Warriors in their Own Words

Remarkable stories of war told by the men who fought for a proud nation. Their words. Their voices. Our first episodes tell riveting stories from World War II, then we move on to the Vietnam War and other dramatic conflicts.

Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify

Hostage Rescue in the Philippines: CPT Gene Yu

| S:2 E:144
Hostage Rescue in the Philippines: CPT Gene Yu

Captain Gene Yu is a West Point graduate and served in the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets). He was initially kicked out of SERE school for breaking protocol and ordering pizza during a training exercise- a story that garnered a lot of attention within the special forces community.

Yu was eventually permitted to finish his training, and he deployed to Korea, Japan, Iraq, and the Philippines in the 2000s. He also played a key role in planning Operation Ultimatum, an attempt to capture or kill top Abu Sayyaf operatives.

In 2013, a family friend of Yu’s named Evelyn Chang was kidnapped and held for ransom in the Philippines by Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group. Evelyn’s husband was killed in the ambush. Despite having separated from the military, Yu utilized his special forces skills, connections, and familiarity with Abu Sayyaf to rescue Evelyn. Thanks to his efforts, a group of 80 Abu Sayyaf terrorists, including three leaders, were taken out.

Where to Listen

Find us in your favorite podcast app.

Transcript

Recent Episodes

View All

The War on Terror Begins: LTC Daniel Pace Part I

Warriors in their Own Words | S:2 E:150
LTC Pace talks about his first two deployments to Afghanistan, explaining the intense lead-up, the reality of the situation, their moral difficult...
Listen to The War on Terror Begins: LTC Daniel Pace Part I

The Inception of the Pathfinders: LTG John Norton

Warriors in their Own Words | S:2 E:149
LTG Norton recounts parachuting into Italy, Normandy, & Holland while explaining the inception and development of the Pathfinders....
Listen to The Inception of the Pathfinders: LTG John Norton

18 Year Old Medic in Vietnam: Lawrence Araujo

Warriors in their Own Words | S:2 E:148
Araujo describes serving as an Infantry Medic in Vietnam....
Listen to 18 Year Old Medic in Vietnam: Lawrence Araujo

Pathfinder On D-Day: Pfc. Robert Earl Sechrist

Warriors in their Own Words | S:2 E:147
As a Pathfinder Pfc. Secrist was one of the first men to parachute into France before the invasion of Normandy, tasked with guiding other Paratroo...
Listen to Pathfinder On D-Day: Pfc. Robert Earl Sechrist