Story Behind the Stone

"We owe it to our men and women to say there's no time limit on recognizing valour and recognizing extraordinary citizens."

This week, we speak with the Honourable Erin O'Toole, former Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada, a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran, and the current President and Managing Director of ADIT North America.

Erin's expansive career began with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), where he served for 12 years before attending Dalhousie Law School and spending nearly a decade in corporate law. In 2012, he was elected to represent the Ontario riding of Durham in Parliament and was re-elected for three more consecutive terms in 2015, 2019, and 2021. Erin served as the Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition between 2020 and 2022. In 2023, he joined ADIT North America as President and Managing Director.

In this episode:
- Hear how Erin and fellow veteran, the Honourable Roméo Dallaire, started the Sam Sharpe Breakfast, bringing attention to veterans' and service members' mental health challenges
- Find out about Erin's very personal future donation to the Concussion Legacy Foundation and what the organization, under Tim Fleiszer's leadership, is doing to better understand traumatic brain injury

- Listen to Erin's thoughts on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and how Odysseus's journey back from trauma and moral injury reflects the experiences of current service members

"She could say thank you every day for the rest of her life, but it would never be enough. For her, liberation was a very personal thing."

This week, we speak with Alan Amelinckx, Program Manager of Interpretation and Education with the U.S. National Park Service at Springfield Armory National Historic Site and Coltsville National Historical Park. 

Alan shares how his childhood in France, hearing his father's stories of German occupation, shaped his own service and career path. After serving as a Medical Sergeant with the US Army, including a deployment in Iraq, he spent nearly a decade with the American Battle Monuments Commission, managing military cemeteries overseas in France and Belgium. Once he returned stateside, he worked for the National Cemetery Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, before joining the National Park Service. 

In this episode:
- Hear how descendants of World War II B-17 airmen uncovered a surprising connection after 30 years of friendship
- Learn about the unique architectural differences between World War I and World War II sites
- Reflect on how evolving technology can bridge the gap between generations and continents, allowing veterans and their families a chance to commemorate from afar

"People can come together with courage, with compassion, with unity in the aftermath of exceptionally difficult events."

This week, we speak with Dr. Elizabeth Hillman, President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, as she discusses preserving historical memory and engaging new generations as the 25th anniversary of September 11th approaches. A former U.S. Air Force officer and university president, Dr. Hillman shares how the museum connects with millions of global visitors, honors the sacrifice of victims and first responders, and expands its educational reach.

In this episode:
- Learn about the mission to educate post-9/11 generations, discovering how the museum engages over 100 million Americans born after the attacks through educator institutes and nationwide digital learning programs
- Uncover powerful personal stories of sacrifice, including the legacy of Welles Crowther, the "Man in the Red Bandana", and how daily birthday tributes connect global visitors with individual victims
- Hear about key 25th-anniversary commemorations, highlighting a new exhibition on inspired service, interactive online campaigns, and the addition of a seventh ceremonial bell honoring those lost to 9/11-related illnesses

"No one who went to work that morning at any firehouse in the city understood what was going to be happening."

This week, we speak with Clifford Chanin, Executive Vice President and Museum Director of the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum, as he shares his two-decade journey helping build the institution from Ground Zero. Clifford discusses the complex architectural decisions made beneath the original Twin Towers' footprints, the sensitive work of turning individual family grief into a sacred historical record, and how the museum continues to expand its reach through digital education and specialized first responder programs.

In this episode:
- Examine the architectural significance of Ground Zero, looking at how the underground museum was constructed directly beneath the memorial pools to project the physical volume of the original towers into the space below
- Understand the sensitive evolution of working with affected families, exploring how years of open dialogue transformed sudden, devastating loss into a unified and sacred historical narrative
- Discover how the museum educates millions born after September 11th, highlighting specialized training programs for probationary firefighters alongside nationwide classroom initiatives

"Young people are the future. They're the future leaders, the future managers, the future decision makers. So it's good to educate them about their historic responsibility, bring them together, and let them shape a better future."

This week, host Matthew Stewart visits the headquarters of Volksbund, the German War Graves Commission, to sit down with Head of Communications Danny Chahbouni and historian Melissa Grosche. Together, they discuss Volksbund’s ongoing mission across 840 cemeteries in 45 countries. Their work includes recovering thousands of World War I and II casualties in Eastern Europe each year, alongside reshaping traditional cemetery architecture into active spaces for civic education and international reconciliation. Throughout the conversation, Danny and Melissa share how preserving individual stories helps future generations learn from the dark chapters of history.

In this episode:
- Learn about the ongoing recovery of thousands of fallen soldiers, discovering how Volksbund continues to recover and identify 10,000 to 15,000 military casualties each year
- Explore how the War Biographies project analyzes primary letters, diaries, and family archives to reconstruct complex personal lives
- Understand the architectural evolution of German war cemeteries, examining how site design transitioned from nationalist, fortress-like structures to open, reflective spaces built for global dialogue and youth education

"Having these public spaces where people can escape to reflect or feel inspiration or just be alone with their thoughts or take a quiet walk with friends is becoming increasingly more valued by a world that just keeps moving faster and faster."

