Heroes Behind Headlines

U.S. Army Major General Gregg F. Martin (ret.) was the epitome of a successful military officer—an inspirational leader brimming with energy, intelligence and creativity. He shot up the leadership ranks of the U.S. military.

During the invasion of Iraq in 2003, he commanded the 130th Engineer Brigade as they cleared the way and rebuilt bridges to facilitate the takeover of the Euphrates River Valley, Baghdad and beyond.  Working nonstop and seemingly indefatigable, he inspired the people he led and impressed his superiors, which resulted in numerous awards and promotions.

Unknown to him, the mental pressure of combat triggered a disposition to bipolar disorder. And, the same extraordinary mental clarity and energy that had previously been a blessing turned into a nightmare of full-blown mania and depression, which resulted in the end of his distinguished military career. General Martin is with us today to share his struggle and journey to recovery and managing his condition, as described in his book, "Bipolar General." (Macmillan)

Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

David Holdridge served as a platoon leader in the U.S. Infantry outside of Chu Lai, Vietnam suffered a catastrophic injury, and has since devoted his life to delivering humanitarian aid to people suffering from starvation, exploitation, and in war zones around the world in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. From Saigon to Gaza, he relates his journey.

Inspired to write his book "The Water Above," David brings important wisdom as he shares his insights into working effectively within various cultures to give help to the people who need it.


Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

A different kind of war story and hero: Lt. Mary Balster was a charming Midwestern teenager (the apple of her father's eye) when she enlisted as a nurse at the outbreak of WWII. She proved invaluable on the front lines as a German-speaker, but was unprepared for the nonstop workload; the filth; the horrible injuries and desperation; the quickly formed friendships; having to care for enemy combatants; and being one of a handful of women surrounded by thousands of GIs. Patton insisted on keeping his field hospital close to his front lines, (in order to  more quickly care for the wounded) and Mary had her share of challenges and adventures. Her daughter NCR Davis shares highlights from her mother's diaries and war history, including her never-diagnosed PTSD, from her biography, "For the Boys."


Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

Award-winning journalist Sam Quinones lays out the facts behind the meth and fentanyl drug crisis in the U.S.:

He expertly describes how mass manufacturing has made these drug ubiquitous, cheap, and infinitely more potent, and thus unlike any other drugs--legal or illegal--ever consumed by human beings. Sam explains how today’s meth has triggered an abrupt rise in homelessness, and why these drugs and so destructive to users, their families, and ultimately all of us.

Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

Janina Melberg was a brilliant mathematician posing as a Polish Countess Janina Suchodolska to hide her Jewish identity during the Nazi occupation in WWII Poland. She simultaneously joined the both the Polish Welfare Council (RGO)--and secretly the Polish Underground--and bravely organized food and relief supplies for Poles incarcerated in the infamous Majdanek Concentration Camp.

Co-authors Elizabeth B. White and Joanna Sliwa trace the long-hidden history of this remarkable and previously unknown woman, and how they posthumously discovered and researched her story for their book, "Counterfeit Countess." (Publisher) Janina ended up escaping to the U.S. following the war, ultimately finishing her academic career at the University of Chicago.



Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com