VetStory - podcast cover

VetStory

Vet stories are more than just war stories. They're stories that changed our lives, stories of hope, loss, and sometimes the laughter where no one else can find it. This is VetStory.
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Episodes

Are You Ready for Your Next Emergency?

While we're producing the next season of VetStory, we're happy to introduce you to one of our podcast partners "Team Room Talk with Chris Mcphee". Host Chris Mcphee is a retired Green Beret who has some amazing and candid conversations with his guests that range from entrepreneurs to elite military operators. I think you're really going to like this show. Go to ConnectingVets to learn more or go to Team Room Talk with Chris Mcphee...

Feb 05, 20201 hr 22 min

Radio Diaries presents "Prisoners of War"

VetStory is proud to present "Prisoners of War", from the Radio Diaries podcast. This is the untold story of US service members who did time in an American military prison during the height of the Vietnam conflict. *Discretion is advised* This story was produced by Sarah Kate Kramer for Radio Diaries, with help from Joe Richman and Nellie Gilles [GILL-es] and was edited by Deborah George and Ben Shapiro. To hear more stories from Radio Diaries, subscribe to their podcast. Use your podcast app of...

Jan 30, 202023 min

An act of defiance that saved Jewish-American soldiers

In No Surrender, Chris Edmonds tells the unforgettable story of his father, Roddie Edmonds, an American POW, and the acts of defiance against his Nazi captors that saved hundreds of Jewish American soldier's lives. Leave a review and tell us what you think about this episode! Visit us at ConnectingVets.com!

Dec 27, 201916 min

Betrayal in Berlin: A Cold War CIA Spy Thriller

George Blake was a member of the Allied Secret Intelligence Service and one of the most notorious Soviet spies of our time. Author Steve Vogel takes us inside the Berlin Tunnel, one of the greatest espionage operations of the Cold War to tap and record KGB communications, and the spy who almost brought it all down.

Dec 19, 201930 min

From NYPD Cop to Interrogator in Iraq

Christopher Strom's new book Brooklyn to Baghdad tells his story from former NYPD cop to being part of the elite counterinsurgency group "Phoenix Team". Chris takes you on a harrowing journey from stopping terrorists in a post-911 New York to working alongside Special Operations taking down insurgent leaders. All that and more...

Dec 11, 201934 min

Depression: Can magnetic therapy reboot the brain?

Combat veterans can often suffer from anxiety and depression . Whether it's from post-traumatic stress or other issues, Army veteran, Dr. Geoffrey Grammer, Chief Medical Officer and Bill Leonard, President / CEO of Greenbrook TMS NeuroHealth Centers, discuss how electromagnetic stimulation works and if TMS can successfully treat brain regions directly associated with mood regulation.

Dec 03, 201912 min

He Jumped On A Grenade...and Lived! Kyle Carpenter, MoH Awardee

Kyle Carpenter earned the Medal of Honor for his actions in Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010. In this VetStory we talk about his new book "You Are Worth It; Building a Life Worth Fighting For" where he takes us back to that fateful day, his long road to recovery, and why you are worth it.

Nov 20, 201959 min

Bloody Lane ... and Sounds of the Dead

Antietam National Battlefield is the sight of the deadliest day in Civil War history. 23,000 men were killed, wounded or missing in action. We talked about the legend of Bloody Lane and heard actual paranormal recordings shared by researcher Angela Sounders, author of Ghosts in Sight.

Oct 29, 201916 min

The Marine behind the scenes of NBC's This Is Us

NBC's hit show "This Is Us" has shown us the Vietnam veteran's experience. This season it adds a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan. The realism of her emotional scenes is due in part to a real Marine, James LaPorta. We talked with James about his infantry days, the hidden tributes he built into the show, and how he went from combat to become an acclaimed writer for Newsweek and The Washington Post.

Oct 23, 201926 min

Former VA Secretary Shulkin sounds off! From Congress to Cannabis

Is there a plot to privatize the VA? Why won't they speed up resaearch on medical marijuana? Why was he ousted from his job? These are just a few things we asked former Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, as he discussed his new book, "It Shouldn't Be This Hard to Serve Your Country."

Oct 21, 201936 min

Sean Spicer talks "Dancing With the Stars"

Sean Spicer had to do some serious tap dancing as the White House spokesperson. But when we recently caught up with him, it was all fun as he told us about being a Navy Reserve Public Affairs Officer, and a contestant on ABC's Dancing With the Stars. Plus the behind the scenes stories of the incredible veteran charities he's dancing for.

Oct 14, 201919 min

Dakota Meyer: The interview we'll never forget

Dakota Meyer's words are as powerful as a .50 cal! The Maine Corps Sniper and combat vet opened up about; life, death, battle, PTSD and why nobody wants the Medal of Honor. But we were spellbound when he shared his thoughts on "Veteran Suicide". If you're looking for inspiration and somebody who understands what it's like, just click play! Enjoy.

Sep 09, 201954 min

Country Star, Chris Young: Navy dogs, Marines & a Vet friend for life

His "Raised on Country World Tour" is crossing the country and Chris Young takes every chance he can to meet up with military and veterans. After a recent stop at Naval Base San Diego, we talked with him and were surprised to learn about the Marines in his family, his unforgettable trip to Iraq and the vet he calls a friend for life.

Aug 26, 201921 min

Marine Nick Karnaze talks UFOs, Aliens & 'Contact' on Discovery Channel

Former Spec Ops Marine Intelligence Officer Nick Karnaze is on an unprecedented global investigation to determine if aliens have made contact with Earth! He stars in the new docu-series "Contact" airing on Discovery Channel, and on this episode, he shares with us the stories about UFO encounters with Navy fighter jets and an unexplained sound that was heard across the state of Florida. Need proof of aliens? Just click play.

