1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Hey everyone, We've put together a survey for listeners of 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: Medal of Honor and we want to hear from you. 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Tell us what you love about the show, what we 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: can improve on, or stories you think we've missed. We're 5 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: committed to making this show even better and you can 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: help to take the survey. Visit bit dot lee slash 7 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: h survey. That's bit dot l y slash mh survey. 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: The link is also in our show notes below. Pushkin 9 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 1: Jefferson de Blanc was falling through the air. The wind 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: roared in his ears, his shoulders were gripped by the 11 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: hardness of his parachute. He was plummeting thousands of feet 12 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: towards the Pacific Ocean, having jumped seconds before from the 13 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: wreckage of his plane. He was hoping to land somewhere 14 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: close to a shoreline, because as he was falling, night 15 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: was falling too. It was the evening of January thirty first, 16 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: nineteen forty three. Jeff was a Marine Corps fighter pilot, 17 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: and for the past hour he had been battling Japanese 18 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: warplanes and the skies over the Solomon Islands, weaving in 19 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: and out of enemy fighters, dodging bullets firing in return, 20 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,680 Speaker 1: and watching his good friend, his wingman, get blown out 21 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 1: of the air. Jeff himself had shot down several enemy planes. 22 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: He had looked directly in the eyes of one of 23 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: the men he had killed right before the man's plane exploded, 24 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: and then Jeff's own plane had been shot to bits, 25 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: the engine caught fire, and the plane fell apart around him. 26 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: Not in minutes but in seconds. As Jeff scrambled onto 27 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: the wing and pulled the ripcord of his parachute, he 28 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: knew that falling through the sky was the best of 29 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: a bunch of bad outcomes, because there was no chance 30 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: he survived in his plane, but there was a chance 31 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: he could survive the fall, a slim one. Maybe the 32 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: water was filled with sharks, and even if he managed 33 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: to get to land, the islands below him were occupied 34 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: by the Japanese military. He had seen their bases from 35 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: the sky. If he survived the swim, and that was 36 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: a big if, he would be stranded deep in enemy territory. 37 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: But his current predicament was the direct result of two 38 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: very specific decisions. He had made, one at the start 39 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: of the battle and one at the end, but both 40 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: were the same. To stay and fight say, even if 41 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: it meant that this was the endgame. Plunging through the 42 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: atmosphere towards the water as the sun disappeared over the horizon, 43 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: Jeff de Blanc was twenty one years old, and somehow 44 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: he was incredibly calm, convinced that he wasn't going to die, 45 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: but how he would survive would be another story entirely. 46 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: I'm j R. Martinez and this is Medal of Honor 47 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: Stories of courage. The Medal of Honor is the highest 48 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: military decoration in the United States, awarded for gallantry and 49 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: bravery and combat at the risk of life, above and 50 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: beyond the call of duty. Each candidate must be approved 51 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: all the way up the chain of command, from the 52 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: supervisory officer in the field to the White House. This 53 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: show is about those heroes, what they did, what it meant, 54 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: and what their stories tell us about the nature of 55 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: courage and sacrifice. Jeff de Blanc's story is about long odds, 56 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: some of the longest I have ever heard, but that's 57 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: not the reason I love it. Jeff's story is incredible 58 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: because it gets to something that's at the very heart 59 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: of the Medal of Honor, a key to answering the question, why, 60 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 1: in the name of protecting others do some people knowingly 61 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: do things that might kill them. To Jeff the answer 62 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: was clear. It was because he felt accountable. Not to 63 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: his country, or his comrades or a higher power. He 64 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: was accountable to himself. Jefferson de Blanc was born in 65 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty one. From a very early age, he was 66 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: obsessed with aviation. Here he is talking about the moment 67 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: he fell in love with it. When he was about 68 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: six or seven. 69 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 2: An aeroplane came over a biplane and had engine trouble 70 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 2: and landed in the pasture about a mile from all home. 71 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 2: So we all ran to see the aircraft. 72 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: That accent you hear in his voice, it's kajun. Jeff 73 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: was born in Louisiana, and he was descended from the 74 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: French speaking settlers of that region. He grew up in 75 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: the Bayous, specifically the Achafalaya basin the nation's largest river swamp, 76 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: bigger than the Everglades. He spent his youth scrambling around 77 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: in the murky heat of those dense, junglely swamps. Not 78 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: a place where planes usually just fall out of the sky, 79 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: but to a kid on that bayou. This was a 80 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: dream come true. 81 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 2: And of course I was the first one to get there. 82 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 2: And when I got there for a reward, he picked 83 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: me up and put me in a cockpit and I 84 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 2: looked at the dials. I was caught and hooked dot 85 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 2: in my mind. The instrumentation was fascinating and that's how 86 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 2: I got hooked on aviation. 