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Playlist: Veterans Day

Compiled By: PRX Editors

 Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/ttumlin/">ttumlin</a>
Image by: ttumlin 
Curated Playlist

Nov. 11

Below are picks chosen by PRX editorial staff. You can see all potential pieces for Veterans Day by using our search.

Hour+ (Over 1:00:01)

Centenary Edition: WWI Living History Project

From will everett | 01:53:27

Interviews with the last surviving veterans of World War One. Hosted by Walter Cronkite and Will Everett.

Ht-frank-buckles-1-090522-mn-jpg_small In 2006, the original 4.5 million doughboys of World War One had shrunk to a mere handful of veterans, aged 105 to 113.  The World War I Living History Project was the only media project to recognize the legacy and contributions of this passing generation of soldiers. The producers traveled the country, interviewing the last 10 soldiers of the “war to end all wars.”  The award-winning program was hosted by veteran CBS anchor Walter Cronkite and was the subject of a CNN feature .

Those veterans have since passed away, but for the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One, the producers have released a centenary edition of the World War One Living History Project, available free of charge to NPR and community radio stations. The two-hour program is ideal for Veterans Day (November 11).

The opening background segment, narrated by Walter Cronkite, recaps the causes and consequences of WWI through a combination of scripted narrative, recordings of period speeches, and short first-person accounts . The subsequent segments recount the events of 1917-1918 through the voices of the last 10 surviving American veterans, offering an intimate portrait of the veterans themselves, their experiences and their attitudes toward the war some 90 years after the fact.  The program closes with a tribute to the 4.5 million Americans who served in WWI, and the veterans featured in the program.


Hour (49:00-1:00:00)

After They've Served (hour)

From With Good Reason | Part of the With Good Reason: Weekly Hour Long Episodes series | 53:59

No matter how they served or where or when, for veterans, returning to civilian life is a big transition.

Alicia_small

No matter how they served or where or when, for veterans, returning to civilian life is a big transition. Eric Hodges is researching what it was like for African American veterans in his small Virginia community to return home. And: Alicia DeFonzo’s grandfather was a big part of her life as a kid. He was charming and jovial and the absolute best storyteller. But his stories always left out the years he spent fighting in WWII. Late in his life, Alicia finally asked her grandfather to tell those stories and their conversations gave rise to her new book The Time Left Between Us.

Later in the show: After the Civil War, veterans and their families were able to apply for a pension. But they had to prove they were eligible. Sharon Roger Hepburn’s book Private No More compiles almost 60 letters written by John Lovejoy Murray submitted as proof for a pension and kept in his government file since the Civil War. Murray, a Black soldier who died during the war, wrote home about the food, the pay, and racism in the ranks. Plus: Community colleges can offer a particularly welcoming landing spot for veterans transitioning to civilian life. Steve Borden shares some of the ways his college is easing the transition.

Surviving The Bataan Death March (Narration by Jack Doepke)

From Ronald Duffy | 57:32

Narrated by Jack Doepke (Professional Voice Talent; Version One above hosted by John McCain)

Veteran Ken Porwoll’s story recounts his inhumane treatment & riveting story of survival as one of 10,000 American & roughly 50,000 Filipino soldiers on the Bataan Death March of WW II and his ensuing 3+ years as a Japanese prisoner of war.

Porwoll_kenneth_small For Broadcast in 2023

SURVIVING THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH (57:32)

Narration by Jack Doepke
(Professional Voice Talent)

Special Encore Presentation
Offered as a "Remembrance & Tribute to all American Prisoners of War, Living and Passed On, for their Service and Sacrifice for America."

Suitable for use as Evergreen Program:
All narration and interview content in this program depict events that occurred from 1942 - 1945.  There is nothing in this program that would indicate the current date or time it is being broadcast.

Suggested Air Dates:
April 9 - The Anniversary date of the start of the Bataan Death March
May 29 - Memorial Day
June 14 - Flag Day
July 4 - Independence Day
Nov. 11 - Veteran's Day

(Total Program Time: 57:32)
Track 1: 20:51 (Program content)
Track 2: 14:44 (Program content)
Track 3: 20:56 (Program content)
Track 4: 01:01 (End Credits)

One minute music beds at the end of Track 1 and Track 2.

Promos: 

Track 6:  :15 promo
Track 7:  :30 promo 

Program Description
Veteran Ken Porwoll’s story recounts his inhumane treatment & riveting story of survival as one of 10,000 American & roughly 50,000 Filipino soldiers on the Bataan Death March of WW II and his ensuing 3+ years as a Japanese prisoner of war.

Ken’s graphic recall of these events, 80 years ago, told with deep humility and no lingering animosity, captures for listeners the gut-wrenching experience of these soldiers who suffered wartime brutality almost beyond belief.

“Surviving The Bataan Death March” is a story of man’s inhumanity to man—yet inside this story of brutality and despair, are powerful moments of warmth, humor, compassion, kindness and faith.

Ken’s story is testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome all obstacles and endure - told in such a way it symbolizes the story of all 10,000 American soldiers on the Death March.  His account serves as a tribute to all the soldiers on the Bataan Death March who survived this ordeal and the thousands who did not.  (Ken Porwoll passed away, on Veteran’s Day, 2013.)

