Podcast

Wartime Stories

History, Society & Culture

Every soldier has a story. Some, they try to forget. Others, they can’t stop thinking about – stories that no one else would believe happened. Something that terrified them. Something they cannot explain.

Hosted by Marine Corp Reconnaissance veteran, Luke Lamana, this is Wartime Stories. A weekly podcast that is a mix of horror, mystery, and awe inspiring tales. Where the strange, dark & mysterious meets the battlefield and beyond.

New episodes every Friday.

Share your stories: info@wartimestories.com

Society & Culture chart
#123
Episodes
132
Releases
Twice a week
Typical length
1 hr 8 min
On air since
2024
Latest episode
4 days ago

Episodes

132 episodes, newest first

  1. Police Firemen First Responders

    Show notes

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    Police officers, firefighters, and emergency responders regularly find themselves in situations that most people will never experience. Whether responding to emergencies, patrolling isolated roads, or working through the night, their duties sometimes bring them face to face with incidents that seem to have no reasonable explanation.

    Drawn from firsthand accounts and stories shared by first responders, this episode explores disturbing encounters involving police officers and firefighters in the United States and abroad. From a rookie officer transporting a strangely behaving patient to a firefighter who witnessed an unexplained figure inside a burning home, and a patrolman pursuing a mysterious woman through the snowy countryside of Ohio, these accounts describe experiences that continued to trouble the witnesses long after their shifts had ended.

    00:00 - Cold Open
    02:39 - Intro
    03:24 - The Possessed Patient
    10:32 - The Grandfather in the Fire
    15:52 - The Woman in the Snow
    22:39 - The Woman on the Car
    27:50 - The Haunted Mannequins
    36:13 - The Haunted Fire Station
    42:32 - Final Thoughts
    52:40 - Credits
    53:07 - After Action

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    58 min
  2. Dangers of Ouija Boards

    Show notes

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    Curiosity, boredom, and a desire to contact the unknown have led some servicemembers to experiment with Ouija boards and séances. According to their accounts, the most troubling experiences sometimes began after the session had ended.

    This compilation brings together stories of military spiritualism, alleged possession, unexplained visitors, and warnings of death. Spanning barracks, military hospitals, Guam, and Northern Ireland, the accounts include the Camp Lejeune Ouija-board incident, the mystery of the Gulf Breeze Six, and encounters witnesses believed were connected to something they had invited to answer.

    00:00 - Cold Open

    00:11 - The Ouija Board Ban

    07:13 - The Haunted Town of Tombstone

    29:21 - The Possessed Sailor

    40:26 - The Abandoned Naval Hospital

    46:16 - The Military Morgue

    59:36 - The Gulf Breeze Six

    1:45:30 - The Ouija Board That Returned

    1:48:20 - The Haunted Navy Barracks

    2:01:20 - Lincoln's Premonitions

    2:17:31 - The Barracks Ouija Board

    2:24:24 - The Soldiers in Northern Ireland

    2:31:41 - The Australian Barracks

    2:44:07 - Wentworth Military Academy

    2:58:11 - Credits

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    3 hr
  3. Famous Wartime UFO Legends and Mysteries

    Show notes

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    For centuries, witnesses have described strange objects moving through the skies — sometimes appearing to pursue aircraft, and sometimes seeming to fight battles of their own. From early European accounts of celestial clashes to reports shared by military aircrews during World War II, these stories have inspired explanations ranging from atmospheric phenomena to secret weapons and visitors from elsewhere.

    This compilation explores historical UFO reports and military legends, from the apparent aerial battles over Nuremberg, Basel, and Stralsund to the mysterious Foo Fighters encountered by Allied crews. It also examines the disputed stories surrounding Operation Highjump and Admiral Byrd, before turning to pilot Thomas Mantell's fatal pursuit in 1948 — tracing the witness accounts, proposed explanations, and speculation behind these enduring mysteries.

