1 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: On this episode of a New World. When Andrew Biggio 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: returned from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with US Marines, 3 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: he had huge questions about the price of war. He 4 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: decided to ask those who he knew would understand, veterans 5 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: of World War Two. His journey began when he bought 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: a nineteen forty five and won Grand Rifle and handed 7 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: it to his neighbor World War II veteran corporal Joseph Drego. 8 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: The rifle unlocked memories that Drego had kept on spoken 9 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: for fifty years. Now, over one hundred veteran signatures cover 10 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: Biggio's been one Grand Rifle, and he has heard both 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: the heroics and pain of the stories behind them. He 12 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: began sharing these veterans stories with the world in his 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: first book, The Rifle, and now he is back to 14 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: share more in the highly anticipated sequel, The Rifle Too. 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: Back to the Battlefield. So I'm really pleased to welcome 16 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: back my guest, Andrew Biggio. He served as an infantry 17 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: sergeant in the US Marine Corps as a veteran of 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: Iraq and Afghanistan. He currently serves on the police force 19 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 1: in Boston, Massachusetts. And as president of New England's Wounded 20 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:24,279 Speaker 1: Veterans Inc. Andrew, welcome back and thank you for joining 21 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:25,479 Speaker 1: me again on Newtsworld. 22 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 2: Thanks for having me again. That's awesome to be back. 23 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 2: And never thought this project would spawn a second book. 24 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: You did a remarkable job. You know. You last joined 25 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: me on Newtsworld in June of twenty twenty one to 26 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: talk about your first book, The Rifle Combat Stories from 27 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: America's Last World War Two Veterans Told to An m 28 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: one garand which became a bestseller. I understand you sold 29 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: forty thousand copies. That's an extraordinary success for your first book. 30 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: Why do you think your first book resonated with readers. 31 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 2: I think because I think it's the first time we've 32 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 2: ever seen, in my opinion, the youngest generation of veteran 33 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: in this country right post nine to eleven veteran Iraq, Afghanistan, 34 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,079 Speaker 2: saying goodbye to the oldest generation of a veteran, which 35 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 2: would be World War Two right now, and put two 36 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 2: of them in the same room and talk about everything 37 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 2: from the things that weren't so great about the greatest 38 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 2: generation to World War Two veterans who don't want to 39 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: die with their secrets who have never talked. 40 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 3: About it until now. I think there's a lot of that. 41 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,079 Speaker 2: I think this book, and I've been told by other 42 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 2: best selling authors who have written many more books about 43 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 2: World War Two than me, that this is some of 44 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: the last best first hand accounts of World War Two 45 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 2: thanks to my project. 46 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: Do you think the fact that you had been in 47 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: combat and you experience it yourself gave them a sense 48 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: of camaraderie that let them open up a little more personally. 49 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 2: I think I absolutely was trusted a little bit more 50 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 2: than the average reporter, investigator, interviewer because I had people 51 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 2: reach out to me saying, hey, I was trying to 52 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 2: get in touch with mister Smith for so many years. 53 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 3: How did you do it? 54 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 2: And a lot of that had to do with guilting 55 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: them into wanting to meet with me and talk with me. 56 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,839 Speaker 2: I hate to say it like that, but I would 57 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:15,679 Speaker 2: always say, listen, I understand that you don't want to 58 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 2: relive what you went through in World War Two, but 59 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: this young generation of veterans need to know the secrets. 60 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 2: I want to prevent as many veterans as I can 61 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 2: from falling through the cracks. Tell us what you saw, 62 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 2: what you went through and how you were able to 63 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 2: have a long, successful life after combat, have a family, 64 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 2: have kids, I have a career, go to college, what 65 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 2: have you. 66 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 3: And so I did a lot of that in book one. 67 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: So book two I did cover some chapters of guys 68 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: who did fall through the cracks. World War two veterans 69 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 2: who may have become alcoholics, some of them who lied 70 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: about their service for years, guys who did prison time, 71 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 2: guys who attempted to take their own lives. You know, 72 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 2: this was stuff that I steered away from in volume one. 73 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: I'm really curious this all begins because you buy nineteen 74 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: forty five m one to honor your great uncle who 75 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: was a US Army soldier who died on the hills 76 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: of the Italian countryside. What was that moment when you said, 77 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: I'm going to go do this. 78 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 2: In Massachusetts, we name the intersections after fallen service members 79 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 2: everything from World War One to Vietnam to present day. 80 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 2: And I had to pass by Andrew Biggio Square every 81 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 2: single day after I had returned home from Iraq in Afghanistan, 82 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 2: to see my own name up there, which you know, 83 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 2: obviously wasn't my name. It's my namesake. It's the man 84 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 2: I was named after, who died when he was nineteen. 