War Stories

On April 18, 1942, barely four months after Americans were rocked by the news of the Pearl Harbor attacks, 16 specially modified B-25 bombers flew into history. Their mission? To surprise the enemy and bomb downtown Tokyo and four other Japanese cities. Manning these planes were 80 brave volunteers from the Army Air Corps. For all intents and purposes, what they set out to accomplish looked like a suicide mission. They succeeded in taking Japan completely by surprise because they flew these big land-based Army bombers, loaded down with gas and bombs, off the deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, something no one had ever tried before and something the Japanese never expected. They were the Doolittle Raiders, named for their leader, the daring aviation pioneer, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle. Hollywood has often told the story of these brave men, but in this gripping episode of "War Stories with Oliver North," you'll hear the real story of the Doolittle Tokyo raiders from the men themselves, in their own words. These are the men who restored the confidence of a shaken nation and changed the course of the Second World War. .audioplayer_container {display:none;} Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.

In 1939, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler unleashed his legions -- some two million strong -- on neighboring Poland, catapulting the world into a six-year war that ultimately witnessed the death of tens of millions and left Europe in ruins. Among these losses were over 200,000 Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice to liberate a captive people from the grip of a merciless dictator. This is the story of Hitler's fall from power and the final days of the Third Reich. From the tenacious Soviet defense of Stalingrad, Leningrad and Moscow, to Hitler's last great offensive at the Battle of the Bulge, you will learn about the cataclysmic battles that weakened German forces and ultimately contributed to their defeat. In addition, you will hear a recently released recording of Hitler's voice as he recounts strategic errors made in Germany's attack on the Soviet Union. And, we'll give you insight into the fuhrer's personal life as he descends into mental and physical decay. You'll hear about home movies featuring his mistress Eva Braun as they relax at their retreat in Berchtesgaden. In this compelling episode of "War Stories with Oliver North," hear amazing personal stories from individuals who found themselves in the fuhrer's service and from American soldiers dedicated to bringing Nazi power to an end. You will meet a soldier of the Waffen SS who witnessed the attempted assassination on Hitler's life and a sixteen-year-old Hitler Youth who was in the Berlin bunker as Russian troops stormed the city. Meet General George Patton's jeep driver as he recounts crossing the Rhine with the 3rd Army, a liberator of the Dachau Concentration Camp and an American B-17 turret gunner shot down over enemy lines. Here's the story of the last days of the Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich as witnessed by those who were there. .audioplayer_container {display:none;} Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.

He was a small man from small town Missouri, who spent the first six decades of his life toiling in relative obscurity, but Harry S. Truman became larger than life and was there when America needed him the most. In this special edition of "War Stories with Oliver North," you'll learn of Truman's love of country, public service and yes, even his love of poker. Harry Truman walked into history's spotlight on April 12, 1945, when he has sworn into office as the nation's 33rd President following the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Afterwards he said with absolute candor, "it is as though the sun, the moon and the stars have fallen on me." It seems hard to believe today but as Vice President - Truman was never informed about FDR's plans for ending the carnage of World War II - or the powerful secret weapon being developed to hasten our victory. Oliver North spoke exclusively to the three surviving members of his administration: George Elsey; Ken Hechler; and Milton Kayle as they reflect not only Truman the politician, but Truman the man and leader. Also in this episode, you will hear from Truman's eldest grandson, Clifton Truman Daniel, who sheds light on the enormous challenges he faced as President: whether to use the Atom bomb; how to counter Soviet expansion and rebuild Europe and Japan; and a war in Korea. At home, he had to contend with an inflating economy, bitter labor disputes and crippling strikes, and a politically polarizing hunt for communists in the U.S. Harry Truman helped shape the United States and the world, but through it all Truman remained a man of the people. His legacy is one of a good man who rose to the occasion and took on the greatest challenges of his time. .audioplayer_container {display:none;} Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.

