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Walk Among Heroes is proud to welcome four members of the Band of Brothers cast and Scott Gibson from the Pacific cast, for podcast episode 42. Sara Kessel and Jeff Wells sat down with Peter Youngblood Hills (Shifty Powers), Nolan Hemmings (Chuck Grant), Alex Sabga-Brady (Francis Mellet), Christin Black (Walter Hendrix), and Scott Gibson (Captain Andrew Haldane) from the Pacific series, to discuss their experiences filming, relationships together, encounters with the soldiers they play, favorite scenes, and many other topics. The guys were amazing, and we're excited for you to listen. After spending a week with these guys in Normandy for the 79th Anniversary of D-Day, it's apparent how passionate they are about carrying forward the legacy of the characters they play, as well as the history surrounding one of the greatest TV series of all-time.
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For Episode 41, we are providing a recording of Walk Among Heroes' inaugural Night for Our Heroes, an evening dedicated to honor those who served D-Day and the battle for Normandy. Also those who have dedicated their lives to preserving these memories and stories. The evening consisted of a panel discussion between World War II Veterans, Band of Brothers' actors, and Maurice Renaud, son of the Alexandre Renaud, mayor of Sainte-Mere-Eglise on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Guest included:
Local Guest:Maurice Renaud: Son of Alexandre Renaud, President of AVA, Overseas majority of D-Day Activities.
Actors:
Peter Youngblood Hills: Actor, Band of Brothers series. Played Darrell ‘Shifty’ Powers in the award-winning Band of Brothers series.
Scott Gibson: Actor, Pacific Series. Captain Andrew Haldane.
Matt Leitch: Actor, Played Floyd Talbert in Band of Brothers series. Founded a called We Happy Few 506, which leads Band of Brothers related tours in Normandy and other Band of Brothers’ sites.
Peter McCabe: Played Donald Hoobler in Band of Brothers series.
Nolan Hemmings: Played Chuck Grant in Band of Brothers series.
Alex Sabga-Brady: Played Francis Mellet in Band of Brothers series.
Christian Black: Band of Brothers series, and a world-renowned photographer.World War II Veterans:
Gilbert Clarke: Born in Jamaica, Gilbert was one of several thousand volunteers for the RAF. Installed and maintained the new aircraft radar systems developed during WWII.
Reid Clanton: Landed on Omaha Beach, D-Day, June 6, 1944, with the 29th Division. Fought in the Battle of the Bulge and through Germany with the 84th Division.
James ‘Jim’ Kelly: James Kelly landed in a glider on D Day, June 6, 1944, near the village of Ranville with the 1st (Airborne) Royal Ulster Rifles, on the eastern flank of the main landing front. The Royal Ulster Rifles’ mission was to capture the bridges over the Caen Canal and the River Oren and to seal the eastern flank, thus protecting the main invasion from any possible counter attacks by German armored divisions.
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Walk Among Heroes is pleased to welcome Gilbert Clarke. Originally born in Jamaica, Mr. Clarke volunteered to join the British Royal Air Force as a teenager, and was trained to install and maintain radar technology on planes in the RAF fleet. Radar technology was developed during World War 2, as it became necessary to track German rockets approaching London. Mr. Clarke was on the forefront of this technology. Walk Among Heroes had the honor of meeting Mr. Clarke in Normandy in June 2023. Such an inspiring man!
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Walk Among Heroes is pleased to welcome James Kelly as our guest for episode 39.
James Kelly landed in a glider on D Day, June 6, 1944, near the village of Ranville with the 1st (Airborne) Royal Ulster Rifles, on the eastern flank of the main landing front. The Royal Ulster Rifles’ mission was to capture the bridges over the Caen Canal and the River Oren and to seal the eastern flank, thus protecting the main invasion from any possible counter attacks by German armored divisions.
The famous Pegasus Bridge mission was part of this operation. Mr. Kelly was one of the first Allied soldiers to land in France, landing just after midnight on D-Day, June 6, 1944. After the Normandy battles, his battalion fought in the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 and then the Rhine Crossings....and on into Germany.
