1 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: On this episode of Newsworld. The origins of the Memorial 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: Day date back to eighteen sixty eight. Commander in Chief 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: issued General Order Number eleven designating May the thirtieth as 5 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: a Memorial Day, quote for the purpose of strewing the 6 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died 7 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: in defense of their country during the Late Rebellion, and 8 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and 9 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: hamlet churchyard in the land. In nineteen seventy one, an 10 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: Act of Congress changed the observance of the holiday to 11 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: the last Monday in May and extended the honor to 12 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: all soldiers who died in American wars. Today, national observance 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: of the holiday still takes place at Arlington National Cemetery, 14 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: with the placing of a wreath of the tomb of 15 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: the Unknown Soldier and the decoration of each grave with 16 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: a small American flag. So while many Americans think of 17 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: it as a weekend that marks the start of summer 18 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: parades and backyard gatherings with family and friends, please also 19 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: remember why Memorial Day was established to honor those men 20 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: and women who gave their life and service to our 21 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: country and to protect our freedoms. As part of our 22 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: Memorial Day episode, I wanted to invite back someone who 23 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: is a true American patriot. He served in the Army 24 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: National Guard for two decades until last month. He is 25 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: a proud son of Minnesota, the author of American Crusade, 26 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: Our Fight to Stay Free, and Fox and Friends Weekend 27 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: co host. I'm really pleased to welcome back my guest 28 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: and good friend, Pete Hexeth. Pete, welcome back, mister speaker. 29 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: Thank you for having me, always an honor. I'm curious 30 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: because you have so many experiences, and I love watching 31 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: when you're off at some breakfast place talking to people 32 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: you've probably talked to more everyday Americans and almost anyone 33 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: I know in your heart, what does it mean to 34 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 1: you to have Memorial Day? Memorial Day crystallizes it all 35 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,839 Speaker 1: for me, And you're right when you're talking to everyday Americans, 36 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: it's the type of day that means a great deal 37 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: to them because they're still tethered to how precious our 38 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 1: American experiment, this mission of freedom really is. When I 39 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: think of Memorial Day these days, and for many years, 40 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: I ask myself, and I hope people ask themselves the 41 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 1: same thing. You know, my living worthy of the sacrifice 42 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: that previous generations gave at the altar of freedom. It's 43 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: a gut check. It's a gut check that day, but 44 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: also reminder for the upcoming year that all the things 45 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: that we have, all the opportunities we have here. Yes, 46 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: we declared our independence with a bold document from brilliant minds. 47 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: It was the gritty men and women who are willing 48 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: to pick up a musket or a rifle. It was 49 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: the men and women who picked up machine guns and 50 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: grades and got on ships and deployed around the globe, 51 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: knowing that when they left they may not come home, 52 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: and many of them have not. Millions of Americans over 53 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: the course of time have sacrificed their lives so that 54 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 1: we can live free. And when you realize our republic 55 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: is not that old, it's young, two hundred and forty 56 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: odd years young. And yet you look at the scope 57 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 1: of the gift that has been given of human being, 58 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: human souls, Americans who were willing to die so that 59 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: we can be here today. It encapsulates the gravity of 60 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: this holiday that we have to work really hard to 61 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: make sure our kids and grandkids understand and appreciate fully 62 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: that they know that it's more than a backyard barbecue. 63 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: And I love the backyard barbecues and all the gatherings 64 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: that happen. I think celebration is a part of what 65 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: we should do for those of us who have our 66 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: lives here in America today is enjoy it. But man, 67 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: we better be drilling into the minds. I love the 68 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: history that you read up at the beginning news about 69 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: where this came from. You know what it was meant 70 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: to recognize. And I've had my own special moments of 71 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: memorial David, each in our own way pass on to 72 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 1: the next generation so they get the gravity of what 73 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: it took to get us to this place. I'm really 74 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: curious because I've watched you for years, and you have 75 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: a remarkable talent for speaking with people, for getting things 76 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: down to a kind of common everyday understanding. This clearly 77 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: grew out of your very being. I mean, it seems 78 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: to me that somehow, when you were very young, you 79 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: understood and you valued patriotism and you valued service. Where 80 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: do you think that came from? I got to give 81 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: it to my family and to faith and to community. 