1 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: Ah, beaut Force. If it doesn't work, you're just not 2 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: using enough. You're listening to software Radio, Special Operations, military news, 3 00:00:26,160 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: and straight talk with the guys and the community softrep 4 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: dot com on time on Target. My name, I think 5 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: most of you know by now is Ian Scotto. I 6 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: am the producer and one of the hosts on this 7 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: great show for the past several years. But as you're 8 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: hearing this, I am currently in Pittsburgh visiting my family, 9 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: visiting my grandma and my uncle who lived there. So 10 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: I was rattling my brain with what I could put 11 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: on for this show while I'm away, and I was thinking, 12 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:38,839 Speaker 1: we just had Dan Gordon on, who was a great 13 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: fiction author but most known as a Hollywood screenwriter. Uh 14 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: and I d F veteran love that interview. But we've 15 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: had some really incredible fiction authors in studio in the 16 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: past year, and I think some of you have heard those, 17 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: some of you haven't because there's always new people listening. 18 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: So I figured out to highlight some of those great 19 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: authors that we had on in studio. 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Again, you 54 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: can watch this content by subscribing to the spec Ops 55 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: Channel at spec ops channel dot com and take advantage 56 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: of a limited time offer aft off your membership only 57 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: four ninety nine a month. The app is available now. 58 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: That's the spec Ops Channel. Check it out spec ops 59 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: channel dot com. Getting into the content of this episode, 60 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: uh as I said, we've had some great fiction military 61 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 1: fiction writers on this past year, and I wanted you 62 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: guys to hear some of that. So who's a bigger 63 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: name in that field than Brad thor Check this out. 64 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: This is Brad Thor talking about the process that he 65 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: went through of fulfilling his dream to become an author. 66 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,919 Speaker 1: Give people an idea of who Brad Thor is. I 67 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: know you're born in Chicago, went to USC study creative writing, 68 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: but Danton Marine, can you tell us, like, give us 69 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: the childhood story up until like what made you want 70 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: to be to get into creative right? And yeah, so 71 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 1: the quick the quick on it is. My grandfather was 72 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: the first one born in this country. Went to work 73 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: at the phone company, played trombone on the weekends and 74 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: campone speakeasies to make more money for the family. My 75 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: old man wanted to escape the South side of Chicago, 76 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: wanted to be a marine, became a marine, went to 77 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: Pendleton and all that stuff, and he became a marine 78 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: and then you know Subic Bay and stuff like that. 79 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: So he was over in that part of the world. 80 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: And I got to go to college on the g 81 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: I bill, first person in our family go to college. Uh, 82 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: and ended up going into real estate development. I wanted. 83 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: He was doing a bunch in southern California. So every 84 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: time we see die hard like NAKATOI Plaza. My dad 85 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 1: helped build Nakatoni Plaza. It's kind of our fun family 86 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: claimed to fame. But he did a lot of stuff 87 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: in southern California and he met a lot of USC grads, 88 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: and my dad said they were like the cocon Nostra. 89 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 1: So if you and I were applying for a job 90 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: and you went to USC, I went to USC, but 91 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: Brandon went to u c l A. It's like, if 92 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: you're hiring, you're hiring me because I went to SC. 93 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: That was the legend. So he wanted us to go 94 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: to school there. I had actually applied to go to 95 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: Missoo and I wanted to go into the journalism program. 96 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: But the great Santini was footing the bill, so he 97 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: gets to decide. You know, yeah, great book. I got 98 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:14,040 Speaker 1: to meet Pat before he passed. Really interesting guy. Um 99 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: So went to USC was a business administration major and 100 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: I hated it. I could not stand it. And I 101 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: got about two years into it, I was like, this sucks. 102 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: And I was in an economics class was February. This 103 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: guy was Pakistani, I think, or something like this, and 104 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: he came out on the stage and the auditorium war 105 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: econ class was and he was trembling. He was so excited. 106 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: He had this great thing where Valentine's Days coming. So 107 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: I'm going to do something relevant from my class. All right, 108 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: you're a middle manager in a flower store chain. You've 109 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: got X amount of orders only so many bases. And 110 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: I closed my books. I was like, fuck this, I'm 111 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: like and my friends like, what's going on. I said, 112 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: I'd rather take a bullet between the eyes than be 113 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: a middle manager in a flower store chain for the 114 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: rest of my life. They're like, thor, it's you don't hate, 115 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: It's just an exercise you don't have to go into. 116 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: I'm like, no, no no, no, it's a whole big thing. 