87 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: From then on out, you will come to know something 88 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: special about Jeff. Once he sets his mind to something, 89 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: decides to do something, that's it. It just sticks. From 90 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: a one time encounter with the plane as a kid, 91 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: he picked a life path and stuck to it. He 92 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: went to college in nineteen thirty eight, and by thirty nine, 93 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 1: with war escalating in Europe, the government started training civilians 94 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 1: to fly. Jeff signed up for flight school as quickly 95 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: as he possibly could. In July of forty one, at 96 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: the age of nineteen, he joined the Navy with the 97 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: plan of becoming a fighter pilot. The attack on Pearl 98 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: Harbor put pilot training on hyper speed. With the declaration 99 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: of war, the military had to turn out aviators in 100 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:59,559 Speaker 1: record time, which meant that Jeff barely got two hundred 101 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 1: and fifty hours of flight training before he was shipped out. 102 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: No lessons in dog fighting tactics, almost no instruction on 103 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: how to fire guns. 104 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 2: And we did not have any schalvival training. The name 105 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 2: of the game was get the bodies odd fast, and 106 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 2: that's what they did. 107 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: Jeff graduated from flight school, but then he was told 108 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: the one thing that no fighter pilot wants to hear. 109 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: The Navy needs you to fly reconnaissance aircraft. 110 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 2: They were going to make a peboard pilot out of me, 111 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 2: and I didn't want it. I wanted fighters. 112 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: So Jeff transferred to the Marines. There he could be 113 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: a fighter pilot. In the summer of nineteen forty two, 114 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve. 115 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: His airplan would be the F four F Wildcat, rugged 116 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: and easy to maneuver, with six machine guns mounted on 117 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: the wings. It had a flying range of several hundred miles, 118 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: but any dog fighting would burn fuel quickly. You could 119 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: strap on an extra fifty gallon fuel tank, but that 120 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: tended to have problems, including making the plane more difficult 121 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: to fly and easier to blow up. Jeff couldn't wait 122 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: to start flying Wildcats, but he hadn't trained in them 123 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 1: at all. Before he fought in one for the first time, 124 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: he had only flown a wildcat for nine hours, almost nothing. 125 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: He would have to turn that nothing into something pretty 126 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: fast because he was shipping out to the Solomon Islands, 127 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: specifically Guadalcanal. We've talked about Guadalcanal before on this show. 128 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: Last season we told the story of Doug mon Roe, 129 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: the Coastguard signal men who died during one of the 130 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: early battles there. In the months after Pearl Harbor, the 131 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: Japanese Empire had gained footholds throughout the Pacific, the Philippines, 132 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: Eastern China, Singapore, New Guinea, and Moore. Their goal was 133 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: to move eastward to threaten Hawaii, and southward to cut 134 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: off Australia from the rest of the Allied forces. The 135 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: Allies were going to have to stop them if there 136 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: was any hope of winning the war, so the Allies 137 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: set their sights on the Solomons, a chain of more 138 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: than nine hundred islands scattered over eleven thousand square miles 139 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:22,199 Speaker 1: in the South Pacific. In nineteen forty two, they invaded Guadalcanal, 140 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: the biggest of the islands, where the Japanese had carved 141 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: out an airfield. The Allies captured the airfield dug In 142 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 1: and used it as a staging ground to take on 143 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: the enemy. 144 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 3: This is the airfield on the island of guadal Canal 145 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 3: in the Solomons, for the possession of which so much 146 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 3: heavy fighting has taken place in American hands. It's become 147 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 3: a vitally important base from which to bum Japanese warships 148 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:45,839 Speaker 3: and convoys. 149 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: Fighter pilots and Wildcats would escort dive bombers as they 150 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: went to strife the Japanese. The Wildcats would take on 151 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: these Japanese floatplanes and fighter jets so that the bombers 152 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: could get close to their targets. You could have sent 153 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: out bombers without the Wildcats. They needed that protection if 154 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: they were going to get to their targets and get 155 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: home safely. These aerial missions were inherently dangerous, and estimated 156 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: four hundred and twenty American pilots would eventually lose their 157 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: lives in the skies over the Solomons, and so in 158 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: November of forty two, three months after the start of 159 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: this campaign, Jeff arrived in Guadalcanal. The terrain of the 160 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: Solomon Islands reminded him of Louisiana, the relentless heat, the mosquitoes. 161 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: None of that was new to him. He was, as ever, 162 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: completely calm, full of hope, and a kind of giddy, 163 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:42,079 Speaker 1: youthful faith. He told himself, I could survive here if 164 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: I had to. Soon enough, he would put that theory 165 00:10:46,080 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: to the test. The months passed and the Battle of 166 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: Guadalcanal ground on. The US troops still only held the airfield, 167 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: while the Japanese were elsewhere on the island and on 168 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: bases scattered throughout the Solomons. Both sides had lost thousands 169 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: of men, and yet as the years slowly turned to 170 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: nineteen forty three, it seemed that neither would budge. On 171 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 1: the afternoon of January thirty first, Jeff was given a mission. 