82 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: I mean, my mom and dad are just hard working 83 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: every day folks. My dad was a high school gym 84 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: teacher and a basketball coach, and my mom stayed home. 85 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: And it wasn't an overtly political household, but it was patriotic, 86 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 1: it was hard working, it was truly rooted and invested 87 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: in Christian faith and just go out and be good 88 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: people according to the Gospel. And I'll tell you there's 89 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: a reason I'm a big believer in civic ritual parades fireworks, 90 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: because I know that left a big imprint on my heart. 91 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: In one particular example is a small town of one 92 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: a Mingo, Minnesota. It's nowhere southern Minnesota. It's a small 93 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: farming town. It's where both of my parents grew up. 94 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: And they would hold parades throughout the year, but the 95 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: biggest one in town was the Memorial Day parade. And 96 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: again I can't underscore how small a town this is, 97 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: but they had a huge, wide main street and they 98 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: would have a Memorial Day parade and the whole town 99 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:43,840 Speaker 1: would come out. We didn't live there at the time, 100 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: but we'd always go back to our grandparents stand by 101 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: the side of the road, and it would be the 102 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: line of veterans from that town with the band in front. 103 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: And it's one of these blinket you miss it, mister speakers. 104 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: It's not long. But what you had was the entire town, 105 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: hundreds of people standing as these vets World War two vets, 106 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 1: then Korean War vets, than Vietnam vets, and then you 107 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: had Gulf War vets who were young and still fitting 108 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: into their uniforms marching down that parade and everyone would 109 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: stand and revere them for their service. But of course 110 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: that parade ended at Memorial Park, where all those men 111 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: and women in uniform would give honor to those who 112 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: didn't make it home. And I remember they would read 113 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: the names and talk about the lives of the people 114 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 1: that were no longer there. And I don't know if 115 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: it hit me then, but it certainly hits me now. 116 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 1: But it left an imprint on me. Holy, this is 117 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 1: tiny one of Mingo, Minnesota, and these are the list 118 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: of names of people in this town and in the 119 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: county who never came home. Imagine amplifying that across every 120 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: small town across America. It started to give me a 121 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: sense I, just as a kid watched the way the 122 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: town revered those vets and those military members, and I thought, man, 123 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: they've done something special, something bigger than this town, bigger 124 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: than themselves. That seems really important to me. I didn't 125 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: come from a military family at all. I couldn't tell 126 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: you the difference between the Army and the Marine Corps 127 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: when I graduated high school, had no idea. So when 128 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: Donald Trump talked about things like military parades, there's a 129 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: reason why I truly believe in those things, and they 130 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: need to happen because they're special events that you don't 131 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: otherwise get in your life that remind you of the 132 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: things that a society is supposed to value, back to 133 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: basics of our military, of our flag. So recapturing those 134 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: and doing more of that, I think is truly important. 135 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: But I've benefited a great deal from serving the military. 136 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: It's the best education I've ever received. Is every background, 137 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: every socio economic set, to every race who was dedicated 138 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: to something bigger than themselves. And you know, the other 139 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 1: thing is I love doing the diners because just relating 140 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: to people where they're at and hearing their stories and 141 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: talking about the things that really motivate them and animate them. 142 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: Part of my enjoyment of doing that is on deployments 143 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: being stuck. You're stuck with thirty forty fifty guys who 144 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: you would otherwise never hang out with, who you didn't 145 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: grow up with, and you are bored out of your 146 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: mind half the time, and the only thing you have 147 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: to do is to bs, is to chat and tell 148 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: stories and to talk and find ways to relate to 149 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: people who you otherwise wouldn't hang out with. In many ways, 150 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: it was a forged opportunity because you spend so much 151 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 1: time doing it, and then you end up appreciating it 152 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: because those are not the type of people you meet 153 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: in the IVY League or in the media world or 154 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: in politics. But the common sense wisdom that emanates from 155 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,839 Speaker 1: that I think has served you well. That's really interesting. 156 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: I have this imagery of you walking into a diner 157 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: and it's just like revisiting your platoon. And I must say, 158 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: you connect. Every time I've seen you, usually at breakfast. 159 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: You connect with people as well as anybody I know. 160 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: Part of it is that they like Fox, part of 161 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: it is that they like you, But part of it 162 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: is your style. You can be with almost any group 163 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: and you're curious about them and I think they can 164 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: sense that no one is genuine and when it isn't 165 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,479 Speaker 1: do you know much I've learned new from those assignments. 