Veterans Chronicles

By: Radio America
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  • Summary

  • Veterans Chronicles tells the stories of America's greatest heroes in their own words.
    Copyright Radio America
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Social Sciences World
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Episodes
  • Lt. Col. Harry Stewart, USAF, World War II, Tuskegee Airman, 'Top Gun'

    Lt. Col. Harry Stewart, USAF, World War II, Tuskegee Airman, 'Top Gun'
    Feb 12 2025
    Harry Stewart grew up with a love of flying and dreamed of becoming an airline pilot one day. But shortly after graduating high school, with the nation at war, Stewart found himself in in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

    The military needed skilled pilots but would not let black and white personnel train or serve together. Stewart was sent to Tuskegee, Alabama, where he and other black pilots and crew members prepared to serve as fighter pilot escorts for American bombers over Europe.

    In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Col. Stewart describes the training, his first experience in air combat, and the day he was credited with shooting down three German planes. He also shares the painful story of his wingman who was shot down over Europe.

    Stewart also takes us into the historic performance of his team at the Air Force's Top Gun-style competition in 1949, the racism he faced in returning to civilian life, and the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen in transforming American society.

    Col. Stewart died on February 2, 2025, at the age of 100. This interview was conducted at the 2018 American Veterans Center conference.
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    26 mins
  • Col. Allison Black, USAF, Afghanistan, 'Angel of Death'

    Col. Allison Black, USAF, Afghanistan, 'Angel of Death'
    Feb 5 2025
    Allison Black surprised her family by deciding to enlist in the U.S. Air Force after high school. She did it to be part of a mission bigger than herself. After basic training, Black spent the next several years as a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape - or SERE - instructor, teaching service members what to do if shot down, stuck behind enemy lines, or captured.

    After several years of that she became an officer in Air Force special operations and served as a navigator aboard an AC-130H gunship. Shortly after 9/11, she and her crew were deployed to Afghanistan.

    In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Col. Black describes her life in SERE training, making the shift to special operations and the AC-130, what 9/11 was like for her, entering combat in Afghanistan, and how a famed Afghan ally ended up dubbing her "The Angel of Death."

    Retiring in 2024, Black also reflects on the lessons she learned in 32 years of service and what she hopes others learned from her.
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    36 mins
  • Lt. Jesse 'Bud' Alley, U.S. Army, Vietnam, Battle of Ia Drang

    Lt. Jesse 'Bud' Alley, U.S. Army, Vietnam, Battle of Ia Drang
    Jan 29 2025
    Jesse "Bud" Alley was born in Florida but grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. He joined Army ROTC while enrolled at Furman University. Not long after commissioning, he was assigned as a radio officer. After one more reassignment, his job was to make sure radios were in working order for the colonels in the new Air Cavalry Division.

    Because of the radio work and other training, Alley had never gone through an infantry training course or even flown in a helicopter when he was deployed to Vietnam in 1965. Within months he would be in the midst of some of the most intense combat of the war.

    In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Alley walks us through the buildup to the Battle of Ia Drang. He also explains what he saw upon arriving at Landing Zone X-Ray after the brutal combat there. Alley then takes through the grueling march from X-Ray to Landing Zone Albany and almost immediately entering combat there. He also details the hours enduring what he calls a killing zone, and holding a soldier named Garrett Lee in his arms while Lee took his final breaths.

    Finally, Alley takes us on his journey to meet the family of Garrett Lee just two years ago and what that moment was like. He also tells about his trip back to Vietnam many years after the war.
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    45 mins

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Profile Image for Joe B.

Preserving the memory

amazing that you do this thank you sir!
incredible to listen to all of the stories from all of these amazing people!

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