1 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: On this episode of Newts World. The origins of the 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: Memorial Day date back to eighteen sixty eight. Commander in 3 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: Republic issued General Order Number eleven designating May thirtieth as 5 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: a Memorial Day quote for the purpose of strewing the 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: in defense of their country during the Late Rebellion, and 8 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,800 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 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: Act of Congress changed the observance of the holiday to 11 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: the last Monday in May and extended the honor to 12 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: all soldiers who died in American wars. Today, national observance 13 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: of the holidays still takes place at Arlington National Cemetery, 14 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: with the placing of a wreath of the tomb of 15 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: the Unknown Soldier and the decoration of each grave with 16 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: a small American flag. So while many Americans think of 17 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: it as a weekend that marks the start of summer 18 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: parades and backyard gatherings with family and friends, please also 19 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: remember why Memorial Day was established to honor those men 20 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: and women who gave their life in service to our 21 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: country and to protect our freedoms. As part of our 22 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: Memorial Day episode, I wanted to invite back someone who 23 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: is a true American patriot. He served in the Army 24 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: National Guard for two decades until last month. He is 25 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: a proud son of Minnesota, the author of American Crusade, 26 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: Our Fight to Stay Free, and Fox and Friends Weekend 27 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: co host. I'm really pleased to welcome back my guest 28 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: and good friend, Pete Hegseth. Pete, welcome back on mister speaker. 29 00:01:58,320 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: Thank you for having me, always an honor. 30 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: I'm curious because you have so many experiences, and I 31 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,919 Speaker 1: love watching when you're off at some breakfast place talking 32 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: to people you've probably talked to more everyday Americans and 33 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: almost anyone I know in your heart, what does it 34 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: mean to you to have Memorial Day? 35 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 2: Memorial Day crystallizes it all for me. 36 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 3: And you're right when you're talking to everyday Americans, it's 37 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 3: the type of day that means a great deal to 38 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 3: them because they're still tethered to how precious our American experiment, 39 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 3: this mission of freedom really is. When I think of 40 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 3: Memorial Day, these days and for many years, I ask myself, 41 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 3: and I hope people ask themselves the same thing. You know, 42 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 3: my living worthy of the sacrifice that previous generations gave 43 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 3: at the altar of freedom. 44 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: It's a gut check. 45 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 3: It's a gut check that day, but also a reminder 46 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 3: for the upcoming year that all the things that we have, 47 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 3: all the opportunities we have here. Yes, we declared our 48 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 3: independence with a bold document from brilliant minds. It was 49 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,399 Speaker 3: the gritty men and women who are willing to pick 50 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 3: up a musket or a rifle. It was the men 51 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 3: and women who picked up machine guns and grades and 52 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 3: got on ships and deployed around the globe, knowing that 53 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 3: when they left they may not come home, and many 54 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 3: of them have not. 55 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 2: Billions of Americans over. 56 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 3: The course of time have sacrificed their lives so that 57 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,399 Speaker 3: we can live free. And when you realize our republic 58 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 3: is not that old, it's young, two hundred and forty 59 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 3: odd years young. And yet you look at the scope 60 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 3: of the gift that has been given of human being, 61 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 3: human souls, Americans who were willing to die so that 62 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 3: we can be here today. It encapsulates the gravity of 63 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 3: this holiday that we have to work really hard to 64 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 3: make sure our kids and grandkids understand and appreciate fully 65 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 3: that they know that it's more than a backyard barbecue. 66 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 2: And I love the backyard barbecues and all the gatherings 67 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 2: that happen. 68 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 3: I think celebration is a part of what we should 69 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 3: do for those of us who have our lives here 70 00:03:58,880 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 3: in America today. 71 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 2: Joy it. 72 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 3: But man, we better be drilling into the minds. I 73 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 3: love the history that you read up at the beginning, 74 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 3: new about where this came from, what it was meant 75 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 3: to recognize. And I've had my own special moments of 76 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 3: Memorial Day, but each in our own way pass on 77 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 3: to the next generation so they get the gravity of 78 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 3: what it took to get us to this place. 79 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: I'm really curious because I've watched you for years, and 80 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: you have a remarkable talent for speaking with people, for 81 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: getting things down to a kind of common everyday understanding. 82 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: This clearly grew out of your very being. I mean, 83 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: it seems to me that somehow, when you were very young, 84 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 1: you understood and you valued patriotism and you valued service. 85 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: Where do you think that came from? 86 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 3: I got to give it to my family and to 87 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 3: faith and to community. I mean, my mom and dad 88 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 3: are just hard working everyday folks. 