As long as there have been wars, animals have joined their human companions on the battlefield. But a few have served so bravely they’ve been memorialized at the Smithsonian. In honor of these furry and feathered war heroes, we bring you the tales of dogs, cats and birds who went above and beyond the call of duty.
Guests:
Jennifer Jones, curator of mil ... Show More
Jan 2018
Canines in Combat: How the 8125th Sentry Dog Detachment Saved Countless Lives in the Korean War—Rachel Reed
The Korean War is widely misunderstood in the 21st century. Most have a sepia-toned nostalgia of the bravery of World War Two, or the less black-and-white nature of the Vietnam War. But not Korea. If anyone thinks of it, they might think of reruns of M*A*S*H on Nick at Nite or a ... Show More
58m 8s
Mar 2022
EP207: Dog Becomes Best Medicine Through Woman's Cancer Treatments, The Man Who Paints Rocks For Our Veterans and The South Vietnamese Pilot Who Stole A Plane To Save His Family
On this episode of Our American Stories, Stephen Rusiniak’s story about his dad’s dog Benny and his mom Doris. From the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Dog, which you can pickup at chickensoup.com. Hear how Ray Bubba Sorensen II decided to start painting ro ... Show More
38m 16s
Nov 2021
EP115: The Origins of Veterans Day, America's First True Superhero and Our Nation's Youngest Noncommissioned Officer
On this episode of Our American Stories, Anne Claire shares the history of Veterans Day and the many ways Veterans have been honored throughout American history with the use of banners; Vince Benedetto shares the time he explained the importance of Veterans Day to an auditorium o ... Show More
38m 16s
Apr 2023
323: History's Greatest Dogs
Rin Tin Tin, born on the Western Front in 1918, became one of the biggest movie stars of the silent film era. Greyfriars Bobby gained his fame for guarding his masters' grave for 14 years, until the day he died.
Bounce, Admiral Collingwood’s loyal companion, would hide below dec ... Show More
56m 45s
Jun 2022
Seeking Hitler’s Horses: How a WW2 Infantryman Rescued Equines Caught Up Germany’s “Super Horse” Breeding Program
Growing up in the 1930s in Memphis, Tennessee, Phil Larimore is the ultimate Boy Scout—able to read maps, put a compass to good use, and traverse wild swamps and desolate canyons. His other great skill is riding horses.<br><br>Phil does poorly in school, however, leading his pare ... Show More
57m 32s
Aug 2021
Military Cats, Part 1: Spies and Mascots
<p>When you think of military animals, you might imagine horses, dogs and elephants — but what about cats? As it turns out, humanity’s feline friends have walked side by side with soldiers since the days of ancient empires. In part one of this special two-part episode, the guys e ... Show More
39m 47s
Nov 2023
Honoring Our Nation's Heroes
Diane Hight founded Forever Young Veterans in 2006. Her organization grants wishes for military veterans from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. She has honored more than 2,600 veterans by taking them on military “Trips of Honor” to places like Washington DC, Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Italy ... Show More
8m 20s
Mar 2024
426. History's Greatest Monkeys
Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity. More humble, and I believe truer, to consider him created from animals.
A military grave from the 5th century BC was found to contain something extraordinary; a macaque monkey dressed as a roma ... Show More
58m 21s
Feb 2024
The Heroes, Legends, and Liars Who Fought in WW2
Veterans of World War 2 are called the Greatest Generation for their uncommon courage and self-determination. Whether this descriptor is true or part of America’s self-mythologizing during the 20th century is a challenging question, one that Andrew Biggio, a veteran of the wars i ... Show More
35m 37s