From The Front To The Films: A World War II Podcast

Tim Gray
  • 4.2 (29)
  • HISTORY

A Unique Podcast Focused on Interviews with World War II Veterans, Authors, Actors, Filmmakers and Those Who Are Telling and Sharing the Stories of World War II in Print, Television and in the Movies, both Past and in the Present.

  1. 09/04/2025

    A Final Landing on Iwo Jima

    A veteran of the horrific fight on Iwo JIma returns to the island eight decades later to make peace with the carnage that happened here in 1945. He's joined by the son of a fellow Marine who is trying to dig deeper into his own father's time here on this ugly island of death.

    58 min

  2. 09/04/2025

    Dad's Secret War: France 1944

    Jean Claude Guiet was recruited into the top-secret OSS in World War II, only to be sent to England to join the British equivalent of the American Spy and Espionage agency, the SOE. He jumped into France with a team following D-Day to organize factions of the French Resistance to keep the Germans away from the landing beaches in Normandy, France in June of 1944.

    59 min

  3. 09/04/2025

    Village of Death: Oradour-sur-Glane 1944

    The German SS massacred a small French village in World War II in one of the worst atrocities to take place in Europe during the war.

    58 min

  4. 06/12/2025

    Miles, Morale and Memories: Bob Hope and World War II

    During World War II, Bob Hope and his troupe of Hollywood performers traveled over 80,000 miles to entertain troops in the United States, Alaska, North Africa, Europe, and the Pacific.

    59 min

  5. 06/12/2025

    Timeless Patriotism: Guam and World War II

    A documentary chronicling the lesser-known story of the American Territory of Guam's role in World War II. Attacked on the same day as Pearl Harbor (December 8th across the International Date Line), Guam was occupied for almost three years by the Japanese. Hear from many who survived the occupation and meet a United States Marine who helped liberate the island in 1944.

    58 min

  6. 05/07/2025

    No Lights, No Escorts, Just Courage: The WWII Journey of Myles Isbell

    On June 6, 1944, a teenager from Michigan helped steer a flat-bottomed Navy vessel toward the shores of Normandy. His name was Myles Isbell. His ship: LST-540. He was 17. In this special episode of Front to the Films, we tell the extraordinary story of Myles Isbell—Gunner's Mate Third Class, World War II veteran, and eyewitness to some of the most pivotal naval operations of the 20th century. To bring Myles' story to life in full, we've seamlessly interwoven his final recorded interview—conducted just three months before his death—with archival audio from an earlier oral history he gave to the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project. 🎖️ Access that full interview here » Together, these sources form a complete portrait of a quiet American hero—told in his own words. 🎧 In His Own Voice You'll hear how Myles: Watched a troop train roll past and decided to join the Navy at 17. Survived a ship explosion in port and later navigated through U-boat-infested waters. Helped land Canadian forces on D-Day and returned to the beaches 38 more times. Witnessed the fallout of war in Japan and later delivered food to starving civilians. Built a legacy as a husband, father, business owner, and man of faith. 🏅 A Life of Service Myles Walter Isbell passed away on February 12, 2025—just three months after this interview was recorded. He served in both the European and Pacific theaters and earned multiple military honors, including two battle stars, the Naval Commendation Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After the war, he returned to Michigan and built a life grounded in work, service, and family—raising three sons and witnessing five generations of descendants grow up in the peace he helped protect. 📌 Why This Episode Matters This episode is intended to preserve memory, honor sacrifice, and remind us what courage sounds like. By combining present-day interview footage with material from the Library of Congress, our hope is that we've built a seamless narrative that lets Myles tell his own story—powerfully and completely. Join us in honoring his legacy. Listen. Reflect. Share.

    34 min

  7. 04/04/2025

    "I Didn't Want to Miss Being Part of History" — The Story of Frank Wal, Jr.

    In this powerful, first-person interview, 97-year-old World War II veteran Frank Wal, Jr. reflects on his life, service, and the events that shaped a generation. From the hardship of losing his mother at age eight, to enlisting in the U.S. Navy at just 17, Frank takes us through his remarkable journey—from radar duty aboard LSD-25 to witnessing the aftermath of kamikaze attacks and passing the USS Indianapolis just before its fateful sinking. Frank shares his firsthand memories of Okinawa, the atomic bomb's impact on Japan, the occupation of Tokyo, and even a surprise encounter with General MacArthur. He speaks candidly about post-war life, teaching science and serving as a principal, building a life with his wife of 68 years, and raising four children. Frank's story is a story of war, but it's also a reflection on resilience, service, and the quiet strength of the Greatest Generation. 📌 Chapters: 00:00 – Early Life & Loss 02:00 – Enlisting in the Navy 04:00 – Life aboard LSD-25 06:00 – Witnessing the USS Indianapolis 08:00 – Okinawa & Kamikaze Attacks 10:00 – Tinian, the A-Bomb, and Japan's Surrender 13:00 – Occupation of Tokyo 15:00 – Seeing General MacArthur 17:00 – Post-War Reflections 20:00 – Career in Education & Family Life 22:00 – Final Thoughts 🎖️ "Just be persistent. Don't give up. If it didn't work the first time, try again." – Frank Wal, Jr. 🔔 Subscribe to our channel to hear more from the heroes of World War II and preserve their legacy. #WWII #VeteranInterview #FrankWal #WorldWarII #GreatestGeneration #WW2Foundation #OralHistory #MilitaryHistory #USSIndianapolis #Okinawa #AtomicBomb

    24 min

  8. 03/24/2025

    Ski, Climb, Fight: A Conversation with 10th Mountain Division Author, Dr. Lance Blyth

    They weren't like other soldiers. While others were marching or jumping into battle, they skied to war. Carried rifles and ropes. Climbed cliffs in the dark. Slept in snow. And when the time came, they scaled mountains most thought were impossible to negotiate. In our latest Front to the Films episode, Colonel Tom Rendall (USA, Ret.) sat down with Lance Blyth, a quiet-spoken historian who's spent years tracing the footsteps of the 10th Mountain Division. What came from their conversation wasn't just a military history—it was a reminder of what it means to endure, to adapt, and to lead. The 10th Mountain Division wasn't born in a traditional barracks. It began in the Rockies, the Cascades, and the Alps—in places where men already knew how to survive when the weather turned and the air got thin. The Army called them up in wartime and sent them to the mountains of Italy in 1945, where they faced a hardened enemy and even harder terrain. They didn't flinch. With ropes on their backs and skis strapped to their packs, they trained in snowstorms, learned to shoot with frozen fingers, and climbed vertical rock faces by moonlight. When they reached the front, they did what they were trained to do—advance. The assault on Riva Ridge was the kind of operation most commanders wouldn't have attempted. But they did. And they won. Lance Blyth's book, Ski, Climb, Fight, tells the full story. But this interview adds a layer of voice, of breath, of memory. You can hear in his words the weight of those mountains and the courage it took to move through them. After the war, many of the men came home and built things. Ski resorts. Equipment companies. Mountain rescue programs. Some stayed in the service. Some went quiet. But the Division's legacy never faded. Now, as we mark the 80th Anniversary of the end of World War II, we remember what they gave—and what they gave up. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum helped us bring this story to the airwaves. You'll find it wherever you listen to podcasts. Apple. Spotify. Amazon. It's an hour worth your time. Because some men fought their war one step, one climb, one peak at a time. And they climbed to glory.

    38 min
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A Unique Podcast Focused on Interviews with World War II Veterans, Authors, Actors, Filmmakers and Those Who Are Telling and Sharing the Stories of World War II in Print, Television and in the Movies, both Past and in the Present.

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