On April 1, 1945, soldiers and Marines began landing on Okinawa as the Allies in Europe closed on Berlin. As the reign of Hitler's Nazi Germany was in its last throes, the war in the Pacific was becoming more brutal as the Americans inched closer to the Japanese homeland. The Japanese were determined to make one last stand, and they would fight to the death. One soldier described the fighting on Okinawa as "the most ghastly corner of hell" he had ever witnessed. At sea, conditions were just as dangerous as Japanese kamikazes attacked ships with deadly results. During this three-month battle, over 12,000 Americans were killed and another 45,000 were wounded. On this exciting episode of "War Stories with Oliver North", you will meet Marine Private Dan Barton and Army Private First Class Herman Buffington. After landing on Okinawa, they would battle the Japanese who were hiding on every hill and in every cave. You will hear how Navy Gunner Larry Delewski survived numerous kamikaze attacks aboard the USS Laffey. Learn of the sacrifices made to clear the last hurdle on the march to Japan. The Americans cleared the island of Okinawa after brutal fighting in what would be the bloodiest and last battle in the Pacific Theater. The bloodshed on Okinawa would help convince President Harry Truman to drop the atomic bomb instead of invading the main island of Japan. .audioplayer_container {display:none;} Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics: iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.

"We have met the enemy and they are us." Cartoonist Walt Kelly's twist on Oliver Hazard Perry's famous line is a fitting sentiment for the little known operation codenamed "Rolling Thunder." In March of 1965, President Lyndon Johnson's campaign to bomb North Vietnam began. The fear of a wider war made LBJ extremely cautious. Rather than begin "Rolling Thunder" with a series of massive air strikes aimed at destroying our enemy's will to fight, LBJ opted for "gradual escalation." Never in our history had a president been so involved in the details of target selection and tactics. Our pilots were forced to watch enemy surface to air missile sites being built, unable to attack them until the enemy fired first. Communist MiG fighter jets could be attacked only after they took off. As a result, Ho Chi Minh's airfields were protected for years by an order from a President of the United States. Johnson's cautious approach allowed North Vietnam time to prepare defenses and study our tactics. Parts of North Vietnam became the most heavily defended air space in the history of warfare. MiGs, surface to air missiles and thousands of anti-aircraft guns opposed our pilots. It was a painful situation for the men of the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps tasked with flying the missions. But they dutifully carried out their oath to "defend the Constitution against all enemies." In this compelling episode of "War Stories with Oliver North," you will meet pilots George "Bud" Day and Paul Galanti. Shot down over enemy territory, they spent a combined 12 years in brutal captivity. You'll learn how the skies over Vietnam became a proving ground for new weapons and tactics. You will hear the remarkable story of "Pardo's Push" -- one of aviation's most dramatic and dangerous rescues. We will also bring you Air Force legend Robin Olds, who led "Operation Bolo" in January of 1967. It was a classic Trojan horse, and it severely stung our enemy. Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.

During World War II, Eastern Europe was often called "the lands between", a region defined by its vulnerability to shifts in power between its dominant neighbors. One of those countries caught in the jaws of hell was Romania. To its west was an obvious enemy, Adolf Hitler; and to its east, was Josef Stalin. Though officially an ally, Stalin had already murdered millions of his own people and had sinister plans to expand his Communist empire, starting with Eastern Europe. This region--including Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania-- has struggled long and hard, enduring decades of brutal Communist dictatorship spawned from the ashes of World War II. In this riveting episode of "War Stories with Oliver North," we travel to Bucharest to bring you an exclusive interview with King Michael of Romania, one of the last surviving heads of state from World War II. You'll hear first hand how the inexperienced 19-year-old monarch fell into tangled web between East and West. Caught in this terrible vice, King Michael stood up to Hitler to save his country from Soviet occupation, only to become a victim of the power struggle between Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Josef Stalin. And, learn how King Michael's coup gave OSS spy chief William Donovan an opportunity to send his agents to spy on the Germans, then on the Russians. You will also meet two Americans flyboys, Bill Fili and Paul Swearingen, whose B-24 Liberator "Destiny Deb" was shot down over Romania and who spent four months as prisoners of war. And, come along as Bill Fili visits the very same oil refinery complex in Ploesti he was sent to bomb in 1944. Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.