85 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 2: I got sick of seeing that sign and not knowing 86 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 2: what happened to him, and not knowing how I could 87 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 2: honor him. Since I got to live and I got 88 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 2: to carry on the name. So you know, I read 89 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 2: through his letters that he wrote home before he was 90 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 2: killed in how much he enjoyed the M one rifle. 91 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 2: So I bought that rifle and I started to take 92 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 2: it to other World War Two veterans to see if 93 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 2: they loved it just as much and what memories it 94 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 2: would bring back to them. And it spawned this amazing journey. 95 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 2: And I know when you introduced me, you said it 96 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 2: was signed by over one hundred veterans, and that was 97 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 2: true when I last time I was on the show. 98 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 2: Now I have three hundred and twenty names on this 99 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 2: M one rifle that's right here behind me. 100 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 3: Wow, three hundred. 101 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 2: You can't even see the wooden stock anymore, you know, 102 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 2: both sides covered. I chose to represent the entire war. 103 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 3: On that rifle. 104 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: There is everything from Medal of Honor recipients to cooks 105 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 2: to sailors, to airman to pilots to POW's to you 106 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 2: name it, every campaign, every island, everything is represented on 107 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 2: this one single rifle. 108 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: But when you buy the rifle, you then go next 109 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 1: door to your neighbor. Did you know at that point 110 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 1: do you're going to trigger the kind of conversation and 111 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: openness and depth that occurred. 112 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 2: I had no clue. Joe Drego was a friend of 113 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 2: mine and a neighbor. And when I met him, he 114 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 2: was ninety two, very not getting around any much, you know, 115 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 2: bound to his recliner. And then when I put this 116 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: rifle into his hands, the way he shouldered it, raised 117 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 2: it up like it was nothing. The best was the 118 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 2: smile from ear to ear. You know, he went from 119 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 2: ninety two to nineteen years old again. And we sat 120 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 2: there and we talked about the Battle of Okinawa for 121 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 2: three hours, and it was the most therapeutic session anyone 122 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 2: could ask for. He really painted the fact that you know, 123 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 2: I don't have to live in the shadows of World 124 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 2: War two veterans, and sometimes the World War two veterans 125 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 2: did things that people call us the greatest generation, but 126 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 2: we did some not so great things to win World 127 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 2: War Two. 128 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 3: And he normalized my service. He really did. 129 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 2: He gave me something that propaganda couldn't cover up or 130 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 2: movies couldn't pretend that, you know, World War two veterans 131 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 2: are perfect and flawless. 132 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 3: He gave me it how it actually was. 133 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: When did you realize that this would be a great book, 134 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: that this was something that was your destiny. 135 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 2: I think the feedback from the veterans I served with, 136 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 2: who's a pinions and criticism. 137 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 3: Were important to me. 138 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 2: And then, of course these World War II veterans that 139 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 2: actually were coming out of the woodwork, guys I hadn't 140 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 2: interviewed yet, who had not signed the rifle, writing me 141 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 2: letters and emails of what they thought about the book 142 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 2: and the project. 143 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 3: And that's what I knew onto something. 144 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 2: And then most importantly, when I would write a chapter 145 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 2: of the book, reread that to the veteran who I 146 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 2: met and have them approve it and say, wow, that's amazing. 147 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 2: I've never heard anyone tell my story that way. 