Hawaiʻi's Military Voices

John Zak hosts this hour-long special that honors those who have served. Listen to stories from Hawai‘i residents about their experiences in and with the military.

Local support is provided by Hawai‘i Pacific University.

Featured stories:

• Richard Ha and Alexey Katko

  • Discovering life-saving leadership skills in the jungles of Vietnam

• Leslie and Michael Carroll

  • From Fort Bliss to the Gulf War - Veteran couple reflects on their deployment experience

• Chad and Jennifer Walker

  • Veteran Army physician discusses her 20-year career and '15 minutes of fame'

• Beverly Keever and Ann Auman

  • Journalist shares her on-the-ground experience in Vietnam

• Ed Case and Allen Hoe

  • Combat medical officer shares influential experiences from Vietnam War

• Michael Doolitle and Marcia Brinkley

  • Army Veteran recalls unnerving experiences faced during his time in Vietnam

• Steven Jensen and Andrew Gaspar

  • Newly minted chaplain schemes up a lifesaving intervention

• Kenneth Burtness and Isabella Gonzalez

  • Air Force ROTC stint leads to unexpected civilian career path

See more local stories from the Military Voices Initiative at hawaiipublicradio.org/storycorps

In June 2022, HPR teamed up with StoryCorps to gather audio conversations from Hawai‘i residents about their military experiences. The Military Voices Initiative provides a platform for veterans, service members, and military families to share their stories. In doing so, we honor their voices, amplify their experiences, and let them know that we — as a nation — are listening. These interviews were facilitated by Hazel Diaz, Isabella Gonzalez, Cole Johnston and Franchesca Peña.

The audio segments were produced for Morning Edition and All Things Considered by John Kalani Zak. He shares his perspective on working with the Military Voices Initiative segments in his producer's notes. HPR and StoryCorps encourage our community to tell their own stories using the StoryCorps app. Learn more at StoryCorps.org.

Local support for this series comes from Hawai‘i Pacific University.