This week, we speak with Matthew Stephens, President and CEO of the historic Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1831 as the first garden cemetery in the United States, Mount Auburn revolutionized burial spaces by centering nature. Matthew shares how his journey from urban horticulture led him to preserving the 175-acre National Historic Landmark that serves as a working cemetery, world-class arboretum, and a thriving community sanctuary.

In this episode:
- Learn how Mount Auburn invites the community in, breaking traditional cemetery stereotypes through pedestrian gate access, educational welcome centers, and the exciting Winter Solstice light and sound installation
- Uncover the therapeutic power of "getting good lost," experiencing how wandering through 175 acres of historic trees, rich perennial gardens, and 200 vibrant sugar maples helps visitors disconnect from daily noise and stress
- Explore the strategic balance between nature and active operations, including Mount Auburn's plans designed to safeguard its tree canopy, manage climate change, and elevate family care for centuries to come

"The hardest part of surviving combat is living for most people."

This week, we are joined by retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Walter E. Piatt, CEO of the Wounded Warrior Project. Walt shares his incredible 42-year journey from a 17-year-old enlisted infantry private to a three-star general and Director of the Army Staff. We dive deep into why he used poetry as combat therapy, the moral and human struggles soldiers face in conflict zones, and his current mission to eliminate veteran suicide and homelessness by expanding life-saving programs for warriors and their families.

In this episode:
- Understand the critical difference between "coming back" and "coming home", exploring the emotional weight, survivor's guilt, and mental friction that veterans carry long after returning to domestic life
- Discover groundbreaking advancements in PTSD care, including how the Warrior Care Network compressed a traditional one-year treatment program into just two weeks, alongside ongoing research into alternative medicine
- Learn about the historic trajectory of the Wounded Warrior Project, tracing its growth from a single veteran stuffing backpacks in a hospital room in 2003 to a 100% donor-funded non-profit offering free, life-saving programs

Learn more: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
Listen on Wreaths Across America Radio: https://wreathsacrossamerica.org
Listen on Spotify Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5b1hT0BJwrnMARDRueFffS
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/story-behind-the-stone/id1795798019

"...it has to outlive us. You know, it's been here for a hundred years. It will be here for a hundred more, and a hundred more than that, and a hundred more than that. So it's our responsibility to ensure that the cemeteries are taken care of."

This week we sit down with Shayda Frost and Timothy Amoui, a couple who left their fast-paced careers in Los Angeles to unexpectedly take over the Lincoln Memorial Group in Atlanta, Georgia.

Stick around as they discuss the unique demands of the death care industry, the deep historical roots of their properties, and how they are reimagining cemeteries as vibrant, joyful spaces for community connection.

In this episode:

- Learn how their memorial gardens have served as the final resting place for many notable lives in Atlanta’s vibrant history, including prominent civil rights leaders, esteemed veterans, politicians, athletes, entrepreneurs and musicians.

- Hear why the couple rejected advice to sell the company to protect dedicated, long-term employees and a family legacy

Learn more: Visit the Lincoln Memorial Group to stay updated on upcoming community events 

Link to listen on Apple, Spotify are in the comments or listen live on the Wreaths Across America Radio Network on Friday July 3 at 11am ET

"It's really wonderful to be able to turn headstones that say, 'Known unto God' into named people that we now know are in those graves."

This week, we speak with Lynelle Howson, a historian for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). As we mark the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme this July, we explore the incredible operations of an organization that maintains the graves and memorials of over 1.7 million service members across more than 150 countries. Lynelle shares the heartbreaking legacy of the pals battalions, the profound poetry behind the personal headstone inscriptions, and the ongoing, modern forensic recovery efforts keeping the memories of the fallen alive over a century later.

In this episode:
- Uncover the tragic reality of the pals battalions, where entire communities of friends, coworkers, and neighbours enlisted together, inadvertently dealing concentrated, devastating losses to individual towns back home
- Learn about the forensic recovery and rededication process, which coordinates historical research and documentary evidence to give named headstones to soldiers previously listed on memorials to the missing
- Discover the architectural landscape of the Somme, from the massive Thiepval Memorial standing sentinel over the battlefields to hidden, intimate cemeteries like Quarry Cemetery

"The transformation is real. They've tattooed that anchor on your heart and you're going to be a Marine for life."

This week, we sit down with Major General James W. Lukeman, President and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. We explore his 40 years of continuous military service and his current mission protecting 250 years of Marine Corps history. Major General Lukeman discusses the upcoming 20th anniversary of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the significant impact of veteran reunions, and how the campus is preparing for a massive summer lineup celebrating America's 250th anniversary.

In this episode:
- Experience the museum's legendary immersive exhibits, including a specialized Korean War gallery chilled to freezing temperatures to simulate the Chosin Reservoir, and a Vietnam exhibit that transports veterans right back onto Hill 881 South
- Learn about the nationwide "Marines across America" campaign, a year-long 250th-birthday initiative that partnered with all 50 state governors and the American Bakers Association to honor the community impact of local veterans
- Hear the incredible story of a 101-year-old Iwo Jima veteran who was flown to the museum to reunite with the exact tank he drove during the historic World War II battle

Learn more: https://www.marineheritage.org/
Listen on Wreaths Across America Radio: https://wreathsacrossamerica.org
Listen on Spotify Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5b1hT0BJwrnMARDRueFffS
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/story-behind-the-stone/id1795798019