Jack Moran joined us nearly two years ago to discuss his extensive combat as an infantryman in Europe during World War II. Today, he returns for another conversation as we hear new details about his service at the Battle of the Bulge and the Saar Valley, plus crossing the Siegfried Line and the Rhine River.

In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Moran tells us about the deadly frustration of facing German Tiger Tanks, which inflicted devastation from Moran's very first moments in battle. He explains why the Tiger Tanks were so effective and why they were hard to counter.

Moran also takes us to the Battle of the Bulge, focusing on the six days that he and his platoon were surrounded by Germans in a very small area with no new supplies coming in and the brutally cold temperatures making simple survival a challenge. He tells us how they held off the Germans and how they eventually escaped.

He also tells us about the deadly impact of German snipers as the Americans prepared to cross the Rhine.

John "Bill" Kongable was drafted into the U.S. Army just a couple of days after graduating from high school in 1944. From there it was on to basic training and eventually being trained as a gunman for an anti-tank copmany attached to the Army's 89th Infantry Division. He would first see combat in March 1945.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Kongable describes the guns he used and how his team operated. He also offers a great amount of detail about the fiercest fight he was part of - crossing the Rhine River. He tells us about the devastating strategy the German gunners used to attack Americans trying to get across the Rhine and how the American guns ultimately prevailed.

Finally, Kongable takes us to early April 1945 when his unit was part of the liberation of the Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany. While only there for a short time, he offers a vivid recollection of the horrors he saw there and the memories that stay with him to this day. 

Robert Day joined the U.S. Marine Corps just a few months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Soon he was being transformed into a Marine at Parris Island, and, less than three years later, he would be part of some of the most intense combat of the Iraq War during the Second Battle of Fallujah in November and December 2004. He served as a machine gunner with the 1st Battlion/8th Marines.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Sgt. Day takes on a quiet first deployment to Iraq, into the much more intense training for the second tour in Iraq, and into the gritty details of the urban combat in Fallujah when his platoon returned to the war.

Day explains the tactical approach in Fallujah, what it was like firing at the enemy while being fired upon, his role during the house-to-house combat throughout Fallujah, the mindset needed for a relentlessly intense battle that raged for weeks, and how his platoon dealt with the loss of one of its most beloved members.

It's a fascinating, detailed, and candid account of some of the toughest fighting of the Iraq War.

Sean Corrigan was commissioned as a second lieutenant when he graduated from West Point in 1988. Within just a couple of years, he saw action in both Panama and Desert Storm. Soon after that he entered the world of special operations and served there for the remainder of his career, including combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and a harrowing assignment in Yemen.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Col. Horrigan recounts what he learned as a young officer in those early conflicts, what was required physically and academically to succeed in special operations, and how his world quickly changed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

He also takes into his missions to find and capture high-value enemy targets and rescue hostages during his time in Iraq, including the many considerations that factored into each of those daring missions.

Corrigan also shares details about his service in Yemen and the threat posed to him and others at the U.S. embassy there just days after terrorist attacks killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others in Benghazi, Libya.

Finally, Col. Corrigan explains his role as Director of Special Activities at U.S. Special Operations Command and the work he is doing now to honor special operators through the Special Operators Warrior Foundation.

Frank Wright joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942, when he was just 16 years old. Before long, he became one of the famed Marine Raiders. After deploying first to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Wright contracted malaria and had to spend time recovering. After that, he was part of Marine landings on many different islands in the Pacific, including Saipan, Guam, and Iwo Jima.

A few weeks ago, we shared Wright's story of landing on Guam, fighting off Japanese Banzai charges, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. He described how he was stabbed by a bayonet multiple times and not only lived to tell about it, but kept fighting until Guam was secure.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles, Wright tells us his story of service at Iwo Jima. He explains the grim reason why his Marine unit arrived a day late on Iwo Jima and being knocked unconscious from shrapnel hitting him in the head. He also details what it was like to see the U.S. flag atop Mt. Suribachi and the fighting the Japanese at Hill 382 until he had to evacuate because of serious wounds.

Lee Brousard enlisted in the Navy with the intention of joining the Naval Air Corps. But as he was traveling to Florida for flight training, the Navy changed those plans and sent him to San Diego for naval training. After completing basic training, Broussard then finished at the top of his class at Pacific Fleet School at Pearl Harbor. That led to him joining the staff and ship of Adm. William "Bull" Halsey, Jr. in 1944.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Broussard tells us about Halsey as a commander, surviving a vicious typhoon near the Philippines, relentlessly shelling Okinawa and the Japanese mainland, and dealing with a kamikaze attack.

