Ep. 165 - How America Receives Its Heroes Home | Matthew Buckley Jr. and the Weight of the Dignified Transfer

Whiz sits down with his oldest son, Matthew Buckley Jr., to debrief his active-duty tour with Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware — the single port of entry where America’s fallen come home. Matthew walks through the process and the procedures: what happens from the moment an aircraft touches down, how our heroes are received, and the standard of care that never bends. He debriefs the high-profile dignified transfers he supported, including ones attended by the President, the Secretary of War, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan “Razin” Caine. He also debriefs his mission to Edwards Air Force Base following the June 15, 2026 crash of a B-52 Stratofortress — call sign Torch 11 — and the eight crew members lost. It is the heaviest part of this conversation and he does not flinch from it. The two of them close on what comes next. The No Fallen Heroes Foundation was awarded the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant, and Matthew steps into a new role as Veteran Outreach Coordinator — from receiving the fallen to reaching the living before we lose them. In this episode: - Inside Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover - How a dignified transfer actually works, start to finish - The Edwards AFB B-52 crash and the eight lives of Torch 1-1 - The SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant and Matthew’s new role with NFHF See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.