Tales from the Corps

Michael Francis
  • 5.0 (17)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

Tales from the Corps is where military history meets the people who lived it. Hosted by Marine Corps combat veterans Mike “Dirty Mike” Francis and Neal “Slider” Fauver, Tales from the Corps brings you unfiltered stories from military service, combat, and life after the uniform, along with conversations with veterans, historians, authors, filmmakers, and others who help preserve the stories behind the history. From the battlefields of World War I and World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan, we dig into the moments, decisions, personalities, and experiences that shaped generations of service members. Some episodes are hilarious. Some are brutal. Some challenge what you thought you knew about military history. All of them are about keeping these stories alive. No war stories polished for the recruiting poster. No history stripped of the people who lived it. Welcome to, Tales from the Corps. JOIN THE COMMUNITY Join the Virtual Barracks — our veteran community for conversation, camaraderie, events, gaming, and more. Discord: https://discord.gg/HbtdqTRzXM Website: https://virtualbarracks.com/virtual-barracks WATCH & FOLLOW TALES FROM THE CORPS YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tales.from.the.corps Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthecorpsdirtymike/ EVERYTHING TALES: https://linktr.ee/talesfromthecorps BUSINESS & GUEST INQUIRIES: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

  1. Sep 29

    The Hells of Peleliu | Tim Gray on WWII’s Most Haunting Battlefield

    Send us Fan Mail In September 1944, U.S. Marines landed on the tiny Pacific island of Peleliu for what planners believed could be a relatively short battle. Instead, they entered one of the most brutal, unforgiving fights of the Pacific War. In this episode of Tales From the Corps, Mike sits down with award-winning WWII documentary filmmaker Tim Gray, Founder and President of the World War II Foundation, to talk about the Hells of Peleliu — a battlefield Tim describes as one of the most haunting places he has ever visited. They discuss why veterans who experienced multiple battles in the Pacific sometimes remembered Peleliu as even worse than places such as Iwo Jima and Okinawa; the horrific conditions inside Peleliu's caves, ridges and coral terrain; and the continuing debate over whether the battle ultimately needed to be fought at all. Tim also talks about the feeling of physically standing on Peleliu today and why certain historic places carry a weight that is difficult to explain unless you've been there. Drawing from his years documenting World War II sites around the world — including Auschwitz — Tim discusses the responsibility that comes with walking ground where so much suffering and death occurred. Mike and Tim also look back on their trip to Peleliu for the 80th anniversary of the battle, the people of Peleliu who continue to live among the remnants of the war, and what makes the island unlike almost anywhere else on Earth. More than 80 years later, caves, bunkers, artillery pieces, wreckage and countless artifacts remain where the war left them. Peleliu is considered one of the world's best-preserved World War II battlefields — effectively an open-air historical record of one of the Pacific War's most savage campaigns. This conversation isn't only about how the Battle of Peleliu was fought. It's about why places like Peleliu need to survive — and what we lose when the physical evidence of history disappears. About Tim Gray Tim Gray is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and the Founder and President of the World War II Foundation. He has written, produced and directed 47 World War II documentaries, filming on historic battlefields and WWII sites across the Pacific, Europe and the United States, including Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Bataan, Normandy and Auschwitz. Gray has won seven Regional Emmy Awards for documentary writing and filmmaking, along with numerous international film honors, and his work has received American Public Television's National Programming Excellence Award. His documentaries regularly air on PBS and public television stations across the United States. His work is dedicated to preserving the personal stories, battlefields and history of the World War II generation before they disappe TALES FROM THE CORPS Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy. 🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast 🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps 📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps 🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com 💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks 📧 Business Inquiries: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

  2. Sep 25

    Does World War II End Without Tinian? | Steve McCloud

    Send us Fan Mail Does World War II end the same way without Tinian? Battles like Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, and Okinawa dominate the history books, but the Battle of Tinian in 1944 was arguably one of the most consequential campaigns of the Pacific War. Home to North Field—which rapidly became one of the largest and busiest airfields in the world—Tinian served as a launch point for the B-29 Superfortress bombing campaign against Japan and, ultimately, the Enola Gay. Military historian Steve McCloud joins Marine Corps combat Veteran Mike “Dirty Mike” Francis to break down the invasion of Saipan, the largest Banzai charge of World War II, the Battle of Tinian, the first use of napalm in the Pacific, and the remarkable tactical deception that helped make the amphibious assault successful. We also examine the larger strategic question: Could there have been an Iwo Jima without Tinian—and could World War II have ended the same way without it? This is a deep dive into the Mariana Islands campaign, the Marines who fought there, and why Tinian deserves a much larger place in the story of the Pacific War. 📖 Steve McCloud is the author of Black Dragon: The Experience of a Marine Rifle Company in the Central Pacific, chronicling Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines. In this episode: 00:00 Why Doesn't Anyone Know About Tinian? 07:27 How the Marines Reached Saipan 11:40 The Largest Banzai Charge of World War II 14:30 Napalm Is First Used During the Battle of Tinian 18:03 What the Marines Endured 19:50 The Horrors Marines Witnessed 23:52 Leaving Saipan & Landing on Tinian 28:46 The First Night Counterattack 48:52 “BAZOOKAS UP!” — Fighting on Saipan 51:16 How Tinian Became the Busiest Airfield in the World 58:41 Is There No Iwo Jima Without Tinian? 1:00:00 Why America Invaded Iwo Jima 1:02:58 Does World War II End Without Tinian? 1:19:45 Iwo Jima Visit Recap Tales From the Corps preserves military history and Veteran stories through conversations with the people who lived it and the historians dedicated to keeping those stories alive. TALES FROM THE CORPS Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy. 🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast 🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps 📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps 🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com 💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks 📧 Business Inquiries: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