166 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: I truly enjoy it because the camera's on for four 167 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: minutes three times over the course of the show. But 168 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: they're just spending three and a half four hours with people, 169 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: and it's always a different part of the country, a 170 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: different kind of crowd, and you just sit down and say, 171 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: how's life going, what are you facing. I don't know 172 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:23,959 Speaker 1: if you saw this, but I got mocked. I gave 173 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: a seapack speech. You talked about these diners, and I 174 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 1: talked about how people talk about the First Amendment and 175 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: the Second Amendment and the Tenth Amendment, And it was 176 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: broadcast and a bunch of folks on MSNBC and CNN 177 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: went nots and said, oh, Pete Hexef claims he goes 178 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 1: to diners and talks about the tenth Amendment, and what 179 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: they don't understand is you know that, of course is 180 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: code for They talk about God and free speech and 181 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 1: the Second Amendment and their right to bear arms, and 182 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 1: of course the idea of local control and states rights. 183 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: Those are other things they talk about all the time, 184 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: and so we actually played a clip of diners talking 185 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:57,839 Speaker 1: about those things over and over and over again as 186 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,080 Speaker 1: we smacked back at him. But I do love it. 187 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: They always say, hey, we feel like we know you, Pete, 188 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: and I turn around and say, hey, I feel like 189 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: I know you. Also, because there are a shared set 190 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 1: of values of people who often show up at these things. 191 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: We have to remember, though, if you're MSNBC, your idea 192 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: of going to breakfast is either the Upper west Side 193 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,719 Speaker 1: or Rodeo Drive, And so you're thinking, you know, I 194 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: don't know anybody a rodeo drive who even knows what 195 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: a constitution is. How can they be talking like this. 196 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: I have to go back, because you know, I used 197 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: to be a historian in a different life, and so 198 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: I try to think about things historically. You leave this 199 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: small town, you go to Princeton, which is hardly a 200 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: round central for patriotism, and you end up joining the ROTC. 201 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:47,320 Speaker 1: Now that's almost counterculture for Princeton. What got you across 202 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: that bridge? So you found yourself in the ROTC. I 203 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 1: almost went to West Point almost, I wasn't ready again, 204 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,839 Speaker 1: I didn't know the military well enough, and so I 205 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: instead went to Princeton. Knowing they had an ROTC program. 206 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: I actually end up in May of two thousand and one, 207 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: so four months before nine to eleven I joined our OTC, 208 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 1: and then nine to eleven happened. It was the ultimate validator. 209 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: I knew I wanted to serve that much. I knew 210 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: for the reason I would have mentioned briefly before. But 211 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: then watching the forces on campus, I mean watching the 212 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: preemptive peace rallies at Princeton as there was still smoke 213 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 1: smoldering at ground zero. Professors and students were saying, it's 214 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: time for peace, and it's time to understand, and these 215 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: people who attacked us, there's a rationale for it. We 216 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: need to understand. And I remember scratching my head on 217 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,560 Speaker 1: this doesn't make sense. Of course, it didn't make sense 218 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 1: when the first Christianity course in the Religion department from 219 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: a so called expert on Christianity. The day one, they said, well, 220 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: the most likely scenario is that Jesus was buried in 221 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: a shallow grave and eaten by dogs, and the rest 222 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 1: of it is just mythology. I had to go into 223 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: the Firestone Library to read actual Bible history about apologetics 224 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: of the history of it to fight back in class. 225 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,560 Speaker 1: I think the grounding everything, and that's why I'm so 226 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: focused now on K through twelve and we're doing a 227 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: huge documentary and Fox Nation about the Progressive which you're 228 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: a part of. Thank you very much, mister speaker for 229 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 1: taking the time to do that again. It's a five 230 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: part series. It's coming together fantastic. I've learned an amazing amount. 231 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: If you talked to Robbie George at Princeton, for example, 232 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 1: the prominent constitutional professor who is one of my mentors there, 233 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: and he'll say, it used to be that the liberals 234 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: would lick their chops when the kids would come to 235 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: Princeton because they were ready to deconstruct their worldview that 236 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: they showed up with. People like me would come in 237 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: as these roogue conservatives patriots, and then they would contort them. 238 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 1: And he said, now it's the other way around. Everyone 239 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: shows up at Princeton already woke effectively, and it is 240 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: Robbie George who licks his chops at the opportunity to 241 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: deconstruct the work. Will do they show up with. I've 242 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: had my own failings and mistakes and all of that, 243 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: but coming back to the foundation of the way I 244 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: was raised helped me get through that clear eyed, and 245 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 1: then joining the military. I mean, forget a degree from Princeton. 