Comments from Public Radio Listeners about “Surviving The Bataan Death March”
"It was wonderful.  So well done...I hated to get out of my car...." (Edmond, OK)
“…such a fine interview…Ken shared from his heart…” (Berkeley, CA)
“Wonderfully done…program brought tears to my eyes…” (Northbrook IL)
“I was very moved by the program….a powerful piece.” (Wichita, KS)
“This should be heard in high schools….…Tremendous story…” (New Milford, PA)
“It was so good!  I did enjoy it!” (Morgantown, WV)
“I enjoyed it very much…very impactful…I am so glad you do this!” (Moran, WY)
“Excellent!…no nonsense…. sincere…matter of fact.” (Miami, FL)
“That was a dynamic dissertation of what went on…” (Myrtle Beach, SC)
“I was just riveted to the radio!”(Broadus, MT)
“…overwhelming…a beautiful program…Ken spoke so honestly.” (San Francisco, CA)
“Fabulous…Phenomenal….I hated to turn it off, it was so incredible.” (No address given)
“Very moving.  Job well done!” (Fargo, ND)
“Very riveting…excellent…really touching….a powerful presentation…” (La Barge, WY)
“Just outstanding.  I was transfixed…” (Albany, GA)
“A really fine program.” (Knoxville, TN)
“Young people….living history…make them aware…” (Morgantown, WV)
“A moving, moving piece.” (Skowhegan, ME)
“You did a great job!” (Petoskey, MI)
“I really enjoyed this….very captivating…it really grabbed me!” (Moatsville, WV)
“An honest depiction of what went on…awestruck by the story…” (San Francisco, CA)
“I was taken with his account…tribute to Ken and the human spirit…” Morgantown, WV)
“Wonderful project!  Powerful presentation!” (Larkspur, CA 94939)
“Excellent program!” (Galeton, PA 16922

2022 American Veteran (Series)

Produced by American Homefront Project

In commemoration of Veteran’s Day, the American Homefront Project collaborated with the PBS documentary series "American Veteran" to profile men and women who have served in the U.S. military.

Most recent piece in this series:

American Veteran: For a World War II navigator, the Army provided a sense of purpose

From American Homefront Project | Part of the 2022 American Veteran series | 04:00

Edward_field__from_insignia_films_interview_small

In commemoration of Veterans Day, the American Homefront Project collaborated with the PBS documentary series American Veteran and the companion podcast, American Veteran: Unforgettable Stories, to profile men and women who have served in the U.S military.

Growing up gay and Jewish in Long Island, New York, Edward Field never felt like he fit in. He remembers neighborhood kids beat him up every day on the way to school and back.

It wasn’t until he joined the Army during World War II that he found a sense of belonging and purpose.

“The military was cosmopolitan,” he recalled with a chuckle. “I escaped from a world I didn’t like to a world I did.”

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps and discovered twin passions: a love of poetry and a love of flying. As a navigator, he flew 27 missions over Germany, relishing the excitement of combat despite the danger. Field shared the story of his crash landing in the North Sea and the act of altruism that saved his life.

Edward Field was recorded by Insignia Films for GBH Boston. For more on American Veteran, visit pbs.org/americanveteran.

This excerpt was produced by the American Homefront Project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans.Funding comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Veterans Appreciation Music Mix - Hour 1

From Paul Ingles | Part of the 10,000 Good Songs series | 59:00

For on or near VETERAN'S DAY or MEMORIAL DAY, or most any time, a carefully curated hour of music for and about veterans, appreciating their sacrifice and empathizing with their turmoil. Host Paul Ingles presents songs from Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Guy Clark, Judy Collins, Mary Gauthier and many more in this heart-felt salute to veterans of all wars. ( AN OPTIONAL SECOND HOUR WILL BE ADDED TO PRX BEFORE EOD 11/4/22.)

20221104_123446_small For on or near VETERAN'S DAY or MEMORIAL DAY, or most any time, a carefully curated hour of music for and about veterans, appreciating their sacrifice and empathizing with their turmoil.  Host Paul Ingles presents songs from Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Judy Collins, Mary Gauthier and many more in this heart-felt salute to veterans of all wars.  

PLAYLIST:

OPEN THEME:  Veteran's Day - Billy & Bryn Bright (Instrumental)

Johnny Come Lately - Steve Earle

The Veteran - Mike Dean

Two Soldiers Coming Home - Lori McKenna

Heroes - Guy Clark

Veteran's Day - The Tom Russell Band

Veteran's Prayer - Ray McDonell (Bakcground Instrumental)

The Ballad Of Ira Hayes - Johnny Cash

Veteran's Song - Delbert Blackhorse

Veteran's' Day - Stephen Bennett

Stronger Together - Mary Gauthier

I'm A Soldier at War - Freebo

Devils and Dust - Bruce Springsteen

Honor - Ghosts of the American Road

Veteran's Day - Judy Collins (feat. Kenny White)

My Soul (Soldier's Release) - The Subdudes

Find The Cost of Freedom - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Veterans Appreciation Music Mix - Hour 2

From Paul Ingles | Part of the 10,000 Good Songs series | 59:00

For on or near VETERAN'S DAY or MEMORIAL DAY, or most any time, a second carefully curated hour of music for and about veterans, appreciating their sacrifice and empathizing with their turmoil. Host Paul Ingles presents songs from John Prine, Shania Twain, Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Mary Gauthier and many more in this continuation of a heart-felt salute to veterans of all wars. ( HOUR 1of 2 is at PRX here; https://exchange.prx.org/pieces/446532-veteran-s-appreciation-music-mix-hour-1 )

45th_division_roadblock__battle_of_the_bulge2_small For on or near VETERAN'S DAY or MEMORIAL DAY, or most any time, a second carefully curated hour of music for and about veterans, appreciating their sacrifice and empathizing with their turmoil.  Host Paul Ingles presents songs from John Prine, Shania Twain, Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Mary Gauthier and many more in this continuation of a heart-felt salute to veterans of all wars.