172 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 2: Boyd came down from fire to command that a Japanese 173 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 2: invasion fleet was coming down with ships to probably reinforce 174 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 2: Guadacanal for the final fight. So they scrambled US eight 175 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 2: fire to Polish to go up after Escort twelve Dove 176 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:51,719 Speaker 2: bombers to hit a Japanese destroyers and ships that were 177 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 2: in the Columbangala area, and Velo Novello two hundred and 178 00:11:55,520 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 2: fifty miles outs beyond the range of the Wildcat, so 179 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 2: we had to strap on a wing tank of fifty 180 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 2: gallons to make it. 181 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: That fifty gallon tank of fuel was going to be 182 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 1: the difference between the fighter pilots making it all the 183 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:13,319 Speaker 1: way out to the fight and back to the base 184 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: or potentially having to bel out of their aircraft somewhere 185 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: over the ocean fuel tanks on empty. But it was 186 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: also a liability. Jeff, as usual, was unfazed. He strapped 187 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: on a watch he had just bought on leave a 188 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:34,200 Speaker 1: few weeks before. It was already a prize possession. He 189 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: was really proud of it and curious to see how 190 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: it would do in the altitude. He climbed into his 191 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: plane and fired up the engine. The eight fighters and 192 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: twelve bombers set out. Jeff was in the lead. It 193 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:51,559 Speaker 1: was three PM when they took to the skies. Fairly shortly, 194 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: Jeff realized that things were going. 195 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,959 Speaker 2: Sideways, and I worried about one hundred miles out. I'd 196 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 2: already used my fifty gallon and the main tank was 197 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 2: not full. I was using guys like mad. That was 198 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 2: a leak somewhere, I don't know where, it was, but 199 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 2: I knew that I would never make it back. 200 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: Something was up with the tank, and not just his. 201 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: He watched as two of the other fighter pilots peeled 202 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: off and returned to base. 203 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 2: Two guys must have had the same trouble because they 204 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 2: turned back. So that left six of us to do 205 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 2: the job of protecting the dive bombers. Now we needed 206 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 2: all the guns we could get up to him to 207 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 2: protect the dove bombers, so they'll give a dead ducks. 208 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: The bombers desperately needed the Wildcats to keep them safe 209 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: and to fend off the Japanese attack that was sure 210 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: to come. Jeff knew that when they got to the 211 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: bombing site, he would most likely be engaged in a 212 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: dog fight. Every evasive action he would take would cost 213 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 1: him more precious fuel. Nevertheless, he made a decision he 214 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: would stay and fight no matter the cost. 215 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 2: Now, I'm not a brave man, but I have to 216 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 2: live with myself if I quit. Now, that would be 217 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,199 Speaker 2: one last fighter pilot to go up there, so I 218 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 2: decided to keep going. 219 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: As the convoy reached the target area, the dive bombers descended, 220 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: circling for marks, but Jeff realized they were no longer alone. 221 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: Two Japanese floatplanes appeared from above, diving down towards the 222 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: American bombers. Jeff had the advantage of altitude. He saw them, 223 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: but they didn't see him. He lowered his Wildcat and 224 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: got the rear floatplane in his sights. He led on 225 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: a burst of gunfire, a direct hit. He watched as 226 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: the aircraft went into a spiral and exploded. Then he 227 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: settled behind the next one, right in the Japanese pilot's 228 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: blind spot. He opened fire again. The floatplane climbed into 229 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: the sky and shattered into a flash of light. Jeff 230 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: and his wingman's sergeant, James Fullatin, climbed higher, searching for 231 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: a safer outitude, but then they saw it, a swarm 232 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: of Japanese fighter planes heading straight for them. Jeff swung 233 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: his Wildcat below the group of enemy planes, shooting at 234 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: the lead fighter. That plane caught fire but escaped. Another 235 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: Japanese pilot spiraled up from the pack, trying to figure 236 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: out what was happening. Jeff followed right on his tail. 237 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: He got the fighter in his sight and picked it off. 238 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: But now he and Phelason had the attention of the 239 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: whole group of Japanese pilots. They were completely outnumbered, so 240 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: the two Americans turned their wildcats towards each other, weaving 241 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: back and forth covering each other's tails. Then Pelosin swung 242 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: two wide and came straight into the crosshairs of one 243 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: of the Japanese guns. Felatson took a hit to his engine. 244 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 1: His plane started streaming black smoke. He had no choice 245 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: but to bil out parachute into the ocean below the 246 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: rest of them. The Japanese fighters scattered. For a moment, 247 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 1: the sky was clear of the enemy, The sun was setting, 248 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 1: and the window to return home and land safely was 249 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: quickly disappearing. The American dive bombers assembled in formation. They 250 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 1: had done their job. It was time to return to base. 251 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: Jeff glanced at his fuel gauge and what he saw 252 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: made his stomach turn. The dogfight had depleted his fuel 253 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: even further, but he might have enough to make it 254 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 1: close to Guadalcanal, close to where someone could find him 255 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: rescue him if he had to build out. He was 256 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: ready to head back when he noticed something out of 257 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: the corner of his eye. Two enemy fighters on his tail. 258 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: If he stopped to engage them. He would never make 259 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: it back to safety, but he had to draw them 260 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: away from the American bombers. That was what he had 261 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: been sent on the mission to do. Out of fuel, 262 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: thousands of feet in the air, ocean and jungle islands 263 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 1: beneath him, and a choice to me. Well, after all, 264 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: he told himself he'd grown up in the Louisiana swamps. 