89 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 2: My dad was a high. 90 00:04:57,600 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 3: School gym teacher and a basketball coach, and my mom 91 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 3: stayed home. And it wasn't an overtly political household, but 92 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 3: it was patriotic, it was hard working, it was truly 93 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 3: rooted and invested in Christian faith and just go out 94 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 3: and be good people according to the Gospel. And I'll 95 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 3: tell you there's a reason I'm a big believer in 96 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 3: civic ritual parades fireworks, because I know that left a 97 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 3: big imprint on my heart. And one particular example is 98 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 3: a small town of one Mingo, Minnesota. It's nowhere southern Minnesota. 99 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 3: It's a small farming town. It's where both of my 100 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 3: parents grew up. And they would hold parades throughout the year, 101 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 3: but the biggest. 102 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 2: One in town was the Memorial Day parade. 103 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 3: And again I can't underscore how small a town this is, 104 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 3: but they had a huge, wide main street and they 105 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 3: would have a Memorial Day parade and the whole town. 106 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 2: Would come out. We didn't live there at the time, 107 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,159 Speaker 2: but we'd always go back to our grandparents. 108 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 3: Stand by the side of the road and it would 109 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 3: be the line of veterans from that town with the 110 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 3: band in front. And it's one of these blinket you 111 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 3: miss it, mister speakers. It's not long. But what you 112 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 3: had was the entire town, hundreds of people standing as 113 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 3: these vets World War two vets, then Korean War vets, 114 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 3: then Vietnam vets, and then you had Gulf War vets 115 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,799 Speaker 3: who were young and still fitting into their uniforms marching 116 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 3: down that parade, and everyone would stand and revere them 117 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 3: for their service. But of course that parade ended at 118 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 3: Memorial Park, where all those men and women in uniform 119 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 3: would give honor to those who didn't make it home. 120 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 3: And I remember they would read the names and talk 121 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 3: about the lives of the people that were no longer there. 122 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 3: And I don't know if it hit me then, but 123 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 3: it certainly hits me now. But it left an imprint 124 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 3: on me. Holy, this is tiny Oneamingo, Minnesota, and these 125 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 3: are the list of names of people in this town 126 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 3: and in the county who never came home. Imagine amplifying 127 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 3: that across every small town across America. It started to 128 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 3: give me a sense I, just as a kid watched 129 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 3: the way the town revered those vets and those military members, 130 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,679 Speaker 3: and I thought, man, they've done something special, something bigger 131 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 3: than this town, bigger than themselves. 132 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 2: That seems really important to me. I didn't come from 133 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 2: a military family at all. 134 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 3: I couldn't tell you the difference between the Army and 135 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 3: the Marine Corps when I graduated high. 136 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:06,799 Speaker 2: School, I had no idea. 137 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 3: So when Donald Trump talked about things like military parades, 138 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 3: there's a reason why I truly believe in those things, 139 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 3: and they need to happen because they're special events that 140 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 3: you don't otherwise get in your life that remind you 141 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 3: about the things that a society is supposed to value, 142 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 3: back to basics of our military, of our flag. So 143 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 3: recapturing those and doing more of that, I think is 144 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 3: truly important. But I benefited a great deal from serving 145 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 3: the military. It's the best education I've ever received. Is 146 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 3: every background, every socio economics said, every race who was 147 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 3: dedicated to something bigger than themselves. And you know the 148 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 3: other thing is I love doing the diners because just 149 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 3: relating to people where they're at and hearing their stories 150 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 3: and talking about the things that really motivate them and 151 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 3: animate them. Part of my enjoyment of doing that is 152 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 3: on deployments, being stuck. You're stuck with a thirty forty 153 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 3: fifty guys is who you would otherwise never hang out with, 154 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 3: who you didn't grow up with, and you are bored 155 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:07,679 Speaker 3: out of your mind half the time, and the only 156 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 3: thing you have to do is to bs is to 157 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 3: chat and tell stories and to talk and find ways 158 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 3: to relate to. 159 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 2: People who you otherwise wouldn't hang out with. 160 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 3: In many ways, it was a forged opportunity because you 161 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 3: spend so much time doing it, and then you end 162 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 3: up appreciating it because those are not the type of 163 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 3: people you meet in the IVY. 164 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 2: League or in the media world or in politics. 165 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 3: But the common sense wisdom that emanates from that I 166 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 3: think has served you well. 167 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: That's cually, Andreting. I have this imagery of you walking 168 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: into a diner and it's just like revisiting your platoon. 169 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: And I must say, you connect. Every time I've seen you, 170 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: usually at breakfast. You connect with people as well as 171 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: anybody I know. Part of it is that they like Fox, 172 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: part of it is that they like you. The part 173 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: of it is your style. You can be with almost 174 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:00,439 Speaker 1: any group and you're curious about them. And I think 175 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: they can sense that no one is genuine and when 176 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: it isn't do. 177 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 2: You know much I've learned new from those assignments. 