PLAYLIST:

Veterans Day 3:10 Larry Murante from Patch of Sky

Veteran's Day 6:09 Stephen Bennett from Still On the Line (Instrumntal Background Throughout Program)

Got Your Six 2:39 Mary Gauthier from Rifles and Rosary Beads
  
Brothers 2:50 Mary Gauthier from Rifles and Rosary Beads

Still on the Ride 5:04 Mary Gauthier from Rifles and Rosary Beads
Veteran's Day 4:01 Parker MacDonell from The Present Tense 
Veterans Day 4:35 Well Strung from 13 Crows 

Drive On 2:24 Willie Nelson & Johnny Cash Storytellers [Live]

El Corrido de Daniel Fernandez   2:30   Los Reyes de Alburquerque (single)
Born In The U.S.A. [Live] 4:45 Bruce Springsteen from Springsteen On Broadway
Sam Stone 4:17 John Prine from Prime Prine: The Best Of John Prine

Home To Houston 2:41 Steve Earle from The Revolution Starts Now

Last Jazz (poem) by Samantha Scalamaro

Soldier  3:00  Shania Twain from NOW

The Afghanistan Papers

From The Washington Post | 53:54

After a three-year legal battle, The Post obtained hundreds of records of candid interviews assessing the war in Afghanistan and its failures.

PRX worked with The Post to turn their podcast on The Afghanistan Papers into a radio special, with broadcast-exclusive reactions from veterans.

Afghanistanpaperspodcast__1__small After a three-year legal battle, The Post obtained hundreds of records of candid interviews assessing the war in Afghanistan and its failures. PRX worked with The Post to turn their podcast on The Afghanistan Papers into a radio special, with broadcast-exclusive reactions from veterans.

Conversations with Veterans

From WHYY | Part of the The Pulse Specials series | 59:00

There are 19 million veterans in the U.S. who have served in the armed forces. For many, the military gave them a sense of shared purpose, a strong connection to their comrades. But that community often disappears when they get out of the service, leaving many feeling alone, or misunderstood. On top of that, many veterans suffer with lingering health challenges, both visible and invisible. On this episode, we talk to veterans about what they experienced, and what they want other people to know. We hear stories about one woman’s struggle to get help for her PTSD, how Shakespeare is helping veterans transition back to civilian life, and some of the health effects that come with combat.

3000x3000_itunes_thepulse_1_small PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

Health system 'designed for men'
Combat Veteran Ray Christian interviews a female veteran, Jessica Ian Jenkins, about her experiences at VA health centers. She was seeking treatment for PTSD, but says she only got help after it was almost too late.
Off the battlefield, many veterans face a new foe: damaged hearing
Dave Schible is one of millions of veterans who suffers from tinnitus and hearing loss. Tinnitus is the most common service-connected disability, the VA says. More than 2 million veterans get compensation for it.
Healing through verse
The transition from military service back into society can be challenging. One military veteran is trying to make that process easier using an unlikely approach — Shakespeare. Nichole Currie reports on a program that taps into verse for healing trauma, it’s called De-Cruit.
Health inequities at the VA
Utibe Essien — a core investigator with the VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion in Pittsburgh — explains how and why race-based health disparities exist in a system designed to provide equal health care to all veterans.
'Take Motrin, drink water, and change your socks'
We talk with Zachary Bell, the former Marine who started Veteran with a Sign — a popular Instagram account that features everything from inside jokes to very serious messages about mental health on cardboard signs.
From combat to college
Former Navy SEAL James Hatch talks about his unique transition from warfighter to Yale freshman. His book is “Touching the Dragon: And Other Techniques for Surviving Life's Wars.”

Humankind Evergreen EV #237: Helping Vets Heal from War(Pts 1 & 2)

From Humankind | 59:00

SEGMENT 1: In time for Veterans Day weekend, we hear profiles of American soldiers who, after military service, returned home to face another battle – the effects of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
SEGMENT 2: We hear from veterans who wrestle with “moral injury,” which occurs after a violation of conscience, based on events they witnessed or participated in while on military duty.

Humankindimage_100_larger_small

SEGMENT 1: In time for Veterans Day weekend, we hear profiles of American soldiers who, after military service, returned home to face another battle – the effects of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

SEGMENT 2: We hear from veterans who wrestle with “moral injury,” which occurs after a violation of conscience, based on events they witnessed or participated in while on military duty.

Songwriting To Heal Soldiers' Trauma

From Good Radio Shows, Inc. | Part of the Peace Talks Radio: Weekly Hour Long Episodes series | 59:00

On her 2018 album project, "Rifles & Rosary Beads", singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier shares the stories of American veterans by writing the songs with them. Gauthier collaborated with the nonprofit "Songwriting With: Soldiers" to co-write the album's 11 tracks with veterans and their families.

Mary-gauthier-and-joshua-geartz_small On her 2018 album project, "Rifles & Rosary Beads", singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier shares the stories of American veterans by writing the songs with them. Gauthier collaborated with the nonprofit "Songwriting With: Soldiers" to co-write the album's 11 tracks with veterans and their families.  She talks about how the experience seemed to help the vets to heal their trauma and serve as a humbling inspiration for herself.  Two seemingly disparate sides came together to make great art.   Paul Ingles hosts.   

Getting Into Vietnam (hour version)

From With Good Reason | Part of the WGR Special Series series | 53:57

In the first episode of With Good Reason’s new documentary series on the Vietnam War, historians Fred Turner and Wilbur J. Scott explore how the self-image of America was shattered in Vietnam, and we hear the first-hand accounts of veterans’ return to America after the trauma of conflict. Part of a four-part series.

Vietnam_wings_painting_small In the first episode of With Good Reason’s new documentary series on the Vietnam War, historians Fred Turner and Wilbur J. Scott explore how the self-image of America was shattered in Vietnam, and we hear the first-hand accounts of veterans’ return to America after the trauma of conflict. Then, historian Christian Appy tells the story of the draft -- who it ensnared, who escaped, and the trauma it left on a generation of Americans.

