In the waning days of the Vietnam War, two Navy SEALs were dropped into enemy territory for a routine scouting mission. But within hours, Michael Thornton and Thomas Norris would be battling to save their team – and each other – against terrible odds. What Michael Thornton did that day would become SEAL legend…and a lesson in the true nature of courage. 

Special thanks to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library.

In the waning days of the Vietnam War, two Navy SEALs were dropped into enemy territory for a routine scouting mission. But within hours, Michael Thornton and Thomas Norris would be battling to save their team – and each other – against terrible odds. What Michael Thornton did that day would become SEAL legend…and a lesson in the true nature of courage. 
Special thanks to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Pritzker Military Museum &amp; Library.

Awarded for bravery that goes above and beyond the call of duty, the Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest military decoration. On the Medal of Honor podcast, we uncover the stories behind the medal. What those heroes did. What it meant. And what their actions reveal about courage and sacrifice.

In our third season, you’ll hear about people like the French-born immigrant who tackled a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, the Marine who overcame his disability to save his fellow troops during the Vietnam War, and the legendary Lawrence Chamberlain, who left his post as a university professor to fight in the Battle of Gettysburg.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Beginning May 20th, you can binge the full season ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm/plus and use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.

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

Awarded for bravery that goes above and beyond the call of duty, the Medal of Honor is the United States&rsquo; highest military decoration. On the Medal of Honor podcast, we uncover the stories behind the medal. What those heroes did. What it meant. And what their actions reveal about courage and sacrifice. In our third season, you&rsquo;ll hear about people like the French-born immigrant who tackled a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, the Marine who overcame his disability to save his fellow troops during the Vietnam War, and the legendary Lawrence Chamberlain, who left his post as a university professor to fight in the Battle of Gettysburg. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Beginning May 20th, you can binge the full season ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at <a href="http://Pushkin.fm/plus">Pushkin.fm/plus</a> and use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.
Subscribe on Apple:&nbsp;<a href="http://apple.co/pushkin" data-stringify-link="http://apple.co/pushkin" data-sk="tooltip_parent">apple.co/pushkin</a> Subscribe on Pushkin: <a href="http://pushkin.fm/plus" data-stringify-link="http://pushkin.fm/plus" data-sk="tooltip_parent">pushkin.fm/plus</a>

Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage

Courage is Contagious: Mike & Tommy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1ab817cb-d2b0-4e61-810d-b19a00fcb079/transcript

What turns an ordinary person into a legend? Host and Army veteran J.R. Martinez returns with stories of split-second decisions that changed the course of history. 

Hear about harrowing escapes from prisoner-of-war-camps, daring flights to the farthest reaches of the globe, miraculous rescues, and acts of self sacrifice that will never be forgotten. These stories are about what it takes to become a hero and what happens after.

Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm/plus and use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.

This season, you’ll hear the stories of: 
James Fleming: the  Vietnam pilot who flew a helicopter into a death trap to save his men.
Edouard Izac: the WWI sailor who escaped a U-boat and a moving train to deliver enemy secrets.
George Sakato: the Japanese-American soldier who turned grief into a one-man army for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Richard Byrd: The world’s most famous explorer who might’ve faked his flight to the North Pole. 
Florent Groberg: The man who tackled a suicide bomber to save his team in Afghanistan.
Richard Pittman: The one-eyed Marine who tricked his way into Vietnam to hold a jungle trail alone.
Joseph Rodriguez: the  Korean War soldier whose bravery was fueled by his love for a girl back home
Clarence Sasser:  The combat medic who crawled through a flooded rice paddy trying to help as many soldiers as he could.
Joshua Chamberlain: The college professor whose bayonet charge saved the Union at Gettysburg.
The Four Chaplains: Four men of different faiths who sacrificed themselves to save their fellow soldiers

What turns an ordinary person into a legend? Host and Army veteran J.R. Martinez returns with stories of split-second decisions that changed the course of history.&nbsp;
Hear about harrowing escapes from prisoner-of-war-camps, daring flights to the farthest reaches of the globe, miraculous rescues, and acts of self sacrifice that will never be forgotten. These stories are about what it takes to become a hero and what happens after.
Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up on the Medal of Honor show page in <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/medal-of-honor-stories-of-courage/id1751303783">Apple</a> or at <a href="http://pushkin.fm/plus">Pushkin.fm/plus</a> and use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.
This season, you&rsquo;ll hear the stories of:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/james-p-fleming">James Fleming:</a> the&nbsp; Vietnam pilot who flew a helicopter into a death trap to save his men.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/edouard-v-izac">Edouard Izac:</a> the WWI sailor who escaped a U-boat and a moving train to deliver enemy secrets.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/george-taro-joe-sakato">George Sakato:</a> the Japanese-American soldier who turned grief into a one-man army for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/richard-e-byrd">Richard Byrd: </a>The world&rsquo;s most famous explorer who might&rsquo;ve faked his flight to the North Pole.&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/florent-a-groberg">Florent Groberg:</a> The man who tackled a suicide bomber to save his team in Afghanistan.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/richard-a-pittman">Richard Pittman:</a> The one-eyed Marine who tricked his way into Vietnam to hold a jungle trail alone.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/joseph-c-rodriguez">Joseph Rodriguez: </a>the&nbsp; Korean War soldier whose bravery was fueled by his love for a girl back home</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/clarence-e-sasser">Clarence Sasser:</a>&nbsp; The combat medic who crawled through a flooded rice paddy trying to help as many soldiers as he could.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/joshua-l-chamberlain">Joshua Chamberlain:</a> The college professor whose bayonet charge saved the Union at Gettysburg.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/lists/chaplain-recipients?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=18928703474&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAo7H1yS4GTqFIoo5UpN8Kj2O0nYy6&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw-8vPBhBbEiwAoA39WjLuFIbU7buGiPvKa2qJyla9v8_OQNKspYupyTWQb1vsYb0tFcmd1hoCA7wQAvD_BwE">The Four Chaplains: </a>Four men of different faiths who sacrificed themselves to save their fellow soldiers</li>
</ul>

