The Vault Expert

The Vault Files — Super Saturday | November 14, 2026 | 9:00 AM Eastern

Hosted by Patti Katter | Brushwood Media Network

What happens when Thanksgiving takes an extraordinary turn?

A Thanksgiving dinner delivered to American soldiers near the front lines of World War II. A mysterious airline passenger who disappears into the night with $200,000. And three astronauts celebrating Thanksgiving more than 200 miles above Earth.

This week on The Vault Files, Patti Katter opens three remarkable true stories that prove Thanksgiving hasn't always meant gathering around a dinner table.

With Veterans Day just behind us, we begin by honoring America's veterans and their families before traveling to Europe in 1944, where the U.S. Army made extraordinary efforts to bring traditional Thanksgiving meals to troops serving far from home.

Then, the mystery begins.

On Thanksgiving Eve in 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper hijacked a commercial airliner, demanded $200,000 and four parachutes, and vanished into the darkness. More than five decades later, his fate remains one of America's most enduring unsolved mysteries.

Finally, we leave Earth entirely.

In 1973, three American astronauts aboard Skylab experienced the first Thanksgiving celebrated in space. With a demanding schedule, a six-hour spacewalk, and no traditional holiday feast, their Thanksgiving was anything but ordinary.

In this episode, discover:

• How American soldiers celebrated Thanksgiving during World War II.
• The extraordinary and still-unsolved mystery of D. B. Cooper.
• What Thanksgiving looked like aboard America's first space station.
• The psychology of uncertainty, familiar traditions, and our connection to home.
• Why gratitude and small moments of normalcy can mean so much during extraordinary circumstances.

Through immersive storytelling, fascinating historical details, atmospheric sound effects, and moments of humor and reflection, Patti brings these remarkable events to life.

Three true stories. Three unforgettable Thanksgivings. One journey through history, mystery, and the human experience.

Tune in Saturday, November 14, at 9:00 AM Eastern on Brushwood Media Network.

The Vault Expert with Patti Katter

Super Saturday — The Vault Files

True stories. Unexpected discoveries. History worth remembering.

The vault is opening. Are you ready?

Tuesday Night Interview | Robert Kiyosaki: Service, Sacrifice & the Meaning of Freedom

What drives someone to leave a lucrative career to serve their country? On this episode of The Vault Expert, Patti Katter welcomes Robert Kiyosaki, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and bestselling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, for a candid conversation about combat, brotherhood, financial independence, and the freedoms Americans share.

Kiyosaki traces his journey from growing up in Hawaii and attending the United States Merchant Marine Academy to becoming a Marine Corps helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. He reflects on his Japanese American heritage, early struggles in school, and the decision to trade a successful maritime career for military service.

Sharing memories from Vietnam, Kiyosaki recounts surviving three helicopter crashes, the bonds he formed with fellow Marines, and the lasting impact of witnessing war’s human cost. One unforgettable moment—a salute from a military nurse while he was transporting casualties—becomes a powerful reflection on courage, compassion, and the people whose service too often goes unrecognized.

The conversation also explores his difficult homecoming and encounters with antiwar protesters. Kiyosaki recalls a lesson from his commanding officer: protecting freedom includes defending the rights of people whose opinions and actions you strongly oppose. He also discusses returning to Vietnam in search of reconciliation.

Turning to the experiences behind Rich Dad Poor Dad, Kiyosaki explains how two contrasting father figures shaped his views on money, education, and entrepreneurship—and how playing Monopoly helped introduce him to real estate investing.

Patti and Robert also discuss his recognition through the National Veterans Day Parade in Washington, D.C. He shares his appreciation for fellow veterans, especially military nurses and women who served during wartime, while emphasizing that recognition belongs to many whose sacrifices remain overlooked.

Throughout the interview, Kiyosaki offers his personal perspectives on political leadership, taxation, education, and constitutional freedoms. He closes with encouragement for today’s service members and veterans as they navigate deployments, homecomings, and life after military service.

Join Patti Katter for a conversation about the choices that shape a life, the responsibilities that come with freedom, and the lessons of service that endure long after the uniform comes off.

The Vault Expert with Patti Katter

Tuesday nights at 9:30 PM Eastern

Brushwood Media Network | Radio and streaming platforms.

Tuesday Night Interview | Robert Kiyosaki, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran & Bestselling Author of Rich Dad Poor Dad.

On this episode of The Vault Expert, Patti Katter welcomes Robert Kiyosaki for a candid conversation about military service, sacrifice, financial independence, and the meaning of freedom.

