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For years the United States Marine Corps has had a recruiting tool called the ‘Buddy Program.’ Using the program, you could join with a friend and essentially be guaranteed to go through recruit training together. During World War II, eight young men from Weslaco, Texas took that theory to the extreme, joining the Marine Corps to serve their nation. One of those young men was Iwo Jima flag raiser, Harlan Block. In a continuation of our Pacific Theater programming, Andrew Booher joins the show to discuss the fascinating topic of the Weslaco Eight, their enlistment, and their service in the Marine Corps during World War II.

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Due to the popularity of John Basilone and the Battle of Alligator Creek, the Battle for Guadalcanal looms large in the public eye regarding World War II in the Pacific. The Pacific miniseries reinforced those popular images. But like most battles in the war, much more information is required to get a complete understanding of what happened. Dave Holland, through his popular “Guadalcanal – Walking a Battlefield” Facebook page, has begun lifting the shroud from the Battle of Guadalcanal, and in his upcoming book, Guadalcanal’s Longest Fight, he examines a series of critical battles centered around the Matanikau River. Join Joe and Dave as they discuss those battles as well as the upcoming release of Dave’s book. 

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You can visit Dave's Facebook page @ Guadalcanal - Walking a Battlefield and check out his book, Guadalcanal's Longest Fight, on Amazon!  https://www.amazon.com/Guadalcanals.../dp/1636245846/

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The 29th Infantry Division was one of the earliest National Guard units to be federalized after the attack on Pearl Harbor. They would soon ship to England where they would train until D-Day. After landing on France that fateful day, they would essentially remain ‘one the line’ until V-E Day. Joe is joined by esteemed author and historian, Joe Balkoski to help explore the combat mindset of the men of the division as they activate, ship out, take part in one of the most famous amphibious assaults in history, and then slog across western Europe. The ‘two Joe’s’ discuss how exposure to relentless combat, and its associated attritional rate, led to an almost fatalistic outlook on the part of the 29’ers regarding their chances for survival. Don’t miss out on this fascinating discussion!

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When Marine Air Group 2 was stationed at Ewa Airfield on the island of Honolulu, none of the Marines there could have anticipated what would happen on the morning of December 7th, 1941. Join Joe and Josh Donohue as they examine significance of Ewa and the actions of both the Japanese attackers and Marine defenders on that fateful day. It’s an attack that has long been overshadowed by the one that took place at Battleship Row, but one that the Marines that withstood it would never forget. 

*** Please note that due to some technical difficulties, there are some spots where the podcast audio/video may appear a bit clunky. ***

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The seesaw fight for Le Ferme Delaunay and Les Droueries. Despite launching multiple concerted attacks against German positions, LTC Robert Ballard found himself and his 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry in a death struggle. It was a test of will between the Americans and German grenadiers and Fallschirmjäger. Repeatedly taking and giving up ground and even being hit by their own naval gunfire support couldn’t prevent these Geronimo paratroopers from winning. In the second episode of this two-part series, Joe dissects the battle at the tactical level and tells the story using the words of the men that fought it. Check in to hear all about it! 

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If you’d like to learn more about Joe’s 2026 Path of Easy Company Tour, you can stop by this link: https://ssgtmooch.wixsite.com/joe-muccia/items

If you’d like to learn more about Toccoa Tours and our April 2026 event, hit this link: https://brand.site/toccoatours.com/ 

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Sometimes interesting history topics develop out of nothing more than a quick conversation. In this case, an offhand comment from his father-in-law led Joe to an amazing story of how a Tuskegee Airman, shot down during his 64th mission, found refuge in two small villages in northern Croatia. Check out the area where Robert Martin was sheltered and cared for by the people of the small village of Cetingrad and later evacuated back to the United States. It’s a remarkable story and it started with a small conversation. 

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It was a battle that was never meant to be. Two Robert’s, Ballard and Wolverton, each commanded a battalion in the 101st Airborne, and each was tasked with capturing bridges over the Douve River. But before the battalions could accomplish their missions, they’d have to clear the area around their drop zone of enemy troops. Les Droueries was located near the drop zone and the flooded grounds around it would become the scene of bitter fighting. In the first of a two-part series, Joe breaks down the drop of both battalions and the subsequent fighting in and around Les Droueries. Check in to hear all about it! 

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Second time’s a charm. Join Joe as he deep dives some of the currently circulating myths and misconceptions created and promoted by an unscrupulous YouTuber. It’s all about educating and informing folks as to the truth about Easy Company and not someone’s interpretations of it. Part 1 of what will likely be a multi-part series was wildly popular, and the WNLP followers have asked for more. So, tune in for Episode 41 to learn more about what is likely World War II’s most talked about fighting unit. Currahee! 

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Kasserine Pass. The fighting for that geographic novelty has an almost mystical aura around it as it was the US Army’s first large-scale battle against the Germans in North Africa. And they fared poorly. But did you know about the smaller, yet no less important battle for Sidi Bou Zid? It essentially set the stage for Kasserine, and those two battlefield setbacks would result in the firing of a US corps commander, and herald the arrival of General George S. Patton to II Corps. Continuing our chronicling of the United States early actions in Western Europe and North Africa, the story of the Battle for Sidi Bou Zid is coming to The “We’re Not Lost, Private” Podcast!

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Have you ever wondered if you have a famous relative? We all have at some point thought about the possibility, especially if you ran across someone with a similar last name. In this episode, Joe examines the cases of three members of the 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and runs down the myths and urban legends associated with them and their possible famous relatives. He also looks at their service during the war and what happened to them. Enjoy! 

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