178 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 3: I truly enjoy it because the camera's on for four 179 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 3: minutes three times over the course of the show. But 180 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 3: you're spending three and a half four hours with people, 181 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 3: and it's always a different part of the country, a 182 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 3: different kind of crowd, and you just sit down and say, 183 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:21,839 Speaker 3: how's life going, what are you facing. 184 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 2: I don't know if you saw this, but I got mocked. 185 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 3: I gave a seapack speech and talked about these diners, 186 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 3: and I talked about how people talk about the First 187 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 3: Amendment and the Second Amendment and the Tenth Amendment, and 188 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 3: it was broadcast and a bunch of folks on MSNBC 189 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 3: and CNN went nots and said, oh, Pete Hexef claims 190 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 3: he goes to diners and talks about the tenth Amendment, 191 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 3: and what they don't understand is you know that, of 192 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 3: course is code for They talk about God and free 193 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 3: speech and the Second Amendment and their right to bear arms, 194 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 3: and of course the idea of local control and states' rights. 195 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 2: Those are other things they talk about all the time. 196 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 3: And so we actually played a clip of diners talking 197 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:57,719 Speaker 3: about those things over and over and over again. 198 00:09:57,720 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 2: As I was smacked back at them. But I do 199 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 2: love it. They always say, hey, we feel. 200 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 3: Like we know you, Pete, and I turn around and say, hey, 201 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 3: I feel like I know you. Also, because there are 202 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 3: a shared set of values of people who often show 203 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 3: up at these things. 204 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: We have to remember, though, if you're MSNBC, your idea 205 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: of going to breakfast is either the Upper west Side 206 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: or Rodeo Drive, And so you're thinking, you know, I 207 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: don't know anybody a rodeo drive who even knows what 208 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: a constitution is? How can you be talking like this. 209 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: I have to go back, because you know, I used 210 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: to be a historian in a different life, and so 211 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: I try to think about things historically. You leave this 212 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: small town, you go to Princeton, which is hardly a 213 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: ground central for patriotism, and you end up joining the ROTC. 214 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: Now that's almost counterculture for Princeton. What got you across 215 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,559 Speaker 1: that bridge? So you found yourself in the ROTC. 216 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 3: I almost went to West Point almost. I wasn't ready. Again, 217 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 3: I didn't know the military well enough, and so I 218 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:59,439 Speaker 3: instead went to Princeton, knowing they had an ROTC program. 219 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,199 Speaker 3: I actually signed up in May of two thousand and one, 220 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 3: so four months before nine to eleven I joined our OGC, 221 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,079 Speaker 3: and then nine to eleven happened. It was the ultimate validator. 222 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 3: I knew I wanted to serve that much. I knew 223 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 3: for the reason I sort of mentioned briefly before. But 224 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 3: then watching the forces on campus, I mean watching the 225 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:21,200 Speaker 3: preemptive peace rallies at Princeton as there was still smoke 226 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 3: smoldering at ground zero. Professors and students were saying, it's 227 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 3: time for peace, and it's time to understand, and these 228 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 3: people who attacked us, there's a rationale for it. We 229 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 3: need to understand. And I remember scratching my heeaguing this 230 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 3: doesn't make sense. Of course, it didn't make sense. When 231 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 3: the first Christianity course. 232 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 2: In the Religion department, from a so called. 233 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 3: Expert on Christianity Day one, they said, well, the most 234 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,559 Speaker 3: likely scenario is that Jesus was buried in a shallow 235 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 3: grave and eaten by dogs, and. 236 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 2: The rest of it is just mythology. 237 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 3: I had to go into the Firestone Library to read 238 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 3: actual Bible history about apologetics of the history of. 239 00:11:57,360 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 2: It to fight back in class. I think the grounding 240 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 2: would everything. 241 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 3: And that's why I'm so focused now on K through 242 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 3: twelve and we're doing a huge documentary and Fox Nation 243 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 3: about the Progressive which you're a part of. Thank you 244 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 3: very much, mister speaker for taking the time to do that, 245 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,599 Speaker 3: and it's a five part series. It's coming together fantastic. 246 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,839 Speaker 3: I've learned an amazing amount. If you've talked to Robbie 247 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 3: George at Princeton, for example, the prominent constitutional professor who 248 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 3: is one of my mentors there, and he'll say, it 249 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 3: used to be that the liberals would lick their chops 250 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 3: when the kids would come to Princeton because they were 251 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 3: ready to deconstruct their worldview that they showed up with. 252 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 3: People like me would come in as these rude conservatives, 253 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 3: you know, patriots, and then they would contort them. And 254 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 3: he said, now it's the other way around. Everyone shows 255 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 3: up at Princeton already woke effectively, and it is Robbie 256 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 3: George who licks his chops at the opportunity to deconstruct 257 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 3: the work world do they show up with. I've had 258 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 3: my own failings and mistakes and all of that, But 259 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:53,560 Speaker 3: coming back to the foundation of the way I was 260 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 3: raised helped me get through