117 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: I got some issues and I'm out, and you know, 118 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 1: I hit a couple of bars for a couple of days, 119 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 1: and I was feeling sorry for myself. Didn't know I 120 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,239 Speaker 1: was aimless, and I thought, you know what a ship 121 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 1: bag and I my dad bust his ask goes through 122 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: the Marine Corps, goes school in the g I bill 123 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: I'm getting a free ride. But I had to work 124 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 1: while I was in college. But my old man was 125 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: picking up the tab. I was really fortunate. My dad's 126 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: thing was, you know, I want you to go to school. 127 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: You know Mary a good wife, and go right into uh, 128 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: private enterprise capitalism. My dad's a big capitalist. And he said, 129 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: no law enforcement, no military. What ends up happening? I 130 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: end up long story short, I end up becoming an author. 131 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: All my friends are military, all my friends are cops. 132 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: Went through the police academy back in Illinois to be 133 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: a reserve patrol officer. Never got called up, never did anything, 134 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: but went through the academy. UH, small village, North Chicago 135 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: with some great warriors that were thrilled to to open 136 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: up the reserve program to somebody like me. Really lucked 137 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 1: out to be in my forties and go through the 138 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: police academy was a cool experience, worked its way into 139 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: the books. Um. But so I just said no more, 140 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: no more business administration at USC and I went to 141 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: the career counseling office and took something called the Strong 142 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: Campbell personality Test, and it showed that I scored off 143 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: the charts for writing and publishing. And all it does 144 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: is match up your interests. Here are people that like 145 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: what they do and their interests aligned with yours. Doesn't 146 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: mean you're going to be good at it. And so 147 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 1: I switched. I started taking a creative writing classes at 148 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: USC didn't change the major though, But eventually the great 149 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: Santini found me out. You know, I got a blanket. 150 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: I got his version of a blanket party when I 151 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: was home for Christmas one year, and uh then we 152 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: kissed and made up. And a lot of bond traders 153 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: in the late eighties early nineties were leaving New York 154 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: and going to l A to work on movies and 155 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: to do completion bonds and financing for films. So he 156 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: thought I was kind of avant garde and ahead of 157 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: the curve um and I save money, and I went overseas. 158 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: Friends of mine had an extra room in Paris. First American, 159 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: by the way, proud to say this. I'm the first 160 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: American to ever go to Paris to write a novel. 161 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:55,679 Speaker 1: I've never been done before until I did it so 162 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: kind of neat. I got three chapters into it, and 163 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: I said, oh my god. You know, I'd rather suck 164 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: start a glock than than to than to do this. 165 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: It's the most solitary career in the world. And I 166 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: shipped my laptop back home and traveled in Europe with 167 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: the money I had saved leasing apartments in l A. 168 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: But what it was is I was I was afraid 169 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:17,319 Speaker 1: of failure. What happens if the book sucks? What if 170 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: I can't sell it, what if nobody likes it wants 171 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:21,559 Speaker 1: to read it? And I had that little voice in 172 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: the back of my head saying, don't risk the embarrassment. 173 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: And a long time ago, I took the United Negro 174 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: College fund slogan of mind is a terrible thing to 175 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: waste and shorten it to a mind is a terrible thing. Period. 176 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: So I traveled with money backpack until I ran out 177 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: of money. I worked in a bar in Greece and 178 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 1: I saw all these other kids traveling with backpacks, and 179 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: I said, you know what, travel makes me a better 180 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: American because I'm seeing the world and I know how 181 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 1: good we have it. And I want to go home 182 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: and encourage young people eighteen to thirty four to start traveling. Now. 183 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,439 Speaker 1: Don't wait till you're retired. You're gonna realize how flipping 184 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: lucky you are. So I pitched public television. I was like, hey, 185 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 1: I got this idea for a show, and the Eights 186 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: an teeny is so cool. He's like, listen, everybody is 187 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: working on the common l a everybody's looking for their 188 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: next gig. They're all freelancers. What you need to do 189 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: to take the focus off the fact you've never done 190 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: anything before is put together a team and say to 191 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: this team cameraman, director, if I can get this finance, 192 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: will you work with me? And then use their resumes? 193 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 1: So what have you done before? Well, let me tell 194 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: you about our director. He's a two time Emmy Award 195 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 1: winning director. So my dad's expression was nobody's born with 196 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: a beard, So I use these guys as the beard. 