logo
episode-header-image
Jun 11
37m 22s

Legacy of a Warrior: Dwight Birdwell

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

As a proud member of the Cherokee Nation, Dwight Birdwell was determined to fight for the country he loved. And his actions on the first day of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam are stuff of legend. But Dwight’s story is also about survival: not just what it takes to live through a terrible battle, but how that survival changes you– forever.


Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Medal of Honor by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
Charlie Plumb’s Unexpectedly Long Mission
J. R. Martinez interviews an old friend of his — Captain Charlie Plumb, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot who was shot down in Vietnam and spent six years in the infamous prison The Hanoi Hilton, right next to Medal of Honor recipient Bud Day. Charlie talks about living with guilt and fi ... Show More
36m 56s
Jul 2
Bud Day: A POW’s Incredible Story
Shot down over Vietnam, Bud Day escaped from a prison camp and ran barefoot and wounded through the jungle. What happened to him over the next five long years is a brutal testament to his strength and heroism. And what his wife did while she waited for his return is proof of the ... Show More
44m 16s
Jun 25
The Endless Fight of Macario Garcia
When President Harry Truman put the Medal of Honor around Macario Garcia’s neck, this heroic soldier wasn’t even an American citizen. Born in Mexico, Macario volunteered to serve in World War II– fearlessly running towards danger. But it’s the courage he showed when he returned t ... Show More
36m 42s
Recommended Episodes
May 8
Why Didn't Cannae Win the War for Hannibal?
Cannae was a crushing victory for Hannibal, but it didn't win the war for him. Why? The answer lies in the nature of the Roman political system, which prioritized resilience, manpower, and the diffusion of authority.Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Ren ... Show More
39m 16s
Oct 2024
The Death of Alexander the Great
The last years of Alexander the Great's reign were a troubled time. The king wanted to keep fighting, but his soldiers were spent after years of campaigning. Then, quite suddenly, the king died, and it was up to his generals to determine the fate of the empire he'd built.Patrick' ... Show More
38m 27s
May 1
Experiencing the Battle of Cannae
The Battle of Cannae was the worst defeat Rome ever suffered, and one of the worst battlefield losses in history. What was it like to be there? We explore the battle from the perspective of a common Roman soldier and try to make sense of the unexplainable.Patrick's book is now av ... Show More
37m 11s
Apr 24
The Joe Rogan Intervention
The world's most famous interviewer has a problem with interviewing. Revisionist History is here to help. Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exc ... Show More
37m 13s
Mar 2025
Memorial Day, 2020 | Part 1
Five years ago the entire world watched Derek Chauvin murder George Floyd. What did we miss? Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges ... Show More
32m 58s
Oct 2024
Alexander the Great, the End of the Persian Empire, and the Descent into India
Alexander the Great's campaigns didn't end once he had defeated the Persian king Darius III and conquered the heart of his empire; he went still further, into the vastness of the Iranian Plateau and Central Asia, and then south into India.Patrick's book is now available! Get The ... Show More
40m 30s
Dec 2024
Being a Soldier During the Thirty Years War: Interview with Dr. Lucian Staiano-Daniels
What was it like to be a soldier during the Thirty Years War? I spoke with Dr. Lucian Staiano-Daniels, author of the upcoming book The War People: A Social History of Common Soldiers during the Era of the Thirty Years War, about what we can know of the thousands of men who fought ... Show More
1h 5m
Jan 2025
What If: Alexander the Great had Died at the Granicus River?
How would history look different if Alexander the Great had died in 334 BC? Would Macedonia still have conquered most of Asia?Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by P ... Show More
32m 54s
Mar 2025
How and Why Rome and Carthage Went to War in 264 BC
There was no particularly pressing reason for Rome and Carthage to go to war in 264 BC over the small city of Messana, but one small incident nevertheless sparked a conflict that lasted for 23 years and caused untold devastation. Why did this happen? Was war between the two great ... Show More
37m 28s
Jan 2025
The Tyrants of Syracuse and the Wars with Carthage
As the fourth century drew to a close, Rome wasn't the only rising power in the central Mediterranean; Syracuse and Carthage were battling for dominance in Sicily and beyond, fighting devastating wars of ever-increasing scale that led directly to the eventual conflicts we know as ... Show More
42m 10s