“I Lived A Full Life Because of Him”: A Memorial Day Moment

It’s a simple yet powerful creed: “Leave no Soldier behind.” At the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), every single employee takes this to heart and spends their days trying to find and identify the remains of American Soldiers who have been lost overseas. In this emotional second episode of a two-part series on the DPAA, we speak to researchers Dr. Veronica Keyes and Dr. Dawn Berry to learn what they do to discover these remains and how it’s affected their own lives. And we end with a special moment as we hear from a family member who was finally able to have their lost one returned home. Guests: Dr. Dawn A. Berry, Chief of Research, Korea, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Indo-Pacific Directorate, Research Division   Dr. Veronica A. Keyes, RPA, D-ABFA, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Laboratory   Music Credits: “Home at Last”, “The Faded Uniform - guitar and strings” and “The Faded Uniform - guitars only;” Written and performed by Ray Emil Kapaun.   Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!   AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern  You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.    Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

In September 2021, Medal of Honor recipient Father Emil Kapaun was finally buried near his Kansas home, seventy years after his death in a North Korean POW camp. It took years of research and work to discover and identify his remains, and it was the work of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) that made it all possible. This group of researchers and academics have devoted their lives to the creed of “Leave no Soldier behind,” and in this first episode of a special two-part series on the DPAA, our hosts speak with Father Emil’s nephew, Ray Kapaun, as well as DPAA researcher Josh Frank to discuss the process and power of what they do.   Guests: Ray Emil Kapaun, Father Emil Kapaun’s nephew Josh Frank, Research Analyst, Europe-Mediterranean Operations, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency   Music Credits: “Home at Last”, “The Faded Uniform - guitar and strings” and “The Faded Uniform - guitars only;” Written and performed by Ray Emil Kapaun.   Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!   AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern  You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.    Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

A teaser for our two-part series on the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency coming out in June.

On March 26th, a cargo ship slammed into and destroyed Baltimore’s Key Bridge, killing six people, and creating unimaginable chaos. One of the key responders to this event has been the Army Corps of Engineers, led by COL Estee Pinchasin; it has devoted all waking hours to clear the federal waters and to aid in the recovery and investigation process. In today’s episode, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with COL Pinchasin to discuss what she and her team have focused on in the recovery efforts, her first thoughts when the accident happened, and a touching story behind a photo taken of her when she was promoted to Colonel.   Guest:  COL Estee Pinchasin, District Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer, Baltimore District   Has a member of the Army changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!   AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern  You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.    Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

In 2020, Army Special Forces veteran and entrepreneur Ruben Ayala realized that a lot of top military-themed retail brands had become politically polarizing. So, he—along with three fellow vets—decided to create Triple Nikel Clothing, a military and hip-hop-inspired line that embraces community and diversity. Four years later, the company is thriving. Ruben joins hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey to discuss how his mother was his original entrepreneurial inspiration, how the all-black WWII Airborne 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion became the company’s shining light, and how four vets who knew absolutely nothing about creating clothing have thrived.   Guest: Ruben Ayala, CEO, Triple Nickel   Has a member of the Army changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!   AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern  You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.    Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

As a child, MG (Ret.) Antonio Taguba knew his father had been involved in the Bataan Death March – but it wasn’t until the older man’s dying days that General Taguba learned the full extent of it. That conversation inspired him to play a leading role in shining a spotlight on this dark moment of WWII, eventually leading to veterans of the battle and Death March receiving the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with General Taguba to discuss his own Army origin story, the historical events of April 1942, and why he still travels across the country to deliver the Gold Medals to survivors and veterans every year.   Guest: MG (Ret.) Antonio Taguba, U.S. Army   Special thanks to Director, T.S. Botkin, and to Producers, Amanda Upson and Benito Bautista, for permission to use audio clips from their documentary, A Long March. For more information check out, https://www.lfffilm.com/.   Audio Clips Credits: Upson, Amanda, and Benito Bautista. A Long March. United States: Good Docs, 2022.   Has a member of the Army changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!   AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern  You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.    Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

In 2015, five Army spouses at Fort Bliss decided to organize a dress swap that would provide women with gowns they could wear to functions that were often cost prohibitive, like military balls. That swap turned into a huge event, and now the organization, Operation Deploy Your Dress, has a home in thirteen Army bases in the United States and Germany and has “deployed” over 25,000 dresses, saving people over $2M in costs. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with ODYD’s CEO and co-founder, Yvonne Coombes, to discuss the organization, how it helps to brings Army families and communities together… and how aliens in Roswell, New Mexico, played a role in her life.   Guest: Yvonne Coombes, CEO and Co-Founder, Operation Deploy Your Dress   Special thanks to Genevieve Kruger, Volunteer Store Manager, Operation Deploy Your Dress, who is featured in the introduction to this episode.   Has a member of the Army changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!   AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern  You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.    Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

MG (Ret.) Gregg Martin had a distinguished career, serving in various deployments and eventually heading the National Defense University. But, over the course of that career, he slowly started to develop manic tendencies, which became more and more pronounced, eventually leading to his forced resignation, staying at a VA psychiatric ward, and receiving a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with MG (Ret.) Martin to discuss his book Bipolar General: My Forever War Against Mental Illness, the highs and lows of his career (and illness), and how family and routine led him to a new life of recovery and joy.   Guest: MG (Ret.) Gregg Martin, U.S. Army & Author of “Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness”   Many thanks to our Presenting Advertiser: General Dynamics Land Systems   Has a member of the Army changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!   AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern  You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.    Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

After a career undertaking secretive operations in the Special Forces, in August of 2023, SMA Michael Weimer was sworn into his new position and took his turn in the spotlight as Sergeant Major of the Army. What, in the first six months of his term, has been his most difficult assignment? Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with SMA Weimer to discuss his childhood as an Army brat, talk through some of his leadership theories, and learn how Genghis Khan influenced one of his favorite training exercises.   Guest: SMA Michael Weimer, Sergeant Major of the Army   Many thanks to our Presenting Advertiser: General Dynamics Land Systems   Has a member of the Army changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!   AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern  You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.    Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

LTG Telita Crosland decided at the age of five she was going to be a doctor, and her later studies at West Point became her first official step into the field. Her thirty-year Army career has involved a great number of highlights and appointments, and she now heads the Defense Health Agency (DHA), overseeing the healthcare for almost 10 million citizens in and out of the military outside. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with LTG Crosland to discuss how DHA takes a leadership role in healthcare in the country, to share stories of mentorship… and to review a medically themed poem she wrote as a very young child.   Guest: LTG Telita Crosland, USA, Director, Defense Health Agency   AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern  You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.    Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.