197 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: I launched a show, did two seasons of a travel 198 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 1: show called Traveling Light. I was the host, the writer, 199 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: of the producer. And then on my honeymoon, my wife said, 200 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 1: what would you regret on your deathbed? Never having done? Good? 201 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 1: Question to ask before you're married. Maybe not one you 202 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: want to leave until the good for both parties to ask. 203 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: But I I said, writing a book and getting it published, 204 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: And she said, cool, when we're home, you need to 205 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: start taking two hours a day. Fantastic. Yeah. I wouldn't 206 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: have taken the leap without her. How old? Then when 207 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: you published your first novel? So first novel was two 208 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: thousand two, so I had to be about thirty. That's 209 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: pretty cool then, because I feel like a lot of 210 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: people who are thirty they feel like they're stuck at 211 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: some job they started in their twenties. I have friends 212 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: like that work restaurants and have bigger dreams, and they 213 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 1: feel like, well, I'm kind of stuck doing this. You're 214 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: not stuck doing anything. You could. You could have published 215 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: your first novel at forty. It's and I think that's 216 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 1: an inspiring thing that people need to if they have 217 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: a dream, go for it. It It amazes me how many 218 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: people are and I, you know, I love New York City. 219 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: It's a great city, but I see every day people 220 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: who are absolutely fucking miserable in their current role and 221 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: they just won't make a change. It's like, oh, they're 222 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:44,080 Speaker 1: making okay money, but they won't do it. And to me, 223 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: the scary thing is not to live life, you know, 224 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: and pursue that dream. I take a risk, I try 225 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: and put it and have these talxic my own kids, like, look, 226 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: you've got to you're you know, I'll get you through 227 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,959 Speaker 1: college and then you're on your own. And but your 228 00:11:58,040 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 1: job is to reach as high as you can and 229 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: know it. You know, I'll always be here to catch 230 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: you if you fall. But you know you need to 231 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: go out there and do what you genuinely love to do. Period. 232 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,439 Speaker 1: What's that you're not going to regret? And I've done 233 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:12,559 Speaker 1: a lot of stupid things, but you're not going to 234 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: regret the things you did. It's the things you didn't 235 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: do that's what you're going to regret. When you're sitting 236 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: there in the rocking chair and you're you know, you're 237 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: lucky enough to make it to your nineties and I 238 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:23,679 Speaker 1: don't want to. I don't want to do that. And 239 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: but with my wife, So for me, I'm man cards 240 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:29,439 Speaker 1: on the table. I've now told my wife my deepest, 241 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: darkest secret. How can I say, oh, but you married 242 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: a coward? I mean, so I wasn't gonna do that. 243 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: So I had that kind of wind at my back 244 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: and that in my sales. And she's like, I'll keep 245 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: the world at bay. You tell me those two hours 246 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: and two hours turned to three turned to four. There's 247 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:45,719 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff for a longer conversation, over a 248 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 1: lot more whiskey, a lot of other interesting pieces that 249 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: fell in place. Just I met somebody from Simon and 250 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,959 Speaker 1: Schuster on that trip. We shared an overnight train compartment. 251 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: She led to my editor the idea. We walked into 252 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 1: an empty cafe. We're waiting for food. I looked over. 253 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: There's an English language newspaper. I found the idea for 254 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,319 Speaker 1: my first book in their true life story about a 255 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: Swiss intelligence officer who embezzled all this money from the 256 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: Swiss Army and was training his own shadow militia high 257 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:11,559 Speaker 1: in the Alps with high tech weapons from his own 258 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: private arsenal. Clinton was taken Chelsea for a birthday's skiing 259 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: in Park City, which is where we're leaving. I knew 260 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 1: some secret service guys, you spent years in Park City. 261 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 1: We didn't. Yeah, she was my wife as a doctor 262 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: for the ski team. Which is why my guy, Scott 263 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: Harvath from Coronado was a freestyle skier. His dad was 264 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: a seal and he didn't want any part of that 265 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: world until his dad died and then realized, you know what, 266 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,319 Speaker 1: I did this to piss my dad off. I was independent, 267 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 1: but now I want to kind of follow in his footsteps. 268 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of personal things that you know. 269 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: I think Jack Ryan was Clancy's alter ego. I think 270 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: Bond was Fleming's because Fleming was a hated women. You know, 271 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: it was just cold towards him and stuff. So I 272 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: think Harvath is my alter ego, It's my way. And 273 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 1: I made this joke with George Peterson is I said, 274 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 1: you know, George, you're so much smarter than I am. 275 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: Because I wanted to be a seal and an author. 