Heroes Behind Headlines

A very happy 4th of July to everyone, as we celebrate by going behind the headlines of two of the most famous rescue missions in United States military history. The operations to save both US Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and US Army Private First Class Jessica Lynch, both of which involved the Army Rangers. HBH is honored to welcome author, and the Army Ranger who was a part of both missions, Nicholas Moore.

Nicholas was in the middle of his training at Ranger school on 9/11. As a result his career spans the most transformational period in the history of the US Army’s legendary 75th Ranger Regiment. 

At the front lines of the Global War on Terror, Nicholas has been a part of the Rangers evolution from a support element, to Tier One special operations units such as Delta Force and SEAL Team Six, into a fully functional special operations unit in its own right. 

We highly recommend Nicholas Moore’s book ‘Run to the Sound of the Guns: The True Story of an American Ranger at War in Afghanistan and Iraq’.

156 miles of Afghanistan stood between a convoy led by US Army Special Forces and the Forward Operating Base (FOB) they were to resupply. As their destination was in the very heart of Taliban territory, they knew they would be attacked. However, no one could have predicted the absolutely terrifying firefight would last for three days. HBH is honored to be joined by US Army Special Forces Green Beret, Sniper, Ranger, Professional MMA Fighter and NYT bestselling author Tim Kennedy.

Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province was so hostile in 2008, that resupplying FOB Anaconda via aircraft was deemed too dangerous. Thus, the only means of completing the mission was via an 80-vehicle convoy. The only road was very narrow, made of dirt and ran at the base of a deep valley in the province most loyal to the Taliban. The moment the Green Berets and their Czech and Afghan allies left Kandahar, they were squarely in harms way.

Tim had seen plenty of action before this mission. However, he and the men he fought alongside faced a level of violence and peril that few soldiers ever encounter, and even fewer live to tell the story.

We highly recommend Tim Kennedy’s brand new and already New York Times bestselling book, ‘Scars and Stripes’.

Don’t forget to subscribe, download, rate and review Heroes Behind Headlines.

In June of 1939, a five-year-old American girl traveled with her family to Germany to visit her grandfather. The visit was supposed to last three months. However, before they could board a ship back to the USA, the Nazi’s seized control of Germany and closed all borders. That little girl would overcome unfathomable odds to survive 7 more years in Nazi Germany, before returning to her native soil. Today, nearly 90 years later, we are honored to be joined by the incredible and inspiring Marlies DiFante. 

When Marlies’ family left for Germany no one knew Adolph Hitler would soon launch a massive invasion of Poland and plunge the world into World War II. For Marlies, the result was a haunting and extraordinary journey through a land controlled by the most notorious dictator in modern history.

Marlies DiFante is currently a grandmother living in upstate New York and the author of her amazing autobiography ‘Queen of the Bremen: The True Story of an American Child’.

On April 26, 1717, amidst the golden age of piracy, Captain Samuel ‘Black Sam’ Bellamy tried to navigate a violent storm  off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The flagship of his pirate fleet, The Whydah Gally, shipwrecked and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean where it stayed until 1984. Now, more than 300 years after the wreck, HBH is excited to be joined by the man who discovered the Whydah, Underwater Archaeologist, Explorer and Author: Barry Clifford.

The only pirate shipwreck in the world whose whose identity is unquestionably authenticated, the Whydah contained a vast treasure including the booty from more than 50 ships which the 140-plus man crew had pirated, as well as 60 cannons. 

Surprisingly, the 110-foot Whydah contained much more than its buried treasure. Also excavated was extensive evidence and documentation that perhaps the most progressive, diverse and inclusive democracies in the world at the time were found on-board pirate ships, 59 years before the founding of the United States. 

Moreover, due to a promise to his close friend and First Mate, John F. Kennedy Jr., none of the artifacts from the Whyda shipwreck have ever been sold. They are on display at the incredible Whydah Pirate Museum in Yarmouth, Massachusetts. 

Barry Clifford is the author of seven books including ‘Expedition Whydah: The Story of the World's First Excavation of a Pirate Treasure Ship and the Man Who Found Her’.

Prior to May 5, 1980, the world was largely unaware that the UK’s SAS (Special Air Service), or any elite special operations units,  existed at all. Six days earlier, terrorists had stormed the Iranian Embassy in London and taken 21 hostages. As the situation was being covered on live TV around the world, the SAS attacked the embassy. HBH is honored to be joined by two members of that elite SAS team, Pete Winner and Sekonaia ‘Tak’ Takevisi.

