Richard Pittman was legally blind in his right eye—a condition that should have kept him away from the front lines of the Vietnam War. But Pittman wasn't a man who took "no" for an answer. After sneaking his way into the U.S. Marines, he found himself on a trail in the jungle, single-handedly trying to save his brothers in arms.

From a "medical disqualification" to a legendary stand with a machine gun, Richard Pittman’s story proves that true courage starts with the belief that you belong in the fight.

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

Connect with the team! 
Follow Pushkin on social @pushkinpods 
Follow JR Martinez @iamjrmartinez 
Follow Meredith Rollins @meredithkrollins
Email the team: medalofhonor@pushkin.fm 

Episode resources:

US Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War, 1966 by Jack Shulimson (Department of the Navy, 1982) 

Operation Hastings website

Richard Pittman was legally blind in his right eye&mdash;a condition that should have kept him away from the front lines of the Vietnam War. But Pittman wasn't a man who took "no" for an answer. After sneaking his way into the U.S. Marines, he found himself on a trail in the jungle, single-handedly trying to save his brothers in arms.
From a "medical disqualification" to a legendary stand with a machine gun, Richard Pittman&rsquo;s story proves that true courage starts with the belief that you belong in the fight.
Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up and save on the Medal of Honor show page on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/medal-of-honor-stories-of-courage/id1751303783">Apple Podcasts</a> or at <a href="http://pushkin.fm/plus">pushkin.fm/plus</a>. Use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.&nbsp;
Connect with the team!&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Follow Pushkin on social <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pushkinpods/">@pushkinpods</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow JR Martinez <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamjrmartinez/">@iamjrmartinez</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow Meredith Rollins <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meredithkrollins/">@meredithkrollins</a></li>
<li>Email the team: <a href="mailto:medalofhonor@pushkin.fm">medalofhonor@pushkin.fm</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Episode resources:
<a href="https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/US%20Marines%20in%20Vietnam%20An%20Expanding%20War%201966%20%20PCN%2019000308600.pdf">US Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War, 1966 by Jack Shulimson (Department of the Navy, 1982)</a>&nbsp;
Operation Hastings <a href="https://www.operationhastings.com/thecreek.htm">website</a>

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

Sneaking into the Corps: Richard Pittman, The One-Eyed Marine

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7702094c-190f-4f8e-bfd6-b464010c0bb4/transcript

In the early hours of February 3, 1943, the USS Dorchester was hit by a German torpedo in the icy waters off Greenland. As soon as they realized there weren’t enough life jackets to go around, four Army chaplains – a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi, and two Protestant ministers – took off their own and gave them to terrified soldiers, urging them to save themselves. 

We end this season with one of the most moving stories in military history: the ultimate sacrifice of George Fox, Alexander Goode, John Washington, and Clark Poling, the immortal four chaplains. 

Connect with the team: 
Follow Pushkin on social @pushkinpods 
Follow JR Martinez @iamjrmartinez 
Follow Meredith Rollins @meredithkrollins
Email the team: medalofhonor@pushkin.fm

Episode resource:

No Greater Glory: The Four Immortal Chaplains and the Sinking of the Dorchester in World War II by Dan Kurzman (Random House, 2004)

In the early hours of February 3, 1943, the USS Dorchester was hit by a German torpedo in the icy waters off Greenland.&nbsp;As soon as they realized there weren&rsquo;t enough life jackets to go around, four Army chaplains &ndash; a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi, and two Protestant ministers &ndash; took off their own and gave them to terrified soldiers, urging them to save themselves.&nbsp;
We end this season with one of the most moving stories in military history: the ultimate sacrifice of George Fox, Alexander Goode, John Washington, and Clark Poling, the immortal four chaplains.&nbsp;
Connect with the team:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Follow Pushkin on social <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pushkinpods/">@pushkinpods</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow JR Martinez <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamjrmartinez/">@iamjrmartinez</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow Meredith Rollins <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meredithkrollins/">@meredithkrollins</a></li>
<li>Email the team: <a href="mailto:medalofhonor@pushkin.fm">medalofhonor@pushkin.fm</a></li>
</ul>
Episode resource:
<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/96353/no-greater-glory-by-dan-kurzman/">No Greater Glory: The Four Immortal Chaplains and the Sinking of the Dorchester in World War II by Dan Kurzman</a> (Random House, 2004)

Faith on a Sinking Ship: The Immortal Four Chaplains 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e2972f12-2524-46da-96bb-b464013d8eb7/transcript

Joshua Chamberlain had never planned to be a soldier; he wanted to be a minister or a teacher. And yet, when the Civil War began, he felt it was his duty to enlist. He soon became a commander. And in Gettysburg, on a rocky hill called Little Round Top, he gave the order that helped the Union win the battle and made him a legend. But the courage Chamberlain showed in the months and years after this famous moment may be even more impressive. 