that clear eyed. And then 261 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 3: joining the military, I mean, forget a degree from Princeton 262 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,839 Speaker 3: University of the one hundred and first Airborne was way 263 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 3: more educational for getting a sense of human nature, good 264 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:09,559 Speaker 3: and evil, and appreciation for America and vets who get 265 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 3: a chance to travel the world. You see the alternatives 266 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 3: and you realize how special this really is, which makes 267 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 3: it easy to make the case for it. 268 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: I have to say, by the way, just for a 269 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,839 Speaker 1: moment about ROTC, my dad went into World War Two 270 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: as an enlistic guy in the army, came out, worked 271 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: for the Reading Railroad, and got a GI Bill went 272 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: to Gettysburg College, was pre med, but also joined ROTC 273 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: and came out in the middle of the Korean War, 274 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: and he found that survey in the uniform was so 275 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: rewarding psychologically that he spent twenty seven years in the infantry. 276 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: So I grew up in that world and surrounded by 277 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: that really deep sense of service, which I think you 278 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: get in organizations like the infantry, where you realize that 279 00:13:57,960 --> 00:13:59,319 Speaker 1: you're going to be out there on your own and 280 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: hopefully it's all going to work. So when we get 281 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: to Memorial Day. One of the things I always think 282 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: about is my father's role and also my mother's, because 283 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: she was an army wife and she went wherever he went, 284 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: and times like when he was in Vietnam and Korea, 285 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 1: she stayed home and took care of the kids and 286 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: tried to balance the family checkbook because he was gone, 287 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: and as you know, back in those days, gone meant 288 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: really gone. You didn't have any of the modern capacity. 289 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: So I often think of lessons I learned from my 290 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: dad and from growing up inside the US Army. Now, 291 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: your unit went to Guantanamo Bay, where you served as 292 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: an infantry platoon leader. What was it like to go 293 00:14:58,240 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: to Cuba? 294 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 2: May I never go back. It was the longest year 295 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 2: of my life. But I was also a new second. 296 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 3: Lieutenant, and I had a platoon out of New Jersey 297 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 3: which was largely Hispanic and Italian, and they were almost 298 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 3: all older than me, had been in the Army much 299 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 3: longer than me. And here we were on a one 300 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 3: year deployment ninety miles from Florida, effectively at a naval station, 301 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 3: because the Guantanmo Base as a naval station. Where on 302 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 3: the naval station side. It was an accompanied station, so 303 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 3: you had sailors with their families and their kids with schools, 304 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 3: in a grocery store and a PX and all of 305 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 3: those things. And on the other side of the island 306 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 3: at the detention center at Camp x Ray and where 307 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 3: we were as guards. We were living in tin Can, 308 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 3: six guys for a year, lining up to use the 309 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 3: AT and T phone to call home if we wanted to. 310 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 3: So we may as well have been thousands of miles away, 311 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 3: even though we were that close to the States. It 312 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 3: was much like a deployment. There were seven hundred detainees 313 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 3: there at that time, so it was still full. There 314 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 3: were the MP guards that were actually in the cells. 315 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 2: That was not us. 316 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 3: We were on the towers and the gates, patrolling, mounted 317 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,479 Speaker 3: and dismounted. We were a quick reaction force into the facility. 318 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 3: These are nasty, nasty dudes, and the things they would 319 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 3: yell at the towers, the confrontations that we would have 320 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 3: inside the jail cells because we would they would have 321 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 3: to call in the QRF and I would often have 322 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 3: a I'd a Muslim member of my platoon who spoke Arabic, 323 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 3: and I would stand in the tower with him for 324 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 3: many hours, and he would sort of translate a lot 325 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 3: of what was being yelled or what was being said, 326 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 3: and it was. 327 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 2: Not you know, I misunderstood, please let me go. 328 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 3: It was threats to if I find your name, if 329 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 3: I find where you live, if I find your wife. 330 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 3: Most of them were hardcore jiahatists who sought our destruction, 331 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 3: which is why the way in which Guantanamo Bay devolved 332 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 3: into this sort of holding cell and releasing center of 333 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 3: very little consequence. I think it was so underutilized in 334 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 3: what it could have been. 335 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 2: But it was a. 336 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 3: Leadership year for me, learning how to lead men through 337 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 3: largely the mundane. We had day shifts and night shifts 338 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 3: and all of that, and ultimately, thankfully everybody made it 339 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 3: home just fine. But it was more of a leadership 340 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 3: in a regimented process away from their families. But I 341 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 3: did appreciate it because it was post nine eleven. It 342 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 3: was an opportunity to be a part of it. And yeah, 343 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 3: it was a long year. 344 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,199 Speaker 1: Was the quality of that year? Did that make it 345 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: easier to volunteer to go to Baghdad? 