Primarily serving aboard the battleships USS New Jersey and USS Missouri, Broussard shares his vivid memories of witnessing the formal Japanese surrender to Gen. Douglas MacArthur aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

Mike Ergo originally joined the U.S. Marine Corps to play his saxophone in the Marine Corps band. But a short time after joining the Corps in 2001, Ergo changed his mind and asked to be transferred to the infantry. Soon, the U.S. was at war in both Afghanistan and Iraq. After an uneventful first deployment to Iraq, Ergo returned in the summer of 2004 with A Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. A few months later, they were engaged in the vicious Second Battle of Fallujah in November and December of 2004.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Ergo describes preparing to fight in Iraq, learning his company would be part of the fight for Fallujah, and what it's like to get the signal that you'e headed into battle.

Ergo also tells us about the intial successes of the Marines and how the insurgent resistance quickly fell into place. He also gives us great detail about the house-to-house fighting that characterized so much of the fighting in Fallujah.

He also shares the pain of losing close friends at different points in the battle and how resigning himself to the belief that he would be killed was actually freeing for him.

Finally, Ergo details how the fighting in Iraq stayed with him for years after the war, how he moved on, and how he is now helping other veterans.

Aaron Cunningham started thinking seriously about military service after watching Operation Desert Storm unfold in 1991, the year he graduated from high school. He began college without being sure of military service. Now, Col. Cunningham is retired after 29 years of service. But the service that he is most proud of is serving as commander of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, which included the Second Battle of Fallujah in November and December 2004.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Col. Cunningham explains the various reasons he chose the Marines, how 9/11 changed the trajectory of his service, and how he trained Alpha Company for combat in Iraq.

He explains his responsibility for nearly 200 Marines and what was going through his mind on the eve of the battle. Then, Cunningham walks us through Alpha Company's entrance into the battle, the initial successes, and the enemy resistance which quickly emerged.

He also describes the house-to-house fighting, how he decentralized decision-making to platoon, squad, and team leaders, and his calmness under fire. He also describes the devastating losses of Lt. Dan Malcom and Lance Corporal Bradley Faircloth over the course of the battle.

Don't miss this powerful story of service as we approach the 20th anniversary of the fight for Fallujah.

Kenneth Wells was planning to join the U.S. Navy in World War II but the U.S. Marine Corps recruiter at the office told him he was joining the Marines instead. And so he did. His background as an athlete and working on the family farm helped Wells do well in boot camp. Soon he would be halfway around the world, fighting in some of the toughest combat in World War II on the island of Okinawa.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Wells explains how he did not end up getting deployed with his original unit - a confusing moment that he is now convinced saved his life. He also describes going ashore at Okinawa and finding no initial opposition, fighting a Japanese enemy he could not see, and how the Marines were able to get the upper hand. He also tells us about other enemies, namely fleas and the incessant rain.

Mr. Wells gives us a lot of detail about combat on Okinawa, the vicious fighting on Sugarloaf Hill, losing a close friend during that fight, and how he was wounded and removed from the fight more than two months after it started.

Vincent "Bill" Purple joined the U.S. Army Air Corps following the Japense attack on Pearl Harbor. Like most young men interested in joining the Air Corps, he wanted to be a fighter pilot. But the Army had different plans. Soon Purple was training on multi-engine planes in preparation for being a B-17 Bomber pilot. He was deployed to England as part of the 379th bomb group inside the Mighty Eighth Air Force and flew 35 missions.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Purple takes us along on a typical mission - from briefing to takeoff to dropping the bombs on Nazi targets in France and Germany. He also explains what it was like flying through intense enemy anti-aircraft fire, also known as flak.

Mr. Purple also gives us great detail on several of his most harrowing missions, including the time his engine caught fire and he thought he would be "blown out of the sky" to taking off in heavy fog with no visibility, to being struck in the chest with shrapnel as he flew.

Frank Wright joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942, when he was just 16 years old. Before long, he became one of the famed Marine Raiders. After deploying first to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Wright contracted malaria and had to spend time recovering. After that, he was part of Marine landings on many different islands in the Pacific, including Saipan, Guam, and Iwo Jima.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Wright shares his story of landing on Guam, fighting off Japanese Banzai charges, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat that would very likely be a fight to the death. Wright also takes us moment-by-moment through a hand-to-hand fight where he was stabbed by a bayonet and not only lived to tell about it, but kept fighting until Guam was secure.

In a future episode, we will bring you Frank Wright's story of service on Iwo Jima.