American Warrior Radio

Ben Buehler-Garcia
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  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
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American Warrior Radio

American Warrior Radio tells the stories of those who protect us at home & abroad; the men & women of our military and first responder communities.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    “53 Days on Starvation Island” – John Bruning

    Starvation Island is the name the Japanese gave the pacific Island of Guadalcanal. Second only to the Battle of Midway, the capture and retention of Guadalcanal was one of the most significant achievements leading to eventual victory in the Pacific. The price would be high, with brutal combat on the ground, at sea and in the air. A group of mostly green Marine aviators were dispatched to Guadalcanal to assist in the defense. They were lacking in supplies, equipment, fuel and ammunition. These aircrews believed the Marine Corps considered them expendable. Best Selling author John Bruning joins us to tell their story, as recorded in his book “53 Days on Starvation Island; The World War II Battle That Saved Marine Corps Aviation.”  This exceptional book draws upon historical records and personal interviews with some of the men who saw action there. The story of these brave Marine aviators centers upon three men who played key roles in the aerial defense of the island: * Major John Smith, who was principally responsible for organizing the air defenses of Guadalcanal. He would end the war with 19 aerial victories. * Marion Carl, a farm boy from Oregon who became the Marine Corps’ first WWII Ace. * Richard Mangrum, a lawyer from Seattle Lawyer who led the bomber group. The book not only does an excellent job of highlighting the depravations suffered by all the Marines on Guadalcanal, but also the disconnect between life on the home front and the brutality of battle during those early stages of the Pacific campaign. Bruning’s book describes many of the battles in exceptional detail, capturing the viciousness of air to air combat. By the time it was over, those 31 aircrews could be given credit for helping to save the lives of 20,000 Marines on the island by intercepting further Japanese landings and protecting the critically important Henderson Field from bombing raids. “Remember this fellows – while we are all expendable, we are not so expendable as to take unnecessary chances. Your mission is to sink as many ships as you can. But a still more important mission is for all of you to get back here whole.  This war is young yet – we can die later.” - Dick Mangrum

    40 min

  2. 12/23/2024

    “Understanding the War” – Mat Tardio

    “Understanding the War” podcast is the latest venture for Special Forces Veteran Mat Tardio. This new podcast is in addition to his already successful “Speak the Truth” podcast. The mission of the “Understanding the War” podcast is to give combat Veterans the chance to tell their stories. “What the hell are we doing to our own people when we don’t allow them to be able to speak because somehow their stories aren’t valid?” Mat wanted to join the military from an earlier age. His original intent was to pursue a career in the Marine Corps. However, the day before reporting to entrance processing he had gone grouse hunting. This resulted in a slight temporary hearing loss that caused his disqualification with the Marines. He joined the Army instead and served 9 years in the infantry and 7 years with the Green Berets. One of Mat’s first assignments was with the 3rd Infantry Regiment “Old Guard”. They conduct funerals at Arlington and ceremonies around the DC area. He shares a powerful story about unloading remains at Dover Air Force Base. As a Green Beret Mat was sent into Ukraine after the first Russian invasion. His team was also sent into Afghanistan to deal with ISIS-K. He shares a little bit about that experience and contrasts the difference between fighting ISIS and the Taliban. The buildup of injuries sustained over the years serving in the Special Forces led to a medical retirement. He briefly served in Law Enforcement, but that “didn’t take”. He currently operates Tardio Consulting Group, training law enforcement training on developing proactive defense solutions to active shooter threats. If you have a story that needs to be told on "Understanding the War" podcast, contact Mat: understandingthewarpodcast@gmail.com TAKEAWAY: “I think selection is hard for a reason. I don’t want someone on my team who can’t suck it up. I don’t want someone on my team who is going to leave me hanging up or is going to leave me hanging while they can still move.”

