Veterans Radio

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Air Force Veteran Stephen Humphreys, PhD, founded American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) in 2016. He explains the work, how veterans can get involved, and the field's progression with host Jim Fausone.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

GET ANSWERS FROM OUR EXPERT PANEL!

• Jim Fausone – Host, Veterans Radio
• Brig. Gen. Carol Ann Fausone (ret) – Legal Help For Veterans
• Bill Mattocks – Host, The Salty Old Marine

Next, we welcome Bill Mattocks, host of the popular YouTube show The Salty Old Marine, for a special edition of our monthly Veterans Benefits Hour. Through his YouTube channel, Bill works to educate and empower fellow veterans by discussing VA disability benefits, the claims process, and the challenges veterans face when navigating the VA system.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Colonel Demas T. Craw had an active military career in World War II. But his Medal of Honor resulted from a failed peace plan in Morocco, where the French ignored a white flag of truce. The Military History of the Upper Great Lakes wrote about this forgotten hero. That story is the basis of this podcast.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Army Veteran Michael Henshaw, founder of Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group, has spent time this year assisting in Ukraine with issues of recovering the remains of those killed. He has learned some lessons to pass along to the Pentagon and policymakers about drone recovery and the U.S. falling behind. Mike talks to host Jim Fausone about the lessons to be learned.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

This week on Veterans Radio, host Dale Throneberry welcomes Vietnam veteran, author, and longtime Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews to discuss his recent article, “How Divided Is America? My Veteran’s Cap Says It All.” Jay reflects on his decision to serve during the Vietnam War, along with the people and perspectives he encountered in the Army. Then, Dale welcomes Doc Allen, a U.S. Air Force veteran, physician, and singer-songwriter behind Doc Allen – Chronicles. Doc shares his journey from military service and medicine to creating deeply personal music, as the program highlights his new song, “Farewell My Light.”

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL DISCOVER

✓ Why Jay Mathews believes his Vietnam veteran’s cap reveals something important about America’s divisions and shared values ✓ How Jay’s decision to serve during the Vietnam War introduced him to people and perspectives that shaped his understanding of America ✓ How Doc Allen’s experiences as an Air Force veteran, physician, and firefighter have influenced his songwriting and storytelling ✓ Allen’s uses music to explore personal experiences, emotion, and remembrance, including his featured song, “Farewell My Light”

Jay Mathews

Vietnam Veteran & Award-Winning Journalist

Vietnam War veteran, award-winning journalist, author, and longtime education columnist for The Washington Post, where he has worked since 1971. Jay has written ten books, including the New York Times bestseller Work Hard. Be Nice., and created the Challenge Index rankings of American high schools. His reporting has earned numerous honors, including the Eugene Meyer Award for distinguished service to The Washington Post. In his recent article, “How Divided Is America? My Veteran’s Cap Says It All,” Jay reflects on his Army service during the Vietnam War and how a veteran’s cap has become an unexpected symbol of connection in a divided nation.

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Doc Allen

U.S. Air Force (Ret.) - Singer/Songwriter

Retired U.S. Air Force captain, physician, former wildland firefighter, and singer-songwriter behind Doc Allen – Chronicles. Raised in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Doc has lived a diverse life spanning military service, medicine, engineering, and music. In the 1980s, he helped pioneer early digital music technology before a service-related injury caused partial hearing loss that kept him away from music for years. With improved hearing technology, Doc returned to songwriting, creating cinematic country-soul music inspired by faith, loss, love, and personal experiences. He joins Veterans Radio to share his musical journey and highlight his new song, “Farewell My Light.”

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Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Conrad Begaye, Army Ranger, received the Silver Star making the Rangers and his Navajo nation proud. This story highlights the heritage and courage of Native American soldiers.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Army combat veteran and ordained chaplain JP Kotsko discusses the need to included trauma-informed care into military medic training. This helps with the question "Am I going to be OK?". JP talks to host Jim Fausone about his service in the West Virgina National Guard and lessons learned about using psychological first aid skills.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

This week on Veterans Radio, host Shelly Rood takes you to the NHRA Great Lakes Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan, then sits down with Army veteran Dawn Klein for a candid conversation about what it means to be hardcore and at ease.

Shelly recaps a rainout, a return trip, and a record-setting Monday. She shares the comeback stories, signing a military tribute car through SCAG Racing’s Simply the Brave program, and the permission slip she took home: give yourself permission to work on the foundation before you chase the next level.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL DISCOVER

✓ What it was like to witness a historic 346.95 MPH NHRA drag racing run and the inspiring comeback stories behind the competition ✓ How the lessons of preparation, perseverance, and resilience on the racetrack can apply to everyday life ✓ What Army veteran Dawn Klein experienced transporting tanks, munitions, and essential supplies throughout Germany during her 27 years of military service ✓ How Dawn overcame expectations and challenges as a woman in the Army, and why humor, faith, and recognition remain important to her life after service

Dawn Klein

U.S. Army (Ret.) - Transportation Soldier

Dawn Klein served on and off for 27 years as a transportation soldier, hauling tanks, munitions, and blood throughout Germany. Dawn shares what it was like to challenge expectations as a woman in the military, take pride in her responsibilities, and navigate life after service. Through humor, faith, and determination, she offers a candid perspective on resilience, finding purpose, and making sure women veterans receive the recognition they deserve.