Mexican drug cartels are fighting for supremacy along our 2,000 mile-long border. Since December 2006, more than 11,000 people have been murdered by the cartels as they try to dominate the multi-billion dollar drug industry and its smuggling routes into America. "War Stories Investigates: Drugs, Money and Narco-Terror" takes you from small towns across America to the jungles of Colombia for a closer look at how the war is really being fought and how the drug industry has fueled kidnappings and murder in our local communities. In an exclusive prison interview, you will hear 20-year-old Rosalio Reta, a convicted murderer, discuss how he was groomed as an assassin and that he may have killed more than a dozen people on the orders of the Los Zetas cartel. Also, meet the mayor of "the most dangerous city in the Americas" -- Ciudad Juarez, Mexico -- and you'll see why no one is safe from untimely death. And, come along on a raid, as Oliver North and the FOX News "War Stories" team accompanies DEA special agents and Colombian commandos when they take down a cocaine lab buried deep under triple-canopy in the Andean basin. Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.

With their trademark of a fierce and determined bee carrying hammer in one hand and a Tommy gun in the other, no other branch of the U.S. Navy has served in more theaters of war or tackled more challenging missions than the Seabees. Admiral Ernest J. King, chief of Naval Operations during World War II, said: "Seabee ingenuity and fortitude have become a legend in the naval service." Indeed it has. The Seabees are the U.S. Navy's construction battalions. From the sweltering jungles of Guadalcanal, to the arid deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, they've upheld their proud tradition as fighters who build and builders who fight. In this riveting episode of "War Stories With Oliver North," we pay tribute to the often-overlooked men and women of the Navy's fighting Seabees. You'll meet Joseph Shawinsky of the 133rd Naval Construction Battalion, who landed beside the Marines on Iwo Jima and lived to tell the story. You'll also hear from two members of Vietnam-era Seabee Team 1104 -- Johnny McCully and Frank Peterlin -- who served with Marvin Shields, the first and only Seabee to have received the Congressional Medal of Honor. And go along for a day in the life of the new generation of Seabees at Ft. Hunter Liggett, California and you'll hear how these warrior builders are being trained today for the global War on Terror. Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.

He was a man who spent the first five decades of his life toiling in relative obscurity. But Dwight David Eisenhower was there when his country needed him the most. In this special edition of "War Stories with Oliver North," you'll learn how Ike rose from hardscrabble poverty in Kansas to the high command of U.S. Forces, European Theater of Operations during World War II and would later become our 34th President. Ike's engaging grin and calm sense of self-assurance did much to bolster troops in the field. It also helped him deal with the complicated personalities of Churchill, MacArthur, and Montgomery. You'll learn how he went from a poker playing West Point cadet with disciplinary problems to a man President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall counted on during a two front war. Also, Oliver North speaks with those who served Eisenhower, including Pearlie McKeough, who worked with Ike, along with her husband Mickey in WWII. Andrew Goodpaster and William Ewald offer rare insight about their times during the Eisenhower Presidency from 1953-1961. And you'll meet Susan Eisenhower whose relationship with her grandparents offers tremendous insight into them as a couple. She tells how Mamie, a rich debutante from Denver, became Eisenhower's true partner in life and love. During more than fifty years of public service Ike and Mamie helped shape the United States as we know it today...and they gave all of themselves in the process. Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.

"Knowledge is power," wrote the English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon. And that's the essence of what spying is all about, attaining information, and therefore, power over an adversary. During World War II, the Abwehr, Germany's intelligence service, made numerous attempts to infiltrate the United States with spies. Usually dropped off by a U-Boat, their mission was to commit acts of sabotage and to gather top-secret intelligence that would help Germany win the war. But most of the time, they failed. For the first time, in a "War Stories" exclusive, you'll meet Agent 146, Erich Gimpel, a former German spy, and Allan Gillies, the FBI agent who ultimately captured him. Find out how they played a dangerous game of cat and mouse in the bustling streets of New York City. In this thrilling episode of "War Stories with Oliver North," you'll also hear how the FBI and OSS fought their own war in the shadows to overcome rivalries and to stop those who came to do us harm. This is the story of a spy for the Third Reich and those who caught him. Check out these other free FOX News podcasts! Perino & Stirewalt:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Red Eye:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Hemmer Time:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Talkenomics:iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn | Stitcher Find the complete list of free podcasts here.