#162: September 11th with Dr. John Baxter - Air Force Veteran, 9/11 First Responder, SecDef's Flight Surgeon
Release Date: 09/11/2019
#174 Wreaths Across America w/ Wayne Hanson
Borne the Battle
Hanson discusses his time in the Army and the socio-political atmosphere of when he returned from Vietnam. He talks about transition and his gradual involvement to becoming the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Wreaths Across America. Lastly, he shares the four words from a stranger that kept him motivated to work even to this day.
info_outline
#173 On the Firing Line with Marine Veteran Dan Duitsman
Borne the Battle
Marine Veteran Dan Duitsman is Camp Valor Outdoors’ Shooting Sports Program Director. His role is to get disabled veterans into competitive shooting – no matter the disability. Currently, Camp Valor Outdoors’ shooting teams compete in professional matches all over the country.
info_outline
#172 Lakota Warrior and Vietnam Veteran Dr. Robert Primeaux
Borne the Battle
From reservation to the Army and later to Hollywood, Primeaux describes life as member of a Lakota tribe, his service during the Vietnam War, and shares the Four Cardinal Lakota Virtues in hopes of helping other Veterans. He credits the Lakota Four Virtues he had been taught as a young man for helping him recover from the war as well as from car accident.
info_outline
#171: Seven Summits w/ Benjamin Breckheimer
Borne the Battle
Army Veteran Benjamin Breckheimer discovered mountain climbing after his service and is now aiming to be the first Purple Heart recipient to climb the Seven Summits of the world. Breckheimer details on how he survived an IED blast, a divorce during his four-year recovery and the 2015 Nepal earthquake while on Mount Everest.
info_outline
#170: Dale Dye, Marine Corps Birthday Episode
Borne the Battle
When watching a movie, it’s easy to think that everything is real and true and lifelike. It's no surprise that that isn't always the case, especially with military movies. That's how Marine Veteran Dale Dye got involved. He wanted to tell Hollywood the right way to portray the military on screen. In this episode Dale Dye talks Vietnam, post-military careers, treating PTSD
info_outline
#169: Benefits Breakdown - Appeals Modernization
Borne the Battle
Executive Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) Appeals Management Office (AMO) and Army Veteran David McLenachen talks about the appeals modernization process.
info_outline
#168: Coaching NCAA Lacrosse with Marine Veteran Chris Burke and Mitchell Shafer
Borne the Battle
Chris Burke discusses his service in the Marines, including his injury and recovery from an IED explosion. However, Burke's real story begins on what he did after his service.
info_outline
#167: Paging Dr. Albert Weed, Green Beret Medic, Army Medical Officer, VA Surgeon
Borne the Battle
Dr. Weed's career has taken him from enlisted Green Beret Army medic to an Army medical officer to VA surgeon. Weed discussed his name, his family’s military background and medical experiences led him to, among other things, from peacekeeping in Egypt, to swimming in Saddam Hussein's pool, and receiving four different DD-214s. Listen as Weed recounts his experiences in the military and medical fields and his current work serving Veterans as a surgeon with the Salem VA Medical Center.
info_outline
#166: Navy to NASCAR w/ Jesse Iwuji
Borne the Battle
After his football career ended, Jesse found racing. However, he was at a disadvantage compared to his peers who started racing at a very early age: Iwuji started in his mid 20’s. He lacked sponsorship and he wasn’t born into a racing family. Despite this, his determination has led him to a variety of open doors. He funded the first part of his NASCAR K&N racing career through a variety of ways to include starting his own business. Currently he is racing in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.
info_outline
#165: The Battle of Mogadishu w/ Army Ranger Veteran, Jeff Struecker
Borne the Battle
This week’s Borne the Battle episode features Army Ranger Veteran Jeff Struecker. He discusses the Battle of Mogadishu and his life as a chaplain, a pastor, and an author.
info_outlineOn September 11, 2001, Air Force flight surgeon John Baxter showed up to work at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, to a full load of patients and completing physicals--just like any other day.
Halfway through his morning while getting his next patient, he saw that a civilian airliner had flown into one of the World Trade Center towers.
While with the patient, Baxter said he noticed the background noise in the Pentagon changed. It seemed quieter than usual. Then, he heard shouts. He opened his door and saw people running and shouting, and smoke in the hallway.
At first, Baxter didn't know if there was an explosion, a fire or some other event. Despite the unknowns, he assembled his team of flight surgeons, a nurse and medical technicians. They grabbed medical kits and traveled as a group. Their emergency plan was to meet up with other medics at the Pentagon's DiLorenzo Clinic.
Then they heard the news: there were casualties in corridor 5.
Baxter's team ran to the spot. They found Army Veteran Brian Birdwell, who was in excruciating pain from burns. It was a situation that Baxter was unexpectedly prepared for: Months earlier, in an emergency exercise, the flight clinic trained for the same scenario that unfolded on 9/11: a plane crashing into the Pentagon.
John Baxter still serves at the Pentagon, though now as a civilian flight surgeon. For this week's Born the Battle Podcast, Baxter details his story of 9/11 and the days that followed.
#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:
- Navy Veteran and 9/11 victim Ronald Vauk