Mr. Kelly will be traveling with us all week throughout Normandy, so lots more to come! -
Walk Among Heroes is honored to welcome Episode 38 guest, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Harry Baker. LTC Baker, 102 years-old and a resident of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, served as an artillery officer during World War II in Company C, 302nd Field Artillery Battalion, 76th Infantry Division. He arrived in Europe right as Germany was mounting their largest counterattack of the war, later known as the Battle of the Bulge. LTC Baker and his men landed and immediately moved straight to the front lines. After repelling the German attack and eliminating the ‘bulge,’ the 76th Division advanced eastward into Germany, eventually forcing the Germans to surrender.
Following the war, LTC Baker remained in the Army Reserve and finally retired as a lieutenant colonel. As a civilian, LTC Baker had a wonderful career with Sears & Roebuck, and his proudest accomplishment, a 77-year marriage to Pat, the love of his life. An amazing man with an amazing story. We are so honored to meet him and to share his story.
A special ‘thank you’ to Mike Tarr, Louie Schultz, and Coey Podraza, for helping to arrange this amazing meeting. -
Mr. Clanton, our previous guest for Episode 5, joins us for Episode 37 to discuss his upcoming trip to Normandy, Belgium, and Germany in June of this year. This week, we met with Reid and Carolynn Clanton to present their day-by-itinerary. Also, we surprised Mr. Clanton with Mike Tarr's extensive research, which allowed us to pinpoint several dates and locations for Mr. Clanton's major battles during the war.
Currently a resident of San Antonio, Texas, Mr. Clanton was raised in West Texas, where he grew up on a farm in a very poor household, common during the Great Depression. Mr. Clanton was asked to leave home at age eleven, as his parents could no longer afford to take care of him. With only a fourth grade education under his belt, he was hired by a local farmer and was eventually drafted into the U.S. Army. Mr. Clanton was assigned to the 84th Infantry Division (Railsplitters) and soon deployed to Europe.Mr. Clanton landed on Omaha Beach, France and fought through Belgium and Germany, before eventually reaching the Elbe River, where General Eisenhower halted the Allied advance to allow the Russians to enter Berlin. Mr. Clanton fought along the Siegfried Line, where his division punched through the stout defensive line. When Germany attacked during the Battle of the Bulge, Mr. Clanton’s division was forced to travel overnight to Marche, and after brutal fighting, stopped the advancing German forces and kept the Allied lines from totally collapsing. Following victory in Marche, the 84th Division resumed its’ advance crossing the Roer and Rhine rivers, eventually reaching the Elbe.
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We are honored to introduce Mr. George Koch as our guest for Walk Among Heroes Podcast Episode 36. Mr. Koch is our first guest who served as a U.S. Merchant Marine. Born and raised in New York, Mr. Koch (pronounced ‘Coke’) dropped out of high school in tenth grade to join the Merchant Marines. At age 16 in September 1944, he reported to his first ship in New York Harbor. He soon found himself sailing north on the Murmansk Run. The Murmansk Run was a LONG, treacherous journey through German-controlled, Arctic frozen waters, from the United States to Russia, past Norway and through northern Europe. At the time, the United States was manufacturing weapons and supplies to support our allies (Lend-Lease Program) including Russia, in their fight against Germany on the Eastern front. Because Japan had the Pacific blockaded, we were forced to deliver supplies from the Atlantic north of Europe to the Russian port of Murmansk.
During the journey to Murmansk, Mr. Koch’s ship was attacked by a German U-Boat and was nearly hit by a torpedo. Other ships in his convoy were hit. Upon arriving in Murmansk, Mr. Koch was able to visit the city, interact with Russian soldiers and local civilians, and became one of just a few U.S. soldiers who set foot on Russian soil during World War II. In February 2021, Russia awarded Mr. Koch with the Medal of Ushakov, a rare military honor seldom awarded to anyone outside of Russia.
Today, Mr. Koch resides in Rotonda West, FL with his lovely wife of 75 years, Jean.
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This episode features an AMAZING, detailed overview of the Battle of the Bulge and the actions at Bastogne. Johnny, a historian from the 101st Airborne Division Museum in Bastogne, takes us through one of the largest and most complex battles in our history. Bastogne was right at the center of it!