We've Never Been The Same: A War Story

From Atlantic Public Media | Part of the The Transom Radio Specials series | 53:28

We've Never Been The Same: A War Story is the story of one night of battle and the decades of recovery that followed. Produced by Adam Piore and Jay Allison.

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All wars are the same, it is said; only the scenery changes. And the repercussions are pretty much the same too.

Over the course of five years, Adam Piore gathered the stories of the surviving members of Delta Company, a Vietnam-era paratrooper unit; Jay Allison joined him for the last two years when it turned from a book into a radio story. We’re proud now to feature the finished hour on Transom and here at PRX.

At Fort Campbell before deployment, Delta was a ragtag bunch, the “leftovers” as one of their fellow soldiers put it, but on the night of March 18th, 1968, they became heroes. Their leader received the Medal of Honor and two others were awarded the nation’s second highest honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, for their valor that night when the company endured a long and devastating battle—not as long or as devastating, however, as the years that followed, after the men of Delta Company came home separately to live alone with the memories.

Adam Piore became dedicated to this group of guys and to their common story of trauma, guilt, courage, heartbreak, and reunion. This is Adam’s first work for radio and his notes about the transition from print are at Transom. You’re invited to come talk with him about his process or the finished work and to see archival photos.



Produced by:

Adam Piore has spent the last two decades writing for newspapers and magazines, covering everything from the U.S. Congress to the aftermath of genocide to the War in Iraq. You can read some of his recent work at adampiore.com.

Jay Allison is variously the founder, collaborator, and producer of The Moth Radio Hour, This I Believe, Lost & Found SoundTransom.orgPRX.org, and WCAI on Cape Cod where he lives. He has created hundreds of documentaries and has received six Peabody Awards. More at jayallison.com


Transom.org  channels new work and voices to public radio, with a focus on the power of story, and on the mission of public media in a changing media environment. Transom won the first Peabody Award ever granted exclusively to a website. Transom.org is a project of Atlantic Public Media which runs the Transom Story Workshops and founded WCAI, the public radio station in Woods Hole, Mass.

Support for this work comes from National Endowment for the Arts 
 
National Endowment for the Arts    

Coming Home: Stories of Veterans Returning from War

From Al Letson | Part of the State of the Re:Union: Season Three series | 53:53

More than two million veterans have come home so far from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. For returning veterans, reintegrating into society can be a challenge. How do you find your place, when you’ve changed and the people you love don’t recognize you? When that old life is gone and you have to start a new one from scratch. In this hour State of the Re:Union explores reintegration and asks the question: how do you come back home from war?

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State of the Re:Union
Coming Home: Stories of Veterans Returning from War

Host: Al Letson
Producers: Laura Starecheski and Sara Wood

More than two million veterans have come home so far from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  For returning veterans, reintegrating into society can be a challenge.   How do you find your place, when you’ve changed and the people you love don’t recognize you? When that old life is gone and you have to start a new one from scratch.  In this hour State of the Re:Union explores reintegration and asks the question: how do you come back home from war?

Billboard (:59)
Incue: From PRX and WJCT
Outcue: But first, this news.

News Hole: 1:00-6:00

SEGMENT A (12:29)
Incue: From WJCT in Jacksonville, Florida
Outcue: PRX-dot-ORG

A-1.  Riley and Monica’s Book
Riley Sharbonno has been home from Iraq for years now.  But he has always had a hard time finding the words to explain his war experience to people close to him.  When a college friend and artist Monica Haller starting asking him—really asking—what Iraq had been like, the words finally came to him.  The product of their conversations was a book that would change the conversation in Riley’s family, and lead Monica to work with veterans across the country.  

SEGMENT B (18:59)
Incue: I'm Al Letson
Outcue: That's ahead on State of the Re:Union

B-1.  What Happened to Jeremiah
In State of the Re:Union’s Wyoming episode, listeners met Iraq War veteran and aspiring country music star Jeremiah Eaton.  Back then, Jeremiah’s future looked promising.  But in this follow-up interview with host Al Letson, we learn that buried psychological wounds have left Jeremiah in a dark place.    

B-2. Sweat Lodge
From Salt Lake City, Utah, State of the Re:Union editor and co-creator Taki Telonidis brings us the story of a group of veterans from different wars who find healing in a very old tradition.

SEGMENT C (18:59)
Incue: You're listening to State of the Re:Union
Outcue: to bring them back together. (music tail)

C-1. Team Semper Fi
We follow the action as a team of injured Marines competes in a triathlon, discovering that just as in war, they must rely on each other to survive.

C-2. When War Comes Home
When Pamela Stokes Eggleston met her husband Charles, she lived strictly in the civilian world. Until 9/11, when everything changed.  Charles was deployed in the first year of the Iraq War in 2003 as a sniper, Special Forces.  Today, he’s a wounded warrior, the only survivor in his unit after an IED blast in Mosul in 2005.  And Pamela is a military spouse and a caregiver.  Host Al Letson talks to her about how their lives have changed—and what it means to be a military family in America today. 

C-3.  Wrap-up / Montage
Al reflects on the ways that American society sees its veterans, and closes the episode with a montage of the voices of veterans and the people close to them.  

PROGRAM OUT @ 59:00

Coming Home is available on PRX without charge to all public radio stations, and may be aired an unlimited number of times prior to January 31, 2017. The program may be streamed live on station websites but not archived. Excerpting is permitted for promotional purposes only. 

State of the Re:Union is presented by WJCT and distributed by PRX.  Major funding for the State of the Re:Union comes from CPB, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Delores Barr Weaver Fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.

Thanks for your consideration of State of the Re:Union with Al Letson. 

