"The hardest part of surviving combat is living for most people."

This week, we are joined by retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Walter E. Piatt, CEO of the Wounded Warrior Project. Walt shares his incredible 42-year journey from a 17-year-old enlisted infantry private to a three-star general and Director of the Army Staff. We dive deep into why he used poetry as combat therapy, the moral and human struggles soldiers face in conflict zones, and his current mission to eliminate veteran suicide and homelessness by expanding life-saving programs for warriors and their families.

In this episode:
- Understand the critical difference between "coming back" and "coming home", exploring the emotional weight, survivor's guilt, and mental friction that veterans carry long after returning to domestic life
- Discover groundbreaking advancements in PTSD care, including how the Warrior Care Network compressed a traditional one-year treatment program into just two weeks, alongside ongoing research into alternative medicine
- Learn about the historic trajectory of the Wounded Warrior Project, tracing its growth from a single veteran stuffing backpacks in a hospital room in 2003 to a 100% donor-funded non-profit offering free, life-saving programs

Learn more: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
Listen on Wreaths Across America Radio: https://wreathsacrossamerica.org
Listen on Spotify Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5b1hT0BJwrnMARDRueFffS
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/story-behind-the-stone/id1795798019

"...it has to outlive us. You know, it's been here for a hundred years. It will be here for a hundred more, and a hundred more than that, and a hundred more than that. So it's our responsibility to ensure that the cemeteries are taken care of."

This week we sit down with Shayda Frost and Timothy Amoui, a couple who left their fast-paced careers in Los Angeles to unexpectedly take over the Lincoln Memorial Group in Atlanta, Georgia.

Stick around as they discuss the unique demands of the death care industry, the deep historical roots of their properties, and how they are reimagining cemeteries as vibrant, joyful spaces for community connection.

In this episode:

- Learn how their memorial gardens have served as the final resting place for many notable lives in Atlanta’s vibrant history, including prominent civil rights leaders, esteemed veterans, politicians, athletes, entrepreneurs and musicians.

- Hear why the couple rejected advice to sell the company to protect dedicated, long-term employees and a family legacy

Learn more: Visit the Lincoln Memorial Group to stay updated on upcoming community events

Link to listen on Apple, Spotify are in the comments or listen live on the Wreaths Across America Radio Network on Friday July 3 at 11am ET

"It's really wonderful to be able to turn headstones that say, 'Known unto God' into named people that we now know are in those graves."

This week, we speak with Lynelle Howson, a historian for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). As we mark the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme this July, we explore the incredible operations of an organization that maintains the graves and memorials of over 1.7 million service members across more than 150 countries. Lynelle shares the heartbreaking legacy of the pals battalions, the profound poetry behind the personal headstone inscriptions, and the ongoing, modern forensic recovery efforts keeping the memories of the fallen alive over a century later.

In this episode:
- Uncover the tragic reality of the pals battalions, where entire communities of friends, coworkers, and neighbours enlisted together, inadvertently dealing concentrated, devastating losses to individual towns back home
- Learn about the forensic recovery and rededication process, which coordinates historical research and documentary evidence to give named headstones to soldiers previously listed on memorials to the missing
- Discover the architectural landscape of the Somme, from the massive Thiepval Memorial standing sentinel over the battlefields to hidden, intimate cemeteries like Quarry Cemetery

"The transformation is real. They've tattooed that anchor on your heart and you're going to be a Marine for life."

This week, we sit down with Major General James W. Lukeman, President and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. We explore his 40 years of continuous military service and his current mission protecting 250 years of Marine Corps history. Major General Lukeman discusses the upcoming 20th anniversary of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the significant impact of veteran reunions, and how the campus is preparing for a massive summer lineup celebrating America's 250th anniversary.

In this episode:
- Experience the museum's legendary immersive exhibits, including a specialized Korean War gallery chilled to freezing temperatures to simulate the Chosin Reservoir, and a Vietnam exhibit that transports veterans right back onto Hill 881 South
- Learn about the nationwide "Marines across America" campaign, a year-long 250th-birthday initiative that partnered with all 50 state governors and the American Bakers Association to honor the community impact of local veterans
- Hear the incredible story of a 101-year-old Iwo Jima veteran who was flown to the museum to reunite with the exact tank he drove during the historic World War II battle

Learn more: https://www.marineheritage.org/
Listen on Wreaths Across America Radio: https://wreathsacrossamerica.org
Listen on Spotify Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5b1hT0BJwrnMARDRueFffS
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/story-behind-the-stone/id1795798019

Broadcasting live from the Military Women’s Memorial next door to Arlington National Cemetery, this episode tackles a profound and difficult question: What if the biggest threat to veterans' heritage isn't time, but silence?

To help answer that, we welcome Michael "Rod" Rodríguez, the President and CEO of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial Foundation. Rod is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret with ten deployments under his belt , coming from a deeply rooted, multi-generational military family. From his early days as a young private delivering food during a famine in Somalia to his time serving as a sniper , Rod shares how a lifetime of service inspired him to take on a sacred mission: leading the historic, congressionally designated effort to build a national memorial right on the National Mall in Washington, D.C..