246 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: That university of one hundred first Airborne was way more 247 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: educational for getting a sense of human nature, good and evil, 248 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: and appreciation for America and vets who get a chance 249 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: to travel the world. You see the alternatives and you 250 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: realize how special this really is, which makes it easy 251 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: to make the case for it. I have to say, 252 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: by the way, just Ramona about ROTC. My dad went 253 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: into World War two aisen and listened guy in the army, 254 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,599 Speaker 1: came out, worked for the Reading Railroad and got a 255 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: g I Bill went to Gettysburg College, was pre med, 256 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: but also joined ROTC and came out in the middle 257 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,319 Speaker 1: of the Korean War, and he found that survey in 258 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 1: the uniform was so rewarding psychologically that he spent twenty 259 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: seven years in the infantry. So I grew up in 260 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: that world and surrounded by the really deep sense of service, 261 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: which I think you get in organizations like the infantry, 262 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:58,719 Speaker 1: where you realize that you're going to be out there 263 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: on your own and hopefully it's all going to work. 264 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:03,559 Speaker 1: So when we get to my oil day, one of 265 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: the things I always think about is my father's role 266 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,079 Speaker 1: and also my mother's because she was an army wife 267 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,959 Speaker 1: and she went wherever he went, and times like when 268 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 1: he was in Vietnam and Korea, she stayed home and 269 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: took care of the kids and tried to balance the 270 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: family checkbook because he was gone, and as you know, 271 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: back in those days, gone meant really gone. You didn't 272 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: have any of the modern capacity. So I often think 273 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: of lessons I learned from my dad and from growing 274 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: up inside the US Army. Now, your unit went to 275 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 1: Guantanamo Bay, where you served as an infantry platoon leader. 276 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: What was it like to go to Cuba? Man, never 277 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: go back. It was the longest year of my life. 278 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: But I was also a new second lieutenant, and I 279 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: had a platoon out of New Jersey which was largely 280 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: Hispanic and Italian, and they were almost all older than me, 281 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: had been in the Army much longer than me. And 282 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: here we were on a one year deployment ninety miles 283 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 1: from Florida, effectively at a naval station, because it's the 284 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 1: Guantanamo Bay as a naval station, where on the naval 285 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: station side it was an accompanied station, so you had 286 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: sailors with their families and their kids with schools, in 287 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: a grocery store and a PX and all of those things. 288 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: And on the other side of the island at the 289 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: detention center at Camp x Ray and where we were 290 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: as guards, we were living in tin cans, six guys 291 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: for a year, lining up to use the aten T 292 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: phone to call home if we wanted to. So we 293 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: may as well have been thousands of miles away, even 294 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: though we were that close to the States. It was 295 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: much like a deployment. There were seven hundred detainees there 296 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: at that time, so it was still full. There were 297 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: the MP guards that were actually in the cells. That 298 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: was not us. We were on the towers and the gates, patrolling, 299 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: mounted and dismounted. We were a quick reaction force into 300 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: the facility. These are nasty, nasty dudes, and the things 301 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: they would yell at the towers, the competations that we 302 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: would have inside the jail cells because we would they 303 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: would have to call in the QRF And I would 304 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: often have a had a Muslim member of my platoon 305 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: who spoke Arabic, and I would stand in the tower 306 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: with him for many hours and he would sort of 307 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: translate a lot of what was being yelled or what 308 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: was being said, and it was not you know, I misunderstood, 309 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: Please let me go. It was threats to if I 310 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: find your name, if I find where you live, if 311 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: I find your wife. And most of them were hardcore 312 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: jihadists who sought our destruction, which is why the way 313 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: in which Guantanamo Bay devolved into this sort of holding 314 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: cell and releasing center of very little consequence. I think 315 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: it was so underutilizing what it could have been. But 316 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: it was a leadership year for me, learning how to 317 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: lead men through largely the mundane. We had day shifts 318 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: and nightshift and all of that, and ultimately, thankfully everybody 319 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:09,840 Speaker 1: made it home just fine. But it was more of 320 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 1: a leadership in a regimented process away from their families. 321 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 1: But I did appreciate it because it was postline eleven. 