Best known for Rich Dad Poor Dad, Kiyosaki shares the experiences that shaped his life—from growing up in Hawaii and attending the United States Merchant Marine Academy to leaving a high-paying maritime career to become a Marine Corps helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War.

He recounts surviving three helicopter crashes, the bonds formed in combat, and the devastating realities of war. In one particularly moving memory, he recalls transporting casualties to a field hospital and receiving a salute from a military nurse—an encounter that stayed with him for decades.

Kiyosaki also reflects on the challenges of returning home to a country divided over Vietnam. He shares a lesson from his commanding officer: defending freedom includes protecting the rights of people whose opinions and actions you strongly oppose. His reflections extend to returning to Vietnam to seek reconciliation and recognizing veterans whose sacrifices are too often overlooked.

The conversation also explores:

• Financial education: How two very different father figures influenced his understanding of money, entrepreneurship, and wealth building—and how Monopoly introduced him to real estate investing.

• Honoring veterans: His involvement with the National Veterans Day Parade in Washington, D.C., and his appreciation for fellow veterans, especially military nurses and women who served during wartime.

• Freedom and society: His personal perspectives on education, taxation, political leadership, and constitutional freedoms.

• A message to service members: Encouragement for active-duty personnel and veterans navigating difficult deployments and the transition home.

Join Patti Katter for a conversation that goes beyond financial success to explore the service, resilience, and personal convictions behind one of the world’s best-known financial authors.

The Vault Expert with Patti Katter

Tuesday nights at 9:30 PM Eastern

Brushwood Media Network | Radio and streaming platforms.

Show: Super Saturday with Patti Katter

Network: Brushwood Media Network

Air Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026 | 9:00 AM ET

Host: Patti Katter

Genre: True Crime, Historical Mysteries, Psychology, Halloween

Episode Description

What happens when the ordinary suddenly becomes terrifying?

A mysterious letter arrives at a family's dream home. An unidentified masked stranger takes over television screens. And a grieving mother claims her daughter's ghost revealed the truth behind a suspicious death.

This Halloween morning, Patti Katter opens The Vault Files for a special journey into three unsettling true stories that prove reality can be stranger than fiction.

First, travel to Westfield, New Jersey, where a family's dream home becomes the center of a disturbing mystery after anonymous letters arrive from someone calling themselves The Watcher. Who was behind the letters, and why did an ordinary house suddenly become a source of fear?

Next, revisit Chicago in 1987, when an unidentified individual wearing a Max Headroom mask hijacked television broadcasts, leaving viewers bewildered and investigators searching for answers. Decades later, the person behind the bizarre interruption remains unidentified.

Finally, step back to 1897 West Virginia for the extraordinary case of the Greenbrier Ghost. When a young woman dies under suspicious circumstances, her mother claims she received a supernatural message identifying the person responsible. What followed was a real murder investigation and a courtroom proceeding that became part of American folklore.

But beyond the mysteries lies an even more fascinating question: Why does the human brain become so captivated by the unknown?

Patti explores the psychology of fear, uncertainty, heightened awareness, grief, and our tendency to search for explanations when something doesn't make sense.

Three documented cases. Three unsettling mysteries. And one Halloween morning filled with questions that still linger.

Join Patti Katter for this special, family-friendly Halloween edition of Super Saturday on The Vault Expert, airing on Brushwood Media Network.

Topics Explored

• The true story behind the mysterious Watcher letters in New Jersey
• The unsolved 1987 Max Headroom television broadcast intrusion
• The Greenbrier Ghost and the real murder investigation of 1897
• Why anonymous threats can make familiar places feel unsafe
• How uncertainty and expectation influence the brain's fear response
• Why mysterious masked figures can be psychologically unsettling
• The relationship between grief, perception, and supernatural beliefs
• Why we enjoy frightening stories when we know we're safe

Closing thought: Sometimes the most frightening mysteries aren't hiding in haunted houses. They're found in ordinary places, where something unexpected leaves us searching for answers.

Air Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Time: 9:30 PM Eastern

Network: Brushwood Media Network

Host: Patti Katter

Episode Description

Where is the money intended for America's veterans going? What happens when government accountability falls short? And can your brain understand language even when you're unconscious?

This week on The Vault Expert, Patti Katter takes a closer look at important developments affecting veterans, American families, national security, and emerging technology.

From billions in VA payment errors and a controversial $27 billion electronic health records contract ceiling to a remarkable neuroscience discovery, we're covering stories that deserve more attention.