 

In Honor of Veterans

From Western Folklife Center Media | 53:07

This Veterans' Day program pays tribute to America's fighting men and women through first-hand accounts of battle, as well as music and poetry that draw inspiration from the experience of war.

Default-piece-image-2 Voices of the West: Veterans' Day pays tribute to the fighting men and women of America's armed forces through story, music and poetry. Highlights of our feature include archival recordings made on the battlefield by World War II jouranlist Alvin Josephy, an interview with the first woman to serve in the US marine corps, and a Native American comedian and singer who channels his experiences as a marine into his jokes and songs. "The moving, sincere, and startling moments in this program add up to a remarkable tribute to that whole class of undersung men and women.” Dick Cavett Talk Show Host


Half-Hour (24:00-30:00)

The War in the Air

From Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | 26:03

It's the 100th anniversary of World War One. CBC Radio presents The War in the Air. At the start of the war generals publicly stated their disdain for airplanes. As Canada's Minister of Militia put it, "If I want to see where the enemy is, I'll climb a tree." Before long, thousands of flimsy warplanes were in the sky.

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This porgram draws on a large archive of eye witness testimony - over 200 interviews with veterans of World War One recorded by CBC radio half a century ago to mark the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the war. 
 
The soldiers' stories give us rare and vivid accounts of what it was like to be a front line partipant in this horrific conflict.   They were aired once - in 1964 - and have been in the CBC's archives ever since.
 
Now we're bringing these lost voices back - together with readings from documents, war diaries and poetry from that time.

Mothers and Sons

From Marjorie Van Halteren | 26:44

Mothers and Sons is a double portrait of the German sculptor Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945), who created "The Grieving Parents," a moving memorial to her son who died in WWI, and the contemporary German-American sculptor Suse Lowenstein, who created an equally monumental work to honor her son, a victim in the 1988 Lockerbie disaster.

Suselogo_small Mothers and Sons is a double portrait of the German sculptor Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945), who created "The Grieving Parents," a moving memorial to her son who died in WWI, and the contemporary German-Americansculptor Suse Lowenstein , who created an equally monumental work to honor her son, a victim in the 1988 Lockerbie disaster. Both women describe how their work (18 years for Kathe, 14 years for Suse), became a path through their grief, bearing witness to the transforming power of art and creation. Mothers and Sons is a collaboration between Helen Engelhardt, a storyteller and performer, and Marjorie Van Halteren, sound artist. Kathe's diaries are performed by Helen, with Marjorie composing sound and music. Sound recorded on location on Long Island and in Southern Belgium. Mothers and Sons is the third program in a trilogy exploring the themes of war, loss, memory, and regeneration. The two other half hours, "Unquiet Graves," and "Yesterday and Forever, are also available.

The 20th Anniversary of the Lockerbie disaster is December 21, 2008.

Battlefields, Boeings, and Basketball Courts (half hour)

From With Good Reason | Part of the With Good Reason: Weekly Half Hour Long Episodes series | 28:59

The war in Vietnam touched many different lives, in many different ways. This special Veteran's Day episode of With Good Reason shares memories of several soldiers, a flight attendant, and more.

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The war in Vietnam touched many different lives, in many different ways. This special Veteran's Day episode of With Good Reason shares memories from an NBA All-Star who played pickup games with the troops in the jungle; a soldier who navigated the Mekong Delta in a patrol boat while his baby daughter was born back home; a flight attendant who firmly told the soldiers, "See you on the way back"; and a young marine whose life was saved by the sacrifice of a friend.

An American Life

From Erica Heilman | Part of the Rumble Strip Vermont series | 31:50

A story about war and hairdressing.

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Vaughn Hood was a 118-pound barber when he was drafted into the Vietnam War. And in Vaughn’s war, most men didn’t survive their first three-month tour.

Now Vaughn Hood runs a hair salon in St. Johnsbury with his wife, Bev. For a couple days, I sat and talked with him in the back of his salon. We talked about war, about hard work, about survival, and hairdressing.

Here is the story of an extraordinary American life.

Transforming the Trauma: Soldiers Stories

From Making Contact | Part of the Making Contact series | 29:00

Two generations of veterans cope with PTSD—looking to heal themselves and heal the world. Featuring S. Brian Wilson, author of “Blood on the Tracks”

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Like many soldiers returning home from Vietnam, former Air Force captain S. Brian Willson became a peace activist.  One day in 1987, when he lost his legs during a protest against a shipment of weapons, it only strengthened his resolve.  It was his way of dealing with what he experienced at war…and now thousands of new veterans are trying to find their way.  On this edition, two generations of veterans cope with PTSD—looking to heal themselves and heal the world.

Special thanks to KALW radio, KPFA radio and Rising Sand Radio at KZSU at Stanford 

Messages From a Forgotten Troopship (Half Hour Version)

From With Good Reason | Part of the With Good Reason: Weekly Half Hour Long Episodes series | 26:24

In the 1960s, it took almost three weeks to cross the sea from America to Vietnam. Three weeks for young men in crowded cabins, with salt water showers and absolutely nothing to do but think: about home, about the war, and about what’s next.

Bunks_small In the 1960s, it took almost three weeks to cross the sea from America to Vietnam. Three weeks for young men in crowded cabins, with salt water showers and absolutely nothing to do but think: about home, about the war, and about what’s next. For some, it was a roundtrip journey; others never made it home. This documentary shares three stories from and about soldiers who travelled on a single troopship, the General Nelson M. Walker. Through found tape and contemporary interviews, we recreate the troopship and capture the moments outside of combat—three weeks there, and for the lucky ones, three weeks back. Our first story: tanning oil, hillbilly radio, and a typhoon, or—what soldiers write Mom about. Second: a love letter from Vietnam, recorded on reel-to-reel tape. And third: going home again—reflections from a veteran, just months before he died. We’re calling these: Messages From a Forgotten Troopship.