322 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: It was an opportunity to be a part of it. 323 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: And yeah, it was a long year. Was the quality 324 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: of that year? Did that make it easier to volunteer 325 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: to go to bank dead? Yes? Yes, because you normally 326 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 1: think Cuba ireq, Cuba ireq. But Cuba was so miserable 327 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: that all of a sudden became well, what do I 328 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: got to lose that kind of the case. Well, if 329 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 1: I'm going to do this whole deployment thing, why don't 330 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 1: we go to the main effort was a big part 331 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 1: of the feeling. And I love the guys I sat 332 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 1: up within Guantanamo, but great men. In fact, one of 333 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: the guys that I memorialized every year and think about 334 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: is Jorge Olivera, who was a specialist in my platoonic 335 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,879 Speaker 1: Guantanamo Bay, a National Guardsman who went back and became 336 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: a police officer in his community, revered, and then deployed 337 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: to Afghanistan, which is the third place I went, and 338 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 1: was killed in Afghanistan on an ambush while I was 339 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: not with him in that unit, but I was in 340 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: Afghanistan at the same time he was killed, and he 341 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: was just beloved by his troops and beloved by his 342 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: department and lived a life of service. And he was 343 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: one of my platoon members who was amazing at Guantanamo 344 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:21,439 Speaker 1: in what was done there. Yeah, I got home and 345 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:24,120 Speaker 1: I took a while to unwind, and then I was restless. 346 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 1: I'll never forget. I actually worked for bear Stearns in 347 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:31,880 Speaker 1: New York City and was watching the war unfold, having 348 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: come back from Guantanamo Bay for a year because I 349 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: was a guardsman and I just got this abiding sense. 350 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: In fact, it was a Wall Street Journal article that 351 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 1: I read of suicide bombing that killed a bunch of 352 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: men and a bunch of children in Iraq, including a soldier. 353 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: I remember thinking, I've got to do my part. I'm 354 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 1: out trained infantry officer. I'm going to regret if I'm 355 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: not in the middle of it as quickly as I can, 356 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,920 Speaker 1: And so I actually emailed the only guy I knew. 357 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:57,880 Speaker 1: He was a company commander in one hundred and first 358 00:18:57,880 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: and he had been my platoon trainer at Fort Benning. 359 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:02,359 Speaker 1: He had trained me as an infantry officer, and he 360 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:04,679 Speaker 1: wrote me back almost immediately. I'll never forget staring at 361 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,679 Speaker 1: the screen. It was like fifteen minutes later. He said, actually, 362 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: I need a second platoon leader. If you can get here, 363 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 1: I'll take you. And I started the process of working 364 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,400 Speaker 1: through the Pentagon behemoth of a machine that doesn't move 365 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,679 Speaker 1: quickly ever, but ultimately it came back to Princeton. There 366 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 1: was a major general that had visited Princeton who had 367 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: given me his card when I was a senior and 368 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: said if you ever need anything, you know, shoot me 369 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: an email. Well, it turns out he was now the 370 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,119 Speaker 1: commander of all forces in Korea, and I just emailed them, 371 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,160 Speaker 1: thinking what do I have to lose? You know, can 372 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 1: he help the National Guard talk to the regular Army 373 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: so that I can join the hundred First for their deployment. 374 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: And he must have known somebody, because I got a 375 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: call one day at my trading desk at bear Stearns 376 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: and it said, is this first lieutenant Hegseth And I said, yes, 377 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,160 Speaker 1: he goes. I don't know who the bleep you think 378 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: you are, but you better not bleep this up because 379 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,360 Speaker 1: your orders are going to the hundred first Airborne. So 380 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,719 Speaker 1: I got my orders and went down to Fort Campbell 381 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,680 Speaker 1: and met my platoon down there just a few weeks 382 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,160 Speaker 1: before they mobilized to go to Kuwait. And a few 383 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: weeks after that in Kuwait, we were in Baghdad and 384 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: I was the National Guard Wall Street Ivy League non ranger, 385 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: qualified new platoon leader. I had a lot too credibility 386 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: to gain because I didn't come in with many attributes. 387 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: A lot of my guys like, so you didn't actually 388 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: go airborne? I did not go airborne. Nope, I was 389 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: not a airborne qualified. But then you were taking on 390 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: a lot. Yes, yeah, I'd imagine that I had not 391 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 1: had an opportunity to go to ranger school or airborn 392 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: school because I was in the National Guard and I 393 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: had all these other parts in my background. But I 394 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: knew that my company commander had trained me and knew 395 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: that he would love to have me as a platoon leader, 396 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 1: and so a lot of it was him vouching for 397 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:42,880 Speaker 1: me and my viability. Now we did training and all 398 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: of that obviously once I got their high intensity, because 399 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: he wanted to make sure I was caught up on 400 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: all the TTPs and all the ways the unit operated. 