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Don't miss out on a 163 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,839 Speaker 1: special offer. Go to ginglishtree sixty dot com slash book 164 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: and order your copy now. Order it today at gingishtree 165 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: sixty dot com slash book. Did you have any particular pattern? Mean? 166 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: Do they come to you? Do you go to them? 167 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:55,599 Speaker 1: How did you track down folks? 168 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 2: Originally, when I was just a kid with a rifle 169 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 2: and asking them to come to someone living room, I 170 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 2: was reading the after action reports of World War two 171 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 2: specific divisions or battles, and I'd pick names. I'd pluck 172 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 2: names out of these morning reports after action reports, and 173 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 2: I would google these men right to see if I 174 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 2: could find an obituary to see if they was still alive. 175 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 2: And man, I can't believe how many World War Two 176 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 2: veterans passed away in the eighties. 177 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 3: But these guys who I. 178 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 2: Would find that would be still living and living on 179 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 2: their own and actually answer their phone. 180 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 3: I would say, Hey, here's who I am. I'm a veteran, 181 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 3: my uncle was killed in World War Two. 182 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 2: I'm doing this thing, and I'd get it either a 183 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 2: click I was a scam, they'd hang up on me, 184 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 2: or I would get a lonely man who doesn't have 185 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:44,679 Speaker 2: many visitors, has outlived his own spouse and his friends, 186 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 2: inviting me to come to his house. And for those 187 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 2: veterans that were hesitant, I would end up writing them 188 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 2: letters and showing them pitches of the rifle, and then 189 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 2: I'd get the invitation to come over. 190 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 3: So it wasn't always easy. 191 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 2: But now, because of the traction that's got, and because 192 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 2: of the hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, 193 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 2: people are just dropping into. 194 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 3: My inbox and my emails with. 195 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 2: Referrals of veterans out of their grandfathers, their great grandfathers 196 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 2: in their neighbors. 197 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: When you would be told a story how do you 198 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,719 Speaker 1: go back and verify it or do you. 199 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 3: That's a great question. That's a great question. 200 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 2: Well, in Rifle Too, you're going to find out how 201 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 2: I was burned severely. 202 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 3: I had a guy get me good, you know. 203 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 2: And being a police officer and a former detective, I 204 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,199 Speaker 2: did a lot of good weeding out people that were 205 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 2: full of it or lying or things like that. But 206 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 2: some of these veterans have been lying for seventy five years, 207 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 2: eighty years. They're so good at it, you know, and 208 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 2: they've lied to their own family members. And I go 209 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 2: into the book about different reasons on why they lied, 210 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,559 Speaker 2: But one of the main reasons was nobody wanted to 211 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 2: come home from World War Two not a hero. The 212 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 2: World War Two vets were paraded and these big parades 213 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 2: and the cover of newspapers, every movie, John Wayne and 214 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 2: all the stuff, and everybody wanted to be a hero. 215 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 2: And it was just hard to validate stuff back then 216 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 2: because the war was so huge. 217 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 3: You could say that you. 218 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 2: Took out seventeen Japanese pillboxes and go with it. But 219 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 2: nowadays we have so many with the after action reports 220 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 2: and things like that that were declassified after two thousand 221 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 2: and six, you can read the morning reports on what 222 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 2: that particular company did or platoon member did and who 223 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 2: got awards and who didn't, and then you can find 224 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 2: other living veterans and other guys who gave testimonies already, 225 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 2: and you know, you can do national Archive requests four 226 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 2: discharge papers to see if this veteran really did earn. 227 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 3: Five purple hearts. Let's just say so, I did. 228 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 2: A lot of that and one guy did get me 229 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 2: really good. And it wasn't until I was standing in Normandy, 230 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 2: France with him that I realized he was a liar. 231 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: You know. 232 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 3: So it's a good story. It's a good story. 233 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: Did you include his story in the book? But point 234 00:11:57,880 --> 00:11:58,840 Speaker 1: out it's not true. 235 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 3: I did. I changed his name though. 236 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: You particularly wanted to get a story about the island 237 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: of Pelu, which was a huge fight, one of the 238 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: most bitter fights that the Marines had. We took a 239 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: lot of casualties. Why were you that interested in that 240 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: particular fight? 