Shelly Rood

Host - Hardcore & At Ease

Shelly C. Rood served across 16 years as a U.S. Army Reserves Intelligence Officer — Captain, Company Commander, and S2 — leading covert briefings overseas and overseeing security programs for nearly 4,000 soldiers. A Distinguished Military Graduate of Western Michigan University and a third-generation Detroit business owner, she brought that same standard of leadership into the private sector. She is the founder of a training and leadership development company, Mission Ambition, LLC, creator of the Others Over Self® leadership mindset, and the architect of Be At Ease, Woman Veteran™, a peer support program serving military women since 2019. She is host of Hardcore and At Ease, and author of Mission Wildflower 🌻. Today she leads a team of veterans who continue to serve beyond the uniform.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

The WWII Battle of Wake Island in December 1941 caught the American military by surprise. The men on the island and in the fight came from all across the nation. There were a number of Utah residents involved in that battle. This interview tells that story, which is both tragic and heroic.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

U.S Air Force Veteran and historian, Joseph Neussendorfer, writes about how military engineering impacted early America but still impacts us today. His article was published in the Engineering Society of Detroit Fall 2026 magazine. This article was converted into a AI discussion of key points.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Michael Henshaw, founder of Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group (AMAG) talks about why he started AMAG to assist in recovery and identification of MIAs. He explains work in the Phillipines and in Ukraine. Mike explains to host Jim Fausone there are about 39,000 potentially recoverable remains of US servicemembers mostly from WWII. He mentions that private entities like AMAG maybe able to work in areas the US Government cannot and it can use new faster technologies.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

This week on Veterans Radio, host Jim Fausone explores two developing approaches to treating PTSD with Dr. James Lynch and Dr. Brandon Weiss.

Dr. James Lynch, a West Point graduate, physician, and 31-year U.S. Army veteran who served in special operations medicine, discusses the use of Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) and its potential impact for people struggling with symptoms of PTSD. Then, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Brandon Weiss of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research provides an update on psychedelic therapy research, including the growing interest in making these treatments available to veterans with PTSD.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL DISCOVER

• How Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) works and why it is being studied and used to address symptoms associated with PTSD and anxiety
• How Dr. James Lynch's decades in Army medicine and Special Operations helped shape his work with veterans and others affected by trauma
• What researchers are learning about psychedelic-assisted therapies and their potential role in treating PTSD
• Why researchers are particularly interested in how psychedelic therapies could complement existing approaches to PTSD treatment for veterans

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

World War I in 1918 involved mustard gas in the trenches. The Argonne campaign was critical. These two stories are about Corporals Edgar Runyon and Norman Nelson. Nelson was just 16 years old when he enlisted. Runyon earned a Distinguished Service Cross, then was busted to private at the end of the war.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Kim Clarke wrote The Last Full Measure / An American Family and How the United States Brought Home the Dead of World War II. This is the personal story of her grandfather, which is wrapped around the larger story of how the US retrieved and repatriated the 250,000 US military members who died in Europe. She tells this story to host Jim Fausone.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

GET ANSWERS FROM OUR EXPERT PANEL!

• Dale Throneberry – Founder and Host of Veterans Radio
• Brig. Gen. Carol Ann Fausone (ret) – Legal Help For Veterans
• Evan Mark Shelline – Founder & President, VETTED Veteran Care

Next, we welcome Evan Mark Shelline, a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran and founder of VETTED Veteran Care, to discuss his continued mission of serving fellow veterans. After serving with SEAL Team 4 and completing two combat deployments to Iraq, Evan has dedicated his post-military career to helping veterans and their families access VA-authorized home and respite care, strengthen peer-to-peer connections, and better understand the resources available to them. He also shares the story behind The Veteran Muster – All Present and Accounted For, a veteran-only gathering he leads throughout Southeast Michigan that brings veterans together for camaraderie, storytelling, remembrance, Buddy Checks, and preserving the bonds of military service.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Sterling Walter Hayden was an American actor. A leading man for most of his career, he specialized in Westerns and film noir throughout the 1950s, in films such as John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle, Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar, and Stanley Kubrick's The Killing.

After his two Paramount film roles, Hayden left Hollywood to fight in World War II. He enlisted in the Army and was sent to Scotland for training, but broke his ankle and was discharged. He then enlisted in the Marines under a false name. He was transferred for duty as an undercover agent with William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan's Office of the Coordinator of Information. Hamilton remained there after it became the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

This week on Veterans Radio, host Dale Throneberry explores two different ways of telling the stories of service and sacrifice—through poetry and music.