401 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 1: But at that point, one hundred first Airborne is it's 402 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: actually not an airborne unit anymore. It's all air assault 403 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 1: on helicopters, so really air assaults getting on and off 404 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: and planning missions that way. It wasn't until our first 405 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: night air raid against an Alkaida target that went well, 406 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: where we nabbed a bunch of them in Baghdad that 407 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: a couple of my staff sergeants came to me and 408 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: they were like, all right, lts, okay, you know, all right, 409 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 1: you're okay. That's when you know you've got a shot. Well, well, 410 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:17,679 Speaker 1: I was going to ask you A key question I 411 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: think to understanding any military is when did you learn 412 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: to rely on your sergeants? Oh? Early, heavy, I mean 413 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: they drill it into you at your basic course that hey, 414 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,120 Speaker 1: it's your patoon sergeant and your squad leaders that you're 415 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: going to have to lean on. There's a lot of 416 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: young lts can still come in hard charge and thinking 417 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,679 Speaker 1: they're the next patent and you know, run into a 418 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 1: brick wall. And I've always taken the opposite approach, like, listen, 419 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: you guys have been doing this. Yes, I'll ultimately be 420 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 1: making certain decisions at certain moments, but my job is 421 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: to bring different assets to bear to the battlefield. You 422 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 1: guys are the ones closing with and destroying the enemy. 423 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: My job is to make sure we've got air support 424 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:58,640 Speaker 1: and make sure we're coordinating with higher and with adjacent 425 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 1: units on the radio directing things, but also close enough 426 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:04,639 Speaker 1: to the front to make sure that I'm making the 427 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,199 Speaker 1: decisive choices. So early on I had no choice. You 428 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 1: have no choice. You can't show up at a unit 429 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 1: like that or anywhere and pretend like you run the joint. 430 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: You're very reliant. I still remember certain first class Goodoi. 431 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: My first between sergeant took me into his wing and said, LT, 432 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 1: here's how we do things around here, and it was 433 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: a lot more listening than talking. I think one of 434 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: the greatest lessons I had learned was from my father 435 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: about relying on the noncoms, And when I got to 436 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:34,880 Speaker 1: be a member of Congress, I very rapidly worked at 437 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,680 Speaker 1: figuring out who are the people who really make it work, 438 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: you know, And because I would pay attention to them, 439 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 1: they responded wonderfully and I got a lot of stuff 440 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 1: done that you couldn't get done if you relied on yourself. 441 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: The other lesson my father kept trying to drill into me, 442 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: which I think you'll identify with, is that if the 443 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 1: platoon leaders start shooting, you have added a rifleman and 444 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,679 Speaker 1: lost a leader. Yes, yes, you've got to be very 445 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: disciplined and only shoot on defense because you want all 446 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: of your offensive thinking going on while other people are 447 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: doing the shooting. Right Again, it was one of those 448 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:12,959 Speaker 1: things where I didn't learn it quite as well as 449 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: I should have, but it does make a huge difference 450 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: to not get sucked into a fight that you should 451 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: be directing and not participating in, absolutely right. And of 452 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,360 Speaker 1: course the first time I was ever shot at, what's 453 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:25,680 Speaker 1: the first thing I did is if it's doing theater, 454 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,120 Speaker 1: I started shooting back. And it took a while for 455 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:30,880 Speaker 1: me to realize, no, no no, no, I'm got to drop 456 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: down in the church here and start directing things. You'll 457 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,680 Speaker 1: enjoy this. Duncan Hunter was a great supporter of mine 458 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: in Congress from San Diego. Altimately ended up as chairman 459 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 1: of the Armed Services Committee. Got to Vietnam and big 460 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,399 Speaker 1: outdoor guy, you know, bow hunting and all that stuff, 461 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 1: and so he's there as a very young officer. He 462 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 1: gets involved in his very first ambush and they're gathered 463 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:58,199 Speaker 1: around the trail. They're waiting for the I think it 464 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: was Vietcong at that point to show up. And when 465 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: they show up, he shows leadership by pulling a grenade 466 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: office vest and throwing it and nothing happens. So he 467 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: pulls a second grenade off, starts to throw it, and 468 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: the sergeant leans in and says, if you pull the pin, 469 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: they work better. In an a great combat leader, but 470 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 1: he said there were those moments early on when you felt, 471 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,239 Speaker 1: you know, like you're an idiot when you look at 472 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: the American military and compared to almost any place else 473 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:37,239 Speaker 1: in the world except maybe the Israelis, our ability to 474 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: grow our noncoms so that they perform functions that in 475 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: the old Soviet Army would have been done by majors 476 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,160 Speaker 1: and lieutenant colonels, and it gives us just a combat 477 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: capability that I think sometimes a Memorial Day we should 478 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,640 Speaker 1: remember all the way down the line, all of these 479 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: folks play a real role in our survival, all the 480 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: way down to the E five lowest level non commissioned office, 481 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: or who's leading a fire team, you know, and he's 482 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 1: maneuvering his three guys himself, that four man team. He 483 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 1: is empowered to make decisions at that level obviously all 484 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,880 Speaker 1: embedded that are critical to any outcome. I can't even 485 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: conceive of this sort of old autocratic way of organizing 486 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:18,920 Speaker 1: your military, which is like one officer giving a bunch 487 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 1: of polabs in order. It is. The dynamic nature in 488 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:24,879 Speaker 1: which the American military and the Israeli military, if you 489 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: talked about, can operate is all credit to a non 490 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: commissioned officers of court that polices itself I mean, it's 491 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: its own hierarchy as well and complimentary to what officers. 492 00:25:33,720 --> 00:26:02,360 Speaker 1: Do you know? I have to ask you. I think 493 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: that what Fox Nation is doing offering a free year 494 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: to all active United States military members and veterans as 495 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 1: a part of their Grateful Nation initiative, that's a big decision. 496 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: They're putting a pretty good bit of money on the 497 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: table encouraging current military and veterans to look at Fox 498 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 1: Nation and join it and get a year of free subscription. 499 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:28,440 Speaker 1: I just want to commend you because I know you're 500 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,120 Speaker 1: a part of this entire initiative, and I think you're 501 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 1: probably as hard a charge or inside Fox as you 502 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: are outside on nice kind of issues. But talk Tess 503 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: from here about why you hope retired military and active 504 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 1: duty military we'll see Fox Nation as something that really 505 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:52,360 Speaker 1: fits into their interest in their concerns. I appreciate that. 506 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,119 Speaker 1: I'm really proud of Fox Nation for doing this, Fox 507 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: News for doing it. It's the right thing to do, 508 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: and I know they've seen a huge response so far. 509 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 1: And it is that simple. If you're active military, Guard 510 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: reserve veteran, you can go to Foxnation dot com or 511 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:09,959 Speaker 1: Foxnation dot com slash military sign up for a free year, 512 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 1: and I think what they're going to see is a 513 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: streaming service that reflects their values. I mean, I've said 514 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: it before, but it's worth reiterating. I mean Fox Nation 515 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: is the Netflix for conservatives, Christians, patriots, people that are 516 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:28,479 Speaker 1: looking for content oriented toward the family and history, real history, 517 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 1: and so I think once they jump in there, they're 518 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 1: going to find whether it's the Modern Warrior series that 519 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 1: I do, the documentaries in Israel, the stuff that Brian 520 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:39,680 Speaker 1: Kilmey does on Forgotten History, the Unauthorized History of Socialism, 521 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,080 Speaker 1: or Unauthorized History of Taxation. I mean, there's so much 522 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: great content there that you're never ever going to see 523 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: anywhere else, especially on a digital streaming service these days, 524 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,160 Speaker 1: and there's new content coming all the time. I mean, obviously, 525 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,640 Speaker 1: the hope for Fox Nation is that these patriots who 526 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: sign up for free, free year say hey, I don't 527 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 1: want to live without this, and they want to subscribe 528 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 1: going forward. I think that will happen because the more 529 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 1: people are exposed to the content on Fox Nation, the 530 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: larger the catalog gets, and the bigger the names and 531 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,720 Speaker 1: things are getting bigger every day. I think people will 532 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 1: be drawn to it. We need that kind of alternative. 533 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: They are these monster streaming services that just ram the 534 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 1: same Hollywood content into our brains, and we need an alternative, 535 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:24,160 Speaker 1: and Fox is trying to grow that through Fox Nation. 536 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:25,879 Speaker 1: And this is a neat aspect of it. So I 537 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 1: hope that's in military will take advantage of it. So 538 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: you have think an upcoming Memorial Day weekend show from 539 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: the Modern Warrior series, And as I understand, you have 540 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: a couple of guys with you having a really interesting conversation. 541 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: Can you talk briefly about how that show has been developed. 542 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: The show Modern Warriors was developed out of frustration I 543 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: had at Fox and Friends that you talk to these 544 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: amazing war vets and you get three and a half minutes, 545 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 1: and you know it's utterly insufficient, and so let's get 546 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: them in a bar or round a fire pit and 547 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 1: get a beer in their hand with other vets. And 548 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: that's usually where you get the real story, the longer conversation, 549 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 1: the deeper conversation. And so Modern Warriors is an ongoing 550 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: series on Fox Nation. And you know, we'll do it 551 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: on the fourth of July, we'll do it on Veterans Day, 552 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: we'll do it for Memorial Day. We'll do it just 553 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 1: to do it. And we get different collections of vets, 554 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,120 Speaker 1: you know. Usually it's rangers and seals and Green berets 555 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: and infantrymen and aviators, just different backgrounds, and it's amazing. 