346 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 2: Yes? Yes, because I. 347 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: Mean you normally think Cuba Iraq, Cuba Iraq, but Cuba 348 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 1: was so miserable that all of a sudden became, well, 349 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 1: what have I got to lose? 350 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 3: Kind of the case, Well, if I'm going to do 351 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 3: this whole deployment thing, why don't we go to the 352 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 3: main effort was a big part of the feeling. And 353 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:47,640 Speaker 3: I love the guys I served within Guantanamo with great men. 354 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 3: In fact, one of the guys that I memorialize every 355 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 3: year and think about. 356 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 2: Is Jorge A. La Vera, who was a. 357 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 3: Specialist in my platoon at Guantanamo Bay, a National guardsman 358 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 3: who went back and became a police officer who community revered, 359 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 3: and then deployed to Afghanistan, which is the third place 360 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,880 Speaker 3: I went, and was killed in Afghanistan on an ambush 361 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 3: while I was not with him in that unit, but 362 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 3: I was in Afghanistan the same time he was killed, 363 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 3: and he was just beloved by his troops and beloved 364 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 3: by his department and lived a life of service. And 365 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:17,880 Speaker 3: he was one of my platoon members who was amazing 366 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 3: at Guantanamo in what was done there. 367 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I got. 368 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 3: Home and it took a while to unwind, and then 369 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 3: I was restless. I'll never forget I actually worked for 370 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 3: Bear Stearns in New York City, and it was watching 371 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 3: the war unfold, having come back from Guantanamo Bay for 372 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 3: a year because I was a guardsman and I just 373 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 3: got this abiding sense. In fact, it was a Wall 374 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,199 Speaker 3: Street Journal article that I read of suicide bombing that 375 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 3: killed a bunch of men and a bunch of children 376 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,400 Speaker 3: in Iraq, including a soldier. I remember thinking, I've got 377 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 3: to do my part. I'm a trained infantry officer. I'm 378 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 3: going to regret if I'm not in the middle of 379 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,120 Speaker 3: it as quickly as I can. And so I actually 380 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 3: emailed the only guy I knew. He was a company 381 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 3: commander in the hundred and first and he had been 382 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 3: my platoon trainer at Fort Benning, trained me as an 383 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 3: infantry officer, and he wrote me back almost immediately. I'll 384 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 3: never forget staring at the screen. It was like fifteen 385 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 3: minutes later. He said, actually, I need a second platoon leader. 386 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,159 Speaker 3: If you can get here, I'll take you. And I 387 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 3: started the process of working through the Pentagon bohemoth of 388 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 3: a machine that doesn't move quickly ever, but ultimately it 389 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,679 Speaker 3: came back to Princeton. There was a major general that 390 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 3: had visited Princeton who had given me his card when 391 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 3: I was a senior and said if you ever need 392 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 3: anything you know, shoot me an email. Well, it turns 393 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:29,719 Speaker 3: out he was now the commander of all forces in Korea, 394 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:31,919 Speaker 3: and I just emailed them, thinking what do I have 395 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 3: to lose? You know, can he help the National Guard 396 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 3: talk to the regular army so that I can join 397 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:38,360 Speaker 3: the one hundred and first for their deployment. 398 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 2: And he must have known somebody, because I got a call. 399 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 3: One day at my trading desk at bear Stearns and 400 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 3: it said, is this first lieutenant Hegseth And I said, yes, 401 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:47,880 Speaker 3: he goes, I don't know. 402 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,400 Speaker 2: Who the bleep you think you are. Well you better 403 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 2: not bleep this up because. 404 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 3: Your orders are going to one hundred and first Airborne. 405 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 3: So I got my orders and went down to Fort 406 00:19:57,359 --> 00:20:00,400 Speaker 3: Campbell and met my platoon down there just a few 407 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 3: weeks before they mobilized to go to Kuwait. And a 408 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,160 Speaker 3: few weeks after that in Kuwait, we were in Bagdad 409 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 3: and I was the National Guard Wall Street Ivy League 410 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,920 Speaker 3: non ranger qualified new platoon leader. I had a lot 411 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 3: to credibility to gain because I didn't come in with 412 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:17,880 Speaker 3: many attributes. A lot of my guys liked. 413 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 1: So you didn't actually go airborne. 414 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 2: I did not go airborne. Nope, I was not a 415 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 2: airborne qualified. 416 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: But then you were taking on a lot. 417 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 2: Yes. 418 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, imagine that I had not had an opportunity to 419 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 3: go to ranger school or airborne school because I was 420 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 3: in the National Guard and I had all these other 421 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 3: parts of my background. But I knew my company commander 422 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 3: had trained me and knew that he would love to 423 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 3: have me as a platoon leader, and so a lot 424 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 3: of it was him vouching for me and my viability. 425 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 3: Now we did training and all of that, obviously once 426 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 3: I got there, high intensity because he wanted to make 427 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 3: sure I was caught up on all the. 428 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 2: TTPs and all the ways the unit operated. 429 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 3: But at that point the one hundred and first Airborne 430 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 3: is it's actually not an airborne unit anymore. It's all 431 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 3: air assault on helicopters, so really aerossaults getting on and 432 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 3: off and planning missions that way. It wasn't until our 433 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,160 Speaker 3: first night air assult raid against an al Kaita target 434 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 3: that went well where we nabbed a bunch of them 435 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 3: in Baghdad that a couple of my staff sergeants came 436 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 3: to me and they were like, all right, LT's okay. 437 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,199 Speaker 2: You know, all right, you're okay. That's when you know 438 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 2: you got a shot. 439 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: Well, I was going to ask you A key question 440 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:20,959 Speaker 1: I think to understanding any military is when did you 441 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:23,440 Speaker 1: learn to rely on your sergeants? 442 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:27,120 Speaker 3: Oh, early heavy, I mean they drill it into you 443 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 3: at your basic course that hey, it's a platoon sergeant 444 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 3: and your squad leaders that you're going to have to 445 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 3: lean on. There's a lot of young lts can still 446 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 3: come in hard charge and thinking they're the next patent 447 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 3: and you know, run into a brick wall. And I've 448 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:43,679 Speaker 3: always taken the opposite approach, like, listen, you guys have 449 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 3: been doing this. Yes, I'll ultimately be making certain decisions 450 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 3: at certain moments, but my job is to bring different 451 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 3: assets to bear to the battlefield. You guys are the 452 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:54,879 Speaker 3: ones closing with and destroying the enemy. My job is 453 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 3: to make sure we've got air support, to make sure 454 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 3: we're coordinating with higher and with adjacent units on the 455 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 3: radio directing things, but also close enough to the front 456 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 3: to make sure that I'm making the decisive choices. 457 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 2: So early on I had no choice. You have no choice. 458 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:10,440 Speaker 3: You can't show up at a unit like that or 459 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:12,880 Speaker 3: anywhere and pretend like you're going to run the joint. 460 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 2: You're very reliant. I still remember starting first pass Goodoy. 461 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 3: My first beteen sergeant took me under his wing and said, LT, 462 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,199 Speaker 3: here's how we do things around here, and it was 463 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 3: a lot more listening than talking. 464 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 1: I think one of the greatest lessons I had learned 465 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: was from my father about relying on the non comms. 466 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: And when I got to be a member of Congress, 467 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,199 Speaker 1: I very rapidly worked at figuring out who are the 468 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: people who really make it work, you know, And because 469 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: I would pay attention to them, they responded wonderfully and 470 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 1: I got a lot of stuff done that you couldn't 471 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: get done if you relied on yourself. The other lesson 472 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: I father kept trying to drill into me, which I 473 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: think you'll identify with, is that if the platoon leader 474 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: starts shooting, you have added a rifleman and lost a leader. 475 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, you've got to be. 476 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,920 Speaker 1: Very disciplined and only shoot on defense because you want 477 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,160 Speaker 1: all of your offensive thinking going on while other people 478 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: are doing the shooting. Again, was one of those things 479 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 1: where I didn't learn it quite as well as I 480 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 1: should have. But it does make a huge difference to 481 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 1: not get sucked into a fight that you should be 482 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,160 Speaker 1: directing and not participating. 483 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 2: In absolutely right. 484 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 3: And of course, the first time I was ever shot at, 485 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 3: what's the first thing I did is if it's doon theitter, 486 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 3: I started shooting back, and it took a while for 487 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 3: me to realize no, no, no, I got to drop down. 488 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 2: In the tour here and start directing things. 489 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 1: You'll enjoy this. Duncan hunter was a great supporter of 490 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: mine in Congress from San Diego. Ultimately ended up as 491 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 1: chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Got to Vietnam and 492 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 1: big outdoor guy, you know, bow hunting and all that stuff, 493 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: and so he's there as a very young officer. He 494 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 1: gets involved in his very first ambush and they're gathered 495 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 1: around the trail. They're waiting for the I think it 496 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,159 Speaker 1: was Viet Cong at that point to show up. And 497 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:05,159 Speaker 1: when they show up, he shows leadership by pulling a 498 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:09,920 Speaker 1: grenade off his vest and throwing it, and nothing happens. 499 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,159 Speaker 1: So he pulls a second grenade off starts to throw it. 500 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: Then the sergeant leans in and says, if you pull 501 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: the pin, they work better. At Man a great combat leader, 502 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:27,160 Speaker 1: but he said there were those moments early on when 503 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 1: you felt, you know, like you're an idiot when you 504 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,640 Speaker 1: look at the American military and compared to almost any 505 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: place else in the world except maybe the Israelis, our 506 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,439 Speaker 1: ability to grow our non coms so that they perform 507 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 1: functions that in the old Soviet Army would have been 508 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,400 Speaker 1: done by majors and lieutenant colonels, and it gives us 509 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: just a combat capability that I think sometimes the Memorial 510 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,119 Speaker 1: Day we should remember all the way down the line, 511 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: all of these folks play a real role in our survival. 512 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 3: All the way down to the E five lowest level 513 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:02,199 Speaker 3: noncommissioned office, or who's leading a fire team, you know, 514 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:05,440 Speaker 3: and he's maneuvering his three guys himself, that four man team. 515 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:09,720 Speaker 3: He is empowered to make decisions at that level obviously 516 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 3: all embedded that are critical to any outcome. I can't 517 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,679 Speaker 3: even conceive of this sort of old autocratic way of 518 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,639 Speaker 3: organizing your military, which is like one officer giving a 519 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 3: bunch of you know, polags in order. It is the 520 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 3: dynamic nature in which the American military and the Israeli military, 521 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 3: if you talked about can operate is all credit to 522 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 3: a noncommissioned officers court. 