The 101st Airborne Museum is simply amazing. It's one of the best museums we've ever visited. If you'd like to learn more about it, visit:
http://www.101airbornemuseumbastogne.com/
If you're a military or history lover, you will love this. -
Episode 34 features a short conversation with Maurice Renaud, son of Alexandre Renaud, the mayor of Sainte-mer-Eglise (SME) during World War II. SME was the first town liberated by paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division early in the morning on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Maurice's mother, Simone Renaud, is known as the 'Mother of Normandy,' as she made it her mission to identify and care for the graves of fallen American soldiers.
Maurice is President of the AVA (Friends of American Veterans), responsible for planning the D-Day events each year in SME, as well as preserving the history of that fateful day.
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In our third episode featuring Reid Clanton's return to Europe, we're discussing one of the Band of Brothers' most famous missions, the Battle of Brecourt.
Early in the morning on D-Day, Dick Winters led a small group of 12 men on a daring assault to destroy a German four-gun 105 mm artillery battery sighted on Utah Beach. The attack was successful and was later chronicled in the second episode of the amazing 'Band of Brothers' series. How accurate was the account? What really happened? Eric LeBoeuf, Normandy tour guide, takes through the entire battle.
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Day 2 included a journey for Reid Clanton to Bletchley Park in Milton-Keynes, England. We had the honor of spending the morning with Betty Webb, 98-year old British Veteran of Bletchley Park. What an incredible meeting between two 98-year-old military heroes! We all know Mr. Clanton, United States war hero who landed on Omaha Beach during D-Day, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and ultimately helped lead the Allies to victory. Meet Betty Webb, a British Veteran who served in British Military Intelligence and worked at the top secret decoding campus, Bletchley Park.
Comprised of 75% women, more than 10,000 members of the intelligence community worked at Bletchley during the height of WWII. Bletchley was the braintrust of Winston Churchill, and the first computer was developed here. The team at Bletchley Park managed to crack the previously unbreakable German Enigma code, which experts believe shortened the duration of the war by 2-4 years.
On D-Day specifically, intelligence gathered at Bletchley allowed the Allies to understand the locations of German fighting positions along the French coastline, along with other critical intelligence. Most Americans don’t know anything about Bletchley Park. We visited with Betty as she explained what she did here at Bletchley. Simply an amazing women!
Please enjoy this conversation between Betty and our group, regarding Bletchley Park, her daily life there, and the famous decoding operation that ultimately shortened the duration of World War II. -
Join us on Day 1 of Reid Clanton's return to Europe after nearly 78 years.
Mr. Clanton landed in London at 11:00 AM, and boy, did he hit the ground running! He spent the afternoon visiting the Churchill War Rooms, and other sites around London (Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, etc). This evening, we had a very special dinner with Celia Sandys, Winston Churchill's granddaughter.
This episode, the first of many we will publish during our trip, includes a conversation between Celia and our guests, as Celia discusses many aspects of Churchill's life not publicly known.
Thank you, to the following for amazing people for contributing to this episode:
Celia Sandys
Robert Vela
Martha Vela
Tracy Huff
Melissa Starr
Sarah Starr
Julia Tracy
Van Tracy
Mike Denman
Janet Riddle
Mike Tarr
Amber Tarr
Reid Clanton'
Carolynn Clanton
Bryan Chandler
Kathy Oliver -
Don't miss the conclusion of our two-part interview series with Morris 'Buck' Buckman, our guest for episode 29. Resident of Dripping Springs, TX, Mr. Buckman served in the 345th Regiment, 87th Infantry Division. Mr. Buckman landed in France in November 1944. Soon thereafter, his unit was struck squarely by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. After surviving ‘The Bulge,’ Mr. Buckman traveled across Europe, and following Germany’s surrender, his division redeployed to the United States and began training for an invasion into the Japanese mainland. Thankfully, the ‘bombs’ were dropped and Japan surrendered prior to the invasion.
My dear friend Kyle arranged this meeting, and it truly is a conversation between the three of us. This episode will consist of two parts: Episode 29A features Mr. Buckman’s childhood and military service. Episode 29B features Mr. Buckman’s life after the military, his life lessons, and a discussion about my service in Iraq.
Thank you, Kyle, for arranging a meeting with this incredible man, and thank you, Mr. Buckman, for taking the time to tell us your amazing story. As always, thank you Shreyas Ganesh for volunteering your time as sound engineer for this podcast.
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We are honored to welcome Morris ‘Buck’ Buckman as our guest for episode 29A. Resident of Dripping Springs, TX, Mr. Buckman served in the 345th Regiment, 87th Infantry Division. Mr. Buckman landed in France in November 1944. Soon thereafter, his unit was struck squarely by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. After surviving ‘The Bulge,’ Mr. Buckman traveled across Europe, and following Germany’s surrender, his division redeployed to the United States and began training for an invasion into the Japanese mainland. Thankfully, the ‘bombs’ were dropped and Japan surrendered prior to the invasion.
My dear friend Kyle arranged this meeting, and it truly is a conversation between the three of us. This episode will consist of two parts: Episode 29A features Mr. Buckman’s childhood and military service. Episode 29B features Mr. Buckman’s life after the military, his life lessons, and a discussion about my service in Iraq.
Thank you, Kyle, for arranging a meeting with this incredible man, and thank you, Mr. Buckman, for taking the time to tell us your amazing story. As always, thank you Shreyas Ganesh for volunteering your time as sound engineer for this podcast.
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Don't miss the conclusion of our two-part interview series with Iwo Jima Veteran Paul Frederick! Walk Among Heroes is honored to welcome Paul Frederick as our guest for Episode 28. A lifelong resident of Kentucky, Mr. Frederick’s served in the United States Marine Corps, 3rd Division, during World War II. Mr. Frederick experienced combat as a bazooka man and machine gunner on several islands in the Pacific before finally invading Iwo Jima in February 1945. During 30+ days on Iwo Jima, Mr. Frederick lost many friends and witnessed tremendous carnage, in one of the most difficult battles our military has ever experienced. Prior to Iwo Jima, Mr. Frederick’s ship was struck by torpedo, which killed dozens, causing the ship to sink. Mr. Frederick was injured, but he refused to leave his unit.
Earlier this year, Nashville songwriter Jim Collins (writer of many hits like ‘Big Green Tractor’ and ‘Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not’) reached out to Mr. Frederick and asked to write a song about his life and military service. Collins wrote a song for Mr. Frederick, titled ‘Guardian Angels’, which provides a touching account of Mr. Frederick’s life, including his 71-year marriage to the love of his life, Myrtle.
The song can be found at:
https://www.lex18.com/community/positively-lex-18/acclaimed-nashville-songwriter-writes-song-about-lexington-wwii-veteran
This episode consists of two parts. Episode 28A focuses on Mr. Frederick’s early life, bootcamp, and Marine Corps service. Episode 28B opens with the invasion of Iwo Jima, then takes us through the rest of his life, including lessons learned.
As always, ‘thank you’ to Shreyas for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast.
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Walk Among Heroes is honored to welcome Paul Frederick as our guest for Episode 28. A lifelong resident of Kentucky, Mr. Frederick’s served in the United States Marine Corps, 3rd Division, during World War II. Mr. Frederick experienced combat as a bazooka man and machine gunner on several islands in the Pacific before finally invading Iwo Jima in February 1945. During 30+ days on Iwo Jima, Mr. Frederick lost many friends and witnessed tremendous carnage, in one of the most difficult battles our military has ever experienced. Prior to Iwo Jima, Mr. Frederick’s ship was struck by torpedo, which killed dozens, causing the ship to sink. Mr. Frederick was injured, but he refused to leave his unit.
Earlier this year, Nashville songwriter Jim Collins (writer of many hits like ‘Big Green Tractor’ and ‘Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not’) reached out to Mr. Frederick and asked to write a song about his life and military service. Collins wrote a song for Mr. Frederick, titled ‘Guardian Angels’, which provides a touching account of Mr. Frederick’s life, including his 71-year marriage to the love of his life, Myrtle.
