This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party, hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't-miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music performances from major artists, patriotic tributes, and the kickoff to Giving Forth, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
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Don't miss the action of TNA Thursday Night Impact every week on AM SIG. For show types and more information, visit TNA Wrestling.com. And we continue with our American stories, and this one is a military family story. And you're going to hear right now from Mike McDaniel, the son of a naval aviator. deployed.
In Vietnam. We grew up as a Navy family. We had many gatherings where the families would get together. The wives and the children, so we get kind of a community within the aviation squadrons. And I remember one day, I can remember it like it was yesterday.
May 19th. It's a beautiful day outside. Friday afternoon, happy-go-lucky third grade kid. walking home from school. Couldn't wait to get home, spend the weekend playing with my buddies in the neighborhood.
And as I approached the house, I noticed there were about a dozen cars in the driveway and along the street. And again, not atypical for a Navy family because they get together, so I didn't think anything hot of it.
So I went in the house, and as soon as I walked in the house, Mrs. Miles, who was a wife of another. It's a squatter made of my dad's. came up and she says you're gonna come home with me for the weekend and spend the night and with Gary and Larry, that were her sons, that were kind of two of my good friends. Oh, okay.
So I didn't really have anything planned, but it sounded okay.
So we got in her car, and on the way to her house, we stopped at a Hyde's ice cream store. Mm. Pai's ice cream stores at that time were like candy heaven for a kid. You could get ice cream. multi-flavors, and they had these candy racks, you can remember, they were like, you know.
They were huge, as I remember them as a kid. And she said to me, Michael, Get whatever you want. as much as you want. Red flag, something's not right here, but hey, what a great opportunity.
So I remember going up to the candy rack and just stuffing my arms and glancing over her every once in a while to see if I kind of was reaching the threshold. And she just was like, you know, go up for it.
So literally as much as I could carry, I took up to the counter.
So whatever.
So we went and we had the spent the night and we did what little kids do during a sleepover. And then the next morning she brought me back. And I remember They used to have these big bubblegum sticks. Back when we were kids they were called big buddies. And there are these long stings of bubblegum, and I remember.
About five minutes out from the house, I tore that thing open. I stuffed that whole thing in my mouth. And uh She let me out say goodbye, so I walked in the house and my mom met me at the door. And she said, let's go back to your room. I need to tell you something.
So we walk back to my bedroom. And she said, Let me hold your bubblegum because what I'm going to tell you is going to make you cry. And then she said that my dad had been shot down the previous day over Vietnam. and was currently in the jungle of North Vietnam. and they were going to hopefully rescue him later that day.
And that was the last thing we heard for the next three years.
So, for those first three years of his six-year time away, we didn't know if he was dead or alive. And I remember my dad telling me and One of the last things he said to me was, take care of the family while I'm gone.
So here we were. I was in the third grade. My brother was two years younger, and my sister was only four. And uh At the time the Navy had told my mother for us not to tell anybody that he had been shot down. family or friends.
And I was just like, how do you do that? How do you go without a father and do this? I remember wanting to think he was okay, but not wanting to think he was okay if he really wasn't.
So that was kind of a balance. Tough thing to think through as a young boy. The other day I can tell you everything that happened. It was three years later It was the day of the solar eclipse. In Virginia Beach.
I remember the full solar eclipse of the sun, which is kind of a big deal. The community was really. plane it up. And I had a little league basketball championship game. And I was a pretty decent basketball player back then.
And I was spending the night. with Petey Bowerman, whose dad was our coach. We had the early game. It was like an 8.30 game and it was a championship game. Mrs.
Bowerman or one of them came in the room, and you know, we were just waking up, and she says, Michael, you're. Mother's on the phone. I remember these words too, she said. Michael has some wonderful news. And up until that point, anytime she had said that, I thought, something about dad, something about dad.
But it would be something like the grandparents are coming to town for the weekend or we're going somewhere. It was like a letdown. And this time I remember vividly thinking, The grandparents are coming to town for the weekend. And she says, a list came out today. The Norfolk Manies released a list of 14 names of Men being held officially as POWs and your dad's names on it.
We know he's alive. And it was like the weight of the world came off my shoulders. I went to the basketball game and I normally scored about 10, 12 points and I think I made it score two. I could really care less what happened with the game. And then The reality set in.
Okay. He's alive.
Now what?
Well, let's get this war over with. and let's get him home.