523 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 2: That police is itself. 524 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 3: I mean, it's its own hierarchy as well and complimentary 525 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 3: to what officers. 526 00:25:33,760 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 2: Do you know? 527 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 1: I have to ask you. I think that what Fox 528 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: Nation is doing offering a free year to all active 529 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: United States military members and veterans as a part of 530 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: their Grateful Nation initiative, that's a big decision. They're putting 531 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: a pretty good bit of money on the table encouraging 532 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 1: current military and veterans to look at Fox Nation and 533 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,760 Speaker 1: join it and get a year of free subscription. I 534 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: just want to commend you because I know you're a 535 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 1: part of this entire initiative, and I think you're probably 536 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: as hard a charge or inside Fox as you are 537 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: outside on nice kind of issues. But talk just from 538 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: here about why you hope retired military and active duty 539 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:49,159 Speaker 1: military we'll see Fox Nation as something that really fits 540 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:51,159 Speaker 1: into their interest and their concerns. 541 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 2: I appreciate that. 542 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,160 Speaker 3: I'm really proud of Fox Nation for doing this, Fox 543 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 3: News for doing it. It's the right thing to do, 544 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,640 Speaker 3: and I know they've seen a huge response so far, 545 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,119 Speaker 3: and it is that simple. If you're an active military 546 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 3: guard Reserve veteran. You can go to foxnation dot com 547 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:09,440 Speaker 3: or fox nation dot com slash military sign up for 548 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 3: a free year, and I think what they're going to 549 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 3: see is a streaming service that reflects their values. I mean, 550 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 3: I've said it before, but it's worth reiterating. I mean 551 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 3: Fox Nation is the Netflix for conservatives, Christians, patriots, people 552 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,640 Speaker 3: that are looking for content oriented towards the family and history, 553 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 3: real history, and so I think once they jump in there, 554 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 3: they're going to find whether it's the Modern Warrior series 555 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 3: that I do, the documentaries in Israel, the stuff that 556 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 3: Brian Kilme does on Forgotten History, the Unauthorized History of Socialism, 557 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,120 Speaker 3: or Unauthorized History of Taxation. I mean, there's so much 558 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 3: great content there that you're never ever going to see 559 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 3: anywhere else, especially on a digital streaming service these days, 560 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 3: and there's new content coming all the time. I mean, obviously, 561 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:56,640 Speaker 3: the hope for Fox Nation is that these patriots who 562 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 3: sign up for free for a year say hey, I 563 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:00,560 Speaker 3: don't want to live without this, and they want to 564 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:01,800 Speaker 3: subscribe going forward. 565 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:05,159 Speaker 2: I think that will happen because the more people. 566 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,919 Speaker 3: Are exposed to the content on Foxnation, the larger the 567 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,119 Speaker 3: catalog gets and the bigger the names and things are 568 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:13,160 Speaker 3: getting bigger every day. I think people will be drawn 569 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:14,919 Speaker 3: to it. We need that kind of alternative. There are 570 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 3: these monster streaming services that just ram the same Hollywood 571 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 3: content into our brains, and we need an alternative, and 572 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 3: Fox is trying to grow that through Fox Nation. 573 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 2: And this is a neat aspect of it. So I 574 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 2: hope that's in military will take advantage of it. 575 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: So you have think an upcoming Memorial Day weekend show 576 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: from the Modern Warriors series, And as I understand, you 577 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: have a couple guys with you having a really interesting conversation. 578 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: Can you talk briefly about how that show has been developed. 579 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 3: The show Modern Warriors was developed out of frustration I 580 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,479 Speaker 3: had at Fox and Friends that you talk to these 581 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 3: amazing war vets and you get three and a half minutes, 582 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 3: and you know it's utterly insufficient, and so let's get them, 583 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 3: you know, in a bar or round a fire pit 584 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 3: and get a beer in their hand and with other 585 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 3: vets and that's usually where you get the real story, 586 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 3: the longer conversation, the deeper conversation. And so Modern Warriors 587 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 3: is an ongoing series on Fox Nation, and you know, 588 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 3: we'll do it on the fourth of July. We'll do 589 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 3: it on Veterans Day, we'll do it for Memorial Day. 590 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 3: We'll do it just to do it. And we get 591 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:18,959 Speaker 3: different collections of vets, you know. Usually it's rangers and 592 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 3: seals and Green Berets and infantrymen and aviators, just different backgrounds, 593 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 3: and it's amazing. Sometimes they know each other, sometimes they don't. 594 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:29,240 Speaker 3: New But when you get a group of vets like 595 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 3: that from the post nine to eleven generation and you 596 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 3: just throw topics out there like Memorial Day or service 597 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 3: or rules of engagement or woke military or withdrawal from 598 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 3: Afghanistan or threats from China, you get an amazingly rich conversation. 