  3. Sep 8

    He Survived Marine Corps Boot Camp: Private Santos Matos Returns From Parris Island

    Send us Fan Mail Three months ago, Santos Matos — better known around Tales from the Corps as “Funnel Cake” — sat down with us as a poolee preparing to leave for Marine Corps Recruit Training at Parris Island. Now he’s back as Private Santos Matos, United States Marine. So… how much of what he expected was actually true? In this follow-up conversation, Santos takes us inside his experience at Marine Corps boot camp: what he wasn't prepared for, what breaks recruits, whether you can actually quit, the moments he wanted to quit himself, and how letters from home helped him keep going. We talk about what a normal day at Parris Island was really like, what surprised him most, what he wishes he'd known before shipping out, and what he'd tell someone leaving for boot camp tomorrow. Then we get personal. What did his mom think when he came home? How did his dad react? What did Santos tell the poolees waiting to follow in his footsteps? And after everything that happened over those three months, we ask the question this entire journey has been building toward: Who are you now? Marine Corps boot camp is behind him. Infantry School is next. And Santos's story isn't over. 💬 QUESTIONS, STORIES & FAN MAIL Are you heading to Marine Corps boot camp? Have a son or daughter preparing to ship? Already earned the title and have a story of your own? Send us fan mail through Buzzsprout, hit us up on social media, join us in the Virtual Barracks, or email TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com. We read what you send — and your question might make it into a future episode when Santos returns after Infantry School. DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences discussed in this episode are the personal views and experiences of Santos Matos throughout his journey from poolee to recruit to United States Marine. They are his own and do not represent the official views, policies, or positions of the United States Marine Corps, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government. Tales from the Corps is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense. TALES FROM THE CORPS Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy. 🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast 🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps 📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps 🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com 💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks 📧 Business Inquiries: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

  4. Sep 3

    Jon Parshall | 1945: Japan — Did We Need to Drop the Bombs?

    Send us Fan Mail Did the United States have to drop the atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II? Renowned WWII historian Jon Parshall, co-host of The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War Podcast and author of the upcoming 1942: The Crux of War, joins Tales From The Corps for an in-depth conversation about one of the most debated questions of the Pacific War. Jon examines the decision to use the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan's willingness and ability to continue fighting, alternatives to dropping the bombs, the role of Emperor Hirohito, and what an invasion or prolonged blockade of Japan could have meant. But the human cost wasn't limited to Americans and Japanese. The war was still killing enormous numbers of people throughout China, Vietnam, Java, and the rest of Asia. Jon explains why every additional month of war mattered—and why understanding the decision requires looking far beyond the two atomic bombings themselves. We also discuss Japan's leadership, surrender, the fate of the Emperor, Soviet entry into the war, the morality of wartime decision-making, and the consequences American servicemen could have faced had the Pacific War continued. This isn't about reducing history to “the bombs were right” or “the bombs were wrong.” It's about understanding the choices available in 1945, their consequences, and the people who would have paid the price. 🎙️ Featuring Jon Parshall — The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar  📖 1942: The Crux of War — Order at 1942book.com TALES FROM THE CORPS Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy. 🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast 🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps 📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps 🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com 💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks 📧 Business Inquiries: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

  5. 08/13/2024

    Justin Cramer | Marine JTAC — From Iraq & Afghanistan to Former Action Guys

    Send us Fan Mail Marine veteran Justin Cramer joins Tales From The Corps to talk about coordinating airstrikes in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving as a JTAC evaluator, and the experiences that eventually led him to create the Former Action Guys Podcast. Justin takes us inside the world of Marine fire support and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, sharing lessons from his deployments, the responsibility of coordinating close air support in combat, and what he learned serving alongside Marines at war. We also explore the transition home, entrepreneurship, podcasting, and Justin's work preserving the stories and experiences of veterans through Former Action Guys. Contact Justin Kramer: YouTube: @formeractionguys Website: https://www.jcramergraphics.com IG: formeractionguys TALES FROM THE CORPS Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy. 🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast 🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps 📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps 🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com 💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks 📧 Business Inquiries: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