So I started watching the news. you know, constantly to try to find out what was happening. That was about the time where they were arguing about whether to sit around a round table or a square table to negotiate. And I was like, you've got to be kidding me. My dad's being held as a prisoner of war.
And they're arguing about what size the table is going to be to talk about. That was a very Tumultuous time of the war.
Now I understand it better, you know, because the history of it, but Ho Chi Minh had died, so a lot of changes were taking place in Vietnam, but the streets were. wild with protesters and the anti-war movement. It was just like everything was spinning out of control and here's your dad languishing in a prison somewhere.
Okay, then let me fast forward to when we found he was coming home. The ceasefire had taken place in the Paris peace talks where they were negotiating. And then they announced they were going to release the first wave of POWs that were there the longest. And my dad was going to be part of the second wave of Prisoners Come Home.
Well, the first wave came home, and that was such a joyous occasion. I can remember. Jeremiah Denton walking off the plane and doing his God Bless America. It was just wonderful. And you knew my dad was going to be in that next wave of those that were released.
And then The peace treaty broke down, and so they delayed the release. It was like a bad dream. It's just a horrible feeling. Then they They finally did have the release date, but something else that happened. Because of the first wave that came out and started getting their debriefings, because they started that right away.
They found out about what my dad had gone through in 1969. There was an escape attempt. The Navy psychologists came and sat down with us as children. and told us Your dad went through a real rough go. There was some real severe torture.
We're not sure what kind of shape he's going to be in mentally. And that scared me to death as a kid. And I guess I appreciate them. Trying to prepare us, but that's not something you say to a 15-year-old and a 13-year-old and a 10-year-old. I remember being horrified by what now?
What else is coming?
So they take off from Hanoi. And We know he's on his way to the Philippines. And this is before internet, this is before cable television. just network television at the time. The plane was going to land in Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines like at 4 in the morning, our time on the East Coast.
So my mom comes in to each of our bedrooms while we're asleep before she wakes us up and takes a Polaroid picture of us sleeping. Before she wakes us up, I think I'm laying there with my dog with my mouth wide open or something.
So she wakes us up as we all gather around the television and my mom's, she's on the floor on her knees in front of the television. And you see this plain land? and then it taxes up to the tarmac. They bring the ladder up. They opened the door.
and the POWs start coming out one by one. And You see this guy, you could tell he was tall. and he's there and all you see is from about the chest down. And he's adjusting his belt line. We call it a gig line in the Navy.
You can make sure your shirt is lined up with your pants, trousers, and your belt buckle. It's just a Navy thing, I think, you know. Yeah. You just knew it was him. And my mom dissolves into tears on the floor.
I mean, she's just on the floor, just sobbing. And we're like, Mom, not now. Not now. You gotta watch this.
So she never saw it. She had to see on the reruns the next day. No. Then he walks down the ladder. There he is, as large as life.
Your dad getting on free soil. You know, that was so cool.
So then let me go back to the time when they're supposed to come into Norfolk, Naval Air Station, Norfolk. And there were like Thousands, probably 10,000 people that had come to the airfield to watch this, watch these men come home. They were going to fly to Travis Air Force Base, then to Naval Air Station Norfolk. But it got fogged in. And again, it's like What next?
You know, it was like one more thing that was delaying it.
So what they did, they ended up flying into Oceania. and then driving From there to the hospital in Portsmouth, they were going to be.
So the crowd never saw all that, but they transferred us to the hospital. This black sedan. drives up into the conclave. of the hospital. And the door opens and out pops this guy.
This Navy khaki full dress uniform.
Okay. Who you been waiting for? For seven years, because he was almost towards the end of a year longer. Deployment. Lark is life.
Looking so sharp, even though he was pretty skinny. But he just rushes to the family. hugs my mom first and picks up my sister in his arms and we all kind of gather around and he says a few words and it... It was like... Yes, we're there.
Yes. Yeah. And you're hearing a grown man recalling, a really tough time in his life, almost breaking down and crying. Mike McDaniel's story, his dad's story here. on our American story.
This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party, hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't-miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Experience music performances from major artists, patriotic tributes, and the kickoff to Giving Forth, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history. It's more than just fireworks. Learn more about this landmark celebration at America250.org.
Professional wrestling fans, the action continues every week. Yes! It's total nonstop action! TNA Thursday Night Impact every week on AMC. For showtimes and more information, visit TNA Wrestling.com.
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