logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
36m 45s

Jay Vargas Pulls the Trigger

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

During the worst days of the Vietnam war, Marine captain Jay Vargas led a group of young fighters called the Magnificent Bastards into the Battle of Dai Do. His actions during that three-day period are some of the most heroic – and horrific – we’ll hear about this season. What Jay lived through during those bloody, sleepless days would stay with him forever…but would take decades for him to talk about. On this episode, we confront the grip of PTSD, the power of veterans’ stories, and the way one man’s journey saved lives both on and off the battlefield. 

Special thanks to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Nov 11
Showing Up On Veterans Day
To mark Veterans Day, host J.R. Martinez sits down with producer Ryan Sweikert to talk about what he’s learned from the stories of veterans who have received the Medal of Honor, how to talk to veterans about their service, and the moments that shaped his life, both in the service ... Show More
26m 56s
Aug 13
Carl Sitter: When Faith Led the Fight
The Chosin Reservoir was one of the most brutal battles of the Korean War, with overwhelming enemy forces and deadly weather. Into that fight came Captain Carl Sitter, a pudgy guy who wasn’t even supposed to be there. His inspiring leadership in the face of terrible odds came dow ... Show More
33m 47s
Aug 6
The Sailor Who Escaped Slavery
Enslaved on a plantation in South Carolina, Robert Blake had little chance for freedom. Then came a surprise battle, a bold choice, and a new mission in life: serving in the U.S. Navy. Robert’s heroism would make him the first Black sailor to receive the Medal of Honor. But what ... Show More
34m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
Col. Louis Schott, USMC, WWII, Peleliu, Okinawa
Louis Schott was in Washington, D.C., to play in a college hockey game when he learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He instantly knew his life was about to change. In less than two years, he was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and headed to fight i ... Show More
23m 39s
Nov 2024
413: Clinton Romesha—It Doesn't Get Better
In 2009, Clint was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle of Kamdesh during the Afghan War, which he recalls in his book, Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor, a New York Times bestseller. For Veterans Day, Clint shares his insights into why his outpo ... Show More
1h 27m
Jul 2024
A Black Man (Jesse Owens) and a Nazi: A Friendship Forged in Competition & Courage
On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of United States Olympic legend Jesse Owens' and Nazi long jumper Luz Long’s friendship demonstrates how sports can unite people even in the toughest circumstances. Here to tell the story is the Jack Miller Center’s editorial off ... Show More
9m 59s
Oct 13
The escape from Vietnam that tore my family apart
In the chaos of the helicopter evacuation from Saigon in April 1975, Doan Hoàng Curtis' sister was somehow left behind. It would haunt her family for years. Doan was just three years old when her family made it onto one of the last helicopters to leave Saigon as troops from the c ... Show More
42m 27s
Mar 2025
#180 Major James Capers Jr. - Vietnam Marine Commando Silver Star Recipient
Major James Capers Jr. is a distinguished Marine Corps veteran renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to U.S. military special operations. As one of the first African American members of the elite Marine Force Reconnaissance unit, he led numerous covert missions during the ... Show More
3h 3m
Oct 22
Code Over Country: The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team Six | Matthew Cole (throwback ep)
Original airdate 3/11/22The Navy SEALs are, for most Americans, the ultimate heroes. Their 2011 killing of Osama Bin Laden was celebrated as a victory in the War on Terror. Former SEALs rake in thousands of dollars as leadership consultants for American corporations. And young me ... Show More
2h 36m
Nov 4
Julian Brave Noisecat’s 'We Survived the Night' is part memoir, part Native history
As a newborn, Ed Archie NoiseCat was found in an incinerator at a Catholic-run Indian boarding school. In a new book We Survived the Night, his son, Julian Brave NoiseCat, writes about this trauma in the broader context of Native history in the United States and Canada. The book ... Show More
8m 27s
Aug 4
The Battle for the Philippines
The largest ever surrender of American forces occurred in May 1942. The event resulted in medals of honour for two American military leaders - one who escaped, another who became the highest ranking prisoner of war of the Second World War.In this episode, Don is joined by Jonatha ... Show More
33m 22s
Feb 2025
The Spy Who Infiltrated Auschwitz | Pilecki’s Great-Grandson on the Man Behind the Mission | 4
<p>Krzysztof Kosior was thirty when he first felt ready to visit Auschwitz. But since childhood, he had heard stories of his great-grandfather’s time there, and of his journey from unknown soldier to one of Poland’s greatest heroes. Talking to actor and spy novelist Charlie Higso ... Show More
33m 28s
Apr 2025
#193 John Stryker Meyer - MACV-SOG: The Secret War in Vietnam
John Stryker Meyer is a decorated Green Beret who served two tours in Vietnam (1968-1969 and 1969-1970) with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group(MACV-SOG). Enlisting in 1966, he earned his Special Forces tab in 1967 and joined Spike Team Idah ... Show More
4h 4m