Join NHPR this Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and again on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (repeat) for a special Veterans Day edition of The Moth Radio Hour.
The hour-long special, initially aired in 2014, is devoted to American veterans. The four stories listeners will hear – about the battlefield, from the home front, and behind the front lines – were told by veterans themselves in theaters and Moth events across the country.
The first story, “A Sort of Homecoming,” is told by Mike Scotti, the author of The Blue Cascade: A Memoir of Life After War. As a former U.S. Marine and veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, Mike describes how he battled post-war darkness after returning from active duty in the Middle East, and his search for a new meaning.
“The Boundless Sky” is a story by the late Dawn Seymour where Dawn describes her years of training young men for World War II combat as a Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) member. Dawn Seymour was a business executive, mother of five, grandmother of eight, and author of "In Memoriam" book honoring the 38 women pilots who gave their lives in World War II. She passed away in 2017 at age 100.
The third story, “Just a Little Bit,” recounts the struggles that a father, Bill Krieger, faced when he was finding ways to tell his children that he was being deployed to Iraq. Bill Krieger was a Military Police Company Commander stationed in Mosul, Iraq. He was a First Lieutenant at the time of his deployment.
“The 93rd” is a fourth and final story of this special, and is told by William Cole, a World War II veteran. William, an African-American soldier from Wisconsin, served with the segregated 93rd Infantry Division in the South Pacific.
This special hour is hosted by The Moth’s Executive Producer, Sarah Austin Jenness. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
Moth shows are renowned for the great range of human experience they showcase. Each show starts with a theme, and the storytellers explore it, often in unexpected ways. Since each story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate, and often enlightening experience for the audience.
A word of caution: some stories include frank descriptions of the effects of combat.
NOTE: The program will air in the place usually reserved for The World.