556 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,600 Speaker 1: Sometimes they know each other, sometimes they don't neot. But 557 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: when you get a group of vets like that from 558 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: the post nine to eleven generation and you just throw 559 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: topics out there like Memorial Day or service, or rules 560 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 1: of engagement or woke military or withdrawal from Afghanistan or 561 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,720 Speaker 1: threats from China, you get an amazingly rich conversation. And 562 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:48,280 Speaker 1: this one in particular is called Modern Warriors Reflections, and 563 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: it is almost all reflections on the gravity and weight 564 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: and the meaning of Memorial Day. And we do it 565 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 1: at the new National Veterans Museum and Memorial in Columbus, Ohio, 566 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: which is beautiful, by the way, and it's very well 567 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 1: put together, and you get candid conversation like these guys 568 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: get really honest. You can let the conversation breathe go 569 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: deeper into the topics. I also conceived this idea. I 570 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: was supposed to meet Rob O'Neil, the guy that shopped 571 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: Bin Laden for one beer, just a chit chat and 572 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: talk to him, because we met at like three o'clock 573 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 1: four hours later, and you know, ten beers later, I 574 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 1: had the whole story of the Big Laden raid and 575 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 1: his entire career. My mind was just swirling because I 576 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:32,080 Speaker 1: couldn't believe what an opportunity had been to hear that 577 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 1: story firsthand, and I wanted to get a little bit 578 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:37,160 Speaker 1: of that into people's lives, you know, sit at the 579 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 1: bar with Rob O'Neil and hear the real story. I 580 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: was at the museum in Columbus about three months ago. 581 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: I was really impressed with how modern it is, how 582 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: well they've done a getting people to tell their stories. 583 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: So you're really in direct contact with people who've done 584 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 1: the real thing. And I commend anybody who when you 585 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: go to Columbus. That's a great museum and a great 586 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 1: play for you to be doing this. Let me ask 587 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: you one last thing, is I really appreciate you spending 588 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 1: this kind of time with us. And I have to say, 589 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: by the way, I used to spend time traveling with 590 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 1: Ali North and in terms of your whole point, you know, 591 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: Ali been in so many fights in so many different places, 592 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: both as a marine and then later as a correspondent 593 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 1: and as such a great storyteller, that you'd be sitting 594 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:26,200 Speaker 1: there with your jaw hanging open, as he said, and 595 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 1: then this happened, And I think what it goes back 596 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: to in the Civil War, they had a phrase about 597 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 1: whether or not you had seen the elephant, and what 598 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: they meant by that was had you been in combat. 599 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 1: And this was always sort of my father's position was 600 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:42,440 Speaker 1: that you'd seen the elephant, you understood and we didn't 601 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: have to talk about it. And if you hadn't seen 602 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: the elephant, you aren't going to understand anyway. And I'm 603 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: not talking about it. And I think you're what you're 604 00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 1: doing is you're getting people together who've seen the elephant, 605 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: and they're sharing, i think, with the rest of the 606 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 1: country what it's been like, what it and I think 607 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: it's a great service to the long term health and 608 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 1: long term patriotism in the country. So I hope you 609 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I'm really grateful you 610 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 1: take this kind of time. I hope your new series 611 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 1: really works, and I hope that veterans and their friends 612 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 1: and relatives will realize that at Fox nation. They've got 613 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: a real opportunity to sign up for a year and 614 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 1: taste it see what we think of it. And it's 615 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 1: a great act of patriotism by Fox to make that 616 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: kind of offer to those who serve with us. Pete, 617 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 1: let me just mention one more thing. I understand that 618 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: your book American Crusade, Our Fight to Stay Free just 619 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 1: came out in paperback, and we're going to have a 620 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: link to it at our show page so people can 621 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: get it directly. Once again, you're own remarkably prolific guy. 622 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 1: You work really hard, but you somehow seem really happy 623 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 1: and positive through all of it. So it's great. You 624 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 1: know why, because there was a book that influenced me 625 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: a lot, written by Jeffrey Hardy, is a professor at Dartmouth, 626 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 1: and they read it many years ago. It's entitled Smiling 627 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 1: through the Cultural Catastrophe, and I think that's maybe that's 628 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 1: how the spirit I try to have as things swirl 629 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: around us. But New you are a leader for all 630 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 1: of us and such a great patriot, such a great fighter, 631 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: and I'm always honored to spend any time with you. 632 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest, Pete Hexeth. You can learn 633 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: more about the Fox Nation promotion proactive duty and military 634 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 1: veterans on our show page at newtsworld dot com. Newtsworld 635 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 1: is produced by Gingwich three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive 636 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 1: producer is Debbie Myers, our producer is Garnsey Sloan, and 637 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 1: our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the show 638 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 1: was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the team 639 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:48,440 Speaker 1: at Gingwich three sixty. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, I 640 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 1: hope you'll go to Apple Podcasts and both rate us 641 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 1: with five stars and give us a review so others 642 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 1: can learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners of 643 00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: newts World can sign up for my three free weekly 644 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: columns at Gingwich three sixty dot com slash newsletter I'm 645 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: new Gangwich. This is Newtworld.