  6. 07/30/2024

    Scott Gibson of HBO's The Pacific | WWII Veterans Don Graves & Allan Chatwin

    Send us Fan Mail Actor Scott Gibson, who appeared in HBO's The Pacific, joins Tales From The Corps to honor and preserve the stories of World War II veterans Don Graves and Allan Chatwin. Gibson joins Mike Francis and Neal Fauver following a special gathering in Fredericksburg, Texas, where Graves and Chatwin shared firsthand memories of their service during World War II. In this conversation, we reflect on their experiences, the responsibility of preserving veterans' stories before they're lost, and the unique connection between the veterans who lived this history and the actors and storytellers who have helped bring the WWII generation's experiences to the screen. We also explore the intersection of Hollywood and military history, what it means to spend time with the men whose generation inspired productions like The Pacific, and why recording these firsthand accounts matters for future generations. Featuring: 🎬 Scott Gibson — Actor, HBO's The Pacific Support WWII veteran trips and documentary preservation through Beyond the Call:  www.WWIIBeyondTheCall.com TALES FROM THE CORPS Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy. 🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast 🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps 📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps 🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com 💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks 📧 Business Inquiries: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

  7. 07/16/2024

    LtCol Mitch “Taco” Bell | Marine Corps Stories from Iraq, Afghanistan & Boot Camp

    Send us Fan Mail Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Mitch “Taco” Bell joins Mike Francis and Neal Fauver for an unfiltered session of Marine Corps stories spanning boot camp, Iraq, Afghanistan, barracks life, and the transition back home. Originally recorded as a crossover with Tall Tales with Taco, this conversation brings three Marines together to swap the kind of stories that rarely make it into official histories—from ridiculous boot camp nicknames and barracks pranks to memories of deployments and the challenges veterans face after leaving the military. Mike, Neal, and Taco trade stories about Marine Corps culture, combat deployments, camaraderie, the VA, and the dark humor that follows Marines long after the uniform comes off. Some stories preserve history. Others survive because they're too damn funny to forget. Featuring: 🎙️ LtCol Mitch “Taco” Bell, USMC (Ret.) — Tall Tales with Taco 🎥YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@talltaleswithtacobell TALES FROM THE CORPS Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy. 🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast 🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps 📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps 🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com 💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks 📧 Business Inquiries: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

  8. 07/09/2024

    Matt Harper | Marine Scout Sniper — Business & Life After the Corps

    Send us Fan Mail Marine Scout Sniper veteran Matt Harper joins Tales From The Corps to talk about growing up in a family of Marines, his time in the Corps, sobriety, entrepreneurship, and building a new life after military service. Matt shares stories from his Marine Corps experience, the camaraderie and humor that came with it, and the challenges of transitioning from the structure and brotherhood of the military into civilian life. The conversation also explores sobriety, early business failures, financial literacy, and Matt's eventual success in the finance industry. Matt discusses the lessons he learned from setbacks, how those experiences changed his relationship with business and money, and why he now works to help others improve their financial futures. From the mindset of a Marine Scout Sniper to entrepreneurship and rebuilding after failure, Matt's story is about carrying the lessons of the Corps forward while figuring out what comes next. Featuring: 🎙️ Matt Harper — Marine Scout Sniper Veteran, Entrepreneur & Finance Professional TALES FROM THE CORPS Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy. 🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast 🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps 📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps 🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com 💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks 📧 Business Inquiries: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

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5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Tales from the Corps is where military history meets the people who lived it. Hosted by Marine Corps combat veterans Mike “Dirty Mike” Francis and Neal “Slider” Fauver, Tales from the Corps brings you unfiltered stories from military service, combat, and life after the uniform, along with conversations with veterans, historians, authors, filmmakers, and others who help preserve the stories behind the history. From the battlefields of World War I and World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan, we dig into the moments, decisions, personalities, and experiences that shaped generations of service members. Some episodes are hilarious. Some are brutal. Some challenge what you thought you knew about military history. All of them are about keeping these stories alive. No war stories polished for the recruiting poster. No history stripped of the people who lived it. Welcome to, Tales from the Corps. JOIN THE COMMUNITY Join the Virtual Barracks — our veteran community for conversation, camaraderie, events, gaming, and more. Discord: https://discord.gg/HbtdqTRzXM Website: https://virtualbarracks.com/virtual-barracks WATCH & FOLLOW TALES FROM THE CORPS YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tales.from.the.corps Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthecorpsdirtymike/ EVERYTHING TALES: https://linktr.ee/talesfromthecorps BUSINESS & GUEST INQUIRIES: TalesFromTheCorpsPodcast@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Francis
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tales from the Corps
  • Show Website
    Tales from the Corps

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