The Warrior Next Door Podcast
We explore the oral histories of World War II veterans from interviews conducted by your hosts Tony Lupo and Ryan Fairfield.
We play selected clips from these veteran interviews to explore their experiences in their own words with the hosts providing compelling commentary and historical context. Be ready to get some mud on your boots!
Episodes
286 episodes
Earl "Chuck" Kohler: WW2 Pearl Harbor Survivor Featured on PBS Memorial Day Event - Episode 2 of 4
As one of 11 remaining Pearl Harbor Survivors, Earl "Chuck" Kohler was honored at the PBS Annual Memorial Day event held on May 24th, 2026. On Dec 7th, 1941, Chuck was working at the PBY Flying Boat base on Pearl Harbor where he was...
PREMIUM - The Dragon's Teeth of the Siegfried Line
An episode for our premium members discussing the history, effectiveness and assault action necessary to overcome the Dragon's Teeth of the Siegfried Line.
Earl "Chuck" Kohler: WW2 Pearl Harbor Survivor Featured on PBS Memorial Day Event - Episode 1 of 4
As one of 11 remaining Pearl Harbor Survivors, Earl "Chuck" Kohler was honored at the PBS Annual Memorial Day event held on May 24th, 2026. On Dec 7th, 1941, Chuck was working at the PBY Flying Boat base on Pearl Harbor where he was...
Earl "Chuck" Kohler: WW2 Pearl Harbor Survivor Featured on PBS Memorial Day Event - Subscriber Only
As one of 11 remaining Pearl Harbor Survivors, Earl "Chuck" Kohler was honored at the PBS Annual Memorial Day event held on May 24th, 2026. On Dec 7th, 1941, Chuck was working at the PBY Flying Boat base on Pearl Harbor where he was...
Pearl Harbor Veteran - Earl "Chuck" Kohler - Sneak Peek Episode
For the lead up to this weekend's National Memorial Day Concert, Sunday May 24 at 8 pm ET on PBS, we are proud to present a sneak peek of our interview with a veteran being honored at the concert - US Navy veteran and Pearl Harbor defender Earl...
Col. Glenn Crum: P-51 Fighter Pilot, 356th Fighter Group, WWII - Episode 2 of 2
Welcome to Episode 2 of the Col. Glenn Crum series. In this episode Col. Crum takes us to England and describes his experiences as a fighter pilot escorting B-17's from Nov 1944 - May 1945.
Col. Glenn Crum: P-51 Fighter Pilot, 356th Fighter Group, WWII - Episode 1 of 2
Welcome to Episode 1 of the Col. Glenn Crum series. Col. Crum was a P-51 fighter pilot and career Air Force serviceman, retiring as a Colonel in 1968. In this episode we hear about his inspiration for becoming a pilot and learn of his training ...
Col. Glenn Crum: P-51 Fighter Pilot, 356th Fighter Group, WWII - PREMIUM
Welcome to the Col. Glenn Crum series. Col. Crum was a P-51 fighter pilot and career Air Force serviceman, retiring as a Colonel in 1968. In this PREMIUM episode we hear about his inspiration for becoming a pilot, learn of his training and expl...
Frank DeCicco Jr: B-17 Waist Gunner, 303rd Bomb Group, WW2 - Episode 3 of 3
Co-hosts Tony and Ryan dug DEEP into their archives and share the second interview they ever conducted as volunteers for the Library of Congress. It was February of 2003 when they interviewed Frank DeCicco Jr., who served as a waist gunner in B...
PREMIUM - Hitler's messiah makeover: Positive Christianity
As an addendum to our previous premium episode on "Hitler vs the Pope", we dive into the Hitler's Nazification of the Bible - which they called "Positive Christianity". While Tony and I are far from biblical scholars, we break down the basis fo...
Frank DeCicco Jr: B-17 Waist Gunner, 303rd Bomb Group, WW2 - Episode 2 of 3
Co-hosts Tony and Ryan dug DEEP into their archives and share the second interview they ever conducted as volunteers for the Library of Congress. It was February of 2003 when they interviewed Frank DeCicco Jr., who served as a waist gunner in B...
Frank DeCicco Jr: B-17 Waist Gunner, 303rd Bomb Group, WW2 - Episode 1 of 3
Co-hosts Tony and Ryan dug DEEP into their archives and share the second interview they ever conducted as volunteers for the Library of Congress. It was February of 2003 when they interviewed Frank DeCicco Jr., who served as a waist gunner in B...
Premium Subscriber Edition: Frank DeCicco Jr - B-17 Waist Gunner 303rd Bomb Group
Co-hosts Tony and Ryan dug DEEP into their archives and share the second interview they ever conducted as volunteers for the Library of Congress. It was February of 2003 when they interviewed Frank DeCicco Jr., who served as a waist gunner in B...
Air Raid Edition with Cory Graff, curator of The National Museum of WW2 in New Orleans!
Our special guest, Cory Graff, is a curator at the largest museum for WW2 history in the United States - The National Museum of WW2 in New Orleans. The museum was started by the late Stephen Ambrose, author of Band of Brothers and m...
Part 2: The Top Five Nazi Blunders with Ray Harris Jr of The History of WW2 Podcast!
Fans of our show know that we occasionally combine forces with Ray Harris Jr., the host of The History of WW2 Podcast, to share our views on various topics associated with WW2. This two part series focuses on our picks for the Top Five Nazi Blu...
Premium Subscriber Edition: The Top Five Nazi Blunders with Ray Harris Jr of The History of WW2 Podcast!
Fans of our show know that we occasionally combine forces with Ray Harris Jr., the host of The History of WW2 Podcast, to share our views on various topics associated with WW2. This two part series focuses on our picks for the Top Five Nazi Blu...
Part 1: The Top Five Nazi Blunders with Ray Harris Jr of The History of WW2 Podcast!
Fans of our show know that we occasionally combine forces with Ray Harris Jr., the host of The History of WW2 Podcast, to share our views on various topics associated with WW2. This two part series focuses on our picks for the Top Five Nazi Blu...
John "Benny" Solis - Episode 3 Seaman First Class USS Laws DD-558 WWII
Final episode of the John Solis series. In this episode John details the role of his ship during the invasion of Okinawa and what it was like at wars end .
PREMIUM - Hitler vs The Pope
Tony and Ryan discuss one of the most chilling era's in religious history as Hitler takes on the Catholic Church and the Pope by attempting remake the Bible in Hitlers image and nearly invades the Vatican.
John "Benny" Solis - Episode 2 Seaman First Class USS Laws DD-558 WWII
John “Benny” Solis: A US Navy seaman who served aboard a Fletcher class destroyer during WWII. In this episode John describes working inside the 5” gun turret during the heat of battle in the Pacific.
John "Benny" Solis - Episode 1 Seaman First Class USS Laws DD-558 WWII
Episode 1 of the John Solis series: A US Navy seaman who served aboard a Fletcher class destroyer during WWII. In this episode John describes joining the Navy and training aboard the USS Laws DD-558.
PREMIUM John "Benny" Solis - Seaman First Class USS Laws DD-558 WWII
John Solis takes through life aboard a Fletcher class Destroyer during the heavy fighting of 1944-1945 in the Pacific.
B-17 Crash Recovery Researcher Patrick Murphy Ep 3/3
EP 3/3 - Patrick discusses what's next for the WWII Battlefield Research and Preservation Group.