Walk Among Heroes
‘Walk Among Heroes’ is a podcast that presents real stories from the bravest men and women in the world, real military heroes. Jeff Wells, Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, hosts military heroes, as they tell their stories, unedited, and in their own words. From the sights, sounds, and smells of combat, to their secrets for a long and successful life, these Veterans tell all. This podcast is perfect for anyone who wants to learn about our nation’s history, and most importantly, wants to understand the intimate details of those who fought to provide us with the greatest privilege in the world, freedom. Wars are not won by generals standing in front of maps. They are won by the men on the ground, fighting through near-impossible odds to ensure our liberty will never falter. Unlike other podcasts that focus on higher-level military history, ‘Walk Among Heroes’ brings you stories and perspectives from those closest to the battles: the Ground-Pounders, G.I.’s, Dog Faces, Doughboys, Grunts, Sailors, Flyboys, Squids, Frogmen, Devil Dogs, Leathernecks, and others who were on the ground, in the arena, fighting for our great nation. Hear their stories and perspectives as ‘Walk Among Heroes’ strives to ensure they are never forgotten. A new episode will be released every Tuesday. To check out more stories from our great heroes, visit walkamongheroes.org.
Walk Among Heroes
Walk Among Heroes Podcast Episode 28A - Paul Frederick (U.S. Marine Corps, Iwo Jima)
Walk Among Heroes is honored to welcome Paul Frederick as our guest for Episode 28. A lifelong resident of Kentucky, Mr. Frederick’s served in the United States Marine Corps, 3rd Division, during World War II. Mr. Frederick experienced combat as a bazooka man and machine gunner on several islands in the Pacific before finally invading Iwo Jima in February 1945. During 30+ days on Iwo Jima, Mr. Frederick lost many friends and witnessed tremendous carnage, in one of the most difficult battles our military has ever experienced. Prior to Iwo Jima, Mr. Frederick’s ship was struck by torpedo, which killed dozens, causing the ship to sink. Mr. Frederick was injured, but he refused to leave his unit.
Earlier this year, Nashville songwriter Jim Collins (writer of many hits like ‘Big Green Tractor’ and ‘Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not’) reached out to Mr. Frederick and asked to write a song about his life and military service. Collins wrote a song for Mr. Frederick, titled ‘Guardian Angels’, which provides a touching account of Mr. Frederick’s life, including his 71-year marriage to the love of his life, Myrtle.
The song can be found at:
This episode consists of two parts. Episode 28A focuses on Mr. Frederick’s early life, bootcamp, and Marine Corps service. Episode 28B opens with the invasion of Iwo Jima, then takes us through the rest of his life, including lessons learned.
As always, ‘thank you’ to Shreyas for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast.