Third Squad
Third Squad
In 2011, veteran and journalist Elliott Woods embedded with the twelve Marines of Third Squad in one of the most violent parts of Afghanistan at the height of the war against the Taliban. Only eleven of the twelve would make it home. A decade later—with America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan looming—Elliott goes on a cross-country road trip to track down the Third Squad survivors, to talk a…Social links:
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BONUS: One Last Climb
Camp Pendleton, CA: Patrol Base Fires veterans Manuel Mendoza, John Bohlinger, Michael Minor, and Noah Southworth reunite at their former Marine base on California’s Pacific Coast to place a new memorial marker for their deceased comrades.
43:33
The End of the Road
Asheville, NC: Teresa Bradley still lives in the house where she grew up and where she raised her twin sons, Michael and Timothy Dutcher. In the final visit of the journey, Teresa and Tim tell the story of Michael’s life and how his death continues to haunt their family. Learn more about your ad-…
1:28:07Explicit
I Think This is Hell
Ventnor City, NJ: Jeffrey Lopez grew up steps away from the Atlantic Ocean with a house full of brothers who loved to fight. His mother, Rosibel, escaped war-torn El Salvador in hopes of raising her family in peace—and her son’s deployment to Sangin was a nightmare come true. Learn more about you…
1:14:23Explicit
Sandcastles in the Tide
Deer River, NY: As a teenager, Taylor Moody had a mohawk and cared more about punk shows than school. He tells Elliott about his tough adjustment to the disciplined life of a Marine and his quest to find a place for himself back home. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastn…
1:03:30
Chasing The War
Greensburg, PA: As squad leader, Jeric Fry’s biggest responsibility was to keep his Marines alive. He could never have known that he’d save the life of one of his Marines years after the squad came home. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
1:06:53Explicit
Bad Paper
Lexington, KY: In Sangin, Scott McEtchin told Elliott that he joined the Marines to get his life together after a bout of teenage trouble. But trouble wasn’t far behind when McEtchin got back from Afghanistan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
1:04:15Explicit
Make Peace or Die
Palmer, AK: Elliott takes a detour from the road trip to fly to Alaska, home to David Richvalsky, Third Squad’s machine gunner. During an ATV trip to a glacier, Richvalsky describes the gaps in his memory caused by concussions from IED blasts—which he says may actually help him avoid dwelling on th…
56:16Explicit
Third Squad on Here & Now
Elliott Woods discusses the making of Third Squad with Scott Tong on WBUR’s Here & Now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
12:02Explicit
Husband, Father, Killer
Spearfish, SD: As Third Squad’s radio operator, John Bohlinger had the grim task of calling in medevac helicopters for his wounded friends. He also had awesome firepower at his fingertips. With his wife Hannah by his side, Bohlinger tells Elliott about the difficult transition from a trained killer…
1:01:34Explicit
Nothing to Lose
Rapid City, SD: Brian Shearer was a gung-ho 17 year-old when he joined the Marines, with nothing to lose but the PlayStation he willed to his brother. In Sangin he was a designated marksman whose job was to kill with long-range precision. A father of two boys now, he learns from his own dad what it…
1:00:07Explicit