265 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 1: He wasn't afraid of the jungle. 266 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 2: I figured I knew enough about survival. I wasn't trained 267 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 2: for him, but I was born and reared here in 268 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,399 Speaker 2: the chapel at mission, and I could survive if I 269 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 2: hit the islands. 270 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: So he decided once again to stay. He watched as 271 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:35,400 Speaker 1: the American bombers disappeared over the horizon to Guadalcanal and safety, 272 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: and then he climbed higher to attack the two enemy 273 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: planes head on. They closed the space in a heartbeat. 274 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: He fired. The first Japanese plane caught fire, but it 275 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: wasn't going down. Jeff realized the pilot planned to fly 276 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: his burning fighter right into Jeff's Wildcat. 277 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 2: This guy was shot. He knew he was dead. He 278 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 2: caught fire and he was gonna ram me. He's coming 279 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 2: straight toward me, he's still on fire, so I held 280 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 2: the trigger down. He explored, and I flew through the pieces. 281 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: Debris flew past him, hitting Jeff's plane, but his engine 282 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 1: was still running. His Wildcat was still flying, and as 283 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 1: far as he could tell, there was just one fighter left. 284 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: He banked sharply to get on the tail of the 285 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: second fighter plane as it sped by, but the pilot 286 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: had guessed his plan and pulled up high above him. 287 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: Then he came down straight towards Jeff. 288 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 2: When I saw him coming down on him, he was 289 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 2: picking up speed, and he was too anxious for the kill. 290 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 2: And you get too anxious. You've seen birds that whale 291 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 2: animals get too anxious to kill, the anticipate and they 292 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:51,119 Speaker 2: caught themselves. So he was coming down so fast that 293 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,119 Speaker 2: he didn't realize he was overtaken me. The normally the 294 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 2: reaction let me get out of here and pressed the shit. 295 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:58,120 Speaker 2: If I'd pick up most being run away from him, 296 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,879 Speaker 2: that's your normal way of trying to present of your life, 297 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 2: run away, but not in the final plan. Instead of 298 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:08,199 Speaker 2: trying to run away, I chopped his throttle, which slowed 299 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 2: me up. Then I skidd it so he couldn't stay 300 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:11,640 Speaker 2: on my tail. 301 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 1: In effect, Jeff slammed on the brakes, trying to force 302 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 1: the Japanese pilot to overshoot him. It worked. The two 303 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 1: pilots locked eyes. 304 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 2: Win kipped to wing tip. When we looked at each 305 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 2: other and I knew and he knew that he was 306 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 2: a dead man. 307 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: It was a moment that would stay with Jeff forever, 308 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:39,479 Speaker 1: that tension between seeing your adversary acknowledging his humanity and 309 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: knowing what you were about to do to him, and 310 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: yet his conscience was clean. 311 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 2: A lot of polots rationalize, we don't shoot down or 312 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 2: killed man, We just shoot down our planes. You know, 313 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 2: that's a shield to take away the idea of haven't 314 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 2: killed somebody. It doesn't work that way. You either kill 315 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 2: or you be killed, okay, and you have no remorse 316 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 2: for the enemy. He's ought to kill you. So the 317 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 2: name of the game is you kill him before he 318 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 2: kills you. 319 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: Jeff fired, and the Japanese pilot's plane exploded for the 320 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: first time in hours. Jeff seemed to be out of 321 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 1: harm's way. 322 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 2: I figured I hadn't made Let me go home, try 323 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 2: to survive, and while I'm doing that, the sun is setting. 324 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 1: He glanced at his watch. It was six pm. It 325 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: would be dark soon. 326 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 2: And that's when I got hit. The first bullet came 327 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:38,680 Speaker 2: through it over my left shoulder and took my watch 328 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 2: off my wrist. 329 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: He hadn't seen the new fighter planes behind him, but 330 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: now they were lighting up his Wildcat with bullets. The 331 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:51,199 Speaker 1: instrument panel burst into flames, the engine lost power, his 332 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: plane was disintegrating. As Jeff looked frantically around, he saw 333 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 1: another fighter bank to take a run at him. He 334 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 1: was a dead man. 335 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 2: So I got out of that like a tall dog 336 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,880 Speaker 2: because the bullets were setting everything on fire and hitting 337 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 2: the armor plate and everything else. But I was lucky. 338 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:10,199 Speaker 4: I was. 339 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,200 Speaker 2: I have a few shop Noel cuts, but I didn't 340 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 2: realize it that but adrenaline was flowing so fast and 341 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:17,640 Speaker 2: I didn't even feel I was hurt. 342 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: The only thing left to do was bell out. He 343 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 1: was about three thousand feet somewhere over the western Solomon Islands. 