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    2 hr 47 min
  4. Dogmen in the Desert

    Show notes

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    Across the deserts and mountains of Afghanistan, Iraq, and the American Southwest, military personnel have reported encounters with strange, wolf-like creatures that seem to defy conventional explanation. From remote observation posts to isolated military installations, these accounts describe enormous canines, animals walking upright on two legs, and mysterious figures that appear to change their form.

    Drawn from firsthand accounts of British and American military personnel, this episode explores unsettling encounters with unexplained creatures during deployments and training exercises. From British soldiers pursuing a mysterious figure through the mountains near Kandahar to American troops encountering wolf-like creatures in Iraq, and a paratrooper witnessing something unusual through his night vision equipment in the New Mexico desert, these experiences left witnesses questioning what they had actually seen.

    00:00 - Cold Open 01:36 - The Mountain Jinn 16:27 - The Wolfman of Iraq 24:22 - The Iranian Border 30:07 - The Creature Near Mosul 33:44 - The Invisible Bear 40:01 - The New Mexico Dogman 44:21 - Final Thoughts 49:27 - Credits 49:58 - After Action

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    55 min
  5. Something in the Flies

    Show notes

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    Across the American Southwest, stories of skinwalkers and other strange humanoid creatures have circulated for generations. From the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico to the remote forests of Colorado, military personnel and civilians alike have described encounters with things that seem to defy any familiar explanation.

    Drawn from firsthand accounts, including those of a former Royal Marine Commando and U.S. Army soldiers, these stories explore disturbing encounters with mysterious figures, creatures that appear to mimic human voices, and animals behaving in seemingly impossible ways. From an isolated desert road outside Phoenix to the forests near Fort Carson and the training grounds of Fort Bliss, these experiences left witnesses questioning what they had actually seen.

    0:00 Introduction 01:35 Arizona Encounter 15:08 The San Isabel Crawler 29:45 The Man in the Desert 36:30 The Oryx on Thermal 50:36 Final Thoughts 54:38 Credits 55:09 After Action

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    1 hr 3 min
  6. Strange Things at Sea

    Show notes

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    This compilation brings together naval and maritime encounters involving warships, nuclear submarines, enormous sharks, and an apparent time slip in Bermuda. Drawing from sailors’ accounts, civilian testimony, and maritime legends, these stories range from disturbances aboard USS Bonhomme Richard and USS Constitution to the haunting associated with the German submarine UB-65.

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    2 hr 24 min
  7. The Kraken Is Real

    Show notes

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    For centuries, sailors have returned from the open ocean with stories of enormous creatures lurking beneath their ships. Among the most enduring are accounts of giant squid, animals once dismissed as maritime legends but now known to inhabit the deepest reaches of the world's oceans. Yet some historical encounters suggest that these creatures may have been far more dangerous than we understand.

    Drawing from firsthand naval accounts, historical newspaper reports, and scientific investigations spanning more than a century, this episode explores terrifying encounters with giant squid in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans — from shipwrecked survivors allegedly dragged beneath the waves to naval vessels attacked by enormous tentacled creatures, including a mysterious incident involving a U.S. Navy warship during the Cold War.

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    57 min
  8. Something in the Desert

    Show notes

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    Throughout military history, servicemembers have encountered strange things in some of the world's most remote and unforgiving environments. From isolated desert training grounds and military installations to the battlefields of World War II, these places have become the settings for stories involving unexplained disappearances, mysterious figures, and encounters that defy conventional explanation.

    Drawing from firsthand military accounts, historical investigations, and wartime legends, this compilation explores bizarre incidents spanning the American Southwest, the deserts of North Africa, and the U.S.–Mexico border — including alleged Sasquatch sightings, unidentified aircraft, ghostly soldiers, mysterious military vehicles, and unsettling encounters with creatures and spirits rooted in local folklore.

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    2 hr 19 min
  9. Something in the Lighthouse

    Show notes

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    For generations, lighthouse keepers and Coast Guardsmen have stood watch at some of the most isolated stations along America’s coastline. Surrounded by rough seas, violent storms, and decades of maritime history, many of these old stations have also developed reputations for something far stranger.