Bracelets of Grace: The Vietnam War Story of Major Stanley Horne

From David Berner | 29:17

The year 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of the POW-MIA bracelets of the Vietnam War era. (November 11, 1970 - Veterans Day.) This documentary is about the lasting impact of those bracelets told through the story of one U.S. Air Force pilot, Major Stanley Horne. In 1968 his fighter bomber was shot down over North Vietnam and his name was then engraved, like so many others classified as POW or MIA, on metal bracelets distributed to millions.

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In January of 1968 U.S. Air Force Major Stanley Horne was listed as missing-in-action (MIA) after his fighter-bomber was shot down over North Vietnam. Soon afterward his name was one of the many engraved on a POW-MIA bracelet. His story and the stories of those who wore his bracelet, not only contribute to the narrative of the impact of those bracelets, but also to the story of how America struggled with the war and tried to heal from the scars it left behind.

The POW-MIA bracelets of the Vietnam War era made a lasting impression on all those who wore them. Millions of bracelets with the name of a missing or imprisoned soldier were worn on the wrists of family, friends, supporters and critics of the war. It may have been the only item - the only common bond - that crossed the tumultuous political divide. 

BRACELETS OF GRACE: The Vietnam War Story of Major Stanley Horne includes audio from the personal tapes sent back and forth between Southeast Asia and Major Horne’s family in Madison, Wisconsin. It also includes recollections from the young California college students who originated the bracelets, those who wore Major Horne’s bracelet, and those who wrote hundred of letters to the Horne family until the major’s remains were finally recovered in April, 1990, 22 years after his plane was shot down.  

November 11, 2010 is Veterans Day and the 40th anniversary of the POW-MIA bracelets of the Vietnam War.

The documentary is available to broadcast in its entirety or in three installments. 

 

 


Segments (9:00-23:59)

The Vietnam Tapes of Michael A. Baronowski

From Jay Allison | 19:17

In 1966, a young marine took a reel-to reel tape recorder with him into the Vietnam War. For two months, until he was killed in action, Michael Baronowski made tapes of his friends, of life in fighting holes, of combat. 34 years later, his comrade Tim Duffie brought Baronowski's three-inch reels to Lost & Found Sound.

Mikeprx_small In 1966, a young marine took a reel-to reel tape recorder with him into the Vietnam War. For two months, until he was killed in action, Michael Baronowski made tapes of his friends, of life in fighting holes, of combat. 34 years later, his comrade Tim Duffie brought Baronowski's three-inch reels to Lost & Found Sound. The Vietnam Tapes of Lance Corporal Michael A. Baronowski aired on NPR's All Things Considered on the 25th anniversary of America's withdrawal from the Vietnam. The documentary shed light on the experience of that war, and, in some measure, of all wars. It used the power of radio to reveal the heart through the voice and to see in the dark. It combined the rare talent of the late Baronowski as a "correspondent" from the front, the compassion of his dedicated platoon mate Duffie. This program struck a universal chord with listeners--with those who fought the war, those who protested it, and those who weren't even born at the time. It generated perhaps the greatest outpouring of response in the history of NPR's All Things Considered to date. The documentary won the first Gold Award in the Third Coast Audio Festival competition. Produced by Christina Egloff with Jay Allison.

Vietnam Bones

From Karen Brown | 10:02

A man tries to repatriate the bones of a Viet Cong soldier that his father took from the jungle, 35 years earlier.

Playing
Vietnam Bones
From
Karen Brown

Default-piece-image-1 This is the story of Dereyk Patterson, a man trying to repatriate the bones of a Viet Cong soldier -- stolen by his father during the Vietnam War. Dereyk's father, Steve Patterson, died last year in a helicopter accident, leaving the remains behind in his garage. As Dereyk tries to do the right thing, he also tries to come to terms with his own stormy relationship with his father, and to understand what would drive a young man to take such a morbid "souvenir" in the first place. This piece first ran on WFCR in Amherst, MA in June of 2003. It also ran on WNPR in Hartford, Connecticut, and WAMC in Albany, NY. It won a Massachusetts Associated Press Award in 2004. NOTE: Programmers can edit out the introduction, and the station-specific outcue.

The WASPs: Women Pilots of WWII

From Radio Diaries | 22:42

In the early 1940s, the US Airforce faced a dilemma. Thousands of new airplanes were coming off assembly lines and needed to be delivered to military bases nationwide, yet most of America's pilots were overseas fighting the war. To solve the problem, the government launched an experimental program to train women pilots.

Wasp_square_small In the early 1940s, the US Airforce faced a dilemma. Thousands of new airplanes were coming off assembly lines and needed to be delivered to military bases nationwide, yet most of America's pilots were overseas fighting the war. To solve the problem, the government launched an experimental program to train women pilots. They were known as the WASPs, the Women Airforce Service Pilots. 

JazzStories: Randy Weston — From Brooklyn to the Berkshires and Back

From Murray Street Productions | Part of the JazzStories series | 12:57

Pianist Randy Weston has seen a lot people and places in his life. Born in Brooklyn in 1926 and served in the US Army during World War II. But it was jazz that exposed him to the most diverse travels.

Randy_weston_small Pianist Randy Weston has seen a lot people and places in his life.  Born in Brooklyn in 1926 and served in the US Army during World War II. But it was jazz that exposed him to the most diverse travels.  Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Ken Druker unearths a live interview with Randy Weston about the people and places that he’s seen in his life — from Langston Hughes and Candido — to Brooklyn and the woods of the Berkshires and back again.