276 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: You wanted to be an author in a seal. You 277 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: did it in the right direction, you know, you were 278 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: a seal first, then he became an author. I'm an author. 279 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: I can't There's no way I would survive through. But 280 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: I'm too old. Yeah, I mean i could get the 281 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: best forger in the world, but I'm not gonna fool anybody. 282 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: So I joked with George, I said, you did it 283 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:18,200 Speaker 1: in the right order, you know. So. But I had 284 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: a meeting with Mouse McCoy, who was the director of 285 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: Active allor worked with all the seals in his film 286 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: and all that kind of stuff. And one thing he 287 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: said to me, and I took it to heart, is 288 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: he said, you know, Brad, you and I didn't serve, 289 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: but we are kind of in this pop culture and 290 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: it is incumbent upon us to protect that Seal brand 291 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: to protect the special We don't own that brand and 292 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: we're not entitled to it, but if we are going 293 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: to be working in that world of introducing, you know, 294 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 1: these heroic people, it is incumbent upon us to make 295 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: sure that we don't tarnish that brand, and we do 296 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: everything we can to burnish it. And one of the 297 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: things I'm most proud of is young men and women 298 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 1: that go into service because they said they've read my books, 299 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: I joined the Navy, or I joined the FBI or 300 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: whatever it is. And I'm really really proud of that. So, yeah, 301 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 1: that's pretty cool. That was the great Brad Thor. I 302 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: think we'll have him back on soon. But if you 303 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: want to check out that full episode, uh, that's episode 304 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: two sixty. And for those who don't know, I know, 305 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: um some of you listening on Apple podcasts or even 306 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: sound quot or like, why are these old episodes? Where's 307 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: episodes one through whatever? Uh, those are all up at 308 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: saft rep dot com slash Radio. We have the full 309 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: archive available there. UM did that for several reasons. Actually, Um, 310 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: you know, we've changed the format a few times throughout 311 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: the years and made the show's add free and things 312 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: like that and had old dads. So anyway, you check 313 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: those all out. It's at soft rep dot com slash 314 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: Radio if you want to go back to episode to 315 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: sixty and listen to that full interview with Brad Thor. 316 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: Next up here is General Tony Tata, who writes his 317 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 1: A J. Tata, and on this clip he talks about 318 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: what inspired him to right and who inspired the Delta 319 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: Force protagonist of his novels, Jake Mohegan. Here's what I 320 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: was wondering is so you're a former Army brigadier general. 321 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: Of course, was Jake Mohegan? I know he's a he's 322 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: a Delta Force captain. Was he inspired by someone in 323 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: your own life and your own experiences? That's a That's 324 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: another great question because my protagonists are inspired by the 325 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: men and women I served with the Great Americans. I 326 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: had this young soldier I was probably in the toughest 327 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: firefight of my life and the Cornball Valley in Afghanistan, 328 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: and this young man a staff sergeant and he was 329 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: then a sergeant. Uh gets shot through the arm as 330 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: we're getting off the helicopter and it's just everything unloads 331 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 1: on us and Sergeant William Vile ties off his own 332 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: tourniquet and and uh, he's a mortar blissic computer guy. 333 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: So he's the key guy. He's got the radio in 334 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: his ear. And you know, I'm a general. The captain 335 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 1: comes up to me, grabs me by the by the 336 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: armor and like a coach grabs a quarterback by the 337 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: face mats and says, I don't need a dead general 338 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: in my base camp. And and I said, I will 339 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: try to make you happy. And and so I got 340 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: down there in the in the command post and watch Vile. 341 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: He was he was bleeding, he had he had blood 342 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: dripping on the floor. I tapped a medic, you know, 343 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: and I'm with the I knew the captain, the company commander. 344 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: I was coming to see him just to you know, 345 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: do some battlefield circulation up there on the pack border. 346 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: And and the medics says, sir, you don't know starten vial. 347 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: He's not gonna let me work on him. I said, well, 348 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: he's going in a shock, you know. And and he's 349 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: over there shaken and and um then Vile uh says 350 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: to the medic. As a medic comes over there, he says, 351 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: get the away from me. And and that's not exactly 352 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 1: what he said. But um, and then you get first front. 353 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: You know, I call in, We get a couple of 354 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: B one bombers or B two bombers over us. We 355 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: get some eight tens, we get some So the general 356 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: does his job right, gets the air power in there. 