This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years, and now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint.
It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. 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. I turned off news altogether.
I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything. It's the rage bait. It feels like it's trying to divide people. If we got clear facts, maybe we could calm down a little. NBC News brings you clear reporting.
Let's meet at the facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America. What's up y'all? Summer's got a different temper.
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General Mook, as he's known amongst friends and people who know him, is the author of Faith, Family, and Flag. Memoirs of an unlikely American Samurai Crusader. General Mukayama served as a company commander. under Colonel David Hackworth in Vietnam. Hackworth was one of the most highly decorated infantry officers in the history of the United States Army.
Here's the general with the story of Colonel David Hackworth. When you're in the Army, when you leave An overseas assignment they give you what's called a green sheet. and you say where you'd like your next assignment to be, okay?
So here I am, I'm at Korea, so I put in my dream sheet. And I said, I want to go to Fort Benning, Georgia. I want to go to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. That's where all the airborne units were located.
Okay. and they sent me to Fort Lewis, Washington. about as far away as you could and uh not in an airborne unit and I now uh at the training centre Yeah, we are training Advanced individual infantry soldiers to go to Vietnam. That was our mission. And I had met uh a Colonel David Hackworth.
One of the most highly decorated and renowned infantry soldiers in the history. of the United States Army. Colonel Hank words at a battlefield commission at nineteen years old in Korea, And was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award for valor. right below the Medal of Honor. and four purple hearts.
This is all on one tour in Korea, right?
So he comes back from Korea He guesses GED, by the way, and Then he gets his uh bachelor's degree. writes prolifically about infantry tactics. Three tours in Vietnam commands two battalions. is awarded another Distinguished Service Cross, And earn four more purple hearts. This guy had eight purple hearts.
He Ye I told people he wasn't the smartest guy I knew, but he was the luckiest. And that's the guy you want to be with in combat, frankly. But his knowledge was just so, so tremendous. And I had met him at Fort Louis and we had done some things together and then he volunteers again for Vietnam.
So he goes to Vietnam to command this infantry battalion.
So I'm back at Fort Lewis commanding uh the training company. And and by the way. Uh he used to call me Mook. He couldn't pronounce Mookoyala. and I used to call him Sir.
That's how I got my nickname, which is stuck with me. I mean, you know, people would call me General Mook.
So, anyway. I get a letter from Hackworth. And he said, Mook, he said, what are you doing still at Fort Lewis? We got a war going on. If you want accompany at Sheriff's It's like I died and went to heaven.
I mean, you know, this To command the company. In combat, under Colonel Hackworth. I mean, a as an infantry officer, it doesn't get any better than that.
So I immediately volunteered for Vietnam. A second time, this time they took me up on my offer and I got to Vietnam with Colonel Hackorth. our battalion was the fourth Battalion, Thirty ninth Infantry, in the Ninth Infantry Division in Vietnam, Vietnam was separated into four geographic areas from north to south. And they were called First Corps, Second Corps, Third Corps, Fourth Corps.
So we were in Fourth Corps and in the Mekong Delta. By the time I got to the unit, Hackworth had already trained it up. It was a tremendously effective combat fighting unit, and he nicknamed our battalion the Hard Corps. He had a knack of using different things to motivate people. For example, our companies, instead of using the phonetic alphabet, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, our companies were alert Babble Claymore and dagger.
Those are our four companies. Yeah, and our platoons, instead of first, second and third platoon, were red, white and blue. And he gave us all all elute elite units have a special sign, a call sign and counter sign. And so when an enlisted man would see an officer in our battalion, they would salute and say, Hard core recondo, sir and the response From From the officer with no effing slack. I'm not saying the whole thing is, but.
That's what and I saw a wounded soldier on a stretcher. and Hackworth walks up to him. and the guy salutes and says hardcore ricondo, sir. That's how high the morale was. in our battalion.
In fact, Hackworth's got his eighth Purple Heart. in our battalion when he landed his command and control helicopter in the middle of a firefight. to pick up guys who are wounded, seriously wounded. I mean you never do that. The command and control helicopters are very small.
There's not a lot of room in it. While Hackworth puts these two wounded guys in it, There's no room for him.
So he stands on the skids. and they take off. and he gets hit in the leg. After he did that, He could tell us I want you to walk through a wall of fire. And we just say where.
I was honored to have known him for many years after that until he died. He died about. Wow, he died about 20 years ago, but I was honored to be at his. Funeral at Arlington National. which is where I I will have the honour of being buried.
when the good Lord takes me. And a terrific job on the production and editing by our own Greg Hengler, and a special thanks to Major General James Mukayama. General Mook. and his storytelling and letting us know a little bit more about Colonel David Hackworth. And he is one of the most highly decorated infantry officers in the history of the United States Army.
Eight Purple Hearts, two Distinguished Service Crosses, and a team builder, a morale builder of unrivaled talents. The story of Colonel David Hackworth told by Major General James Mukayama here. on our American stories. Lee Habib here, and I'm inviting you to help OurAmerican Stories celebrate this country's 250th birthday, only a short time away. If you want to help inspire countless others to love America like we do, and want to help us bring the inspiring and important stories told here to millions for years to come, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Our American Stories.
Go to OwamericanStories.com and click the donate button. Give a little, give a lot. Any amount helps. Go to OwamericanStories.com and give. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans.
It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues.
Shop news Official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov slash s-e-m-i-q. 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. Watch CNA Thursday Night Impact every week on AMC. It is like electricity flowing through your veins.
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