Podcast highlights stories of courage, heroism of Medal of Honor recipients

By Sarah Roebuck
Editorial Staff

It’s human nature to tell stories about people performing heroic actions. Every good story needs a hero.

A podcast hosted by Malcolm Gladwell, journalist and author of five New York Times bestsellers, including “The Bomber Mafia,” shares the remarkable stories of some of our country’s heroes, according to iHeartMedia.

The “Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage” podcast is co-produced by Pushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts. The podcast’s first episode aired on June 26, 2024, and releases weekly episodes that profile one Medal of Honor recipient’s life and brave actions while delving into themes such as what defines a hero, why individuals risk their lives for others, the potential of human beings and the essence of sacrifice.

“We tell stories about heroes because of a simple fact about the human mind: Courage is contagious,” Gladwell said. “And when you hear about someone doing something heroic, it makes you want to be a hero too. And these days, we could use more heroes.”

The first season featured stories of Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War to the Iraq War. Highlights include Henry Johnson, a WWI “Harlem Hellfighter” who faced racial battles at home; Mary Walker, the only female recipient; and Douglas A. Munro, the first Coast Guard honoree.

The Bomber Mafia

In “The Bomber Mafia,” Malcolm Gladwell explores a Dutch genius with a homemade computer, a band of brothers in Alabama, a British psychopath and pyromaniacal Harvard chemists to examine a major moral challenge in modern American history.

Buy the book here

The full list of Medal of Honor recipients profiled in Season 1 includes Mike Thornton, Henry Johnson, Douglas A. Munro, Alwyn Cashe, Mary Walker, Tibor Rubin, Jay R. Vargas, Robert Bush and John Chapman.

Gladwell has written several books and is the host of the podcast Revisionist History. His newest book, Revenge of the Tipping Point, was released on October 1, 2024.

Recognizing National Medal of Honor Day

To mark National Medal of Honor Day, observed annually on March 25, the “Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage” podcast released a bonus clip commemorating the 162nd anniversary of the first Medal of Honor awarded to Jacob Wilson Parrott, a private in the 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

In the bonus segment, Gladwell highlights stories of past honorees such as Michael Thornton, Molly Hudgens and Henry Johnson — calling their bravery “contagious” and offering a glimpse of what’s to come in Season 2.

Season 2 of the podcast is set to launch in May.

This article, originally published on June 28, 2024, has been updated to reflect National Medal of Honor Day.

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