Ep 359: The Fog of War and Humanity with Richard Acritelli and guest Miguel A. Logreira P3 on hmTv

Ep. 359: The Fog of War and Humanity

Host: Richard Acritelli
Guest: Miguel A. Logreira
hmTv / Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center

In this gripping third installment, Richard Acritelli continues his conversation with Miguel A. Logreira — a multilingual U.S. Army intelligence veteran whose life reads like a front-row seat to history.

Miguel recounts witnessing the fall of the Berlin Wall from the ground in Berlin, navigating Cold War tensions, and learning firsthand how Germany and Japan rebuilt with starkly different cultural attitudes. His reflections cut deep: Why don’t people get along? Why doesn’t humanity learn?

The episode then shifts into the Middle East. Miguel explains why he volunteered for deployment in Desert Storm, sharing vivid accounts of intelligence work, cultural adaptation, interrogation strategy, and the uncomfortable reality of being seen as both “one of them” and a “traitor” by those who shared his heritage.

Key moments include:

• Watching history unfold at the Wall’s collapse
• How Finland, Japan, Germany, Africa, and the Middle East shaped his worldview
• Lessons from operating in Mali with no air support or infrastructure
• Surreal contrasts — from villages without water to Times Square excess
• The human value of discomfort, adaptability, and curiosity
• Why Vietnam veterans saved lives in later wars — including his

Miguel’s emotional gratitude to the Vietnam generation and his fierce loyalty to the United States bring this episode to a powerful close. War, identity, patriotism, culture — it’s all here, raw and unfiltered.

Transcript

Ep. 359 — The Fog of War and Humanity
Host: Richard Acritelli
Guest: Miguel A. Logreira
hmTv / Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center

Richard:
Humanity matters.
Welcome back to The Fog of War and Humanity here on hmTv.

We’re stepping into our third episode with Miguel, sitting to my left.
 We’ve covered languages, customs, world travel, standing near Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate, Barbara Bush speaking to soldiers on Thanksgiving — and the weight of military service through history.

Miguel, now we move deeper into the 1980s. The Cold War is entering its final stretch — and you get to witness it from the inside.

What did you feel when the Berlin Wall fell? You were there — right on the ground.

Miguel:
It was satisfaction — knowing I took part in it.
But it also made me wonder why people don’t get along. After traveling across nations — from Japan to Germany — you could see how differently countries reacted to rebuilding.

Germany was colder, guarded.
 Japan was more welcoming — “We made mistakes; let’s improve.”
 That contrast stayed with me.

Richard:
So where exactly were you when the wall came down?

Miguel:
Berlin. I was there — boots on the ground.

Richard:
Did you have any inside information beforehand, or did it unfold suddenly?

Miguel:
I knew something was coming — not the exact moment — but as an intelligence sergeant with clearance, I understood preparations. I blended in, stayed placed in locations where, if things went wrong, I could relay information up the chain.

Richard:
And at that time, you were a sergeant — stripes on your shoulder.

Miguel:
Yes — but intelligence promotions are harder. Fewer of us, and it requires reading, analysis, awareness.
But rank never mattered to me. When I swore my oath to defend the Constitution, I meant it. Whether private or colonel — it didn’t change my purpose.

Richard:
You spent eight years in Europe, with missions stretching from Africa to Japan to Finland. Did you like Europe?

Miguel:
I did — every place grew me.

Finland especially.
 I saw babies asleep outside cafés in twenty-degree weather — to strengthen their immune systems.
 It clashed with how I was raised — “put on your jacket or you’ll get sick” — but it taught me how culture shapes thinking.

The Finns are tough — they fought the Soviets in 1939 and terrified them. Weather, attitude, resilience — it defines them.

Richard:
Did you pick up Finnish? Russian?

Miguel:
Only small basics — both are very difficult languages.
My priority wasn’t fluency — it was protecting soldiers, understanding terrain, behavior, and culture wherever we were deployed.

Richard:
You traveled five continents — Africa included. Where in Africa?

Miguel:
Mali — under hostile conditions.
No air support, low visibility.
We were alone — no one even knew we were there.

Richard:
What was Mali like — beautiful, desert, mountainous?

Miguel:
It was poor. Water came once every seven days. No electricity — candles at night. We guarded our bottled water like gold.

Funny contrast — I flew from Mali to my sister’s wedding in Times Square — neon lights, fountains, abundance — while Mali had none.

That moment changed me.
 I live now with gratitude and learning:
 If something goes wrong — good — what lesson is life teaching me?

Richard:
You saw the Cold War end — then the Gulf War began. Where were you before deploying to Saudi Arabia?

Miguel:
Fort Hood, Texas — 89th MP Brigade.
Working the stockade with detainees.

My unit wasn’t scheduled to deploy — but I volunteered.
 What’s the point of training if you don’t live its purpose?

So I asked to go — and they sent me.

Richard:
You get to Saudi Arabia in 1990, shortly after Saddam invades Kuwait. Did your mission take you around Saudi Arabia?

Miguel:
Yes — we had to understand terrain, people, culture, tactical options — in case conflict escalated. Boots on the ground taught what books never could.

Richard:
There were Egyptians, Syrians, Saudis, Kuwaitis — Arab forces alongside Americans. Did you interact with them?

Miguel:
I did — blending in was crucial.
Interrogations required rapport — comfort — reading dialect, body language, pauses.
People reveal far more than they realize when they feel seen.

Richard:
And you worked with Iraqi deserters long before deployment — interrogating them at Fort Hood. So you had insight into the enemy.

Miguel:
Yes — I was in the metaphorical room while the lights were still off — learning early.
Understanding culture, equipment, terrain, and human behavior before others arrived.

Richard:
Did you like Saudi Arabia?

Miguel:
I like everywhere — because I wake up ready to learn.
Different mindset, different values — but you grow when you adapt.

Richard:
And you reshuffled your Arabic through conversations — food, religion, hospitality — easing dialogue.

Miguel:
Exactly — food breaks barriers.
Books teach vocabulary — people teach meaning.

Richard:
Did your Saudi counterparts like hearing you speak Arabic?

Miguel:
Some did — others resented it.
They felt I betrayed them for serving America.
But I told them — “You’ve got the wrong boy. I serve the United States — and yes, I’m a Yankees fan.”

Richard:
Let’s talk leadership. You stood near Reagan, met Barbara Bush — did you ever encounter General Norman Schwarzkopf?

Miguel:
Yes — in Riyadh.
Vietnam veterans like him saved my life.
They led Panama, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait — bringing hard-earned experience.

They had one hand tied behind their back in Vietnam.
 I had both hands free — because they taught us how to fight.

I thank them every day — they were mistreated, but they shaped us.

Richard:
Schwarzkopf, the “left hook”— the Highway of Death — that strategy was decisive. What was it like witnessing that aftermath?

Miguel:
Devastating.
Charred bodies, wrecked equipment — humanity’s good, bad, and ugly in one scene.
It forces reflection — what war means, and what life means.

Richard:
Those senior commanders — thick glasses, upright posture — they knew it was their last chance to rewrite Vietnam’s shadow.

Miguel, thank you for this chapter. We’ll bring you back to explore your final military years and your work with veterans today. Maybe we’ll even break down language learning for our viewers.

This has been The Fog of War and Humanity on hmTv.
I’m Richard Acritelli — thank you for joining us.