    40 min

  3. 12/12/2024

    Coast Guard DFC Recipient John Whiddon

    Coast Guard pilot John Whiddon has been awarded two Distinguished Flying Cross medals. But the enemy he faced was not the Viet Cong or Iraqi air defenses. It was 30 foot seas, 70 knot wind gusts and freezing waters off the coast of Alaska. John was born in England and his father served in the Royal Navy.  Having finished college, he had applied for the US Coast Guard but had not received an answer. So he applied to the Royal Navy’s helicopter flying program and was accepted. The week before he was set to leave for London, he received word that he had been accepted into the US Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. At the time, John was flying the HH-3F amphibious helicopters. They had a boat hull that would allow the aircraft to land in the water, but only in 8-10 foot seas and 8 knot winds. Following the failed rescue of the “Marine Electric” in 1983, the Coast Guard established their rescue swimmer program. John shares details of the two rescues for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, including the “Bluebird” rescue on December 10, 1987 off the coast of Alaska. A fisherman and his six year old son were in trouble. It was a night mission and weather conditions were terrible; blinding snow and ice, 30 foot seas and wind gusts up to 70 knots. The winds were so strong, several times the helicopter was actually blown backyards and toward the water. At one point their rear rotor came within 3 feet of the water. Because of the size and construction of the boat, placing the rescue basket on the sinking boat was not an option. It would become the first time in Coast Guard history that a rescue swimmer was used in a high seas rescue. After 45 minutes of failing to get the rescue basket to the swimmer and half a dozen near crashes, John and his crew began to recognize the very real possibility that they might crash themselves and, in that case, there was no one coming to rescue them. However, they didn’t give up and finally got everyone board. John’s interview is part of our partnership with the Distinguished Flying Cross Society and our shared mission to tell the stories of heroism or extraordinary achievement in flight.

    40 min

  4. 12/08/2024

    Delta Force Original – Wade Ishimoto

    Delta Force operator Wade Ishimoto was one of the founding members of the elite unit when it was first formed. The story of his progression from an American of Japanese ancestry born in Hawaii just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor to the Delta Force is told in his book “The Intoku Code”.  Intoku is a Japanese word that means “doing good in secret.” Wade began his Army career as a military policeman and then moved on to counter intelligence and human intelligence. Fourteen of his twenty years in the Army were spent in Special Forces.  He originally wanted to join the Marines, but the recruiter was at lunch. On his way to see the Air Force recruiter, he says the Army recruiter tapped him on the shoulder and “fed him a bunch of lies”. Wade was laser focused on getting into the Special Forces but the path was not an easy one. Eventually he joined the 5th Special Forces group because of a personal recommendation from a Warrant Officer. Terrorism was becoming more common in the 1970’s and the US Government realized it did not have the capacity to conduct surgical hostage rescue missions. At the time, Charlie Beckwith had been developing a plan for a unit based upon the British SAS that became the basis for Delta Force. Wade had worked for Beckwith before and wrote him a letter describing how Special Forces could be improved. It obviously made an impression because Beckwith asked him to come on board with Delta Force. The Intoku Code describes numerous challenges involved with standing up Delta Force, including keeping itself secret from other military and government units and some of their training methods. Wade says another challenge was recruiting the “best of the best” from other branches because the commanders didn’t want to give up their best personnel. Wade’s book provides fascinating insights into the planning of the ill-fated “Operation Eagle Claw”, the mission to rescue hostages being held in Iran.  He was nearly left behind when that mission was aborted. TAKEWAY: Wade’s hope is that he will inspire others to do good things in secret. “Be steadfast, be resolute and continue to care for others.”

    40 min

  5. 11/25/2024

    “River Rats” – The Red River Valley Association

    River Rats was the nickname given to aircrews that flew missions over the Red River Valley that runs southeast from Hanoi to the Gulf of Tonkin.  At the time, it was the most heavily defended airspace in the history of aerial combat.  One of every 40 persons who flew these missions never returned. The Red River Valley Association was created to commemorate the inter-service teamwork, strong spirit de corps and the sacrifices made by the air crews flying those dangerous missions over North Vietnam. One of their original missions was to generate awareness of the Prisoners of War and air crews Missing in Action and supporting their families. For this episode, we are joined by two River Rats and members of the Red River Valley Association. Rich Martindell flew 232 combat missions over Vietnam as an F-4 Phantom pilot. Ken Shanke flew 239 combat missions as a “back seater” in F-4 Phantoms. Rich says that some of the first Red River Valley tactical conferences were not just about comradery but also about survival. They were trying to figure out ways to fly “smartly” in North Vietnam without suffering so many losses. Initially, only air crews who had flown at least one mission across the Red River were able to join the organization. Since then the bylaws have been changed to open membership up to any designated flight crew members from any service in any conflict. The Association held “practice” reunions until 1973 when all the POW’s were returned. The Association has continued their original mission of family support by awarding more than 1,200 scholarships to children of KIA/MIA military personnel and those killed in non-combat related accidents. To date, the value of those scholarships has exceeded $ 3 million. Their affiliate Air Warrior Courage Foundation has also provided over $7 million in direct support to military families. At 69 years old, Martindell returned as a civilian pilot for General Atomics, flying MQ-9 surveillance drone missions in Africa & the Middle East. His experiences are shared in the book “Game of Drones”.

  6. 11/22/2024

    The Commit Foundation – J.C. Glick

    Transitioning from military service to the civilian world can be a challenge for many of our Veterans. It is one of the most common themes I have heard in the decade of hosting American Warrior Radio. On this episode we talk with J.C. Glick, CEO of the Commit Foundation. Anne Marie Craig was compelled to establish the Commit Foundation when her husband faced challenges finding a civilian career that was as fulfilling and purposeful as serving in the Army Rangers. J.C. says that this is a common problem. High performing Veterans are seeking a second career that is meaningful and fulfilling rather than just another job. The Commit Foundation caters to high performers who want to make their next chapter as great as their last chapter. J.C says he was a perfect example. “I was in such a hurry to run away from the gun club, it took me five years to realize who I was. I didn’t have a community that I could connect with. What my bio doesn’t talk about is that I had four suicide attempts.” The Commit Foundation provides a number of programs for both the Veteran and their spouse that emphasize quality over quantity.  Every program is personalized to each client in order to create an environment where the Veteran can pause, asses and gain clarity about what they want their next mission to be. J.C. says that, while Commit Foundation programs are available for everyone, they may not be a match for everyone. Glick served in our military for 20 years, seven of which were with the Army Rangers. He had 11 combat deployments and numerous operational deployments around the world. He participated in the Best Ranger competition twice. After leaving the Army he was a founder and partner in two leadership companies whose clients included Fortune 500 companies, NFL and NBA teams and multiple NCAA programs.

    40 min

  7. 10/24/2024

    Air Cavalry in Vietnam – Jack List

    Air Cavalry was a new tactic employed during the Vietnam War. Jack List participated in those early days of air assault, including seeing action in the Ia Drang Valley, made famous in the movie “We Were Soldiers”. Jack served 30 years, 11 months and 25 days in the Army, retiring at the rank of Command Sergeant Major.   Jack was born in Germany and his father served in the German Army during World War II.  During his first tour in Vietnam he was notified by his grandmother that he had been drafted into the German Army! Jack was assigned to the 11th Air Assault “Test” Division that was evaluating the Air Assault concept. Jack would eventually serve as a Crew Chief with the newly minted 1st Air Cavalry. He became responsible for a UH-1 “Huey”.  Jack flew as a door gunner on missions and then had to patch up the aircraft upon return to base. The 1st Air Cavalry was based at Camp Radcliff, An Khe'. At the time it was the largest helicopter base in the world with more than 400 helicopters. On his first mission they launched 110 helicopters to support a Special Forces camp. “The thing that scared me the most was not the enemy shooting at us, it was potential for midair collisions.” The scenes at LZ X-Ray depicted in “We Were Soldiers” were just a small part of the larger Pleiku campaign. At LZ-Albany, further north in the Ia Drang valley, our troops suffered a 50% casualty rate. Jack described one of his missions where 5 of the 10 persons on board were wounded upon approach to the landing zone. He says he has no idea how he completed two tours without being wounded himself. His pilot trained other crew members so they would know the basics in case they had to fly the helicopter. Jack says that Sergeant Major Basil Plumley was an excellent leader and always had his troops well squared away. Col. Hal Moore went back into both LZ X-Ray and LZ Albany to retrieve remains.

  8. 10/24/2024

    Darin Gaub – Current Conflicts & Future Wars

    Darin Gaub enlisted in the Army as a private and, after a 28 year career retired at the rank of Lt. Colonel. He is often called upon by national media and publications to comment on military and geopolitical issues.  Gaub joins us to provide his perspective on the current status of affairs in the middle and Far East. After finishing his active duty enlistment he joined the National Guard and went to college on an ROTC scholarship. When it came time to select which area to serve in, he was told that no one from his university was ever selected for the Army Aviation Branch. Guab says he would become an Army aviator “on a dare, not a plan.” He had seven deployments to Afghanistan, North Africa, Eastern Europe and the DMZ along North and South Korea. We have a fascinating and insightful discussion about the current situation in the Middle East. “For anyone to try to explain the Middle East is an experiment in trying to make the complicated simple.” He emphasizes that the current war is not between Israel and the Lebanese people but rather against Hezbollah. He is in weekly contact with sources in Beirut and says the Lebanese people would prefer that Hezbollah be gone. He describes Israel’s tactics of more of a “water against a bank” strategy rather than “shock and awe.” Gaub believes that their attack against command and control elements has been masterful. Gaub spends some time explaining the “nexus of evil” comprised of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. He cautions that the actions of these actors is not always obvious – strategies that are slowly eroding our nation. We spend some time discussing how we should prepare for future conflicts. He says the current war in Ukraine provides some good examples of how combat has evolved with smaller actors able to challenge larger armies. TAKEAWAY: “The people that are most interested in avoiding war are the ones who have to fight it.”

    40 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

American Warrior Radio tells the stories of those who protect us at home & abroad; the men & women of our military and first responder communities.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Buehler-Garcia
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © RONIN Business Services
  • Show Website
    American Warrior Radio

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