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

Connect with the team! 
Follow Pushkin on social @pushkinpods 
Follow JR Martinez @iamjrmartinez 
Follow Meredith Rollins @meredithkrollins
Email the team: medalofhonor@pushkin.fm 

Episode resources:

On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain by Ronald C White (Random House, 2023)

Autobiography of Joshua Chamberlain: The Major Writings edited by Thomas Desjardin (DownEast Books, 2024)

Fanny & Joshua: The Enigmatic Lives of Frances Caroline Adams and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain by Diane Monroe Smith (University Press of New England, 2013)

The War Between the Union and the Confederacy: and Its Lost Opportunities by William C. Oates (The Neale Publishing Company, 1905) 

Abraham Lincoln, Seen From the Field in the War for the Union by Joshua L. Chamberlain, 1909

Joshua Chamberlain had never planned to be a soldier; he wanted to be a minister or a teacher. And yet, when the Civil War began, he felt it was his duty to enlist. He soon became a commander. And in Gettysburg, on a rocky hill called Little Round Top, he gave the order that helped the Union win the battle and made him a legend. But the courage Chamberlain showed in the months and years after this famous moment may be even more impressive.&nbsp;
Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up and save on the Medal of Honor show page on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/medal-of-honor-stories-of-courage/id1751303783">Apple Podcasts</a> or at <a href="http://pushkin.fm/plus">pushkin.fm/plus</a>. Use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.&nbsp;
Connect with the team!&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Follow Pushkin on social <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pushkinpods/">@pushkinpods</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow JR Martinez <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamjrmartinez/">@iamjrmartinez</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow Meredith Rollins <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meredithkrollins/">@meredithkrollins</a></li>
<li>Email the team: <a href="mailto:medalofhonor@pushkin.fm">medalofhonor@pushkin.fm</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Episode resources:
<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/566059/on-great-fields-by-ronald-c-white/">On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain</a> by Ronald C White (Random House, 2023)
<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Autobiography-of-Joshua-Chamberlain/Joshua-Chamberlain/9781684752263">Autobiography of Joshua Chamberlain: The Major Writings edited by Thomas Desjardin </a>(DownEast Books, 2024)
<a href="https://brandeisuniversitypress.com/title/fanny-joshua-the-enigmatic-lives-of-frances-caroline-adams-and-joshua-lawrence-chamberlain/">Fanny &amp; Joshua: The Enigmatic Lives of Frances Caroline Adams and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain by Diane Monroe Smith</a> (University Press of New England, 2013)
<a href="https://archive.org/details/01897724.3053.emory.edu">The War Between the Union and the Confederacy: and Its Lost Opportunities by William C. Oates</a> (The Neale Publishing Company, 1905)&nbsp;
<a href="https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1261&amp;context=mainehistory">Abraham Lincoln, Seen From the Field in the War for the Union by Joshua L. Chamberlain, 1909</a>

Bayonets! Joshua Chamberlain’s Famous Stand at Gettysburg

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0726613c-1346-4c2e-9d55-b464013a4831/transcript

In 1968, Clarence Sasser was a young combat medic thrust into a nightmare. During a reconnaissance mission in Vietnam, his company was ambushed in a rice paddy. Despite being shot in the leg and unable to walk, Sasser spent the next several hours crawling through the mud, doing his best to care for his fellow soldiers. It would be decades before he was ready to talk about what he saw and heard. 

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

Connect with the team! 
Follow Pushkin on social @pushkinpods 
Follow JR Martinez @iamjrmartinez 
Follow Meredith Rollins @meredithkrollins
Email the team: medalofhonor@pushkin.fm 

Episode resource: 

AMEDD Center of HIstory & Heritage interview with Clarence Sasser, 3/23/1987

In 1968, Clarence Sasser was a young combat medic thrust into a nightmare. During a reconnaissance mission in Vietnam, his company was ambushed in a rice paddy. Despite being shot in the leg and unable to walk, Sasser spent the next several hours crawling through the mud, doing his best to care for his fellow soldiers. It would be decades before he was ready to talk about what he saw and heard.&nbsp;
Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up and save on the Medal of Honor show page on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/medal-of-honor-stories-of-courage/id1751303783">Apple Podcasts</a> or at <a href="http://pushkin.fm/plus">pushkin.fm/plus</a>. Use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.&nbsp;
Connect with the team!&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Follow Pushkin on social <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pushkinpods/">@pushkinpods</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow JR Martinez <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamjrmartinez/">@iamjrmartinez</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow Meredith Rollins <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meredithkrollins/">@meredithkrollins</a></li>
<li>Email the team: <a href="mailto:medalofhonor@pushkin.fm">medalofhonor@pushkin.fm</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Episode resource:&nbsp;
<a href="https://achh.army.mil/regiment/moh-bios-sasserint">AMEDD Center of HIstory &amp; Heritage interview with Clarence Sasser</a>, 3/23/1987

The Medic Who Gave Everything: Clarence Sasser’s Longest Night

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f513d23b-e58b-4d67-86dc-b46401166572/transcript

Sneaking into the Corps: Richard Pittman, The One-Eyed Marine

In 1 playlist(s)

Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips