.” This special rebroadcast honors Mayor Robert Hirsch — a World War II pilot who flew soldiers over enemy lines before returning home to help guide Myrtle Beach through a defining era of growth and change. It’s a story of courage in war and leadership in peace, right here on the Grand Strand.

And there’s even more exciting news tied to this story — a brand-new book about Mayor Hirsch’s remarkable life, The Blonde Bombshell by Colonel Daniel Hunter Wilson, is available now on Amazon. The book dives deeper into the wartime heroism and civic leadership that made Hirsch such an unforgettable figure in local history.

Meanwhile, Randal Wallace Presents: “Bob Dole – The Life That Brought Him There” and The Richard Nixon Experience will simulcast episodes exploring two of the most consequential political relationships of the 20th century:
the partnership between Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon… and later, the bond between Nixon and Bob Dole.

Across these episodes, listeners will travel from the battlefields of World War II to the shifting political landscape of the late 1960s and early 1970s — discovering how shared wartime experiences shaped a generation of American leadership, both on the national stage and in communities like Myrtle Beach.

It’s a month of intertwined stories — of service, sacrifice, ambition, and legacy — told across three distinct shows with one shared historical thread.

We invite you to tune in all February long to all three podcasts across the Wallace Podcast Network for a unique, connected listening experience that brings history to life from the global stage to the local shoreline.

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Welcome to this rebroadcast of our documentary series on the life and legacy of former Myrtle Beach Mayor Robert J. “Bob” Hirsch.

This series originally explored the remarkable journey of a man whose life mirrored the story of the World War II generation — Americans who came of age during the Great Depression, answered the call to war, and returned home to help build the modern nation we now inherit.

Bob Hirsch was one of those men.

Before he ever led a city, he was a young American facing a world on the brink. Like millions of others, he had to leave behind family, safety, and certainty to prepare for a fight that would define the rest of his life — and the future of the world.

In this first rebroadcast episode, Preparing for War, we revisit the moment when history turned personal. You’ll hear Mayor Hirsch describe what it was like to watch the world descend into chaos, how young men like him were trained, shaped, and hardened for a conflict they could barely imagine, and how the reality of World War II began long before the first shots were fired overseas.

This is the story of how ordinary lives were transformed by extraordinary events — and how preparation, discipline, and duty became the foundation for leadership that would last long after the war was over.

This is the beginning of Bob Hirsch’s journey.

This rebroadcast coincides with the release of a biography of Mayor Hirsch that has just come out and is available on Amazon, "The Blonde Bombshell" . The link is available here :   https://www.amazon.com/Blonde-Bombshell-greatest-Greatest-Generation-ebook/dp/B0FKD9YHDP 

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Welcome to Grand Strand Politics  — the show where we explore the stories that shape our community, our history, and the people who make a difference. I’m your host, Randal Wallace.

Today we honor a man whose service to the City of Myrtle Beach and Horry County runs deep — both historically and personally. Former Myrtle Beach City Councilman Wayne Gray has spent a lifetime in public service, driven by a commitment to community that spans generations of his family.

In this episode, we’ll take you back to a revealing 2013 interview Wayne did with WPDE, where he reflected on his decades of involvement with our city — from the challenges he faced to the progress he helped inspire. You’ll hear firsthand insights into the mind and heart of a leader who has always put people first.

Then, we’ll bring you up to the present with the powerful speech Wayne delivered this past weekend, as he was named the 2026 Humanitarian of the Year by the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Weekend African American Heritage Committee — a well-deserved honor that recognizes a lifetime of dedication, compassion, and leadership.

It’s especially meaningful for me to share this episode, because Wayne and I served together on the Myrtle Beach City Council. I’m grateful for his friendship, his service, and the example he sets for all of us.

So settle in, and let’s dive into the story of a true servant of our community — Wayne Gray.

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Grand Strand Politics – Season Two, Episode 15
“Looking Back at North Myrtle Beach’s Mayor Marilyn Hatley”

In this episode, we look back on the extraordinary 24-year mayoral career of Marilyn Hatley, the longest-serving mayor in the history of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and one of the most influential leaders the city has ever known.

Mayor Hatley shepherded North Myrtle Beach through a period of unparalleled growth and transformation. With tenacious courage, political savvy, and a spirit that was always up for a good time, she led with both strength and heart. This wasn’t just leadership from City Hall—it was leadership rooted in community, optimism, and an unshakable belief in what North Myrtle Beach could become.

Her record includes landmark achievements such as the North Myrtle Beach Aquatics Center and the North Myrtle Beach Recreation Facility, along with a long list of infrastructure, tourism, and quality-of-life improvements that helped shape the modern city.

This episode is a tribute to a remarkable public servant and a look at how one mayor’s vision, persistence, and personality helped define an era in North Myrtle Beach history.

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Rebroadcast: A Tribute to Mayor John Rhodes (Five Years Later)

This special rebroadcast revisits our original tribute to former Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, who passed away five years ago this month. The episode opens with a brief new reintroduction before presenting the original program as it first aired in Season One of Bridging the Political Gap—the show that has since evolved into Randal Wallace Presents.

John Rhodes remains one of the most consequential and beloved figures in the history of Myrtle Beach. One of only two men to serve three terms as Mayor—alongside former Mayor Robert M. Grissom—Rhodes helped shape the modern city through steady leadership, vision, and an enduring commitment to public service.

This tribute captures Mayor Rhodes at his best: speaking to audiences across the Grand Strand, engaging citizens, and presiding over the Myrtle Beach City Council throughout his tenure. It is both a historical record and a heartfelt remembrance of a very special man whose influence continues to be felt throughout the city he loved.

We are proud to bring this episode back as a moment of reflection, gratitude, and respect for a mayor whose legacy remains woven into the story of Myrtle Beach.

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Coming Attractions & Housekeeping: What’s Ahead in Season Two of Grand Strand Politics

In this special “housekeeping” episode, we roll out the roadmap for Season Two and preview the major stories and tributes you won’t want to miss.

First, we look ahead to the Mark Kruea Era as he steps into office as Mayor of Myrtle Beach—what it means for the city, the council, and the direction of local leadership. We’ll also announce an upcoming show honoring former North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley, who retired in 2025 after an extraordinary 24 years of service.

This season will also revisit our roots with two important rebroadcasts. We’re bringing back our tribute to Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, who passed away five years ago this month, and re-airing our acclaimed seven-part documentary series on former Myrtle Beach Mayor and WWII war hero Robert J. Hirsch—a deep dive into the life of one of the Greatest Generation’s most remarkable leaders.

That Hirsch series, built from interviews conducted by today’s Mayor Mark Kruea when he served as Myrtle Beach’s Public Information Officer, uniquely features two Myrtle Beach mayors—past and present—telling the story together. We’re reintroducing you to Hirsch and sending you to his new book, The Blonde Bombshell: Robert Joseph Hirsch—One of the Greatest of the Greatest Generation by Colonel David Hunter Wilson, available now on Amazon.

Finally, we tease a major sit-down: an extended interview series with John Bonsignor, former host of Big Talk—the grandfather of this style of episodic political conversation back when these shows lived on public-access television.

It’s a season built on leadership, legacy, and the people who shaped the Grand Strand. Welcome to what’s next.

Here is a link to "The Blonde Bombshell" available at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Blonde-Bombshell-greatest-Greatest-Generation-ebook/dp/B0FKD9YHDP