344 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 2: So I jumped out, trailed the ledge of the wing 345 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,360 Speaker 2: and pulled a rip cord, and flowing through the air 346 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 2: was beautiful. 347 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:41,160 Speaker 1: Like I said, this is one extremely unflappable man. 348 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,399 Speaker 2: Man. That was the more sensational thing I ever did 349 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 2: in my life, and it was outstand it. 350 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 1: But then he hit the water harder than he'd anticipated. 351 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: His gun, canteen and extra shells were ripped away from him. 352 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: He managed to inflate his life jacket. When he broke 353 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: the surface of the water, he could see shoreline ahead 354 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: of him, but the current was sweeping him out to sea. 355 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 1: Jeff knew he was bleeding, and he knew there were sharks. 356 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:15,119 Speaker 1: All aviators at the time were giving chlorine pills to 357 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: break into the water to keep sharks away. So Jeff 358 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: broke his as he swam and swam and swam. It 359 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 1: would take six hours of swimming for Jeff to reach shore, 360 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: dusk settling into full darkness, the stars coming out, and 361 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 1: an unknowable amount of swimming left to do, but he 362 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 1: kept going. Finally he reached the shore. He pulled himself 363 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: up on the sand, tore off his life jacket, and 364 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: ran across the beach to the underbrush. It might have 365 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: been dark, but he knew the Japanese had a base 366 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: on this island. He had seen it from the sky. 367 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 1: He was an enemy terary. 368 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,439 Speaker 2: Now I knew enough to get off the beach and 369 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 2: cover up my tracks. And I fell asleep. 370 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,919 Speaker 1: For the moment. He could rest, kind of like a 371 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:14,919 Speaker 1: worn out kid. Jeff could sleep pretty much anywhere. This 372 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 1: place was Kullambungara Island. That night he found peace, but 373 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: what awaited him on the island was every bit as 374 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: dangerous as anything in the sky. Jeff de Blanc woke 375 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: up to the filling of rain. He ached all over. 376 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,479 Speaker 1: He had a backpack with the basic survival kit, so 377 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: he dressed his wounds as best as he could and 378 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: had a bite of chocolate from his pack. He had 379 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 1: no idea where to go or if the Allies knew 380 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:48,880 Speaker 1: he was still alive. He was pretty sure the Japanese did. 381 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: One of the pilots had circled him as he was 382 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: parachuting down. 383 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:55,399 Speaker 2: I had to figure, well, I'm an animate territory, and 384 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 2: I know they're looking for him because the man circled 385 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 2: in and they shot me arm, So they're looking for 386 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:00,639 Speaker 2: me definitely. 387 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: Yet, somehow Jeff was convinced that he could survive in 388 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: the jungle, maybe even still a plane off the Japanese 389 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 1: base and get home. He started to trek inland. He 390 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:15,959 Speaker 1: had a knife in his pack and he walked with 391 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 1: it out in front of him. The vegetation was so 392 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,360 Speaker 1: thick he found it easier to climb into the trees, 393 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: moving above ground from one to the next. The second night, 394 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 1: he fell asleep, this time in a tree, even though 395 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: his wounds had started to bother him. The following morning, 396 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: he spotted a grass hut in a small clearing. It 397 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: had a straw sleeping mat inside, and Jeff gathered coconuts 398 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,880 Speaker 1: from the trees and rain water from where it had 399 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: pulled on massive leaves. While exploring the jungle, he found 400 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 1: a downed Allied fighter jet swarming with flies. He saw 401 00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: that the machine guns had been removed, and he shuddered 402 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: had the Japanese been there? But then he saw bare 403 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 1: foot prince surrounding the wreckage. He knew what that meant. 404 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: One of the local indigenous tribes must live close by, 405 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 1: because the Solomon Islands were populated, of course, by people 406 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: who lived there for thousands of years, some Melanesians, some Polynesians. 407 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: In fact, more than eighty different languages are spoken by 408 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: the peoples of the Solomons, making it one of the 409 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: Pacific's most diverse countries in terms of language and ethnicity. 410 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 1: Jeff had known he wasn't alone, not really, but he 411 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: didn't know if these islanders would be happy to see him. 412 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:39,120 Speaker 1: He didn't count on it. He gauged his safety by 413 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: listening to the birds outside his hut. As long as 414 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: they were singing, He told himself he was alone. 415 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 2: And the birds are shanging. Everything is right on, no doubt, 416 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 2: from the swamps just all over the world. That way, 417 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:54,280 Speaker 2: the birds are shanging. Fine. 418 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: He spent a night in the little hut, and then 419 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: another and another listening to the birds song, tending to 420 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: his wounds, staying his same hopeful self. And then he 421 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:13,440 Speaker 1: woke one morning, and since something had shifted, the birds 422 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:14,880 Speaker 1: stopped singing. 423 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 2: What does I tell you, I tell you in trouble. 424 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:19,880 Speaker 2: Something is out there. 425 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 1: He grabbed his knife and walked to the door of 426 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 1: the hut. A young islander stood there, about five foot two. 427 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 2: He was grinning. Now why should he be grinning. I'm 428 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:35,160 Speaker 2: taller than he is. I have a knife, he has 429 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,440 Speaker 2: a machete. I can throw a knife, and I have 430 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 2: had to fight him hand to hand. But for some 431 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 2: reason for him to be grinning. And when I stepped 432 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 2: out that hut, four or five others right there with macheads. 