357 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: And and there's RPG smoking through the sky, bullets coming 358 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: through the roof like hail in a summer storm. And 359 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: and Vile is just sitting there, cool as a cucumber 360 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:17,679 Speaker 1: at a picnic table. And and and there's a little dingy, 361 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: dusty corn gall outpost. And um, first round goes down range, 362 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,920 Speaker 1: shuts down the machine gun, he gets a direct hit. 363 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:30,439 Speaker 1: He pushes across the table his mortar bilosity computer to 364 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: his private that was his assistant, and he turns the 365 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:35,639 Speaker 1: medic and says, now you can work on me. And 366 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: so that's that's the kind of guy I want mohegan 367 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: to be. So it's those kinds of qualities that I 368 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: look for, that sort of selfless service, you know, you're 369 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,400 Speaker 1: serving your buddies and that kind of thing. We met 370 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:49,160 Speaker 1: a vactim out I got to pend on his purple 371 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 1: heart before it there was two months in water Reid 372 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: and and uh he had to have reconstruction on his arm. 373 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: It's you know, working the special arts community. It's a 374 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: little a friend. But I before I was a seal, 375 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 1: I was air crews Search and Rescues swimmer in h 376 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,920 Speaker 1: sixties and a sonar operator. And we had a situation 377 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: where we were flying at and this has to do 378 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: with guys like that. We had this guy Kennedy was 379 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: one of the pilots in our squadron that was kind 380 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: of like chubby, you know, nerdy kind of pilot, but 381 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:23,880 Speaker 1: very smart. Everybody loved him. But he was just kind 382 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: of like this goofy, kind of nerdy helicopter pilot. And 383 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: we were flying on night vision and we we had 384 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 1: to refuel and the destroyer to get back to the 385 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,880 Speaker 1: aircraft career. We come off nods and probably didn't give 386 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 1: enough time to dark adapt and the Kennedy was the there. 387 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: He was a helicopter commander, but he was not the 388 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:49,880 Speaker 1: pilot in command. Um. The other pilot, Bennett had the controls. 389 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 1: He said, okay, slow, I'm slowing down. You can get 390 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:54,880 Speaker 1: the door open because I would spot the deck um 391 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 1: and we flew. I opened the door the cabin door 392 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,160 Speaker 1: at the gunner's belt on, and I looked to where 393 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 1: the vasy lights of the destroyer war the lineup lights 394 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 1: to kind of spot and I didn't see any lights. 395 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: I'm like, that's very odd. And I looked down and 396 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: we hit the water like at slow speed, thank god. 397 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: Like the pilot Bennett had got vertigo and literally flew 398 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: us into the water. And I thought, I'm fucking dead 399 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: because the water is coming in the cabin now and 400 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: I'm screaming for altitude. And Bennett loses his ship, like 401 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: loses it and here's this like Kennedy, and you just 402 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: never know who's got it until they're put in that 403 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 1: tested by fire. He took controls and literally landed us 404 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: safely on the deck like and pulled this helicopter out 405 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: of water. The maintenance chief did, I was taken on 406 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:46,360 Speaker 1: water a thousand pounds. Yeah, we would have been dead 407 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: if it had have been high speed, but we hit 408 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: slow and the maintenance chief didn't believe us till they 409 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: removed the tail section, like ten gallons of seawater. Thing 410 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 1: of the stones that you know some of those guys have, 411 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,119 Speaker 1: You just don't know what's on the inside at the 412 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: point when you get guys like yourself. I'll tying off 413 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: his own freaking yeah, on one knee under under a 414 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: machine gun fire. And then you know he's like John 415 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,240 Speaker 1: Wayne running in there. It was unbelievable and and and 416 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 1: so that's the kind of guy that you want. That's 417 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,880 Speaker 1: who we all love, right, That's who the listeners and 418 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: and and the readers love that. They they know that 419 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:19,360 Speaker 1: heroism is out there, and so they want to see, 420 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: see it and feel it. Yeah, which is I mean, 421 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,479 Speaker 1: I'm interested to see how you started writing, because for 422 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: me it was mostly therapeutic at first. Brandon, you and 423 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 1: I are exactly the same. And you know most I've 424 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: written most of my life because I always wanted right. 425 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: But I and intensified when I was a paratrooper in 426 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: the eighty second and just constant deployments, constant emotion, and 427 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:46,879 Speaker 1: I said I need an outlet, and and so I 428 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:51,120 Speaker 1: started seriously writing. I I Tom Clancy, come to see 429 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 1: the my battalion when I was in the commander in 430 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 1: eighty second and he's chained smoking around a bunch of 431 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: paratroopers and uh and parachutes. You know, I'm like Mr Clancy, 432 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,360 Speaker 1: you know, we don't like fire near our parachute. But anyway, um, 433 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: and and he said, look, Tata, if you want to 434 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:08,959 Speaker 1: be a writer, then write, and and so I started 435 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: at the started writing and and uh, it's it's been 436 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,439 Speaker 1: uh you know, this is book