241 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 2: First things, First is because I was a US Marine myself. Second, 242 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 2: was with a big upset was and I know what 243 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 2: it's like to be upset, especially knowing that I have 244 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 2: no idea what the future of Afghanistan is the relations 245 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 2: between Pelolou right, which never got used by the government either. 246 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 3: They never used Pelolu. 247 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 2: For a bombing campaign, They never used Pelolu for a airstrip. 248 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 2: All these marines gave their life and fought in coral 249 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 2: rock mountains in aar fields and had no water for days, 250 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 2: and they never made the real use for Pelolu, And 251 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 2: that was a very upset, that's very sad. And so 252 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 2: I could see a lot of the frustration that a 253 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 2: Pelolou veteran could have had that are similar to an 254 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 2: Afghanistian war veteran, and to meet a particular veteran who 255 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 2: survived the awful fighting. And I mean this was an 256 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 2: island where we saw a lot of macarb things done 257 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 2: to one an other marines find one of their own 258 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 2: tied to a tree with his head cut off, and 259 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 2: then you see marines returning the favor with flame throwers 260 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 2: and collecting gold teeth and things like that. And I 261 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:26,679 Speaker 2: got one of the best first hand accounts of that 262 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:29,439 Speaker 2: stuff by a gentleman by the name of Emilio Maglikan 263 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 2: who was with Able Company, first Battalion, fifth Marines. 264 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: That was really one of the I guess one of 265 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: the most bitter fights in the whole Pacific campaign. 266 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was. 267 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 2: The Japanese aid did not surrender and the Marines got 268 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 2: to the beach and realized all their water had been 269 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 2: put in forming oil drums, so the water was now 270 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 2: polluted with oil, and trying to get new water to 271 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 2: the beachhead was very difficult while the first Marine Division 272 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 2: was still trying to make it advance. And then the 273 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 2: way that the Japanese retreated into these coral rock mountains 274 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 2: that even with nail airfire and airplanes we could not 275 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 2: penetrate the tunnels the caves of pillboxes, so it was 276 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 2: really hand to hand combat marines having to hump flame 277 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 2: throwers up there to try to get rid of these 278 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 2: Japanese enemy emplacements. 279 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 3: And then at the. 280 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 2: End of it, there was never any development of that 281 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 2: island for real strategic to win World War two, to 282 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 2: win the Pacific dator. 283 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: I think it's kind of intriguing with all the high 284 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 1: technology stuff. One of the great breakthroughs in the war 285 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: for US was the use of Native Americans, and you 286 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: got involved in that and you talked to several of 287 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: the code talkers of the book, what was your sense 288 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: of the various Native Americans who came in and really 289 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: were able to stop the Japanese who couldn't break the 290 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 1: code because they didn't understand any of the languages that 291 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: were being spoken. 292 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I thought it was interesting because I never knew 293 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 2: that there was twelve different I guess you'd call him 294 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 2: dialects or types of Native American language spoken during World 295 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 2: War Two. So the Navajo code talkers, they're the most 296 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 2: famous because they were in the Marines, and the Marines 297 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 2: had the best propaganda of that time thanks to their 298 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 2: uniforms and the flag raising on Eo Jima. But there 299 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 2: was Aroquois code talkers. There was Mohawk code talkers, seminal 300 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 2: code talkers. And I got to meet a Mohawk code 301 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 2: talker at age ninety nine on the reservation up in 302 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 2: New York, and he was on the New York Canadian 303 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 2: border up there, and what he did to protect the 304 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 2: code in the island of the Philippines. He was a 305 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 2: US Army soldier, a signalman, you know, radio man, and 306 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 2: there were times where he said he'd be speaking mohawk 307 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 2: to another Mohawk code talker on the other end of 308 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 2: the radio and things would just go silent, and that 309 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 2: would most likely believe that that soldier had gotten killed 310 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 2: or overrun. And it was amazing what those guys did 311 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 2: to come together. And some of them were so young 312 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 2: that they couldn't enlist in the mid military, so they 313 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 2: had their parents sign off for them, and their parents 314 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 2: couldn't read or write English, so a lot of these 315 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 2: enlistment papers are done with just symbols of their parents. 