Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage
Rewarded for bravery that goes above and beyond the call of duty, the Medal of Honor is the United States’ top military decoration. The stories we tell are about the heroes who have distinguished themselves by acts of heroism and courage that have saved lives. From Judith Resnik, the second woman in space, to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice, these are stories about those who have done the improbable and unexpected, who have sacrificed something in the name of something much bigger than themselves. Every Wednesday on Medal of Honor, uncover what their experiences tell us about the nature of sacrifice, why people put their lives in danger for others, and what happens after you’ve become a hero.
Special thanks to series creator Dan McGinn, to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Adam Plumpton.
Medal of Honor begins on May 28. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear ad-free episodes one week early. Find Pushkin+ on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus
Special thanks to series creator Dan McGinn, to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Adam Plumpton.
Medal of Honor begins on May 28. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear ad-free episodes one week early. Find Pushkin+ on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus
Episodes (26)
Carl Sitter: When Faith Led the Fight
The Chosin Reservoir was one of the most brutal battles of the Korean War, with overwhelming enemy forces and deadly weather. Into that fight came Captain Carl Sitter, a pudgy guy who wasn’t...
The Sailor Who Escaped Slavery
Enslaved on a plantation in South Carolina, Robert Blake had little chance for freedom. Then came a surprise battle, a bold choice, and a new mission in life: serving in the U.S. Navy. Robert’s...
Salvatore Giunta Didn’t Want to Be a Hero
On a moonlit mountaintop in Afghanistan, Salvatore Giunta ran through a hailstorm of bullets to save a fellow soldier– his best friend– from capture. It was a heroic decision, but Sal...
How Marine Dan Daly Lived Forever
Dan Daly has been described as “America’s Fightin’est Marine,” who shouted that famous phrase, “Come on you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” Here, we...
Judy Resnick in Space: Full Throttle Up
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor is awarded to those who go above and beyond– at the farthest edges of our frontier. Judy Resnick was one of our country’s first women astronauts, but...
Charlie Plumb’s Unexpectedly Long Mission
J. R. Martinez interviews an old friend of his — Captain Charlie Plumb, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot who was shot down in Vietnam and spent six years in the infamous prison The Hanoi Hilton, right...
Bud Day: A POW’s Incredible Story
Shot down over Vietnam, Bud Day escaped from a prison camp and ran barefoot and wounded through the jungle. What happened to him over the next five long years is a brutal testament to his strength and...
The Endless Fight of Macario Garcia
When President Harry Truman put the Medal of Honor around Macario Garcia’s neck, this heroic soldier wasn’t even an American citizen. Born in Mexico, Macario volunteered to serve in World...
Alvin York: The Dark Side of a War Hero
If you were alive between 1918 and 1940, it is absolutely certain that you would have heard of Alvin York’s famous exploits in World War One. But would you know the truth about the man, and...
Legacy of a Warrior: Dwight Birdwell
As a proud member of the Cherokee Nation, Dwight Birdwell was determined to fight for the country he loved. And his actions on the first day of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam are stuff of legend. But...
The Optimism of Jefferson DeBlanc
When fighter pilot Jefferson DeBlanc survived being shot at in a crazy dogfight over the Solomon Islands in World War Two, his adventure was only beginning. What happened after he parachuted out of...
Journeys of Courage: Introducing J.R. Martinez
Medal of Honor is back with Season Two! Join new host J.R. Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran whose life was profoundly changed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2003. J.R., introduced by Malcolm Gladwell,...
Celebrating National Medal of Honor Day
March 25th was designated by Congress as a day of recognition and gratitude for those who have demonstrated extraordinary heroism and courage. Today marks one hundred and sixty two years since the...
The Writer Behind the Medal of Honor
Malcolm chats with Meredith Rollins, the writer behind the series, to talk about what they both learned from the Medal of Honor recipients featured this season. They also share moments that didn’t...
John Chapman’s Dark Night
John Chapman is the first member of the Air Force to receive the Medal of Honor since Vietnam. John’s story takes us to a freezing, snowy mountain range in Afghanistan on March 4th, 2002, where he...
Robert E. Bush: From High School to Hell and Back
Robert E. Bush is one of the youngest recipients of the Medal of Honor. At only 18, Bob found himself at the Battle of Okinawa, the bloodiest and fiercest battle of World War II’s Pacific theater. But...
Jay Vargas Pulls the Trigger
During the worst days of the Vietnam war, Marine captain Jay Vargas led a group of young fighters called the Magnificent Bastards into the Battle of Dai Do. His actions during that three-day period...
How To Stop A School Shooting
The Citizen’s Medal of Honor was first awarded in 2008 to recognize ordinary Americans whose actions “epitomize the concept of ‘service beyond self’ … ‘above and beyond’” their call of duty, whatever...
Tibor Rubin’s Medicine (Part 2)
Tibor Rubin’s story continues. As a young man, Tibor joined the U.S. Army, and he was sent to fight during the Korean War, where he was captured and taken to a brutal prisoner of war camp. On multiple...
Tibor Rubin’s Medicine (Part 1)
Tibor Rubin is the only Holocaust survivor to win the Medal of Honor. Sent to a concentration camp at the age of 14, Tibor swore that if he lived, he would become an American GI. At 20, he joined the...
Dr. Mary Walker's True North
Dr. Mary Walker was the first and only woman to have been awarded the Medal of Honor. She worked as a surgeon during the Civil War, saving the lives of Union soldiers. She crossed into dangerous enemy...
Alwyn Cashe: Into the Fire
Every Medal of Honor action is, by definition, heroic. But the story of Alwyn Cashe is about a very specific element of heroism: Sacrifice. In 2005, Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe was stationed in...
The Unbreakable Chain of Douglas Munro
The story of Douglas A. Munro’s heroism is told to every man and woman who joins the United States Coast Guard. In 1942, he led a dangerous rescue that saved an estimated 500 Marines from death on the...
The Never-ending Battle of Henry Johnson
Henry Johnson, nicknamed Black Death, was one of the most famous American soldiers of World War I. He was part of the Harlem Hellfighters, the legendary all-Black U.S. Army unit, and awarded the...
Courage is Contagious: Mike & Tommy
In the waning days of the Vietnam War, two Navy SEALs were dropped into enemy territory for a routine scouting mission. But within hours, Michael Thornton and Thomas Norris would be battling to save...
Introducing Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage
Launching on June 26, Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage is a new podcast telling the extraordinary tales of some of the United States’s military heroes. Every week, we'll dive into a different Medal...
About this Podcast
Copyright
2025 iHeartPodcasts
Language
en-US
Categories
History, Society & Culture, Personal Journals