It was the spring of 1965: the height of the Cold War.  In a post-World War II economy, the United States was soaring, the clearly-identified head of the free world.  With the Soviet Union its greatest adversary, the spread of communism was considered the biggest threat to national security.  When communist-inspired groups initiated a civil war in the Dominican Republic, President Lyndon Johnson was concerned about communism spreading from the Caribean nation throughout the Western Hemisphere. 
The United States launched Operation Power Pack, an invasion of the Dominican Republic, spearheaded by the 82nd Airborne Division, to restore order in the Dominican Republic. This is the story of the men on that deployment, in their own words.
The All American Legacy podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division. Please susbscribe on iTunes (tiny.cc/AALPiTunes) and tell others about the program. Please leave us a rating and a review as these help others find the program.

40 - Hot in the Cold War l DomRep, 1965

Exploring the 100 year history of the 82nd Airborne Division as told by the Paratroopers who lived it.

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Thirty four years ago the United States invaded the Caribbean island of Grenada, rescued some medical students, and rounded-up a gang of thugs and criminals, along with their Cuban communist backers. The 82nd Airborne Division, in a display of its rapid response capability, led the charge.  If you did not know or do not remember this, you're not alone.  In fact, more than a few people back then had a hard time pronouncing the name of the place or even locating it in the right hemisphere.
The conflict was wrapped up in a matter of weeks and America moved. But in the 82nd's 100-year history the invasion of Grenada turned out to be a very big deal.  This was a critical moment in the life of the Division, one that would shape the way we organize for combat and prepare to deploy today.  
This episode, featuring the voices of All American Paratroopers who fought in Grenada, is a postmortem of that operation and the role of America's Guard of Honor within it.  We piece together the insights our Nation's leaders learned from that operation, explain its relevance to today's warfare while also giving the "on the ground" experience lived by our Paratroopers during Operation Urgent Fury.
As always, the All American Legacy podcast is created by the 82nd Airborne Division.    We ask that you subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and tell others about the show.  Please leave us a rating and a review on iTunes as these help others find the program.

46 - Watershed l Lessons Learned in Grenada

The 82nd Airborne Division must be able to drop thousands of Paratroopers into a contested area from the air.  For most of the Division's life, our Paratroopers relied on the T-10 Parachute for delivery from aircraft to ground.  Beginning in 2013, however, the All Americans began transitioning to a new system: the T-11 Advanced Tactical Parachute System.  The T-11 was intended to prevent Paratrooper injuries with a slower, less forceful opening and a slower rate of descent.  The change was not without its challenges and Airborne leaders from the past and present discuss those challenges in this episode.If you are or ever wanted to be an All American Paratrooper or an Army Jumpmaster, this is an important episode that describes how we train airborne operations, why we transitioned to the T-11, and why airborne proficiency training is so critical.The All American Legacy podcast is created by the 82nd Airborne Division.  We ask that you subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and tell others about the show.  Please leave us a rating and a review on iTunes as these help others find the program.

44 - A New Parachute I Transition to the T-11

On episode 43 of the All American Legacy podcast, host Joe Buccino speaks with reporter Karl Zinsmeister.  Karl has written several books about the war in Iraq over the years, but this discussion focuses on his 2003 book "Boots on the Ground: A Month with the 82nd Airborne in the Battle for Iraq."  As the title implies, Karl was embedded with the 82nd Airborne Division during the early days of that war; in fact, this was the first book published by an embedded reporter after the invasion.The world has changed since 2003, the All Americans have deployed to Iraq many times since, and that invasion seems like lifetimes ago.  Karl and Joe discuss all this and place the push to Baghdad in its proper context in the lifespan of that conflict.  Karl explains how he experienced war as an embedded journalist and about the men he experienced it with.  He discusses the planned airborne assault into what was then known as Saddam International Airport and how the All Americans reacted to its cancellation.Then, just when the interview is going just fine, Joe challenges Karl on some of the assumptions from the book which makes for an interesting discussion with an intense, impassioned writer.The All American Legacy podcast is created by the 82nd Airborne Division.  This particular episode was edited and produced by our friend Josh Harrison.We ask that you subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and tell others about the show.  Please leave us a rating and a review on iTunes as these help others find the program.

43 - Boots On the Ground l The 2003 Invasion of Iraq

Veterans Day, a national holiday observed every year on November 11th, honors the accomplishments of American Veterans from all of our nation’s wars. Veterans Day is a celebration of the men and women who keep us free. But, it wasn’t always so. Veterans Day began as a commemoration of the end of World War I and, due to that war’s brutality, was a somber reflection of the costs of combat. Our understanding of Veterans Day has changed as has our understanding of the nature of war.
After World War II, the holiday became appropriately festive and less silent. In 1950, World War Two was still fresh in America’s collective mind. America was moving toward a new prosperity and didn’t fully understand a new conflict in Korea. For the first time, Veterans Day was largely ignored. Vietnam veterans served in combat during a troubled time for our nation. Those Soldiers returned from war to a country divided. Veterans Day during the Vietnam War often featured argument and protest.
Today, thankfully, we recognize the heroic self-sacrifice of all veterans. As a nation, we now recognize that the circumstances in which they fought are not nearly as important as their selfless service to our Nation.
On this episode, released on Veterans Day 2017, Joe Buccino from the All American Legacy podcast joins with historian Dr. Joe Coohill and Penn State history professor Dr. Phil Nash, to discuss the evolution of Veterans Day. The All American Legacy podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division. Please subscribe to the All American Legacy podcast on Apple podcasts and tell your friends about it. Leave a rating and a review as these help others find the program.

42 - Armistice   l  The Story of Veterans Day

Along with Jim Gavin, Sergeant Alvin York looms as the largest figure in the 100-year history of the 82nd Airborne Division.  His evolution from drunken troublemaker to Christian pacifist to God of war to philanthropist is told all over the country and in many parts of France. In fact, we’ve already covered his personal journey in episodes 3 and 4 of this program.  Among historians, however, great controversy remains about York’s heroics during World War I.  For decades questions have lingered: How many Germans did York really capture? Has he been credited with the actions of other Soldiers from the 82nd?  How fierce was the fighting that day?
In this episode we bring in two of our favorite historians, Dr. Phil Nash and Dr. Joe Coohill, to discuss exactly what we know about what occurred in the Argonne Forest on October 8, 1918.  We explain the controversy that has followed this story, separate fact from myth, and leave you with a clear understanding of what we know and how we know it.
The All American Legacy podcast is dedicated to telling the 100-year-history of the 82nd Airborne Division.  We are focused on the known and seek to defeat myths surrounding our legacy.  In so doing, we hope to provide listeners with a deeper, more abiding sense of the history of America’s greatest Division.
We ask that you please leave a rating and review for this program on iTunes.  Please subscribe to the program and tell others about the All American Legacy podcast.

40 - Hot in the Cold War l DomRep, 1965

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