Warriors In Their Own Words | First Person War Stories Evergreen Podcasts | The Honor Project

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mayo “Hank” Bourgeois served in World War II as a Marine Corps fighter pilot. He was a member of the Black Sheep Squadron (VMFA-214), which became famous for their numerous successes over the Solomon Islands, and their leader, Lt. Col. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington. 

Boyington had previously earned a name for himself as a member of the Flying Tigers, but he left and created his own unit which became the Black Sheep. He had a reputation as an incredibly skilled pilot, but also a serious alcoholic. He survived two years in a prison camp after being shot down, and ended the war with 28 confirmed kills and the Medal of Honor.

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“That’s bold talk for a guy that’s only got one bullet…”

Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee served in the Marine Corps before switching to the Army. He became a Green Beret and deployed to Afghanistan in 2013.

Plumlee was awarded the Medal of Honor for his part in helping defend Forward Operating Base Ghazni. His story is straight out of a movie. Under heavy fire, he neutralized several enemies, survived multiple close-range blasts, and emerged with only minor injuries.

In this special Memorial Day interview, Plumlee talks about his military career, recounts what earned him the Medal of Honor, and gives his thoughts on Memorial Day. 
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Colonel Sam Hartwell served in Korea, Germany, and Afghanistan with the U.S. Army. In Afghanistan he was a part of Special Operations Command, and he later worked at the Pentagon with the USD I&S.

In March 2022, Hartwell left retirement to volunteer in Ukraine.

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Specialist 5 Jon Wallenius served in Vietnam with the Army, and fought in the famous Battle of Ia Drang. As a member of the First Cavalry Division, it was his job to scout for enemies in advanced positions and clear LZs for the infantry. 
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Brigadier General Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager is an Air Force legend. He served in World War II as a fighter pilot, where he shot down a total of 13 aircraft, and escaped capture after being shot down over German-occupied France.

After WWII, Yeager became a test pilot for new, faster aircraft. On October 14th, 1947, he became the first person to break the sound barrier while piloting an X-1 aircraft. He also was the first person to fly more than twice the speed of sound in level flight with the X-IA in 1953. 

Yeager left aircraft testing in 1954, and went on to serve in Germany, Spain, the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam. 

He also served as the commandant of the Aerospace Research Pilot School, where all military astronauts are trained, from 1962-1966.
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Master Chief Petty Officer Ken Falke served in the Navy as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialist during the 80s and 90s. He was tasked with disarming all sorts of explosives, and deployed all over the world, including to Iraq during the Gulf War, and Bosnia during the Bosnian War. 

Now, Falke and his wife run a non-profit called Boulder Crest which helps veterans and first responders with mental health struggles, and achieve “post-traumatic growth”. Learn more at bouldercrest.org. 

Thank you to Regal for sponsoring this episode. You can sign up for Regal Unlimited via this link, and make sure to use code WARRIORS24 to get 10% off!
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