SOFREP Radio

We've all been waiting for it, "Messages From Beyond" by James "Smokey" West is finally here, and joining him in studio to talk about it is his co-author, Charlene da Silva. As you'll hear Jim discuss, this will be the first in a series of books, and this one begins at a time detailing the legendary Green Beret's brush with death in the late 1970's after a car accident. As Jim says to me, there were no bright lights for him. Some of the work that Jack Murphy started in helping to write Jim's memoir appears in here, but much of that will also be told in a later book. The natural question I wondered when meeting Charlene, is how does a young woman with no military background get into the mind of a seasoned warrior and fighter like Jim to tell a story from his perspective? We get her insight on that, and you'll hear why Jim holds her work in such a high regard. "Messages From Beyond" is out now on Amazon.com in Kindle and paperback, and we hope that you pick it up. We also encourage you to visit Charlene's website at CharlenedaSilva.com. Always a great time with Jim in studio, and I'm glad he introduced me and our audience to the writer he chose to help tell his story.

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Fans of the Hurricane Group network of sites may be familiar with our aviation website FighterSweep.com, and it's former editor and writer for the site Paco Chierici has just today released his debut novel, "Lions of the Sky." The retired Navy fighter pilot who now captains a 737 and recreationally flies a Yak-50 is fulfilling his mission with this book in writing an action-packed thriller that only someone whose been there and done that could release. We get into Paco's background and some of the ego and fear that goes behind flying A-6E Intruders and F-14 Tomcats for the Navy. You'll also hear some of the fundamental differences between being accepted into this line of work with the military where guys who don't make the cut aren't welcomed back, as opposed to recycling back after failing to become an Army Ranger for example. Be sure to pick up "Lions of the Sky," it's out today on Amazon, and check out Paco's website with all links to social media at LionsOfTheSky.com. We also cover some major news of the week including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange being arrested in London, Benjamin Netanyahu being re-elected once again as Prime Minister of Israel sparking some conversation about term limits, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard being labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. We also answer your emails sent to [email protected]. A lot of ground covered on this installment of the podcast.

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With nearly three decades of service in Army Special Forces, also serving as a Special Agent in the DEA, authoring several novels, and inventing tools now widely used by the military like the R.A.T.S. Tourniquet, Jeff Kirkham's background is both versatile and impressive. He joins us this episode getting into stories that include his tourniquet innovation saving lives, how he and his partner behind Readyman Jason Ross decided to start writing military thrillers, and his ongoing heated debate in the gun community of the AR VS AK platform. Be sure to check out his latest book "The Last Air Force One," and follow Jeff on Instagram @Praetorian_Innovations. Also on this episode we get into the recent public deposition of Alex Jones, currently being sued by the families of Sandy Hook victims for concocting conspiracy theories on the mass shooting of their children. They claim this rhetoric incited harassment from both members of his staff and his audience. Where is the line on free speech and language that incites harassment and potential violence against private citizens? Is this Alex Jones finally paying the price for years of spreading false information? We get into it on Episode 446 of SOFREP Radio.

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Joining us for the first time on SOFREP Radio is 13-year Marine Corps veteran with Force Reconnaissance, Jose "Pep" Tablada. Calling Jose's background impressive would be a massive understatement, serving both as a team leader and platoon sergeant with qualifications including graduating as a combatant diver, scout sniper, SERE-C, HALO, and more. It's not often we have someone of Tablada's background on the show, so we dive deep into what Marine Force Recon is all about, and you're guaranteed to learn some new stuff. Currently, Jose is the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations & International Engagement with Marine Corps Forces Pacific, and he volunteers his time on the board of directors for the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation. You'll learn a lot about the great work that the foundation is doing for their brothers in arms, including a retreat in Hawaii for Gold Star families taking place next month. Be sure to check them out and donate at ReconFoundation.org.

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Can you believe that there are still 82,000 Americans that remain missing in action? This was the catalyst for Richard Jellerson's latest work "A Solemn Promise: America's Missing in Action." Jellerson has written and directed quite a few films that can be seen at StoryTellerFilms.TV including "The Personal Experience: Helicopter Warfare in Vietnam" for The History Channel. Prior to his film career however, Jellerson served with the 116th Assault Helicopter Company as a helicopter pilot during his first tour in Vietnam. His second tour, he was the personal pilot to General Abrams. Much of this is detailed in his book "The Healing: Pan Am Flight 001." The book's focus however is on the journey Jellerson took before coming home in healing from the scars of warfare, by going aboard a flight that went around the world, visiting various countries and meeting all sorts of interesting people. We learned about Richard from recent guest Marc Yablonka, and we hope you enjoy this discussion and check out both his book and latest film.

