Stand at Ease

There is a pantheon of men and women who have shaped the Marine Corps. Men like Chesty Puller, Al Grey, and Dan Daly – men of iron will and outstandig courageous forged in the furnace of battle. But, who were the men that shaped them into the Marines they were? In this show, Dr. Anne Cipriano Venzon, the daughter and mother-in-law of Marines and a renowned military historian, joins us to give us to discuss her book Leaders of Men: Ten Marines Who Changed the Corps, her list of the ten Marines who shaped the Corps into the force it is now.

Officers in the military are often the butt of jokes – especially those who don’t look upon their role as one of privilege as well as responsibility. This privilege to lead comes from the men and women they lead, who according to our guest, retired Colonel James Sims, can decide at a crucial moment that they just ain’ gonna follow this jack wagon. Colonel Sims was the type of officer, however, who knew this and felt held that trust deep in his heart.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – there are stories everywhere, and often those stories go untold.  Often, the warrior doesn’t think his or her story is that exciting or that important, and the stories hide inside in deep, dark caves to fester.  Clayton Murwin is doing his best to help our warriors find their voice and tell their tales.  Clayton is a graphic artist from Virgina who feels that it’s his personal mission to reach out and help our service members heal.

Mike Farrell -- actor, activist, and Marine – an all around amazing individual joins us in this episode.  After spending just shy of two years in the Corps, Mike went through a lot of the same experiences as many young veterans.  As he tried to find his way in life that lead to his role as B. J. Hunnicut on M*A*S*H and being the voice for so many people who are often not heard he learned that sometimes, you just need to stop and ask for help.

Eddie Neas joined the Marines on his 17th birthday in 1966 and was in Vietnam shortly after his 18th birthday. A few months after he arrived, he was meritoriously promoted to Corporal for his leadership in the battle of Hue. Years later, he enlisted in the Marine Reserves, retiring as a Sergeant Major in 2000. Since that time, he has been active with his chapter of the Marine Corps League, the L/CPL Robert J Slattery Detachment #206 MCL, named for a Marine he was in boot camp with and fell in combat in Vietnam in 1967.

Every war has legacies. Some we talk about – others we try to bury. One legacy of the Vietnam war is the chemicals that were left behind – Agents Orange and White among them. Named for the band colors on the barrels that contained these herbicides, they were sprayed by the ton over the Republic of Vietnam, and to this day, the chemicals are effecting the citizens there as well as our warriors who were in-country when they were used. One of those warriors, Doc Bernie Duff, is doing his best to bring awareness of this problem to awareness.

It’s estimated that there are 67,000 service members and veterans in the United States who are living with spinal injuries. In the United States, the number is upwards of 1.2 million people, and worldwide the number is just staggering. What was once seen as a life-changing event is now, with the proper medical care, more of a lifestyle change. Jim “Jimmy” McCormack, a walking quadriplegic and director of Operation Regeneration, joins us today to discuss some of the changes that have occurred in just the past decade.

Within each of us there lies a talent, a creative spark, that when unleashed can make a difference. Marine Lt. Col. Mike Corrado has just such a spark, and over the past 20 years, he’s unleashed a musical can of whoop ass on all sorts of topics ranging from the responsibility and honor of standing the watch to protect our great nation to recovering from the physical, spiritual, and psychological wounds warriors suffer.

Hollywood (and all of the other movie centers in the world) has a nut for military stories. From movies such as All Quiet on the Western Front and Hell’s Angels to the new crop like The Green Zone and The Hurt Locker, we often see interpretations of what the men and women in the military go through when they are down-range. There are also movies like First Blood and Coming Home that show what may occur when these individuals return. But, how do these interpretations hold up to reality?

“Out of my 21 years in the Marines, I only “worked” for one year. The rest of the time, I followed my passion.” Gunnery Sergeant (ret.) Charles Wolff, “Gunny Wolf” to his fans, of SemperToons joins us in a free-wheeling conversation to discuss of the funny side of the Marinesand the Military.