seven, Besiees his book seven, 437 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:19,640 Speaker 1: book three in the series and and just absolutely love 438 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: it because it is therapeutic. And and I'll tell you, Brandon, 439 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 1: I went to do for my first book. You remember 440 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 1: that comedy show Fraser Crane or something. It was a 441 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: nighttime psychiatrist or whatever. I did a show like that 442 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 1: in l A. It was a nighttime psychiatrist and he 443 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 1: would take calls and it was an hour long show, 444 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 1: and he wanted to talk about post traumatic stress. And 445 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,159 Speaker 1: so before I did it, I called the chief of 446 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: Army Nursing, Randa Corbett, who had been shot down behind 447 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: enemy lines in Desert Storm and and taken prisoner by 448 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: the Iraqis and and now she was one star in 449 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:00,399 Speaker 1: charge of Army nurse and and and she said, Tony, 450 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,639 Speaker 1: you are doing what we are trying to get everybody 451 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,159 Speaker 1: to do, and that is to find that outlet, that 452 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:09,719 Speaker 1: artistic outlet. And so you and I found that of 453 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: our own accord and so, and that's kind of what 454 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 1: I talked to this psychiatrist about, is that we don't 455 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: want our soldier sailors, Airmond Marine so brittle that when 456 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: they lose their best friend they crumble. They've got to 457 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,120 Speaker 1: have that avenue to to go burn it off, whether 458 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: it's playing the guitar, writing or whatever. That was a 459 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: j TATA back on episode to fifty three, if you 460 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: want to check out that full episode once again, that's 461 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: in the archives as well. Soft rep dot Com Slash 462 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: Radio getting into this next fiction writer who is a 463 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 1: former Marine, Anderson Harp. Anderson Harp talks about the background 464 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: of his books with North Korea and how these are 465 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: books that he wrote several years back, but really appeal 466 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: to the audience today because we're having the same ongoing 467 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: issues with nor the Korea, and if you read these 468 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:06,480 Speaker 1: you'll see the very eye opening and Anderson's military background 469 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: really works for what he's writing, so check it out. 470 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: He talks about that as well as a really crazy 471 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 1: Pentagon story involving the death of a hero he knew, 472 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: um you know, and he died on nine eleven and 473 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 1: the Pentagon. So let's get right into that with Anderson Harp. 474 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: Actually I served in the Pentagon, and when I was 475 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: in the Pentagon, I was started wondering about the North 476 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: Korean situation, and then I started wanting to do the 477 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 1: fiction aspect of it. But the premise of the book 478 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:42,360 Speaker 1: is that that Kim had one scientist that was a 479 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:48,119 Speaker 1: world expert in nanotechnology or menteurization, particularly mentor mentorization of 480 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: a nuclear weapon. And uh so, they of course have 481 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 1: continued to improve on their delivery systems. Now the I 482 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: C B M is being reported. And then the question was, 483 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,959 Speaker 1: you know, as I was actually interviewed by the BBC 484 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,959 Speaker 1: many years ago, and I said, always the problem with 485 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: North Korea is that they have a missile that they're 486 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: developing that could get here, so to speak, but that 487 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: they had a nuclear weapon it was probably the size 488 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:21,120 Speaker 1: of a small vote swagon. So the question became when 489 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 1: those two lines cross, when they develop a weapon that 490 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 1: that could be carried on top of an I C 491 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: B M. And they're getting really really close to that 492 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,959 Speaker 1: right now. There's varying viewpoints about that, but the premise 493 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,199 Speaker 1: of the book was that they had one scientist that 494 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: was able to put that together for them to miniaturize 495 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 1: their weapon and improve the delivery system. And what's really 496 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 1: been fascinating about this is, although this is written in 497 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 1: fiction and his fiction, is that the public intelligence is 498 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: reporting that Kim has three key people that are very 499 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 1: close to him now that our specialists in the weapon 500 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 1: delivery system, the I C B M and the miniaturization 501 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: of the nuclear weapon. And I should say one of 502 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,359 Speaker 1: the things that's so scary about that is Kim right now. 503 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: Uh is reported to be a guestimate because they really 504 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: don't know because how secretive that world is. He's reported 505 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: to be about thirty seven years old, but his father 506 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:24,880 Speaker 1: died when he was about sixty seven years old. So 507 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 1: we're talking about a guy that is on a path 508 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 1: to develop weapons and he's got to know thirty years 509 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 1: plus two do exactly that. So anyway, so I think 510 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 1: the books a good read. It's about a special operations 511 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: about my character having to go in to North Korea. 