    Drawn from firsthand accounts, Coast Guard folklore, and historical records spanning several decades, these stories explore strange encounters at lighthouses in Maine, Rhode Island, and Florida — from unexplained footsteps and shadowy figures to ghostly apparitions, mysterious voices, and experiences that even skeptical witnesses struggled to explain.

    0:00 Introduction 2:39 The Failing Lighthouse 16:22 Strange Events on the Rock 35:35 Point Judith 44:26 Pensacola Lighthouse 58:45 Final Thoughts

    1:02:48 Credits 1:03:19 After Action

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    1 hr 12 min
  10. Deployment Encounters Nobody Can Explain

    Show notes

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    For servicemembers deployed far from home, night patrols, isolated outposts, and unfamiliar surroundings can leave lasting memories. Some return with accounts of encounters they still struggle to explain.

    Drawn from accounts shared by American, British, and Canadian servicemembers, these stories span deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Qatar — from unsettling figures in abandoned buildings and voices over military radios to strange creatures, unexplained lights, and the feeling that something followed them home.

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    3 hr 15 min
  11. Strangeness at Military Academies

    Show notes

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    Military academies are built around discipline, tradition, and routine. But behind the formations, inspections, and historic barracks, generations of cadets have passed down stories about strange experiences that have become part of the unofficial history of these schools.

    Drawn from firsthand accounts at military academies in the United States and the Philippines, these stories describe unexplained activity in abandoned buildings, hospital wards, dorm rooms, wooded training grounds, and historic barracks — encounters involving ghostly figures, objects moving on their own, unexplained footsteps, and other experiences that some cadets have carried with them long after leaving the academy.

    0:00 - Cold Open 2:17 - The Wentworth Haunting 15:48 - The Hospital Boy 25:46 - The Air Force Cadet 41:15 - The Old Barracks 53:37 - Closing Thoughts 57:33 - Credits 58:03 - Personal Story

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    1 hr 8 min
  12. Creepy A** Military Bases

    Show notes

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    Military bases are places of routine, discipline, and constant activity. But when barracks grow quiet and the night watch begins, some servicemembers report encounters that have little to do with the duties they were assigned.

    Drawn from accounts shared by servicemembers and military families, these stories explore reported hauntings at installations across the United States, Okinawa, and South Korea — from apparitions in outdated uniforms and voices inside empty buildings to unseen footsteps, disturbances in base housing, and night patrols that took an unsettling turn.

    0:00 The Blue-Eyed Figure at Camp Horno 9:02 The Knocking at Fort Riley 12:26 The Strange Patrol at Bellows Air Station 27:52 The Haunted Homes of Fort Sill 34:01 Zoe, the Girl in White 37:39 The Woman in the Camp Schwab Barracks 43:00 The Haunted Headquarters at Hickam 51:15 More Hauntings Near Pearl Harbor 57:26 The Woman Outside the Barracks 1:02:28 The Moving Chair at Fort Riley 1:12:44 The Forbidden Aircraft Shelter at Osan 1:16:51 Footsteps at Potato Hill 1:21:57 The Visitor at Not Gate 1:26:25 Sleep Paralysis at Camp Schwab 1:31:37 The Haunted Fort Sill Barracks 1:38:04 Marines from Another Time 1:41:51 The Mimic in the Fort Riley House 1:48:08 The Laughing Child at Camp Horno 1:53:41 The Scream in the Fort Sill Barracks 1:58:02 Hauntings at Pearl Harbor 2:04:38 Strange Stories from Fort Riley Hospital 2:12:36 The Night Marchers of Hawaii 2:18:56 Night Marchers on the North Shore 2:21:47 The Buffalo Soldier at Fort Sill 2:25:48 Credits

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    2 hr 27 min
  13. Soldiers vs Giants Through the Ages

    Show notes

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    For thousands of years, stories of giants have appeared across cultures around the world — from ancient religious texts and Indigenous oral histories to legends carried through generations. More recently, similar stories have emerged from some unexpected places, including the accounts of servicemembers operating in remote corners of the world.

