Life stories can move at a lot of different speeds. Sometimes, we'll get a "slow burner" - the gradual accumulation of years and relationships and jobs all add up to One Big Tale. Other times, life changes in a flash. Boone's life is one of those "flash" stories.

Rick's story takes several major turns, but one struggle he faced more than once was the struggle of being alone. There's the loneliness that comes from pain, and from being ostracized. And then there's the solitude some people might go looking for to heal up from the things that hurt them.

Everyone we interview has served in the military. But why did they sign up? It's a question we ask often. The answer featured in this episode of our podcast is priceless.

Some people search their whole life for work they love. How many of us know what we want to do before we're old enough to walk?

Do you remember the first time you saw your spouse? How did your upbringing shape how you raised your kids? Have you ever been seconds away from dying? In this episode, Mary revisits some of her life's biggest moments.

In his very long life, Joseph was many things. World War II veteran. Son. Father. Worker. Traveler. And he was also a pioneer who faced all kinds of resistance and discrimination during his nearly 10 decades on this earth.

This story is a good reminder of how "going off to war" isn't just a perilous situation for the combatant, but also for the family members back home.

We've heard a lot of war stories over the years from the veterans we interview for the "My Life, My Story" project. But because our project focuses on Veterans' entire lives -- and not just their time in service -- we also hear about first loves, broken hearts, and the secrets to long marriages. In this episode, we're bringing you a love story that has a little bit of all three.

The Korean War is often called "the forgotten war," but in this episode of the "My Life, My Story" podcast, we bring you the unforgettable story of Daniel, who was a prisoner of war in Korea for an astonishing 38 months.

Daniel was one of hundreds of captured U.S. soldiers who endured what has come to be known as the Tiger Death March. He shared his story with us more than 60 years after his release in 1953.
We're releasing this episode on Veteran's Day, and if you listen to the Daniel's story, you'll hear how significant the holiday is to him personally.

Hearing stories like these can help us remember why it is we celebrate Veteran's Day in the first place. If you like this one, we hope you'll check out more stories in our podcast, which launched in September. We've collected over 5,000 stories since 2013, and our podcast has given us an opportunity to showcase some of our favorites.

For our last episode of the first season of the "My Life, My Story" podcast, we decided to record the story of the oldest Veteran we've ever interviewed. "Charlie" was nearly 108 when his story was written in the spring of 2020. That means he was old even for World War II veterans. By the time he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, he was already 32.

There's something about Charlie's story that captures what our project is all about. His recall of events from 80 years ago is, of course, far from perfect. His version of events won't be found in history books. His story is subjective, a little meandering.

But in about a thousand words, we learn enough about Charlie's life - about his parents, his military service, his wife, and his career -- to get an idea of what meant the most to him during his 108 years on this planet.

We hope to share more of these imperfect histories with you in future seasons of our podcast. From our stockpile of over 5,000 stories, we've still got tales from a survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, from a Korean War POW, from Veterans who have struck it rich or been thrown in prison. Some ponder the meaning of life. Others just want to tell you the incredible story of how they found true love.

Be sure to like and subscribe to the series wherever it is you listen to podcasts to make sure you get updates on future episodes of VA Presents: My Life, My Story.