599 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 3: And this one in particular is called Modern Warriors Reflections, 600 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,480 Speaker 3: and it is almost all reflections on the gravity and 601 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 3: weight and the meaning of Memorial Day. And we do 602 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 3: it at the new National Veterans Museum and Memorial in Columbus, Ohio, 603 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 3: which is beautiful, by the way, and it's very well 604 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 3: put together, and you get candid conversation like these guys 605 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 3: get really honest. You can let the conversation breathe go 606 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 3: deeper into the topics. 607 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 2: I also conceived this idea. I was supposed to meet. 608 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 3: Robb O'Neil, the guy that shot in Louden, for one beer, 609 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 3: just to chit chat and talk to him. 610 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 2: Because we met at like three. 611 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 3: O'clock four hours later, and you know, ten beers later, 612 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 3: I had the whole story of the Bigloden raid and 613 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 3: his entire career. My mind was just swirling because I 614 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 3: couldn't believe what an opportunity to had been to hear 615 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 3: that story firsthand, and I wanted to get a little 616 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 3: bit of that into people's lives, you know, sit at 617 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 3: the bar with Robb O'Neil and hear the real story. 618 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: I was at the museum in Columbus about three months ago, 619 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:47,239 Speaker 1: and I was really impressed with how modern it is, 620 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: how well they've done a getting people to tell their stories. 621 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: So you're really in direct contact with people who've done 622 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: the real thing. And I commend anybody when you go 623 00:30:57,120 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 1: to Columbus. That's a great museum and a great place 624 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: for you to be doing this. Let me ask you 625 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: one last thing, is I really appreciate you spending this 626 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: kind of time with us, And I have to say, 627 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 1: by the way I used to spend time traveling with 628 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: Oli North, and in terms of your whole point, you know, 629 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: OLLI been in so many fights in so many different places, 630 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: both as a marine and then later as a correspondent, 631 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 1: and it's such a great storyteller that you'd be sitting 632 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:26,240 Speaker 1: there with your jaw hanging open, as he said, and 633 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: then this happened. And I think what it goes back 634 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: to in the Civil War, they had a phrase about 635 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:33,959 Speaker 1: whether or not you had seen the elephant, and what 636 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: they meant by that was had you been in combat. 637 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 1: And this was always sort of my father's position was 638 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 1: that you'd seen the elephant, you understood and we didn't 639 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:44,920 Speaker 1: have to talk about it. And if you hadn't seen 640 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: the elephant, you aren't going to understand anyway. And I'm 641 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 1: not talking about it. And I think you're what you're 642 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 1: doing is you're getting people together who've seen the elephant, 643 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 1: and they're sharing, i think, with the rest of the 644 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 1: country what it's been like it and I think it's 645 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 1: a great service to the long term health and long 646 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: term patriotism of the country. So I hope you have 647 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 1: a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I'm really grateful you take 648 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 1: this kind of time. I hope your new series really works, 649 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 1: and I hope that veterans and their friends and relatives 650 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 1: will realize that at Fox Nation, they've got a real 651 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:22,480 Speaker 1: opportunity to sign up for a year and taste it, 652 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 1: see what we think of it. And it's a great 653 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: act of patriotism by Fox to make that kind of 654 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 1: offer to those who serve with us. Pete, let me 655 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 1: just mention one more thing. I understand that your book 656 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 1: American Crusade, Our Fight to Stay Free just came out 657 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: in paperback, and we're going to have a link to 658 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 1: it at our show page so people can get it directly. 659 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: Once again, you're a remarkably prolific guy. You work really hard, 660 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:50,400 Speaker 1: but you somehow seem really happy and positive through all 661 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: of it. So it's great. 662 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 3: You know why, because there was a book that influenced 663 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 3: me a lot, written by Jeffrey Hardy's a professor at 664 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 3: Dartmouth and the Ready many years ago. It's entitled Smiling 665 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 3: through the Cultural Catastrophe, and I think that's maybe that's how. 666 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,080 Speaker 2: The spirit I try to have as things swirl around us. 667 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 3: But you are a leader for all of us, and 668 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:11,960 Speaker 3: such a great patriot, such a great fighter, and I'm 669 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 3: always honored to spend any time with you. 670 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest Pete Hesath. You can learn 671 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 1: more about the Fox Nation promotion for active duty and 672 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 1: military veterans on our show page at newtsworld dot com. 673 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: Newtsworld is produced by Gingrick three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our 674 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: executive producer is Debbie Myers, our producer is Guarnsey Sloan, 675 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the 676 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 1: show was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the 677 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: team at Gingrich three sixty. If you've been enjoying Nutsworld, 678 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,160 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcasts and both rate 679 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:53,720 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 680 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners 681 00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 1: of nuts World can sign up for my three free 682 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,800 Speaker 1: weekly columns at Gingrich three sixty dot com slash newsletter. 683 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: I'm Nute Gingrich. This is nuts World.