433 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: Oh, Jeff thought that's why he was grinning. Jeff was 434 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 1: totally outnumbered. He dropped his knife, but he wasn't exactly stressed. 435 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: He wasn't an anxious guy, just in his twenty one 436 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: year old, not particularly sophisticated way. He was a little 437 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: worried that they might eat him. 438 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 2: I could see myself in the pot. 439 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 1: Yeah right. The men moved Jeff through the jungle to 440 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,479 Speaker 1: the water's edge. An outrigger canoe was waiting there, and 441 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: they motioned for him to get inside. 442 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 2: When it put me into twelve men out rigor. Then 443 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 2: I knew they were going to trade me to the 444 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 2: Japanese because they weren't friendly. They punched me in if 445 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:35,480 Speaker 2: i'd moved. The stick me with a knife, which means 446 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 2: don't move, and I got the message in a hurry. 447 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 1: They paddled along the shoreline for hours towards the village, 448 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 1: towards the Japanese base. Jeff had no way of knowing. 449 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,640 Speaker 1: Finally they stopped and motioned Jeff out of the canoe. 450 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,399 Speaker 1: He followed them to a village where they put him 451 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:58,479 Speaker 1: in a bamboo cage with two guards set outside. Jeff waited. 452 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: Even to unflappable Jeff, this was starting to seem pretty bad. 453 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: Then six more Islanders entered the village. One of them 454 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:10,640 Speaker 1: was carrying a sack. 455 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 2: When he walked into that compound, you could tell he 456 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 2: had authority, and he had a ten poundshakaraj, which he 457 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:18,679 Speaker 2: put down at the feet of the men who held me. 458 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:21,920 Speaker 2: They let me go, and I quickly joined him, and 459 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 2: we all took off head and oft of the jungles 460 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:26,640 Speaker 2: towards another village. 461 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: Jeff wasn't sure what was happening, but he knew one thing. 462 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: He had been traded for a sack of rice. 463 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:37,120 Speaker 2: When he threw a ten pound shack of rise non, 464 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 2: I knew exactly how much I'm with a ten pound 465 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 2: shock of riag. That's the value of my life. 466 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 1: The new group of men walked for an hour without 467 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: exchanging a word, and then the leader turned to Jeff 468 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 1: and spoke to him in Pigeon, a dialect close enough 469 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 1: to English that Jeff could understand. They weren't taking Jeff 470 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: to be sold to the Japanese, he said, they were 471 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 1: rescuing him. Unbeknownst to Jeff, a network of coast watchers 472 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: had been hunting for him every bit as hard as 473 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 1: the Japanese had. The coast watchers were largely British and 474 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: Australian men, mostly civilians who had stayed in the Solomons 475 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: after the Japanese invasion. Now they worked as Allied spies, 476 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 1: hiding in the jungles to report on enemy activities. Islanders 477 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: had been helping the Allied forces since the start of 478 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: the war as well, working as guides providing valuable intelligence, 479 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: leading down pilots like Jeff through the jungle to safety, 480 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 1: often passing within inches of the enemy. They were the 481 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: primary communication link between the coast watchers. There were also 482 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: targets of the Japanese. That was the reason Jeff had 483 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 1: been kept in the cage. 484 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 2: In that first village, Japanese plans had shokued each village, 485 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 2: you're looking for me, and did it see a white 486 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 2: man in the village, that strafed the village and bombed 487 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:01,680 Speaker 2: regardless of the natives. 488 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:04,480 Speaker 1: That man, who had traded Jeff for the sack of rice, 489 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 1: was named Ati Lu Ducolo. He was tasked with bringing 490 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 1: Jeff miles across the Kullabangara Island, across the sea and 491 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: onto the next largest island, which was called Vela la Vela. 492 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: From there they could arrange for the Allies to pick 493 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 1: Jeff up, but they would have to get there first. 494 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 2: So we went to another village and I was in 495 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 2: chief there. I'm stripped of the waists and everything else. 496 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 2: I have my Marine Corps buckle. There the chief grabs 497 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 2: my buckle. The intelligence officer said, if any native takes 498 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 2: something from you, you take something from them. It's protocol. 499 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 2: When he grabbed that buckle, I grabbed that spirit that 500 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 2: he had. Well, we traded. In other words, he nodded, no, nodded, 501 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:49,720 Speaker 2: and I walked off with the spear. 502 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 1: Jeff held tightly to that spear as he and Ati 503 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: traveled on. They reached another twelve man out rigger canoe. 504 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,720 Speaker 1: They paddled in the darkness through a rainstorm, with nothing 505 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: but the tides to guide them and daylight, and into 506 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 1: another canoe. This time Ati made Jeff lie on the 507 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 1: bottom and covered him with palm fronds. Being spotted by 508 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 1: the Japanese would have meant death to them all. They 509 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: paddled on swiftly, quietly, until finally they reached Vella La Vella. 510 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 2: So they took Franze off of me. 511 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 1: Jeff blinked and looked out from the Canoe. 