Inside This Week's Vault

• VA Accountability — Following the Money: Billions in improper payments, documented fraud, veteran refund backlogs, and growing questions surrounding the VA's electronic health records modernization program.
• Veterans' Healthcare and Suicide Prevention: Troubling delays in medical authorizations, disability claims errors, and new findings about veteran suicide rates and access to care.
• The Unconscious Brain: Scientists discover that parts of the brain can continue processing spoken language under general anesthesia. What does that tell us about consciousness?
• Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity: Newly disclosed software vulnerabilities reveal how AI is changing the battle between cybersecurity researchers and hackers.
• National Security and Prediction Markets: New Pentagon restrictions raise questions about classified information, online betting, and military security.
• Social Media and Constitutional Rights: A Florida law restricting children's social media accounts raises questions about parental authority, privacy, and First Amendment protections.
• The Amelia Earhart Mystery: A new expedition investigates a possible clue to the disappearance of one of aviation's most famous pioneers.
• Protecting Veterans and Seniors from Scams: Federal regulators take action against a debt-relief operation accused of exploiting vulnerable consumers.
• Breaking Records on Mars: NASA's Perseverance rover reaches a remarkable milestone in autonomous planetary exploration.
• Caitlyn "Katie" Sandt — FBI Update: A renewed effort to locate a missing young Florida woman brings national attention to a family's ongoing search for answers.

The world is complicated, and there's always another side worth examining.

Listen Tuesdays at 9:30 PM Eastern on Brushwood Media Network.

Remember when Halloween meant plastic masks, homemade costumes, glowing jack-o'-lanterns, and racing from house to house with a pillowcase full of candy?

This week on The Vault Expert, host Patti Katter opens The Vault Files for a nostalgic journey through the Halloween traditions that shaped generations.

From Charlie Brown's unforgettable Halloween disappointment to the wonderfully strange costumes of the 1960s and 1970s, we're uncovering the surprising true stories behind some of America's favorite Halloween memories.

And this year marks a special anniversary: 60 years since It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first aired in 1966.

Travel back to 1966 and discover how Charles Schulz brought the beloved Peanuts Halloween special to television. Explore the story behind Linus's mysterious Great Pumpkin, Snoopy's adventures as a World War I flying ace, and the unforgettable Halloween night when Charlie Brown received rocks instead of candy. Plus, discover what happened when real children felt so sorry for Charlie Brown that they started sending him candy!

Next, we're stepping back into the days of Ben Cooper costumes, homemade ghosts, television superheroes, and those tiny plastic mask eyeholes that made seeing where you were walking an adventure of its own. Discover how Halloween costumes evolved and why some of those inexpensive childhood costumes have become collectible pieces of American history.

Then it's time to head outside for a little trick-or-treating. From porch lights and popcorn balls to candy apples, plastic pumpkin buckets, and the all-important pillowcase, we'll explore how neighborhood trick-or-treating became an American Halloween tradition. We'll also discover how a small children's fundraising effort in 1950 grew into the familiar Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.

Along the way, we'll revisit the excitement of comparing candy collections, discovering which houses handed out the best treats, and hoping the adults would let us visit just one more house.

This special edition of The Vault Files trades frightening mysteries for nostalgia, laughter, surprising history, and the memories that make Halloween such a beloved tradition.

Whether you grew up watching Charlie Brown on the family television, wearing a homemade costume, or collecting candy in a pillowcase, this episode celebrates the Halloween moments that stay with us.

The stories are real. The memories are timeless. And the fun of Halloween never really gets old.

Listen at https://thevault.expert

What if the key to preventing a crisis isn't more surveillance, but asking better questions before something goes wrong?

This week on The Vault Expert, host Patti Katter welcomes Michelle Humphrey of Servius Group, an intelligence professional with 20 years of experience supporting national security missions, including counterterrorism at the Department of Homeland Security, counterintelligence at FBI headquarters, and strategic intelligence supporting the Department of Defense.

Michelle shares how her father's experiences during the Iranian Revolution, her multicultural upbringing, and the events of September 11 shaped her path into intelligence analysis.

The conversation moves beyond the world of federal intelligence and into our own communities. From schools and businesses to churches and local law enforcement, Michelle explains how connecting information, recognizing warning signs, and building relationships can help organizations identify vulnerabilities before they become emergencies.

Patti and Michelle also tackle misconceptions surrounding surveillance, discuss career opportunities in intelligence, and explore why effective prevention often starts with listening to the people closest to a community.

It's a conversation about critical thinking, protecting others, and understanding the bigger picture before a crisis unfolds.