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• A Historic First: Learn how this landmark breaks history as the very first National War memorial to be planned and authorized during an ongoing conflict.
• The "Impossible Bill": Rod details the grueling legislative battle to secure an exemption from the Commemorative Works Act of 1986—which originally required a conflict to be over for ten years before a national memorial could be built—ultimately leading to a bill signed into law by President Biden.
• Honoring the Unseen: Discover how the memorial is designed to be the most inclusive tribute ever built, honoring not just 3.7 million post-9/11 uniformed service members, but also the more than 3,400 non-uniformed personnel who stepped up to serve.
• The Core Pillars: Explore the four foundational tenants driving the project's mission: Honor, Heal, Empower, and Unite.
• A Moving Design Preview: Rod shares a unique sneak peek into the upcoming design unveil, including a footprint motif featuring steel inserts to depict the heavy weight of war , as well as empty footprints acknowledging those lost to the invisible wars fought at home.

About the Guest:

Michael "Rod" Rodríguez is a retired Green Beret whose entire family embodies a legacy of service. He is the grandson of World War II veterans, the son of a Vietnam veteran, the husband of a 21-year military veteran, and the proud father of an 82nd Airborne Division soldier with four deployments of his own.

Where to Listen:

Story Behind the Stone is available on the Wreaths Across America Radio Network via iHeartRadio, Audacity, and TuneIn. You can also catch the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Adapt or Die — Reimagining Sacred Spaces with AJ Orlikoff

Welcome to a very special, live Memorial Day edition of Story Behind the Stone, recorded on location at the Military Women’s Memorial at the footsteps of Arlington National Cemetery!

In this exclusive fireside chat (minus the actual fire, thanks to the summer heat), host Matthew Stewart sits down with AJ Orlikoff, the Director of Programming at Washington D.C.’s iconic Historic Congressional Cemetery. Inspired by his provocative article, "Adapt or Die," featured in American Cemetery & Cremation magazine, AJ challenges us to radically reimagine how we activate history. Together, they tackle a vital question: How do we keep the legacies of our veterans alive in a fast-changing, modern world without losing an ounce of the reverence they earned?

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Portals to the Past: Why historic cemeteries should be viewed as open-air history museums
• The Postmodern Audience: How shifting cultural views on mortality have isolated modern burial grounds, and why younger generations are starving for authenticity
• How Dogs (and Live Theater) Saved a Cemetery: The incredible comeback story of how Congressional Cemetery went from an endangered, neglected site in 1997 to a thriving community space through unorthodox programs like the Canine Corps and "Soul Strolls".
• Walking the Line: The delicate moral and professional balance between dynamic public engagement and maintaining solemn dignity for the interred.
• A Call to Action for Local Communities: Practical advice on how everyday citizens and small, regional cemeteries can step up to preserve and dynamically share veteran history.

About the Guest:

AJ Orlikoff is a dedicated public historian who has spent his career humanizing history. Before directing the programming slate at the Historic Congressional Cemetery, he served as an educator for the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and as a lead education specialist for the National Museum of the United States Army.

Tune In & Connect:

• Story Behind the Stone airs every Friday at 11 a.m. Eastern on the Wreaths Across America Radio Network
• Subscribe and listen on-demand via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• To learn more about the cemetery's tours and events, visit CongressionalCemetery.org

What if the greatest threat to our veterans' heritage isn't the passage of time, but our own silence?

This Memorial Day, Story Behind the Stone brings you a front-row seat to a powerful live event recorded at the gates of Arlington National Cemetery inside the Military Women’s Memorial. In this special episode, "The Future of Veterans Heritage" (brought to you by our friends at Wreaths Across America Radio), we look at how cutting-edge technological innovation and grassroots community action are ensuring the names engraved on our national headstones never fade into history.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The Power of Human Connection: Army veteran and CEO Kristin Sargent opens the event with a deeply moving tribute to Captain Doug Sloan, reminding us to use modern tools to bridge the gap between the past and present.
• The Main Panel (Record, Route, & Ritual): Moderated by Ryan Mullens (Co-Founder of Memory Anchor), this powerhouse panel features Monica Mohindra (Library of Congress Veterans History Project), Nick Miller (former CIO of Arlington National Cemetery), and Amber Caron (Wreaths Across America) discussing the digital future of remembrance.
• Adapt or Die: An exclusive fireside chat with AJ Orlikoff (Historic Congressional Cemetery) on how we must radically reimagine and activate historical spaces for a modern audience.
• Honoring an Ongoing Conflict: A closing address from retired Green Beret Michael "Rod" Rodriguez (President and CEO of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation) on the historic mission to build the National GWOT Memorial on the National Mall.

Hit play to discover how we can permanently anchor the humanity, photos, and stories of our fallen to their final resting places.

"These aren't just names. These were people who had wives, brothers, fathers, mothers, girlfriends at home. Lives cut short. They should be remembered."

This week, we speak with Julie Verne from the Normandy Memorial Trust. As we approach the 82nd anniversary of D-Day this year, Julie shares the moving history behind this sanctuary overlooking Gold Beach in France, which serves as a permanent home for over 22,000 individuals who fell under British command. We explore the site's architecture, the ongoing research adding long-lost names to the Roll of Honour, and the groundbreaking education initiatives connecting today's youth to a generation of heroes.

In this episode:
- Explore the site's brilliant architecture and symbolism, which features 160 stone columns converging into the geometric shape of a Union Jack
- Discover the immersive "Operation Remembrance" package at the Winston Churchill Centre for Education, which engages young students through tactical strategy activities, virtual reality reconnaissance missions, and conversational AI modeled after real veteran testimonies
- Learn about the unique Youth Ambassador project led by 11-year-old Alexander Churchill, the great-great-grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, who conducts personal video interviews with World War II veterans to pass their wisdom down to his own peers