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The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19th, 1995 in Oklahoma City stands as the most deadly act of domestic terrorism, killing 169 people and injuring nearly 700. Although perpetrator of the attacks Timothy McVeigh would take sole credit for the atrocity on that day, there have always been theories involving a nefarious "John Doe #2" at the scene that went dismissed. Our writer Joseph LaFave got to know Special Agent Kevin Waters as a college professor of his, but years prior to his teaching career Waters was there on that infamous day. Waters details an account of a man he saw on the scene days before with McVeigh, that he believes was someone other than the individual labeled John Doe #2. LaFave details the story of Waters in his exclusive piece for Newsrep, and LaFave now joins us on Episode 443 to relay this account that has gone unwritten until now. As someone who has always had a fascination with the topic seeing documentaries ranging from the conspiracy-ridden "Oklahoma City, What Really Happened?" (often uploaded by various users online) to the more mainstream account of the event "Oklahoma City" available on Netflix, as well as reading books like "American Terrorist" by Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck, it is fascinating hearing unheard information 24 years after the fact. I highly suggest reading Joseph's piece. He conducted a thought-provoking interview, and I hope that you learn something from this episode. Joseph LaFave piece for Newsrep: https://thenewsrep.com/114545/exclusive-a-former-dea-agents-firsthand-account-of-the-oklahoma-city-bombing/ "Oklahoma City, What Really Happened?" documentary: https://archive.org/details/OklahomaCity-WhatReallyHappened

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C.J. Ramone is a friend to the show, and for the uninitiated played bass from 1989 on with pioneers of punk rock, The Ramones. Prior to joining the legendary New York band, he was a Marine, and has some great stories. As you'll hear, you may learn of some of these stories for a future project in the works, just one of two major announcements he drops exclusively for SOFREP Radio. What I can tell you now though, is C.J. has a new album coming out May 10th on Fat Wreck Chords titled "The Holy Spell." This will coincide with a world tour, the first dates of which are now up on his Instagram @TheeCJRamone. Also, if you're in the New Jersey area, be sure to come out to the New Jersey Horror Con & Film Festival where he'll be signing autographs and meeting fans this weekend. In addition, on Episode 442 we react to the massacre in New Zealand and Jack gets into the origins of the "eco-fascist" ideology of this murderer and NZ domestic terrorist. We also read your emails, including one about new Netflix film starring Ben Affleck "Triple Frontier." Last thing you need to know, we put together a very special offer for SOFREP Radio listeners looking to join Crate Club and get the best gear handpicked by former SOF veterans. For a very limited time, use the coupon code SOFREP at CrateClub.us for 20% off any crate of your choice. This is the biggest discount we've ever made available, and we don't know how long we'll be able to keep it going, so be sure to get on that!

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Robert J. O'Neill, author of "The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years a SEAL Team Warrior," joins us for his third in studio appearance on SOFREP Radio. As is usually the case when Rob swings by, we have a lot of fun discussing all sorts of topics on this episode. We talk about the surreal moment for him of being interviewed by "King of All Media" Howard Stern after releasing his memoir, hanging with "Navy SEALs" star Charlie Sheen, being recognized by New York hiphop legends Onyx, and working with his pal Tim Montana. Don't worry, we also get into some more serious topics like the accusations of war crimes against Chief Eddie Gallagher, tensions between veterans of the SEAL community, his history with President Donald Trump, and Rob's views on foreign policy. Rob's been hard at work with his organization Your Grateful Nation in helping special operations veterans transition into corporate America. He also has some kick ass gear and signed books available over at RJO Apparel. Be sure to follow Rob on Instagram & Twitter @McHooyah where he's very active, and let him know what you thought of the interview. We'd love to have him back again, always a great discussion with The Operator.

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By now, most of you are familiar with our featured guest this episode, Kristin Beck. The retired SEAL formerly known as Chris Beck made headlines with the CNN documentary "Lady Valor," but it has now been five years since the film first aired, and Kristin has since become involved in various projects. The biggest of which is becoming the National Advocacy Officer for The Military Order of the Purple Heart. Through this position Kristin has advocated for improved treatment for veterans with traumatic brain injury, as well as post traumatic stress related difficulties. We also dive deep into Kristin's history in the SEALs covering past deployments, as well as work in computer programming. We discuss the future of females in spec ops, as well as recent controversies in the SEALs, namely the war crime accusations against Chief Eddie Gallagher. This is the first time we've had Kristin in studio, and I was curious as to the reason behind the trip to New York City. Well, believe it or not, it involves a new exploration into the fashion world. As you'll hear, there is also a future movie in the works. So, Kristin is keeping busy, and I think you'll learn quite a lot during this interview. Be sure to follow Kristin on Instagram & Twitter @Valor4US.

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So much for this being a shorter episode, you guys sent us a giant mailbag full of great questions to [email protected]. As the title suggests, we cover quite a wide array of topics, some critical, and some very silly. Learn about Jack's stories prior to becoming a Ranger, as well as my history in broadcasting. Crack one open, and enjoy two uninterrupted hours of us answering any questions you may have.

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