StoryCorps

Justin Hayward Connaher was named after the lead singer of the 1960s rock group, Moody Blues. At age 5, he knew he was going to be a paratrooper. At 38, he knows he's a survivor. As part of StoryCorps at JBER, Justin spoke with his friend John Pennell about one of his earliest jumps. Listen now:

At StoryCorps, 92-year-old Nancy Baker tells her friend, Susan Grace, what it was like to fly. Nancy flew in a female auxiliary pilot group called the WASP. They flew military aircraft during World War II to free up male pilots for combat. Nancy and other WASP pilots were recently awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon civilians by Congress. Listen now:

StoryCorps traveled to Alaska in February to record the voices of our service men and women. This story comes to us from JBER, where retired Air Force Master Sergeant Kerry Seifert and his wife, Lynn, rehashed some of the adventures they’ve had as a military family. It wasn’t long after the couple was married that they headed for the Al-Can and drove up to what Kerry calls “cold country.” Listen now:

StoryCorps traveled to Alaska in February to record the voices of our service men and women. This story comes to us from Fort Wainwright. The Army brought Marti Steury to Fairbanks in 1975. Life as a woman on an Army base wasn’t easy. Marty talks about her decision to enlist, and what it was like to wear a uniform during the Vietnam War. Listen now:

StoryCorps traveled to Alaska in February to record the voices of our service men and women as a part of it’s military voices initiative. This story comes to us from JBER. Military recruiters told Johnathon Green that a hand disability would prevent him from ever serving in the military. They said he couldn’t shoot a gun. Johnathon found his way to Alaska anyway, and eventually into the military’s ranks. Instead of shooting a gun, Johnathon shoots a camera. At StoryCorps, he tells a co-worker about his long path into military service. Listen now:

StoryCorps traveled to Alaska in February to record the voices of our service men and women. This story comes to us from Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks. At StoryCorps, Army Sergeant Jason Smith tells his wife, Lucia Artacho, about his deployment to Afghanistan in 2010. Lucia tells Jason why she’s decided to enlist in the Army. The couple is starting to notice how their three-year-old is adjusting to having parents who are both soldiers. Listen now: