On the 26th of March, 1863, the first six Medals of Honor were awarded to 6 surviving members of the Andrew's Raiders, who, one year earlier , had participating in a daring union raid into the south to commandeer a railroad engine and hobble Confederate supply lines around Chattanooga. The first of the six went to private Jacob Parrott.

This is the story.

Resources:
• https://www.thoughtco.com/great-locomotive-chase-2360250
• Andrews Raiders - Warfare History Network https://warfarehistorynetwork.com
• Bravery remembered: Civil War raiders recognized for Great Locomotive Chase: https://www.army.mil
• Great Locomotive Chase - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Locomotive_Chase
• Marker Monday: Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel - Georgia Historical Society https://georgiahistory.com
• The Great Locomotive Chase - AMERICAN HERITAGE https://www.americanheritage.com
• The Great Locomotive Chase - Largest U.S. Army Veteran Directory + Service History Archive https://www.togetherweserved.com
• The Great Locomotive Chase - WVTF https://www.wvtf.org
• The Great Locomotive Chase: The First Awarded Medals of Honor https://www.cmoh.org
Capturing a Locomotive: My Account of the Great Railroad Adventure by Rev. William Pittenger

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Resources:
https://www.thoughtco.com/great-locomotive-chase-2360250

Andrews Raiders - Warfare History Network https://warfarehistorynetwork.com

Bravery remembered: Civil War raiders recognized for Great Locomotive Chase: https://www.army.mil

Great Locomotive Chase - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Locomotive_Chase

Marker Monday: Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel - Georgia Historical Society https://georgiahistory.com

The Great Locomotive Chase - AMERICAN HERITAGE https://www.americanheritage.com

The Great Locomotive Chase - Largest U.S. Army Veteran Directory + Service History Archive https://www.togetherweserved.com

The Great Locomotive Chase - WVTF https://www.wvtf.org

The Great Locomotive Chase: The First Awarded Medals of Honor https://www.cmoh.org

Capturing a Locomotive: My Account of the Great Railroad Adventure by Rev. William Pittenger

Music and Sound Effect Credit:
Sound Effect by Kammerin Hunt from Pixabay: Run

Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay: One Train, Men working, small steam locomotive, steam train at crossing, train horn and passing

Sound Effect by Pig Bank - Mood from Pixabay: Rain

Sound Effect by Sandro Lima from Pixabay: Train #3

Sound Effect by Roger Harding from Pixabay: Steam Engine Pulling Away

Sound Effect by Paweł Spychała from Pixabay: Train Passing

Production Assistant:
Gizelle Erickson - Imagination Weaver

Our 12 stories: 1) Frank Finkel, survived Custer's Last Stand; 2) Vesna Voluvik, sole survivor of terrorist-caused airplane crash over Czech republic 1972; 3) Julieanne Koepcke, when her plane broke up, she fell two miles, strapped in her seat, and landed in the Amazon Rain Forest, where she survived 11 days with multiple injuries until finding help;, 4) Salvador Alvarenga, out for a day of fishing with his friend, was blown further out ton sea in a storm, and survived 438 days at sea with no supplies; 5) Aron Ralston, exploring a remote canyon in Utah, had is arm trapped by a boulder and after 6 days, realizing he could not free himself, cut off his own arm in order to survive; 6) William Bryden, a surgeon with the British Army in Afghanistan, survived an ambush that killed 4,500 of his fellow soldiers and thousands of non-combatants; 7) 13 tear old Bahia Bakari, with a broken collarbone, hung onto a piece of plane wreckage in the Indian Ocean for 9 hours in choppy water, to become the only survivor of that disaster; 8) Peter Siebold civilian astronaut on a Virgin Galactic flight, survived falling from 55,000 feet when the rocket disintegrated; 9) Lt. Col Vivian Statham, serving as a nurse in Indonesia in WWII, survived a massacre by the attacking Japanese as she and her fellow nurses were forced naked into the ocean before being shot in the back; 10) Ben S. Cauley, trumpet player for the Barkays, survived the plane wreck that took mthe lives of Otis Redding and most of the band; 11) Alexander Selkirk complained to his ships captain of the terrible working conditions aboard that ship and was marooned on a deserted island, where he survived for three years ; 12) Marcus Latrell, Navy Seal, survived an ambush by Taliban warriors in Afghanistan and went on to write his biography which became a movie.