512 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: He knew this scientists from a former life. He could 513 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 1: have identified the scientists out of a crowd of dopel 514 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: languors as they call or you know, that's another thing 515 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 1: they do, and that he could pick that person out 516 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 1: uh and UH. And then there's some betrayal and there's 517 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: some criss cross and I think it's a fun read. Yeah. 518 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: The whole thing that I was saying is, since this 519 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,199 Speaker 1: is technically the first of the series, but it's the 520 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: new release, once people read it, they could again pick 521 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,199 Speaker 1: up those right there, Born of Warren retributions and they 522 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: have three books in the series that they could check 523 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: out if they're into your work. Yeah. Yeah, because the 524 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: protagonists is a marine that he's sort of left the 525 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:22,879 Speaker 1: Marine Corps like us never laid the Marine Corps, but 526 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 1: we're not wearing the uniform. But anyway that he's called 527 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: in for for under this book for a specific mission, 528 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:35,159 Speaker 1: and then that sets him on a life's journey so 529 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 1: to speak of doing other missions. So one in Pakistan 530 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: and him him too a push and another one in Asamalia. 531 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 1: So very cool. Um, so let's get into the marine stuff. 532 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,479 Speaker 1: You were telling me about your background and the Marines. 533 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,399 Speaker 1: You were also telling me about some awesome Pentagon on 534 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: nine eleven stories that they are pretty captivating when you 535 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,080 Speaker 1: got here. Um, so it'd be cool to get into 536 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:01,919 Speaker 1: some of those and maybe and crossover between what Jason 537 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 1: has done in the Marines and what you got to 538 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:06,159 Speaker 1: do with your time in the marine. Nothing in comparison 539 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: to him, and he definitely made an impact. Well. Four 540 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 1: years active duty uh and then twenty six reserves and 541 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:20,639 Speaker 1: it was mobilized in the reserve for Enduring Freedom. On 542 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,880 Speaker 1: the active duty side, it was it was interesting. It 543 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 1: was a post Vietnam and there was actually a colonel 544 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: at the time that was the called the G three 545 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: of first Mardiv who has gone on to be a 546 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:37,879 Speaker 1: well known person. At the time that he was Colonel 547 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 1: Okay Steel and I think he went on to be 548 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: a c G. Second Mardiv. Anyway, he uh, he went 549 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 1: out to division said anybody no uh, no skiing cold 550 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: weather And I was pulled out of the division, out 551 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: of the eleventh Marines Artillery to open up Bridgeport with 552 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: several other uh with a training group that actually became 553 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: now the more notorious well known Red Hats. And I 554 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 1: think it's what they said they call. Yeah, we were 555 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: sort of pre red hat, we were old hat. Yeah, 556 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: but we went into Bridgeport and basically unlocked all the 557 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: things and stayed in Quansa huts when we were up 558 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: on the mountain, and then we would bring Batan's up 559 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: from First of mar div up to you to a 560 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: winter cycle, and then also we did a summer cycle, 561 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: the rock cycle. Yeah, and did that uh. And then 562 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 1: was sent by the Range to Fort Greeley, Alaska, which 563 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 1: is the Army's Arctic survival school. You know, we're so small. 564 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: There were very few specialty schools that we haggy back 565 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: a lot. We definitely piggyback, Yeah, exactly, exactly so Fort 566 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 1: Brillian at the time. Now I think it's Fort Drum Uh, 567 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: tenth Mountaineer is their cold weather thing, but really Alaska 568 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: was it. And that was forty four degrees blow zero 569 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: on a typical day that we were there. Uh. And 570 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: then came back and then uh. In my later career 571 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 1: as a reservist uh and also mobilized for Enduring Freedom, 572 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: I served various commands. I did a lot of Korea 573 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: with the EXTRAC. That's going all right now, I think 574 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 1: it's um, what is the what is the main programming Korea? Call? 575 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: I have a brain fart. It's it's like a rock 576 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: package is a similar to that, you know what you 577 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: do the repelling, the the you know what I saw 578 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: thing that all. Yeah, and then we also did you know, 579 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: the big Operation that's getting ready to kick off right now. 580 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: I think where where you you know, you simulate, you know, 581 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: if if Southern Korea were attacked, and then uh, and 582 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: then I was moved over to the Pentagon, where I 583 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 1: worked with the Assistant Secretary of Defense Reserve Affairs Office, 584 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: and uh. You know, the interesting story about that, and 585 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:53,080 Speaker 1: that I was telling you about, was that I left 586 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:57,120 Speaker 1: there just four September eleventh, about a year before September eleventh, 587 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: to go out to Hawaii where at the time the 588 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: Marine Corps the world was. The issues are so small 589 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 1: that Marine Forces specific I think was dual added as 590 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: Marine Forces SCOM. So I think passy where you go. Yeah, 591 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 1: PACK actually had the duties of SCOM. And of course 592 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 1: then SITCOM took on its own scale now major scales, 593 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 1: and got its own man. But we were part of 594 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: the build up for the invasion of Afghanistan, overseers for Afghanistan. 