The terrorists had not anticipated a violent response to their actions. However, what they received when UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher gave ‘Operation Nimrod’ the go ahead, was the full force of the most precise military instrument at her disposal: the SAS. 

The SAS made an example of the terrorists for all the world to see. As a result, overnight, the SAS, also known as ‘The Regiment’, became famous around the world - a world that did not know soldiers of this caliber existed.

We thank Pete and Tak for taking the time to join us and reliving their experience from the day that put special forces on the map, permanently.

Pete Winner is the author of his bestselling memoir ‘SOLDIER, I’, which he wrote with Michael Kennedy.

In a first of its kind episode for HBH, we are joined by former gangster ‘Boston’ Bobby Luisi Jr, a key figure in the undercover operations detailed in our previous episode ‘Knockout Blow to the Italian Mafia in the US’.

Bobby gives his perspective on the operation that put him behind bars, and the very surprising turn his life took - at a particularly dangerous time in mafia history.

Bobby Luisi is not our usual guest - and has a very unusual life story. We hope you enjoy his unique perspective in this special episode.

Part 2 with Mike McGowan continues, detailing how the FBI dealt the most devastating blow to the Italian Mafia in its US history. In this episode, the story concludes with the takedown of kingpins Joseph ‘Skinny Joey’ Merlino, and ‘Boston’ Bobby Luisi.

The Italian Mafia is well known as the dominant organized crime force in the history of the United States. However, this is no longer the case. HBH is excited to be joined by former FBI Special Agent Mike McGowan, who led a series of operations across multiple cities & targeted three different mob families, collectively dealing a blow to ‘La Cosa Nostra,’ from which they have never recovered.

These operations accomplished something once thought impossible: relegating the Italian Mafia to also-ran status.

Mike McGowan is a legendary FBI Special Agent. During his decorated career, he completed more than 50 undercover missions. For context, most FBI undercover agents never work undercover cases - and the ones that do rarely work more than two.

The most secretive mission of World War II ended in the largest scale shark attack of all time. The U.S.S. Indianapolis’ mission was so secret, the entire crew was unaware of their cargo: the components of the atomic bomb ‘Little Boy’ which was dropped on Hiroshima. Thus, when the cruiser was sunk by a Japanese torpedo, no one knew, and 900 sailors were left floating in shark-infested waters for four days. HBH is excited to welcome Doug Stanton, author of ‘In Harm’s Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors’.

On July 30, 1945, after delivering their top secret cargo which would would strike Japan only one week later, the USS Indianapolis was struck by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine. The 610-foot cruiser quickly sank, and the surviving sailors had to battle dehydration and hundreds of hungry sharks for over four days.

The crew of the Indianapolis was filled with incredible heroes, not all of whom survived this harrowing ordeal.

In addition to 'In Harm’s Way', Doug Stanton is the New York Times bestselling author of 'The Odyssey of Echo Company', as well as 'Horse Soldiers', which was the basis for the 2018 movie '12 Strong', starring Chris Hemsworth.

The Italian Mafia is well known as the dominant organized crime force in the history of the United States. However, this is no longer the case. HBH is excited to be joined by former FBI Special Agent Mike McGowan, who led a series of operations across multiple cities & targeted three different mob families, collectively dealing a blow to ‘La Cosa Nostra,’ from which they have never recovered.

These operations accomplished something once thought impossible: relegating the Italian Mafia to also-ran status.

Part 1 dives into how Special Agent McGowan and the FBI took down mafia kingpins Matthew ‘Matty’ Guglielmetti and Carmen ‘The Cheese Man’ Denunzio.

Mike McGowan is a legendary FBI Special Agent. During his decorated career, he completed more than 50 undercover missions. For context, most FBI undercover agents never work undercover cases - and the ones that do rarely work more than two.

Before 2006, no woman had ever embedded to operate within a SEAL team, nor had a non-SEAL Counter-Intel officer ever been assigned to a platoon. HBH is honored to welcome the pioneer who broke down both of those barriers at once, Chief Warrant Officer Ama Adair. 

Ama discusses the immense challenges she faced and tells the incredible story of an operation where she helped a SEAL Team target and take down not one, but two of the most wanted Al-Qaeda targets in Iraq.

Not only has Ama’s career been filled with firsts, but she also continually demonstrated the highest level of skill as an intelligence officer and interrogator and has the medals to prove it.