Hostage Rescue in the Philippines: CPT Gene Yu

Hostage Rescue in the Philippines: CPT Gene Yu

Author: Evergreen Podcasts | The Honor Project August 22, 2024 Duration: 48:41
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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a profound difference between reading about history and hearing it told by the person who lived it. Warriors In Their Own Words | First Person War Stories bridges that gap entirely, presenting an unbroken narrative of modern conflict through the voices of those who served. This isn't a commentary or an analysis; it's the raw, direct testimony that forms the bedrock of our understanding. The podcast draws from a remarkable archive, beginning with century-old recordings of veterans from the First World War and extending to contemporary conversations with service members from recent conflicts. Each episode is a standalone account, a deeply personal window into experiences that range from the trenches of France to the mountains of Afghanistan. You'll hear the subtle pauses, the inflections, and the emotion that text alone can never convey. Produced by Evergreen Podcasts in partnership with The Honor Project, the series is committed to preservation without polish, offering the unsanitized truth of military service. Listening feels less like studying an event and more like sitting across from someone as they share a pivotal part of their life. The cumulative effect is a powerful, human-centric tapestry of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, ensuring these essential perspectives are not lost to time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Warriors In Their Own Words | First Person War Stories
Podcast Episodes
Operation Ivory Coast: MAJ George Petrie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:57
Major George Petrie served in the U.S. Army Special Forces in Vietnam. He was a member of MACV-SOG, and was the first soldier to hit the ground during the Son Tay Raid. MACV or “Military Assistance Command, Vietnam”, was…
Stories From the Aid Tent: SGM Ben Hasley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:19
Sergeant Major Ben Hasley served in Korea and Vietnam as a medic. In this interview he tells the stories of his service in combat and in the aid tent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Battle of Makin: LtCol Howard Stidham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:14
Lieutenant Colonel Howard Stidam served in World War II with the Marine Raiders, a special ops force that specialized in amphibious guerilla warfare. In this interview, he recounts The Battle of Makin, the Long Patrol in…
Class Anchorman to Commander: CDR Bobby Reshad Jones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:30
Commander Bobby Reshad Jones served in the US Navy from 2001 to 2023. He attended the United State Naval Academy, where he played football, and graduated last in his class, making him the “Anchorman” per USNA tradition.…
The Fires of Pearl Harbor: MM2c Martin Shew [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:53
Machinist Mate 2nd Class Martin Shew served on the USS Arizona, a battleship that suffered insurmountable damage during the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Shew was on his way back to the Arizona when the attack began. Before he…
Fighting in the Solomon Islands: Capt Frank Guidone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:10
Captain Frank Guidone served in World War II with the Marine Raiders, a special ops force that specialized in amphibious guerilla warfare. In this interview, he recounts his service in the Solomon islands, including the…
Escaping the USS Arizona: GM3 Donald Gay Stratton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:24
Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class Petty Officer Donald Gay Stratton was on the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He directed four 5-inch guns before an armor-piercing bomb hit the ship, sending up a 600 ft wall of fla…
SPOTLIGHT: Col. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:34
Gregory “Pappy” Boyington was a legendary WWII fighter pilot. He is credited with destroying 28 Japanese aircraft, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor- but his legacy has been tainted by his abuse of alcohol and a hist…
Brothers in Arms Part III: SSgt Nick Bennett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:30
Brothers in Arms is a special three-part series that tells the stories of SgtMaj Dan Miller and SSgt Nick Bennett, two Iraq War vets whose lives were forever changed by a deadly rocket attack. Today, in the final part of…
Brothers in Arms Part II: SgtMaj Dan Miller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:01
Brothers in Arms is a special three-part series that tells the stories of SgtMaj Dan Miller and SSgt Nick Bennett, two Iraq War vets whose lives were forever changed by a deadly rocket attack. Today we’re sharing the sec…