Cutaways (5:00-8:59)

Reflecting on an IED

From Levingston Lewis | 06:58

The producer of this piece is currently serving in the Navy, and he shares the story of a veteran of the war in Iraq. “Getting blown up was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

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Airborne Hero

From Kathleen Polanco | 08:01

A paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division produced this piece. The 82nd is one of the most highly decorated divisions in the U.S. Army, and the producer couldn't full understand what it meant, until she experienced a humbling opportunity that will soon become non-existent for future generations of soldiers.

Cemetary_small During her service in the 82nd Airborne Division, Sgt. Kathleen Polanco despised her duty to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. It wasn’t something she fully understood nor carried with a sense of pride, until she felt the impacts of the Invasion of Normandy.

A war at home: a soldier’s mission against PTSD

From KALW | 08:54

For some soldiers, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, really is a four-letter word. A PTSD diagnosis means you may need treatment for the rest of your life. It can deeply affect personal and professional relationships, and it often comes with a social stigma.

Jeremy Profitt served in the army in both Afghanistan and Iraq and came back with PTSD. Now that’s he’s out, he has a new mission: to clear up misconceptions about the illness. Priscilla Yuki Wilson has his story.

Picture_2_small For some soldiers, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, really is a four-letter word. A PTSD diagnosis means you may need treatment for the rest of your life. It can deeply affect personal and professional relationships, and it often comes with a social stigma. Jeremy Profitt served in the army in both Afghanistan and Iraq and came back with PTSD. Now that’s he’s out, he has a new mission: to clear up misconceptions about the illness. Priscilla Yuki Wilson has his story.

A Veteran's Son Goes to Vietnam

From Graham Shelby | 07:10

Writer Graham Shelby grew up wondering what had happened to his father in Vietnam. Just after graduating from college in 1994, Graham went to find out. Among his most memorable stops: an orphanage just outside the city of Nha Trang.

Duy_small Writer Graham Shelby grew up wondering what had happened to his father in Vietnam. Just after graduating from college in 1994, Graham went to find out. Among his most memorable stops: an orphanage just outside the city of Nha Trang.

Retiring with Dahlias

From Liz Jones | 08:26

A WW2 vet reflects on his time as a marine and his passion for growing dahlias.

Dahlia_small Vic Oder was a rifle coach with the U.S. Marines for 12 years. He served during World War II and retired from the military in 1946. Now 82-years-old, he spends most of his time in the garden, growing thousands of dahlias every year. He talked to producer Liz Jones about his flowers and his service during the war.

The Cost of War

From Blunt Youth Radio Project | 07:45

Weeks after S. Spencer Scott interviewed Lavinia Gelineau about the loss of her husband Chris, a young soldier who was killed in Iraq, Lavinia herself was murdered by her abusive father. A meditation on life during wartime.

Default-piece-image-1 Blunt Youth Radio Project producer S. Spencer Scott interviewed Lavinia Gelineau about the loss of her husband Chris, a young soldier who was recently killed in Iraq. Weeks later Lavinia Gelineau was murdered by her abusive father. Scott deftly weaves the two tragedies together in a thoughtful commentary about the cost of war. Versions of this feature originally aired on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network and on WMPG's Blunt in Portland, ME.

Green Army Hat

From Littleglobe | 05:17

A student at United World College, Nelson Diaz Monterrosa, worked with Youth Media Project's Summer Intensive 2010 to produce this moving piece about his relationship with his War Veteran grandfather. The piece is at once humorous and touching as it shares Nelson's experience with his grandfather's illness.

2163474742_5c02f35e86_m_small A student at United World College, Nelson Diaz Monterrosa, worked with Youth Media Project's Summer Intensive 2010 to produce this moving piece about his relationship with his War Veteran grandfather.  The piece is at once humorous and touching as it shares Nelson's experience with his grandfather's illness.

Mothers in Uniform

From KRCC-FM | 05:42

Eric Whitney talks to military mothers who are deployed in Iraq.

Westernskieslogoprx_small Eric Whitney talks to military mothers who are deployed in Iraq. They tell us what it's like to be serving their country far away from their children.


Drop-Ins (2:00-4:59)

American Veteran 2021 (Series)

Produced by American Homefront Project

In commemoration of Veteran’s Day, the American Homefront Project collaborated with the PBS documentary series "American Veteran" to profile men and women who have served in the U.S. military.

Most recent piece in this series:

American Veteran: She joined the Army to learn to cook. She ended up a prisoner of war

From American Homefront Project | Part of the American Veteran 2021 series | 04:00

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Army Specialist Shoshana Johnson was traveling in a convoy in Iraq in 2003 when her vehicle was attacked. Iraqi forces killed 11 soldiers in her company and captured six, including Johnson. She was held for 22 days, becoming the first Black female prisoner of war in American history.

The physical and psychological trauma of that experience stayed with her for years.

“I remember sometimes my Dad would be like, ‘I want the daughter I gave the Army,’” she said. “And I was like, she’s dead and gone, Dad.”

Once her family convinced her to seek treatment for PTSD, she found a supportive the community of care among other veterans. Johnson shared the story of her capture and rescue, and how she came to terms with her experience in the years that followed.

Under pressure from Congress, some states are making it easier for overseas troops to vote

From American Homefront Project | 03:43

States are mailing absentee ballots sooner and - in a few places - letting troops cast ballots online. Still, voter turnout among military personnel lags the general population.

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This year’s midterm elections come ten years after Congress passed new laws and some states adopted more technology to make it easier for military members to vote, and that’s having a positive effect on getting troops' ballots counted.

In the 2008 election, 91% of all absentee ballots from civilians were returned successfully, but only 50% of absentee ballots from overseas military members were counted.

That led Congress to pass a law that set requirements for states and their voting authorities – usually counties – to make voting easier for military members. The measures require ballots to be ready 45 days before an election.

“The primary purpose for that was to allow the state to get an absentee ballot overseas, give the person time to fill it out, and then have it mailed home,” said Donald Inbody, a Navy Veteran and the author of The Soldier Vote: War, Politics, and the Ballot in America. 

Inbody said lead time is important, especially because states are very inconsistent on when ballots have to be returned.

“Some states allow ballots to come back 10 days after the election, others require it to be there the day before or the day of the election,” Inbody said. “It’s a confusion of rules that make it difficult for the average soldier or sailor to get it figured out.”

The 2010 election saw an almost immediate improvement, with only 33% of overseas ballots coming back too late. But a Congressional committee found that number still too high.

Nowadays, states are supposed to mail paper ballots sooner. And a handful have implemented online voting for overseas troops. Missouri features an online portal that allows troops to receive and submit their ballots electronically.

“If a military or overseas voter is in a hostile zone, they can utilize the portal to return their ballot," said Chrissy Peters, Missouri’s Director of Elections. "If they are choosing to receive their ballot via email, they can return it with that method as well."

While not all states go to that length to help military members vote, the latest numbers show the percentage of military absentee ballot rejections is down to single digits.

Making it easier for military members to vote is generally popular among politicians, even among Republicans who generally support tightening voting access for the general population in the name of security.

“Clearly, when someone has been potentially sent to one of the places in the world by Uncle Sam to defend the freedoms of those of us still in Missouri, we need to go the extra mile to make sure they can participate,” said Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.

At the same time Ashcroft has improved online voting access for some military members, he also has supported a more stringent photo ID policy for civilians to vote in person. And he opposes additional federal mandates to improve ballot access for the armed services.

“I think the state of Missouri does stuff better than the federal government. The federal government seems to excel at breaking stuff and wasting money,” Ashcroft said.

While it’s easier for military members to vote, and their absentee ballots are getting back on time more often, that isn’t changing the percentage of service members voting.

According to the Defense Department, 47% of troops voted in the 2020 presidential election, compared to 74% of civilians with similar demographics.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program, which provides resources to help troops navigate the election process, looks to improve those numbers with a variety of programs. It prints materials, maintains an online presence, and identifies and trains voting assistance officers who are stationed at military installations around the world.

“We see that folks that actually avail themselves of either the guidebook, the website, the voting assistance officers have a much higher chance of successfully casting a ballot in the election," said Scott Weidmann, the program's deputy director.

Advancements in access to voting for military members doesn’t exist in a vacuum apart from civilian voting, according to Inbody. He points out that the whole idea of an absentee ballot didn’t exist until the Civil War, when Congress wanted to let soldiers on the front lines vote.

“Using the military, the experience they see in the military to pass those rights on to other American citizens, - there’s certainly historical precedent for that,” Inobdy said.

This story was produced by the American Homefront Project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans.Funding comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The Forgotten 14% – Our Female Vets

From KSFR | Part of the Equal Time with Martha Burk series | 02:30

When it comes to how we treat our veterans,we do pretty well in some areas, but fall down in others. Homelessness is one of the worst. It’s way too high for both male and female vets – and this is one area where women are catching up to men.

Podcastphoto_small Substance abuse and mental illness are leading causes of homelessness for male veterans.  But homelessness for our female ex-soldiers actually starts before they leave the military.  A huge factor is sexual trauma from rapes and other assaults during their service. Because they couldn’t report the crimes, or were punished when they did, many women suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and lose their jobs, family, and homes.

StoryCorps: Denny Meyer

From StoryCorps | Part of the StoryCorps series | 01:45

U.S. Navy veteran Denny Meyer remembers what it was like to be gay and a sailor in the late 1960s.

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When Denny Meyer enlisted in the Navy in 1968, he had to hide the fact that he was gay.

At the time, homosexuality wasn’t tolerated in the Navy and anyone found to be gay would be discharged from service.

At StoryCorps, Meyer recalled what it was like to be gay and a sailor in those days.

WarInVoice Medley

From Bianca Giaever | Part of the WarInVoice series | 03:34

Veterans share their experiences. STATION WARNING: UNBLEEPED swears listed in content advisory.

5901772920_dcffa579e8_o_small Veterans share their experiences

The Decisions Project - 23 - Marriage Before Deployment

From Aengus Anderson | Part of the The Decisions Project series | 03:43

A single mom decides to marry her best friend before his deployment to Iraq.

Decisionsproject_mp3_small During the summer of 2010, producer Aengus Anderson rode his motorcycle around North America and interviewed 220 people about the hardest decisions they had ever made. A cross-section of their conversations are presented here as The Decisions Project.

World War One and Armistice Day

From Lester Graham | 03:45

A look at World War One and the day that ultimately became Veterans Day.

Wwi_small Veterans Day was originally Armistice Day, the day that World War I was to come to an end. Many people are not aware of that connection. This piece looks at one veteran's experiences during the war. He describes the horrible conditions and carnage seen by the troops. The huge death toll (117-thousand American soldiers and sailors dead)is hard to fathom. Too often World War I and its veterans have been overshadowed by the World War II generation. However, in many ways those who fought in the First World War endured a more brutal conflict. This is the first this piece has aired in this form. This length should fit nicely into a Morning Edition c-segment or as an ATC insert.

Henry Nicholas Gunther, November 11, 1918

From Jonathan Thomas Stratman | Part of the Who Died Today series | 03:00

In a cruel twist of fate, Henry Gunther "cheated life" by dying needless on a field in France, in the last seconds of World War I.

Who_died_today_blue2_small Officially the last American to be killed in World War I. In a cruel twist of fate, Henry Gunther "cheated life" by dying needlessly on a field in France, in that war's final seconds. (Also available in a non-date-specific version)