316 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 1: You still have about one hundred and fifty thousand World 317 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: War Two veterans who are still alive, and I know 318 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: you had an opportunity to actually be at the Capitol 319 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: when herschel Woody Williams was recognized in the rotunda. He 320 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: was the last Medal of Honor recipient from World War Two. 321 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: What was that like to be there and see, I 322 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: think on behalf of all the World War Two veterans, 323 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,200 Speaker 1: this great soldier being recognized in the national capital. 324 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, that was my first time I think, actually being 325 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 2: in the national capital and to see the flag draped 326 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 2: coffin of the last Medal of Honor recipient in there historic, 327 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:11,679 Speaker 2: absolutely historic, and it was just also a gigantic symbol. 328 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 2: It was a milestone to let us know that the 329 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 2: World War two generation only has single digit amount of 330 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:19,199 Speaker 2: years left to be amongst us. 331 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 3: I think it was a huge awakening. 332 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: I was a little surprised you wrote this book will 333 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:27,399 Speaker 1: mark the end of my World War II research. You 334 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,439 Speaker 1: feel like after two volumes you need to go on 335 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: to something else. 336 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, because chasing ghosts is not easy. I spent a 337 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 2: lot of time away from my family and kids. 338 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 3: Now I have two sons. 339 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 2: These are things that didn't exist before I started getting 340 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 2: stagatures on this rifle. And to try to get an 341 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 2: accurate description of a particular battle or a particular veteran, 342 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 2: I might have to leave Boston go to Bend, Oregon 343 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 2: just to hear it. 344 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 3: And it never used to be like that. 345 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:58,120 Speaker 2: A lot of authors who have written books about World 346 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 2: War Two back in the seventies, sixties, eighties, At that time, 347 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 2: they were fortunate to have veterans in their own home 348 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 2: state or even their hometown went through particular battles or 349 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 2: in certain divisions. 350 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 3: And that's just not the case anymore. It's not. And 351 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 3: I think I've dog my. 352 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,959 Speaker 2: Due diligence with two and hopefully two best selling books 353 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 2: to portray some of the last first hand accounts, and 354 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 2: I'm ready to take on another group of veterans or 355 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 2: even write books about police officers and so forth. 356 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,680 Speaker 1: Are you at all tempted by the Korean War, which 357 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: had certainly had extraordinary a number of very heroic and 358 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 1: very difficult fights. 359 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 2: A lot of people asking me about the Korean War, 360 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 2: And the sad truth is this is actually less Korean 361 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 2: War veterans than there are World War Two veterans. It 362 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 2: would probably be easier to write a book about World 363 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 2: War Two right now. 364 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: I hadn't thought of that. My dad, who's passed away, 365 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:57,919 Speaker 1: was very briefly World War Two, but then served in 366 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: Korea and became regular arms. 367 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's less Korean War combat veterans than there are 368 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 2: World War Two veterans. 369 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: That's amazing when you think about it. With all the 370 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: interviews you've done, what do you think is the greatest 371 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,679 Speaker 1: lesson you learned from the World War Two veterans you 372 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: talked with. 373 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 2: It's funny because you know, in my police job, things 374 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 2: are a lot stressful, and sometimes I would take stress home. 375 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 2: And I think I've met a lot of World War 376 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 2: Two veterans who then became police officers also, and they 377 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:31,120 Speaker 2: didn't just teach me how to become a good veteran, 378 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 2: but they taught me how to be a good father, 379 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:37,439 Speaker 2: a good husband, a good neighbor, a good community person. 380 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 2: And I try to take that stuff away, not just 381 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 2: the how to deal with what you saw in war, 382 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 2: but how to make the longevity you can with the 383 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 2: career you chose and the different types of mentalities that 384 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,679 Speaker 2: you may have inherited from your experiences. And that's what 385 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:56,399 Speaker 2: I try to when I look at the rifle, I 386 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 2: try to think of these noble men who some of 387 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 2: them had bumpy roads, some of them set the example 388 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:03,360 Speaker 2: on how to live a life after war. 389 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: Are you all tempted to maybe do something similar with 390 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: policemen since you are a policeman and with all the 391 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,880 Speaker 1: challenges we have now, with you know, people killing cops 392 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: and kind of attitude that is really, I think, very scary. 