The song can be found at:
https://www.lex18.com/community/positively-lex-18/acclaimed-nashville-songwriter-writes-song-about-lexington-wwii-veteran
This episode consists of two parts. Episode 28A focuses on Mr. Frederick’s early life, bootcamp, and Marine Corps service. Episode 28B opens with the invasion of Iwo Jima, then takes us through the rest of his life, including lessons learned.
As always, ‘thank you’ to Shreyas for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast.
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We (Walk Among Heroes) are pleased to welcome Paul and June Benischek as our guests for Episode 27. Paul (93) and June (91) are lifelong farmers who currently reside in Anamosa, Iowa. Paul served in the United States Army immediately following World War II in a Graves Registration unit. He deployed to Okinawa with the mission of finding, retrieving, cleaning, and transporting the bodies of American’s fallen heroes back to the United States. From searching through caves, tracking down plane wrecks, and digging up mass graves, Paul single-handedly processed and returned thousands of bodies to the United States. An incredibly difficult aspect of war, it was a thankless and difficult task, but never has there been a more important mission in war…to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
During this episode, we’ll explore Paul and June’s AMAZING life together, Paul’s military service, and their lives on the farm after the military. A VERY special ‘thank you’ to Rob, Barb, and Denny for reaching out and introducing us to Paul and June. Thank you for your amazing hospitality. We can’t wait to come back and visit again soon!
Finally, and as always, a very special ‘thank you’ to Shreyas Ganesh for your volunteer efforts as sound engineer for this podcast.
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Don't miss the conclusion of our two-part interview series with Mr. Bill Lozano! Mr. Lozano served in the Navy Pacific Fleet during World War II, as a radarman on the mighty battleship, USS Washington. The USS Washington had one of the most impeccable battle records during World War II, providing fire support for invasions in the Marianas, Palaus, Leyte, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, as well supporting the aircraft carriers on their raids through the South Pacific.
Mr. Lozano enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to radar school to learn the brand-new technology first developed and utilized during World War II. Working from high atop the battleship in the radar tower, Mr. Lozano witnessed first-hand the major attacks and engagements by the USS Washington. He also witnessed several Kamikaze attacks and was close enough to witness the horrors of Iwo Jima with his naked eye. The mighty USS Washington plowed through the Pacific, and Mr. Lozano had one of the most unique perspectives of any guest we’ve ever interviewed on this show.
Following his service in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Lozano eventually graduated from Law School and served a long, successful career as an attorney. A lifelong resident of San Antonio, Texas, he appears decades younger than his age, and he stays very active.
This episode will consist of two parts. 26A will feature Mr. Lozano’s service in the Navy, and 26B will go back to his childhood, life after the military, and lessons learned throughout his amazing life. It is truly an honor to share Mr. Lozano’s story. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
A special 'thank you' to Shreyas Ganesh for volunteering your time as sound engineer for this podcast. -
We (Walk Among Heroes) are honored to welcome Episode 26 guest, Mr. Bill Lozano. Mr. Lozano served in the Navy Pacific Fleet during World War II, as a radarman on the mighty battleship, USS Washington. The USS Washington had one of the most impeccable battle records during World War II, providing fire support for invasions in the Marianas, Palaus, Leyte, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, as well supporting the aircraft carriers on their raids through the South Pacific.
Mr. Lozano enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to radar school to learn the brand-new technology first developed and utilized during World War II. Working from high atop the battleship in the radar tower, Mr. Lozano witnessed first-hand the major attacks and engagements by the USS Washington. He also witnessed several Kamikaze attacks and was close enough to witness the horrors of Iwo Jima with his naked eye. The mighty USS Washington plowed through the Pacific, and Mr. Lozano had one of the most unique perspectives of any guest we’ve ever interviewed on this show.
Following his service in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Lozano eventually graduated from Law School and served a long, successful career as an attorney. A lifelong resident of San Antonio, Texas, he appears decades younger than his age, and he stays very active.
This episode will consist of two parts. 26A will feature Mr. Lozano’s service in the Navy, and 26B will go back to his childhood, life after the military, and lessons learned throughout his amazing life. It is truly an honor to share Mr. Lozano’s story. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
A special 'thank you' to Shreyas Ganesh for volunteering your time as sound engineer for this podcast. - Vis mere