Aug 21, 201941 min

Held captive for 7 years ... #FreeAustinTice!!

It's been more than 2,557 days since Austin Tice, Marine, journalist, son and brother was captured in Syria. Connecting Vets reporter shares with us her conversation with Austin's father Marc and what we can do get our leaders to bring him home.

Aug 14, 201914 min

Murphy's Law: Puttin' "Boots to Asses"

Jack Murphy has been a Ranger, Green Beret, a journalist, and author. On this episode, he shares stories about a character he rarely talks about- himself. We discuss his new autobiography "Murphy's Law", the questionable state of today's Spec Ops community and the global terror threats that nobody is talking about. Get ready, this is one hell of a story!

Aug 09, 201946 min

US Coast Guard: Epic Moments and Badass Heroes

From charging into fierce storms to stopping armed drug smugglers, the stories of the Coast Guard are truly epic. Phi Briggs talked with Coast Guard Historian Dr. William Thiesen and (Ret) LCDR John Hartlove about the history and the real-life adventures from a career at sea.

Aug 04, 201944 min

Twitter Angel: Code of Vets' Gretchen Smith

What started out as a small twitter page to talk politics, Code of Vets now changes lives. From helping vets get back on their feet and find jobs to finding homes for the homeless, Code of Vets founder Gretchen Smith is the Angel of Twitter to many veterans in need. She shares how she built the community that now has over 160K followers and friends in the highest levels of government.

Jul 26, 201927 min

Hip Hop VetStory: Feelin' Good w/ Doc Todd

Combat veteran Doc Todd brings the sounds of summertime to his latest hip hop album. In this interview, he talks about how to "Feel Good", what vets need to remember and how his story got picked up by Diet Coke for a national ad campaign focused on helping people overcome post-traumatic stress and other negative stereotypes.

Jul 19, 201934 min

Voices of Service: Explosive Audition on America's Got Talent

The powerful vocals of Voices of Service earned a resounding "Yes" from every judge on America's Got Talent. Army veterans Caleb Green, Ron Henry and Army Sergeant First Class Jason Hanna, and Army, Sergeant Major Christal Rheams shared their TV experience, how music can heal and how it was with them, even during combat.

Jul 05, 201926 min

David Bellavia: Heavy Metal & The Medal of Honor

Recently Army veteran David Bellavia was awarded the Medal of Honor. We were honored to talk with him and hear about everything from boot camp to the firefight he'll never forget. Plus the untold story of the heavy metal song that was the soundtrack to the battle of Fallujah. David is an incredible vet, with an awesome sense of humor!!

Jul 01, 201937 min

Alternative Therapy: Proof it's working for PTSD

Doctors give antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and even Botox to alleviate PTSD. But Nicole Amelio-Casper, a veteran's spouse and a documentary filmmaker, shows us how alternative therapies are really curing it. And the story of how Army veteran Joshua Mantz survived, after being dead for 15 minutes, will teach everyone a powerful lesson about life.

Jun 28, 201921 min

D-Day Memories: with Ray Lambert, Army Combat Medic

Seventy-five years ago, he hit Omaha Beach with the first wave. We had the honor of talking about it with Army veteran, Ray Lambert. Now ninety-eight years old, his latest book "Every Man a Hero, A Memoir of D-Day" delivers one of the most remarkable stories of our time. In this episode, he recalls his role as a World War II medic who risked his life on the beach, to save the heroes of D-Day.

Jun 06, 201929 min

How to Honor Memorial Day

As we celebrate this holiday weekend we'll bring you 3 people who will teach us how to do it right. Gold Star widow Ursula Palmer shares a love story, Army veteran Ray Lambert shares an epic story about sacrifices he witnessed on D-Day and author Joanne Steen shares her new book and some great ways everyone can honor the true meaning of Memorial Day.

May 24, 201939 min

Making a Night Stalker

Dropping Spec Ops teams onto rooftops, avoiding RPGs and firing 3000 rounds a minute from the helo ... and doing it all in total darkness. Army veteran and author David Burnett shows us the secret world of the Night Stalkers, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and shares his journey from deployments to conquering his demons at home.

Apr 30, 201926 min

The 'Combat Obscura' interview: Insane stories from the front lines

The war documentary Combat Obscura shows us boredom, bullshitting, firefights and smoking hash. The footage came from the video that Marine Corps veteran and filmmaker Miles Lagoze shot while deployed in Afghanistan with Combat Camera. We talked with him about the incredible stories in the film and the friction it caused within the Marine Corps and the Pentagon before it was released.

Apr 23, 201930 min

How Russia is playing us right now

The Mueller Report did not find President Trump guilty of collusion with Russia. Yet Congress continues to argue and the political games continue. Army veteran and author Sean McFate explains that f#ing with America is all part of Russia's master plan.

Mar 29, 201920 min

The World's Deadliest Spec Ops Force

Author and spec ops veteran Dan Schilling tells the incredible story of TSgt John Chapman, Medal of Honor recipient and shares details about the elite world of USAF Special Ops Combat Controllers. His forthcoming book "Alone At Dawn" documents Chapman's heroic firefight against fierce terrorists that saved the lives of 23 fellow warfighters on a snow-covered mountain in Afghanistan.

Mar 13, 201929 min

Harlem Hellfighters: The Godfathers of Jazz

The 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters was a band of brothers in combat. But off the battlefield, with their leader James Reese Europe, they conquered France with their music. We talk with Jason Moran, The Kennedy Center's Artistic Director for Jazz, to hear the story of how these soldiers were the original pioneers of Jazz.

Feb 28, 201927 min
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