595 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 1: But anyway, back at the Pentagon, one of the interesting 596 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:36,440 Speaker 1: stories about that was that while we were in those offices, 597 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:40,960 Speaker 1: they one side of the walls were all sheets supply wood, 598 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 1: and behind those sheets supply wood, they were taking the 599 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: Pentagon one pie shape at a tack and they were 600 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: gutting it and rebuilding it, and they took it right 601 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 1: down to the cement pillars. Anyway, I left there and 602 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 1: then after that except Member eleven of curd so uh. 603 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: When I came to that job, I um, I was 604 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:10,320 Speaker 1: replacing a Navy captain that by the name of Chick 605 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 1: Burling Game, and Chick was a fighter pilot. I can't 606 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: remember exactly what Chick flew, but he came in as 607 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: I left, I mean, he came out left as I 608 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: can remember, the going away party and everything. Well, Anyway, 609 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: September left and the curral curred in the world stopped. Uh. 610 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 1: And then about a month later I called back to 611 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 1: my old office. I'm not sure what I was going 612 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,240 Speaker 1: to get, and I got one of the secretaries and 613 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: I said, oh, thank god, what's going on? She said, well, 614 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: about a month before September eleventh, we were moved to 615 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: the other side of the Pentagon. But did you hear 616 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 1: about Chick Burling Game? I said no, Well, he our 617 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: offices at the e Ring looked out over the helicopter path, 618 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 1: which is where the jet came in. Chick left, Uh, 619 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: the reserves, made his his years in and then returned 620 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 1: to his job as a commercial pilot and he was 621 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 1: the pilot on the airplane that flew into the Pentagon. Wow. 622 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: So he actually was killed in a place where he 623 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 1: worked for three years. Uh. And then I'm pretty sure 624 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,760 Speaker 1: he was, you know, no offense, but I'm pretty sure 625 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:28,480 Speaker 1: he was killed before they impacted because I'm sure he 626 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 1: wouldn't have put up for that. So I think that's 627 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: what the theory was. That then they had the body, 628 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 1: they took, they took, they took flight lessons and all 629 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 1: that stuff too. You know, I think they were taking 630 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: lessons in Florida and we found out. So I'm pretty sure, 631 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 1: especially coming from his background, hand, Yeah, he ain't go 632 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: down quietly. I'm pretty sure. Anyway, he was what we 633 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: call a gray area reserves, which meant that to to 634 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: vest as a reservist you have to be aged sixty 635 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 1: and then when you vested age sixty, you are vested 636 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: as a full retire and one of the things you 637 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: bested at at sixty interment in Arlington, and his widow 638 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 1: had applied for Congress to give him a waiver, and 639 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: I understand that he was interred in Arlington. Uh. But anyway, 640 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: so that was that was a seated history, so to 641 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:22,319 Speaker 1: spend great clip with Anderson. Very tragic story though. Uh 642 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 1: and if you want to hear that interview and its entirety, 643 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:28,879 Speaker 1: that was back on episode two seventy six, so look 644 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:30,920 Speaker 1: that up and you'll find it up, So to seventies 645 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:34,319 Speaker 1: six with Anderson Harp. Really appreciate you guys checking out 646 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:37,319 Speaker 1: this special. We'll be back on Wednesday with the new 647 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 1: episode and as always, you could follow myself on Twitter 648 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 1: at Ian Scotto. You can follow Jack, who's usually here 649 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: with me on Twitter at Jack Murphy r g R. 650 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:50,880 Speaker 1: Let us know what you think. Send over your emails 651 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 1: to soft Rep dot Radio at soft rep dot com. 652 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:59,439 Speaker 1: Most importantly, leave a review on Apple Podcasts. I can't 653 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: stress an enough when you write a review for us, 654 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 1: it really helps us out. We have a lot of 655 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,759 Speaker 1: competition in that government category and if you want us 656 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,800 Speaker 1: to keep doing this free as we've been doing, uh, 657 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 1: that's really the way that you can help us out. 658 00:35:11,719 --> 00:35:15,359 Speaker 1: So right up a review on there, and we'll keep 659 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 1: having great guests on like A. J. Tayta and from 660 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:20,719 Speaker 1: Marp and bread thor that you want to hear. I 661 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 1: think bread will be back on in studio soon. And 662 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,080 Speaker 1: uh yeah, that's about it. Follow us on Twitter and 663 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 1: Instagram at soft Rep Radio and I'm out you've been 664 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:37,640 Speaker 1: listening to sulf Rep Radio. New episodes up every Wednesday 665 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 1: and Friday for all of the great content from our 666 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 1: veteran journalists. Join us and become a team room member 667 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:47,680 Speaker 1: today at self rep dot com. Follow the show on 668 00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:51,959 Speaker 1: Instagram and Twitter at self rep Radio, and be sure 669 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:55,719 Speaker 1: to also check out the Power of Thought podcast hosted 670 00:35:55,960 --> 00:36:01,280 Speaker 1: by Hurricane Group CEO and Navy Seals sniper instructor Brendan Webb.