393 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 3: It's very scary. 394 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,679 Speaker 2: You never know the person you're going to encounter is 395 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 2: going to be someone who supports police or someone that 396 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 2: would love to film your death. 397 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 3: It's rough. 398 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 2: I like to hope to believe that it's more of 399 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 2: a seventy five percent support cops out there than twenty 400 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:39,160 Speaker 2: five percent don't. I try to believe that maybe I'm 401 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 2: in denial and it's actually fifty to fifty. But I 402 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 2: want to do something either where I interview wounded veterans 403 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 2: of Iraq and Afghanistan. Because right now you have the 404 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 2: survivability rate of injuries are the most highs of any war. 405 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 2: Thanks to the development and technology and evacuation from the battlefield. 406 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 2: You have veterans that have survived injuries that have never 407 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 2: survived these kinds of injuries in any other war. So 408 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,360 Speaker 2: I was thinking about interviewing a group of these men 409 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 2: about their life, recovery and recuperation after the global War 410 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 2: on Terrorism. And I've also thought about doing something with 411 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 2: police officers whose stories aren't always covered in the news, 412 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 2: that have done absolutely herrod things. 413 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 1: It's interesting because I think, particularly in the current environment, 414 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,400 Speaker 1: it takes fully as much courage to be a policeman 415 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: as it does to be in the military. As you know, 416 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,400 Speaker 1: because you live it every day you go out, you're 417 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 1: a world that could suddenly turn dangerous instantaneously. 418 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 3: It's the truth. 419 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 2: I mean, I've almost lost my life more times as 420 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 2: a police officer than I did as a marine. 421 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,680 Speaker 3: Knock on wood, and I want the Good Lord. 422 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 2: To stay with me, and I want to just help 423 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 2: the people in the community that need it well. 424 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: I want here to know that whatever you decide to 425 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: do next, we'd love to have you come back and 426 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: share it with us, because you do very interesting work 427 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: and very patriotic work, and I think work that brings 428 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 1: hope and a sense of fulfillment to a lot of people. 429 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,360 Speaker 1: I think that you're giving dem a chance to get 430 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:13,360 Speaker 1: their life out in the open, to share with others, 431 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: and to really help us come in touch with sort 432 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: of the best of the American tradition. And whether you 433 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:22,200 Speaker 1: do it on veterans or you do it about the police, 434 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:26,159 Speaker 1: I'm confident that you've now really developed the ability to 435 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: listen well and to draw out of people great stories 436 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: and great insights and remarkable recommendations. So I want to 437 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: thank you for joining me and for honoring the stories 438 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: of those who served our country and both of your books. 439 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: I think of it genuinely as a work of dedication 440 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: on your part and a work of patriotism. Your new book, 441 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: The Rifle Too, Back to the Battlefield is available on 442 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 1: Amazon and bookstores everywhere, and we'll have it on our 443 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:58,400 Speaker 1: show page. So Andrew, Thank you so much for sharing 444 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,160 Speaker 1: your work and your thoughts with us. 445 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 3: Thank you for having me glad to be back. 446 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest Andrew Biggio. You can get 447 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,920 Speaker 1: a link to buy his new book, The Rifle Too 448 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 1: Back to the Battlefield on our show page at newtsworld 449 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:21,119 Speaker 1: dot com. Newsworld is produced by Gingrish three sixty and iHeartMedia. 450 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Guarnsey Sloan and our researcher is 451 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 1: Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the show was created by 452 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: Steve Penley. Special thanks to the team at Gingrish three sixty. 453 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,639 Speaker 1: If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll go to 454 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,199 Speaker 1: Apple Podcast and both rate us with five stars and 455 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:41,920 Speaker 1: give us a review so others can learn what it's 456 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: all about. Right now, listeners of Newtsworld can sign up 457 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:50,159 Speaker 1: from my three freeweekly columns at gingristree sixty dot com 458 00:23:50,200 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 1: slash newsletter. I'm newt Gingrich. This is Newtsworld.