512 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 2: I see a big red borne, and I see a 513 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 2: white man coming down with three natives. And he spoke 514 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 2: Oxford English and said to me Lieutenant de Blanc. And 515 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 2: he didn't mission a de Blanc or this or that. 516 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 2: He came out in perfect French. 517 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:50,080 Speaker 1: It was Reverend A. W. E. Sylvester, a New Zealand 518 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: missionary who had refused to evacuate the islands after the 519 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 1: Japanese invasion. He was a coastwatcher too, That's how he 520 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: knew who Jeff was. In fact, Sylvester himself had only 521 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: survived the Japanese invasion because the Solomon Islanders had led 522 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: him to safety, just as they had helped Jeff and 523 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 1: the other stranded allies. Here's Sylvester speaking to an interviewer 524 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 1: about it back in nineteen forty five. 525 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 4: I certainly owe my life to the natives. One of 526 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 4: my native teachers came and gave me the warning, and 527 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 4: all my decisions regarding evacuation were made on their information. 528 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 4: We never made a mistake during the services of the natives. 529 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 4: The total number of people we evacuated were two hundred 530 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,479 Speaker 4: and fifty four from our island. 531 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 1: Jeff couldn't have known it but his route from Ati 532 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 1: to Sylvester to safety was one that the coast watchers 533 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: and the Islanders had been perfecting for months. He had 534 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 1: fallen into just the right place. Sylvester welcomed Jeff into 535 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: his home, where Jeff, unsurprisingly slept like a log. He 536 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 1: also got a piece of welcome news. His wingman Peloton 537 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: had survived as well, wounded, ribs, broken, but alive. The 538 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: following day was a Sunday, and the men were having 539 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: a leisurely British cup of tea when an Islander ran 540 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:19,080 Speaker 1: up and whispered something in the Sylvester's ear. The minister 541 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:20,240 Speaker 1: put down his teacup. 542 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 2: He said, well, we'll have to have mask now and 543 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 2: then after Mass, you're gonna have to leave. I said why, 544 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 2: He said, the Japanese are coming in. He said, I 545 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 2: know you're a Catholic Initiative Church of England, which is 546 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 2: not the same denomination process. But I said, please, I'll 547 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 2: be on the first sheet, in the first row. 548 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:41,280 Speaker 1: And so in the middle of the jungle with the 549 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 1: Japanese on their way, the group gathered and prayed. Then 550 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 1: Jeff Ati and a few other Islanders booked it out. 551 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: They wound up trekking for miles, finally reaching the village 552 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 1: where Peloton had been hidden. Safety started to feel closer, 553 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 1: but the two Marines would have to wait until an 554 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 1: American rescue mission could be organized to take them back 555 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: to Guadalcanal. Two coast watchers invited Jeff to hight to 556 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: their secret outposts in the mountains, where he saw Japanese 557 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: planes take off and land from nearby bases. Only then 558 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 1: did he understand the extraordinary work these hidden ally spies 559 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: had done and what risk they had taken to save 560 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:33,400 Speaker 1: Americans whenever they fell. On February twelfth, nineteen forty three, 561 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:38,319 Speaker 1: three days before Jeff's twenty second birthday, planes left Guadalcanal 562 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 1: to pick up Jeff and his wingman. They were taken 563 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:45,919 Speaker 1: offshore in a canoe. Atti rode with them, safeguarding them 564 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 1: until the end. The rescue plane landed, escorted by fighter pilots, 565 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:53,960 Speaker 1: within sight of three Japanese airfields. 566 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,279 Speaker 2: They picked us up when they run. Atti was the 567 00:34:56,320 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 2: one who brought me back through the peaboat made underwater 568 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 2: to pick up things. So they landed on the water, 569 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 2: but didn't cut the engines up through my spear and 570 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 2: there first and then jumped in after him. 571 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 1: The men on board had risked their lives to get 572 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:16,200 Speaker 1: Jeff and Peloton just as Ati had. The pee boat 573 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 1: took off, headed to Guadalcanal, and Jeff finally exhaled. 574 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 2: I knew I was shaved. 575 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: He had lived with this decision to not turn back, 576 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: to stay and fight, and he had also lived. Jeff 577 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 1: went on to serve a few more months in the Solomons. 578 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:56,320 Speaker 1: When he returned home on leave, his little town presented 579 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:59,560 Speaker 1: him with a watch to replace the one that had 580 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: been blown off his wrist. He was awarded the Navy 581 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: Cross for his actions in the Skies. That last day 582 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 1: of January nineteen forty three, he volunteered for active service again. 583 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: He flew missions during the Battle of Okinawa. He touched 584 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:19,360 Speaker 1: down in Japan after the war ended, curious to see 585 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: what the country looked like, but he was ready to 586 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 1: return home, specifically to Louise Burrard, his high school sweetheart. 587 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:31,720 Speaker 1: He had known her since she was the star ford 588 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: of the championship girls basketball team, A dark haired beauty 589 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:41,240 Speaker 1: with a sweet smile. They got married. Jeff went to college, 590 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:44,799 Speaker 1: and then in December of nineteen forty six, he got 591 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:48,720 Speaker 1: a call he was told that he was going back 592 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:54,799 Speaker 1: into active duty. He couldn't understand it. Why he has 593 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 1: served as country, he was a reservist. What active duty 594 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: was going back to? 595 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,960 Speaker 2: I said what, I don't I'm a reserve. I'm not Oh, 596 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 2: go go. We said, just to come to Washington to 597 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:09,560 Speaker 2: get into Medal of Bana said, you got to be joking. 