Learn more about Servius Group:

https://www.serviusgroup.com

Listen to The Vault Expert:

https://thevault.expert

Topics: Intelligence Analysis, Counterintelligence, National Security, Community Safety, Threat Prevention, School Safety, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Public Safety, Servius Group

Patti Katter welcomes Alicia Chandler of Servius Group for a conversation about school safety, child protection, and the opportunities to intervene earlier. Drawing on 22 years in law enforcement and her experience interviewing more than 2,000 children, Alicia shares how her work responding to abuse shaped her commitment to prevention.

Together, they explore changes in behavior that deserve attention, why listening to the small things helps build trust, and how online relationships can become opportunities for manipulation. Alicia discusses her concerns about children’s access to social media, the pressures that follow them beyond the school day, and why children need to know they can ask for help even after doing something they were told not to do.

The conversation also looks at the role of teachers, coaches, counselors, and school resource officers. Alicia explains how Servius works with school communities to identify their particular vulnerabilities, provide tailored training, and help adults recognize concerns and take appropriate action.

For parents facing a possible exploitation situation, her message is to remain patient, keep showing up, and seek support. A change in behavior does not automatically mean abuse, but it can be a reason to pay closer attention and start a conversation.

Topics Discussed:

- Alicia’s transition from responding to harm to working in prevention.

- Why children may communicate distress through behavior before telling an adult.

- Changes in attendance, friendships, mood, appearance, and school performance.

- Building trust through consistent, everyday conversations.

- Helping children ask for help even after sharing a photo or breaking a rule.

- Online grooming, gaming conversations, hidden accounts, and social media pressures.

- How schools can build relationships with trusted adults.

- Community-specific school assessments, training, and response pathways.

- Supporting families when exploitation may be occurring.

About the Guest:

Alicia Chandler works with Servius Group and brings more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement, investigations, and child protection. In this episode, she discusses her work as a forensic interviewer, her experience speaking with more than 2,000 children, and her work training multidisciplinary teams around the country.

Connect with Servius Group:

Website: https://www.serviusgroup.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/servius-group

What if one of the most convincing stories you've ever believed about your life wasn't entirely true?

We trust our memories. We rely on eyewitness accounts. We assume the experiences that shape us are safely stored somewhere in our minds.

But neuroscience and psychology reveal something far more complicated.

In the premiere episode of The Vault Files, Patti Katter opens three extraordinary cases that challenge what we think we know about memory, identity, and the human brain.

FILE ONE: The Memory That Never Happened

Explore the groundbreaking false-memory research of psychologist Elizabeth Loftus and the famous Lost in the Mall experiment. Can suggestion influence someone to remember an event that never occurred?

FILE TWO: The Witness Who Was Certain

Discover the real-life story of Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton, a wrongful conviction, and the troubling limitations of eyewitness identification. What happens when someone is completely certain—and completely mistaken?

FILE THREE: The Man Who Couldn't Remember Tomorrow

Enter the remarkable world of Henry Molaison, known to researchers as Patient H.M. After experimental brain surgery in 1953, his ability to form new long-term memories was profoundly impaired. Yet his brain could still learn certain new skills.

Three files. Three extraordinary stories. One unsettling question: How much can we really trust our own minds?

Through documented cases, psychological research, and cinematic storytelling, Patti explores the mysteries of human memory and the discoveries that continue to transform our understanding of the brain.

Listen to The Vault Files every Saturday morning on Brushwood Media Network, as part of The Vault Expert.

Host: Patti Katter

Series: The Vault Files

Parent Show: The Vault Expert

Network: Brushwood Media Network

Website: PattiKatter.com

Instagram: @pattikatter

Keep questioning. Keep exploring. And always go beyond the surface.

This week on The Vault Expert, we’re keeping things lighter and looking at what people are actually talking about right now.

From viral fall food and Halloween trends to why we love being scared, the psychology behind “cozy season,” how humor helps us deal with stress, and what new neuroscience is teaching us about uncertainty and sleep.

We also get into something most of us probably are not ready to hear yet:

Christmas is only 80 days away.

In this episode:

• Viral fall and seasonal trends
• Why Halloween and controlled fear are so appealing
• Why fall creates such a strong sense of nostalgia and comfort
• Social media’s obsession with cozy living
• Humor as a coping mechanism
• How the brain responds to uncertainty
• What happens in the brain while we sleep
• Why traditions and anticipation affect us so strongly
• The great debate: when is it actually acceptable to start Christmas?

It’s a mix of current trends, psychology, neuroscience, humor, and everyday life—because sometimes the most interesting conversations start with the things everyone is already talking about.