Speaker 1: We all know how the war in Afghanistan ends. Now,
Speaker 1: Afghan government and security forces collapse under a Taliban advance
Speaker 1: and pandemonium outside cobble amples. It's clear who was now
Speaker 1: in charge. But before the chaos and the humiliation of
Speaker 1: the withdrawal, I was there to witness the terror and
Speaker 1: the togetherness of battle. They could be industry that right here,
Speaker 1: just waiting for us, fucking push out of the opening
Speaker 1: light us the book up. Unless you just do it, it
Speaker 1: it comes over. Oh my god, goddamn. I'm glad I
Speaker 1: didn't go on. I'm Elliott Woods. I'm a veteran and
Speaker 1: a journalist, and back in two thousand eleven I went
Speaker 1: to Afghanistan to embed with the squad of marine My
Speaker 1: name is John Bollinger. Michael Miner were taking David, James Foalsky,
Speaker 1: Scott me Catchings, every Lipe, Manual Mendoza, Taylor Mooney, and
Speaker 1: Matthew for It, Jeric Fry, Michael Joseph Dutcher, twelve guys
Speaker 1: who were serving in the bloodiest stage of the twenty
Speaker 1: year war in a place where hundreds of Marines were
Speaker 1: getting killed and wounded. And we solved the to Taliban
Speaker 1: out here where they plant N E d s for Taliban.
Speaker 1: The Taliban's I E d s were hidden everywhere, and
Speaker 1: all too often the Marines found them the hard way.
Speaker 1: If you could describe saying it in in a couple of sentences, say,
Speaker 1: probably one of the worst places on earth right now.
Speaker 1: I interviewed each of the exhausted Marines in a sweltering
Speaker 1: mud brick hut, and there was one who seemed a
Speaker 1: little out of place. All right, so you're on tape, wonderful.
Speaker 1: What's your full name? Michael Joseph Dutcher. Dutcher wore goofy glasses,
Speaker 1: and he had a reputation for being smart. In fact,
Speaker 1: he was counting the days until he could get out
Speaker 1: of the Marines and go to college to become a teacher.
Speaker 1: Why did you join the Marine Corps? Honestly, I have
Speaker 1: no idea anymore. But in the meantime he had a
Speaker 1: job to do. He had to help keep his friends safe.
Speaker 1: Paying attention to everything is the only thing you have
Speaker 1: out here to keep you off. I left Afghanistan that
Speaker 1: summer with a hard drive full of photos and audio,
Speaker 1: and I was just beginning to sort through it when
Speaker 1: I got some terrible news Michael Dutcher was dead. I
Speaker 1: never went on another m bed after that. After Dutcher,
Speaker 1: I just didn't think I could handle anymore death. But
Speaker 1: I've always felt like I abandoned the most important mission
Speaker 1: I ever had, And in all the years since Dutch died,
Speaker 1: I always wondered what happened to the rest of the squad.
Speaker 1: So ten years after we said goodbye and sang in,
Speaker 1: I decided to drive across the country to track them downs.
Speaker 1: We've covered so far and we have literally come from
Speaker 1: coast to coast to find out what they make of
Speaker 1: the war. After all these years, I've lost too many
Speaker 1: good people for people would just not to give a
Speaker 1: shit about it. I wanted to ask some hard questions.
Speaker 1: To the extent that you're willing to talk about it,
Speaker 1: I would like to go there with you if you're
Speaker 1: able to. Okay, it's time for all of us to
Speaker 1: ask what was it all for? And where do we
Speaker 1: go from here? Listen to Third Squad on October one
Speaker 1: on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.