Raised on her father’s stories as a Marine recruit, CJ Scarlet wanted to prove she could be as tough as her Dad. Like her twin brother, in 1981 she joined the Corps, and she excelled on the rifle range, became an expert marksman, and completed boot camp as an honor graduate. Scarlet planned on a twenty-year career as a photojournalist, but the constant sexual harassment she encountered at bases like Camp Pendleton turned her dream into a nightmare. For more powerful memories from veterans, visitthe PBS series, American Veteran, where you can also watch the television series and digital short films. Learn more about American Experience Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
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Get Me Airborne
Harold Brown earned his wings as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black aviators in the United States armed services. At the outset of his distinguished, two-decade-long career in the military, Brown flew for this ground-breaking World War II unit. On his 30th mission, his P-51 Mustang was shot down. He survived as a prisoner of war in Germany until liberation. Brown recognized the irony that the first time he experienced integrated living was in a POW camp.” For more powerful memories from veterans, visitthe PBS series, American Veteran, where you can also watch the television series and digital short films. Learn more about American Experience Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube----------------------------In Memoriam: Harold Brown (1924-2023) This episode features the story of Tuskegee Airman Harold Brown, who passed away on January 12, 2023 at the age of 98. A fighter pilot in WWII, POW, and Korean War veteran who later achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Brown experienced firsthand how the military's integration preceded and helped influence broader civil rights progress in America. We are honored to preserve his testimony about this pivotal chapter in our nation's history.
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The Reaper
Nick Irving was a member of the elite Army Rangers, serving three deployments each in Iraq and Afghanistan. He became a sniper and earned the nickname “The Reaper” for his deadly accuracy and high body count. But returning home wasn’t so simple. “Overseas,” Irving said, “I had all the control in the world. I just pull a trigger and anything that was bad went away.” Once he was stateside, he realized that the most dangerous enemies he faced were his own demons.For more powerful memories from veterans, visitthe PBS series, American Veteran, where you can also watch the television series and digital short films. Learn more about American Experience Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
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My Boys
Edie Meeks had two brothers, one who was serving in Vietnam and the other who was protesting the war. She loved them both but decided that if something happened to her brother in combat, she wanted him to have the best care. She volunteered for the Army Nurses Corps, one of 100,000 women who served in Vietnam during the war, working 12 hours a day, six days a week, fighting to save lives and haunted by those who died.For more powerful memories from veterans, visitthe PBS series, American Veteran, where you can also watch the television series and digital short films. Learn more about American Experience Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
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No, I’m Not Good
As a teenager watching the 9/11 attacks, Clifton Hicks remembers that it was “our Pearl Harbor moment.” He joined the army as an M1 Abrams tank specialist and deployed to Germany, Kuwait, and finally to Iraq. There, his experiences in combat convinced him that what he was doing wasn’t glamorous or honorable. He earned the enmity of many of his colleagues by speaking out against the war. Then he made the risky decision to try and get out of the army as a conscientious objector. For more powerful memories from veterans, visitthe PBS series, American Veteran, where you can also watch the television series and digital short films. Learn more about American Experience Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
American Experience Presents brings the storytelling power of TV's most-watched history series to your ears, exploring how individual stories illuminate pivotal moments in American history.Season 1 features three transformative 20th century figures: Joseph McCarthy, whose anti-communist crusade terrorized 1950s America; media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who shaped public opinion for decades; and Sgt. Isaac Woodard, the WWII veteran whose brutal assault sparked a civil rights awakening.Season 2 shifts to the veteran experience with American Veteran: Unforgettable Stories. This 8-part series features direct testimony from veterans across generations from a Coast Guard gunner's mate at Omaha Beach to an Army cook who became the first Black American woman POW in Iraq. Each episode centers on one veteran's story, creating an intimate portrait of military service and sacrifice.Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube.
USA