598 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:12,279 Speaker 2: I said, shout it two men riding and they did. 599 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:15,440 Speaker 2: So they putting on active duty to go back. She 600 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 2: wouldn't cast anything. 601 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:22,640 Speaker 1: Yep. They put him on active duty so that he 602 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: wouldn't have to pay for the trip anyways. He and 603 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:30,240 Speaker 1: Louise went to Washington and President Harry Truman gave Jeff 604 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:34,359 Speaker 1: his Medal of Honor at the White House. Jeff went 605 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 1: on to stay in the Marines as a reservist until 606 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy two. He and Louise had five children, a 607 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:44,640 Speaker 1: girl and four boys. Jeff got advanced degrees in science 608 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 1: and mathematics. He became a teacher. He taught middle and 609 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:51,080 Speaker 1: high school kids, and then he went back to the 610 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 1: Solomon Islands four times. The first was in nineteen ninety 611 00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:01,600 Speaker 1: two for the fiftieth anniversary of Guadalcanat. He went up 612 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:04,799 Speaker 1: in a plane, this time flown by someone else, and 613 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:09,000 Speaker 1: peered down over Kullabungara Island, searching for the hut where 614 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:13,160 Speaker 1: he'd hidden out so many decades before. And then in 615 00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:18,480 Speaker 1: two thousand, he flew to Vella Lavella to be reunited 616 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:22,359 Speaker 1: with Ati Lo Ducolo, the man who had guided him 617 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 1: on his treacherous path to safety. Jeff was taken by 618 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,560 Speaker 1: boat to ATI's village, where his former guide, now in 619 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:36,200 Speaker 1: his nineties, was waiting. The two hugged. They ate dinner together. 620 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:44,239 Speaker 1: They exchanged gifts. Fifty seven years had passed since they 621 00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:49,480 Speaker 1: had met in the jungle. Since Atti saved Jeff's life, 622 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:53,480 Speaker 1: Jeff had never forgotten his bravery, or his kindness, or, 623 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:58,400 Speaker 1: of course, that ten pound bag of rice. Jeff de 624 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 1: Blanc died in two thousand and seven at the age 625 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:04,120 Speaker 1: of eighty six. The spear he traded his belt buckle 626 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:07,560 Speaker 1: for now sits in the World War II Museum in 627 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:11,319 Speaker 1: New Orleans, Louisiana. Even at the end of his life, 628 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,760 Speaker 1: when asked about the Medal of Honor and his actions 629 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:19,640 Speaker 1: on January thirty first, nineteen forty three, Jeff brought everything 630 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:27,800 Speaker 1: back to one thing, not heroism, not bravery, but personal accountability. 631 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 2: I could have used to turn back and nobody would 632 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:33,880 Speaker 2: have questioned it, because two guys did already. But I 633 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:37,680 Speaker 2: would have to live with myself because, no doubt in 634 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 2: my mind, a lot of bombas would not have return, 635 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 2: and that would be a part that I would have 636 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 2: to be accountable for, and I don't like that. 637 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:50,680 Speaker 1: The kind of accountability Jeff is talking about isn't expectations 638 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:55,440 Speaker 1: from others or a job description. It's a personal ethos. 639 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,279 Speaker 1: It's the feeling of being sure what your values are 640 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,240 Speaker 1: and the determination to stick to those values no matter 641 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:08,400 Speaker 1: the cost. Some might call it a conscience. That little 642 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:12,279 Speaker 1: voice inside your head. That little voice told Jeff that 643 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:15,759 Speaker 1: if he turned back and abandoned his mission, he'd be 644 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 1: turning back to a life he wouldn't want to lead. 645 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:24,279 Speaker 1: So he stayed and protected those bombers, even when he 646 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:28,719 Speaker 1: knew he might never make it home. I think that's 647 00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:31,840 Speaker 1: why Jeff felt such peace when he found himself falling 648 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 1: thousands of feet through the air, the empty ocean rising 649 00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:39,840 Speaker 1: up to meet him, seeing this glorious beauty in the fall, 650 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:53,440 Speaker 1: with a conscience as light as a feather. Medal of honor. 651 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:57,560 Speaker 1: Stories of Courage is written by Meredith Rollins and produced 652 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:02,240 Speaker 1: by Meredith Rollins, Jeff Shane, and Zan Gabber. Our editor 653 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:06,400 Speaker 1: is Ben Nadaf Hoffrey. Sound design and additional music by 654 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:11,840 Speaker 1: Jake Gorski. Our executive producer is Constanza Gallardo. Fact checking 655 00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:16,480 Speaker 1: by Arthur Gomperts. Original music by Eric Phillips. The rest 656 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:20,320 Speaker 1: of the team includes Carl Catele, Greta Cone, Christina Sullivan, 657 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:26,840 Speaker 1: Sarah Nix, Nicole Appendosh, Eric Sandler, Morgan Ratner, Jordan McMillan, 658 00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:32,960 Speaker 1: Kira Posey, Owen Miller, Amy haggerdarn and Jake Flanagan. Special 659 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:35,840 Speaker 1: thanks to the series creator Dan McGinn, to the Congressional 660 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:39,160 Speaker 1: Medal of Honor Society, and to Ja to Anga the 661 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:43,440 Speaker 1: Audio visual Archive of Atiuroa, New Zealand. If you want 662 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:45,560 Speaker 1: to learn more about this story, take a look at 663 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:47,880 Speaker 1: our show notes, where we have some of the resources 664 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:51,560 Speaker 1: we use to put together this episode, including a book 665 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:55,600 Speaker 1: by the man himself, Jefferson de Blanc. We also want 666 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:58,120 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Send us your personal story of 667 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:03,160 Speaker 1: courage or highlight someone else's bravery. Email us at medalof 668 00:42:03,239 --> 00:42:07,840 Speaker 1: Honor at Pushkin dot fm. You might hear your stories 669 00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:10,440 Speaker 1: on future episodes of Medal of Honor, or see them 670 00:42:10,520 --> 00:42:16,920 Speaker 1: on our social channels at Pushkin Pods. I'm your host, JR. 671 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:17,640 Speaker 1: Martinez