Major Jacob P. Kelly, an active-duty U.S. Army officer and author of The Spurs of Service, shares the deeply personal experiences behind his collection of cowboy poetry. From leaving loved ones behind and deploying overseas to grieving the loss of fellow soldiers and finding a way forward after coming home, Jake reflects on the quieter side of military service and how it has shaped his identity, relationships, family, and faith.

Then, Dale welcomes songwriter Scott Johnson, the creator behind Southern Grit Revival, an independent country-rock and Americana project. Scott discusses the inspiration behind “We Stand,” a patriotic song honoring service, sacrifice, the American flag, and the men and women who have given so much for their country.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL DISCOVER

✓ How Major Jacob P. Kelly turned his experiences with military service, deployment, loss, and homecoming into cowboy poetry ✓ The loss of two fellow soldiers in Afghanistan that shaped Jacob’s perspective on grief, remembrance, identity, and faith ✓ Why some of the most difficult parts of military service can continue long after a service member returns home ✓ How Scott Johnson and Southern Grit Revival use country-rock music and “We Stand” to honor service, sacrifice, patriotism, and remembrance ✓ Third-party trauma, boundaries, and what it actually takes to walk away from someone else’s worst day.

Major Jacob P. "Jake" Kelly

Active-Duty U.S. Army Officer & Author

Active-duty U.S. Army officer and author of The Spurs of Service, a collection of cowboy poetry following a soldier’s journey from joining the Army and leaving loved ones behind through deployment, loss, and the transition home. Dedicated to two soldiers lost in Afghanistan, the book provided Jake with a way to process grief and examine how military service shaped his identity, relationships, and faith. His family later faced another profound challenge when his daughter underwent brain surgery for severe epilepsy, deepening his reflections on fear, helplessness, control, and dependence upon his Christian faith. Through his writing, Jake shares a personal perspective on the quieter struggles, relationships, and experiences that can define a life of service.

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Scott Johnson

Songwriter & Creator - Southern Grit Revival

Songwriter and creator behind Southern Grit Revival, an independent country-rock and Americana project based in the Cincinnati area. Scott joins Veterans Radio to share the story behind “We Stand,” a patriotic country-rock song centered on service, sacrifice, the American flag, and remembering those who have given so much for the country. Through Southern Grit Revival, Scott uses music to express themes of patriotism, remembrance, and appreciation for those who serve.

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Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Michael Guerrero, CEO of Eldercare Resource Planning, discusses the differences between Medicaid and VA Aid & Attendance benefits. He dispels some myths and explains the need and cost of professional planning. Michael explains the services available to host Jim Fausone.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Think Angie's List for veterans. Dale Stoy shares his idea for a Veterans Handyman nonprofit that connects handy veterans with local homeowners needing help. This would assist veterans with a little work and connect them to the community. Dale discusses the concept with host Jim Fausone, hoping someone else will adopt it and implement it in their community.

Have a message for Veterans Radio? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Brigadier General Dan Kramer answers the phone with his kids waiting at the dinner table. Mitze Alexander has a friend on the phone who wants advice, not a session, and expects it for free because that’s just what Mitze does. Neither one gets a real day off, and both of them have learned exactly where to draw the line anyway.

This week on Veterans Radio, host Shelly Rood sits down with Brigadier General Dan Kramer and Army veteran and licensed therapist Mitze Alexander to talk about protecting your peace when you can’t say no.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL DISCOVER

✓ What it looks like when life stacks one hard thing on top of another, and the shift that changes how it lands ✓ Protecting time and connection at the top of a career, not after it ✓ What the families holding down the home front are actually carrying ✓ From the National Guard to the police force to the therapist’s chair ✓ Third-party trauma, boundaries, and what it actually takes to walk away from someone else’s worst day.

Brigadier General Daniel Kramer

Assistant Adjutant General - Michigan Air National Guard

Brigadier General Kramer has spent nearly thirty years in the Michigan Air National Guard, raising six kids alongside his wife Susan through every move the Guard asked of them. He tells you what rising in rank actually costs, and the one thing he refuses to let responsibility take from him.

Mitze Alexander

Licensed Master Social Worker - U.S. Army (Ret.)

Mitze Alexander served in the Army, spent seven years as a Muskegon police officer, and for the last decade has worked as a licensed therapist, much of that time with military women carrying trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. She names what third-party trauma does to a provider, the boundary that keeps her whole, and why it’s okay to not be okay.

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Shelly Rood

Host - Hardcore & At Ease

Shelly C. Rood served across 16 years as a U.S. Army Reserves Intelligence Officer — Captain, Company Commander, and S2 — leading covert briefings overseas and overseeing security programs for nearly 4,000 soldiers. A Distinguished Military Graduate of Western Michigan University and a third-generation Detroit business owner, she brought that same standard of leadership into the private sector. She is the founder of a training and leadership development company, Mission Ambition, LLC, creator of the Others Over Self® leadership mindset, and the architect of Be At Ease, Woman Veteran™, a peer support program serving military women since 2019. She is host of Hardcore and At Ease, and author of Mission Wildflower 🌻. Today she leads a team of veterans who continue to serve beyond the uniform.