    This compilation explores reports of enormous humanlike beings spanning Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands, and North America — drawing from military encounters, local traditions, historical records, and firsthand testimony that continue to raise questions about the origins of these enduring stories.

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    2 hr 30 min
  14. Things Wearing Human Faces

    Episode 119

    Show notes

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    Across cultures, stories have long described strange beings capable of imitating people, animals, or familiar voices. For some servicemembers, encounters with something that appeared almost human—or familiar enough to make them hesitate—have left them questioning exactly what they saw.

    Drawn from firsthand accounts spanning Canada, Indonesia, Iraq, and the United States, these stories describe distorted voices in empty training buildings, featureless figures wearing military uniforms, strange apparitions in remote jungles, and other encounters with things that seemed capable of taking on a familiar form.

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    1 hr 5 min
  15. Something in the Snow

    Episode 118

    Show notes

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    The remote forests of Scandinavia have been home to stories of strange creatures and ancient spirits for centuries. For the soldiers who train and stand watch in these isolated places, some of those old legends can feel uncomfortably close.

    Drawn from firsthand accounts shared by Norwegian, Finnish, and Swedish servicemembers, these stories describe enormous figures moving through snowy forests, mysterious creatures stalking military training areas, and encounters with the strange “little people” of Nordic folklore.

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    1 hr 2 min
  16. Stay Out of the Woods

    Show notes

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    A three-hour compilation of some of our most unsettling stories, featuring accounts from servicemembers stationed at bases and deployed around the world.

    From strange figures appearing outside remote outposts and unexplained voices calling from the darkness to terrifying encounters in the wilderness and things that seem to stalk servicemembers from just beyond sight, these stories explore what happens when something unknown begins watching, following, and hunting those who cross its path.

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    3 hr 6 min
  17. Possession, Shadows, Orbs, Car Bombs

    Episode 116

    Show notes

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    For generations, servicemembers have experimented with spiritualism out of curiosity, boredom, or simply to see what might answer. But according to some who have tried, making contact was only the beginning.

    Drawn from accounts shared by American and British servicemen, these stories describe Ouija sessions in barracks, an abandoned military morgue, and the historic streets of Tombstone, Arizona — encounters followed by shadow figures, unexplained phenomena, apparent possession, and even a chilling warning of a soldier’s death.

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    1 hr 17 min
  18. One Messed Up Island

    Episode 115

    Show notes

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    Okinawa was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, leaving an island marked by immense loss and destruction. For the Marines, Coast Guardsmen, military families, and civilians who have lived and served there in the decades since, some believe the past has never completely gone away.

    Drawn from firsthand accounts spanning generations, these stories describe strange encounters across Okinawa — from shadowy figures and ghostly civilians on military installations to unexplained voices in the jungle, apparitions in base housing, and other unsettling experiences on an island with a long-standing reputation for the paranormal.

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    59 min
  19. Kids Can Be Scary

    Show notes

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    A two-hour compilation of some of our most unsettling stories involving children, featuring accounts from servicemembers and military families stationed at bases and deployed around the world.

    From ghostly children haunting base housing in Japan and California to shadowy figures in Afghanistan, strange encounters on playgrounds in Guam, unexplained voices in the woods, and children who seem to remember lives that were never their own, these stories explore some of the eeriest experiences ever shared on Wartime Stories.

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    2 hr 26 min
  20. Fort Sill is a Madhouse

    Episode 113

    Show notes

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    Fort Sill, Oklahoma has served as a frontier outpost, prison camp, and Army training installation for more than 150 years. For the generations of soldiers, families, and civilians who have lived and worked there, some believe the base has never truly let go of its past.

    Drawn from firsthand accounts shared by recruits, officers, military families, and civilian employees, these stories describe strange encounters in barracks, training areas, on-post housing, and historic sections of the installation—where shadow figures, unexplained voices, ghostly apparitions, and other unsettling experiences continue to be reported.

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    1 hr 2 min