Introducing Season Three

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/65a7f466-6d78-4440-8b4f-b44100ea4de9/transcript

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 and afterward.

Medal of Honor Season 3 is coming on May 27th, 2026. In the meantime, we want to hear from you. We’ve put together a listener survey. Tell us what you love about the show. What we can improve on. Stories you think we've missed. To take the survey, follow this link: bit.ly/mohsurvey

To mark Veterans Day, host J.R. Martinez sits down with producer Ryan Sweikert to talk about what he&rsquo;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 and afterward.
Medal of Honor Season 3 is coming on May 27th, 2026. In the meantime, we want to hear from you. We&rsquo;ve put together a listener survey. Tell us what you love about the show. What we can improve on. Stories you think we've missed. To take the survey, follow this link: <a href="http://bit.ly/mohsurvey">bit.ly/mohsurvey</a>

Showing Up On Veterans Day

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/64abdb4f-3009-4e8c-b842-b3910124a476/transcript

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 down to one thing: faith.

We’re committed to making Medal of Honor even better, and you can help! Leave your feedback for the show by filling out our listener survey at http://bit.ly/mohsurvey

Episode's bibliography:

O'Donnel, Patrick K. “Give Me Tomorrow.” Grand Central Publishing, October 25, 2011.
https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306820447. 

Sterner, C. Douglas, Pamla M. Sterner, Dwight Jon Zimmerman, and Scott Baron. “Beyond Belief: True Stories of American Heroes that Defy Belief.” Independently Published, November 16, 2021. https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Belief-Stories-American-Heroes/dp/B09M57XDCV. 

Hardy, Gordon. “Above and beyond: a history of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam by Congressional Medal of Honor Society.” Boston Pub. Co, May 3, 1985. 
https://www.amazon.com/Above-beyond-history-Congressional-1985-05-03/dp/B01F820WNE. 

Simmons, Edwin H. Frozen Chosin U.S. Marines at the Changjin Reservoir. USMCU, 2002. 
https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/Frozen%20Chosin%20US%20Marines%20at%20the%20Changjin%20Reservoir%20%20PCN%2019000410000.pdf.

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&rsquo;t even supposed to be there. His inspiring leadership in the face of terrible odds came down to one thing: faith.
We&rsquo;re committed to making Medal of Honor even better, and you can help! Leave your feedback for the show by filling out our listener survey at <a href="http://bit.ly/mohsurvey">http://bit.ly/mohsurvey</a>
<hr>
Episode's bibliography:
O'Donnel, Patrick K. &ldquo;Give Me Tomorrow.&rdquo; Grand Central Publishing, October 25, 2011. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306820447">https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306820447</a>. Sterner, C. Douglas, Pamla M. Sterner, Dwight Jon Zimmerman, and Scott Baron. &ldquo;Beyond Belief: True Stories of American Heroes that Defy Belief.&rdquo; Independently Published, November 16, 2021. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Belief-Stories-American-Heroes/dp/B09M57XDCV">https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Belief-Stories-American-Heroes/dp/B09M57XDCV</a>. Hardy, Gordon. &ldquo;Above and beyond: a history of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam by Congressional Medal of Honor Society.&rdquo; Boston Pub. Co, May 3, 1985. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Above-beyond-history-Congressional-1985-05-03/dp/B01F820WNE">https://www.amazon.com/Above-beyond-history-Congressional-1985-05-03/dp/B01F820WNE</a>. Simmons, Edwin H. Frozen Chosin U.S. Marines at the Changjin Reservoir. USMCU, 2002. <a href="https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/Frozen%20Chosin%20US%20Marines%20at%20the%20Changjin%20Reservoir%20%20PCN%2019000410000.pdf">https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/Frozen%20Chosin%20US%20Marines%20at%20the%20Changjin%20Reservoir%20%20PCN%2019000410000.pdf</a>.

Carl Sitter: When Faith Led the Fight

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/522af105-2e5b-41fe-8e13-b32b00efd010/transcript

Courage is Contagious: Mike & Tommy

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Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage

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