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Here is our interview with filmmaker/producer Steve Edmiston ("The Maury Island Incident", Youtube) regarding the Maury Island UFO incident which occurred in June 1947 in the Seattle/Tacoma area. For all of you who live within a day's drive of Seattle WA you really need to consider attending the 4th annual,MIBB- the Men in Black Birthday Bash-to honor the event which all began with the alleged sighting of three UFO's by Harold Dahl, son, and boat crew in 1947, just a few days before. Come dressed in black. Aliens welcome.

This is one of the craziest UFO stories out there, and it doesn't get much attention because there was no early report or investigation and the initial facts were blurred by Dah's friend /partner who was possibly tyring to profit by magnifying an incident which may or may not have been a legitimate otherworldy visit.

Flaming metal shards, according to Dahl's account, were released by one the disc-shaped crafts that flew by his boat, striking the boat, landing on the deck, killing his son's dog, and burning his son, panicking the crew and causing the boat to be beached on Maury Island. It was later suggested that the power source for one of the craft had exploded, causing the shrapnel.

Dahl and Crisman reported that "men in black" visited their homes and workplaces askling questions about the event, of which they were already aware, and telling they and the families to be quiet about what had happened. Later Dahl retracted his story. Both the Air Force and the FBI labed the story a hoax.

Every year for the past three years the area celebrates the event with week long festivities and calls it 'The Men in Black Birthday Bash" and visitors can attent multiple events as well as a hike along the Southside UFO Trail.

Holy flying saucers! The Men in Black Birthday Bash (aka MIBBB Fest) is landing again starting June 13, 2025, bigger, funnier and quirkier than ever in 2025.

This year’s celebration of the Washington State origins of the mythic Men in Black will boast nine days of events.

The festival commemorates the historic Maury Island Incident. This 1947 UFO sighting prompted the first reported encounter with a Man in Black, right here in the Pacific Northwest.

Alien Abductee Look-Alike Contest is Friday, June 13
The festival kicks off on Friday, June 13, 2025 with an alien abductee look-alike contest inspired by the recurring SNL character Colleen Rafferty (Kate McKinnon).

Alienvitation Scavenger Hunt Starts Friday, June 13
Friday the 13th also launches seven days of an Alienvitation Scavenger Hunt at the Westfield Southcenter Mall, where you can solve clues, collect prizes, experience new museum-quality Maury Island Incident and Men in Black interactive exhibits. You can even use a phone booth to invite the 1947 aliens back to see what’s new.

The Maury Island Incident Film Screening June 20
Immerse yourself in our region’s UFO history and mythology at Saucers and Sass. This big-screen showing of the multiple award-winning The Maury Island Incident film will be followed by a drag queen-hosted sci-fi trivia contest and party.

Men in Black Birthday Bash is Saturday, June 21
The festival’s signature cosplay event, the Men in Black Birthday Bash, happens Saturday, June 21. Guests come dressed in variations of black and white for an evening of music, entertainment and quirky traditions that celebrate the origin story of the iconic Men in Black. The Waterland Arcade hosts an afterparty with DJ’d, space-themed music. Bash attendees and cosplayers will receive a discounted entry.

JON'S TOP TEN WWII FAVORITES: #1 OF 10
BEST "The Commando Raid on St. Nazaire: the Most Daring Raid of WWII":

The St. Nazaire Raid, also known as Operation Chariot, was a British Amphibious attack on the heavily defended Normandie drydock at St. Nazaire on March 26th, 1942. The objective of the raid was to destroy the drydock in German-held St. Nazaire, thus denying an Atlantic repair port to the new and powerful German battleship Tirpitz, which by itself was capable of winning the battle for the North Atlantic and cutting off England from much needed supplies. A joint operation involving over 200 British Commandos supported by Naval forces and RAF, the raid, costly in human lives, was the most decorated single action in British WWII naval history. #WWII #Commandos #TheGreatestRaidofAll #StNazaire #Podcast #HistoryPodcast . Music: mattia cupelli and machinamasound.com Bradham, Randolph (2003). Hitler's U-boat fortresses. Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Group. Dorrian, James (1998). Storming St. Nazaire: the Gripping Story of the Dock-Busting Raid, March, 1942. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. Ford, Ken (2001). St. Nazaire 1942: The Great Commando Raid; Osprey Campaign series #92. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.

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The obsolete destroyer HMS Campbeltown, accompanied by 18 smaller craft, crossed the English Channel to the Atlantic coast of France and rammed into the Normandie dry dock south gate. The ship had been packed with delayed-action explosives, well hidden within a steel and concrete case, that detonated later that day, putting the dock out of service until 1948.[4]

A force of commandos landed to destroy machinery and other structures. German gunfire sank, set ablaze, or immobilized virtually all the small craft intended to transport the commandos back to England. The commandos fought their way through the town to escape overland but many surrendered when they ran out of ammunition or were surrounded by the Wehrmacht defending Saint-Nazaire.

Of the 612 men who undertook the raid, 228 returned to Britain, 169 were killed and 215 became prisoners of war. German casualties included over 360 dead, some of whom were killed after the raid when Campbeltown exploded. To recognise their bravery, 89 members of the raiding party were awarded decorations, including five Victoria Crosses. After the war, St Nazaire was one of 38 battle honours awarded to the commandos. The operation has been called "the greatest raid of all" in British military circles.

The Tuskeegee Airmen of WWII were the first black pilots to break the color barrier in our Army/Airforce- a job in itself- and this is their heroes story as they paved the way for big changes in our military as well as our industries in the 40's and beyond. Included you will find our 2022 interview with Lt.Col. Harry Stewart as he shares his stories and gives advice to our younger generation about being the best you can be if you want to succeed in life. Lt, Col. Stewart passed this past Feb 2025 at age 100. He turned 100 on July 4th, 2024. RIP. It was a huge honor for me to interview him on his life and career as found in his book 'Soaring To Glory', which I HIGHLY recommend.

Join us at www.bestof1001stories.com for hundreds of WWII stories like this one!

The incredible true story of Moe Berg- a major league baseball player who became a WWII spy and infiltrated the Nazi top scientist group to find out if the Nazis were close to making the atom bomb.

Credits:

Music: Chuck Brodsky, Baseball Ballads Compass/Red House Records www.chuckbrodsky.com Records

Smithsonian Magazine 'Baseball Player Turned Spy Moe berg Went Undercover to Assassinate the nazi Top Scientist' Zachary Clary

Central Intelligence Agency: Moe Berg, Baseball Player, Linguist, Lawyer, Intel Officer

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I first heard this story on Paul Harvey years ago., and I've retold it in part but never in full. This is the story of Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry O'Hare (March 13, 1914 – November 26, 1943) who was an American naval aviator of the United States Navy, who on February 20, 1942, became the Navy's first fighter ace of the war when he single-handedly attacked a formation of nine Japanese medium bombers approaching his aircraft carrier. Even though he had a limited amount of ammunition, he was credited with shooting down five enemy bombers and became the first naval aviator recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II.

Butch's father had been the attorney for gangster Al Capone for years and at some point had agreed to go undercover for the US Treasury Service in order to expose Capone for tax evasion- the spoken legend being that Eddie (EJ), Butch;'s father, knew that by testifying to Capone's dirty dealings he would be putting a target on his own back, and agreed to give up Capone in exchange for the promise that Butch could attend the US Naval Academy. EJ testified, Capone went to prison, and in revenge, as the legend (most likely true) goes, EJ was shot and killed while driving to work.

On September 19, 1949, the Chicago-area Orchard Field Airport was renamed O'Hare International Airport, sin honor of Butch o'Hare.. An F4F Wildcat, in a livery identical to the aircraft ("White F-15") flown by O'Hare, is on display in Terminal 2. The display was formally opened on the seventy-fifth anniversary of his Medal of Honor flight

See picture of Butch and his wife while being awarded the Medal of Honor. at our web page at 1001 heroes here: www.bestof1001stories.com.

This is one of my all-time favorites)

In 1952, a Pueblo, Colorado housewife named Virginia Tighe volunteered for a hypnosis session, unaware that she would be revealing the fully detailed life of an Irish woman named Bridget Kathleen (Bridey) Murphy (1798-1864),. It it was detailed-featuring a full view of Cork and Belfast in the early 1800's, and containing lots of details that couldn't have been found in any books, as well as unusual words, folk songs, social morays and customs, names of shops, streets. crops, schools, and much more. And Virginia had never been to Ireland.

The full story became a best seller, then a movie,in 1956, before a steady stream of journalists as well as religious leaders began a campaign to discredit the story, Join us for one of the most incredible stories from world of psychiatry and the paranormal......and a story that will challenge your beliefs in reincarnation.

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