The National Defense Radio Show

John O’Hurley Letting the Dogs Out

We welcome back a long-time friend of the show, John O’Hurley, to the show to talk about his hosting of The National Dog Show presented by Purina. John and Randy talk about breeds, anniversaries, and more. You can watch or stream the 2025 National Dog Show. The event will stream on Peacock, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app.

Chris Matthews’ “Lessons from Bobby: Ten Reasons Robert F. Kennedy Still Matters”

We welcome long-time cable-news host Chris Matthews back to the show to talk about his new Kennedy book: “Lessons from Bobby: Ten Reasons Robert F. Kennedy Still Matters.”  Chris’s centennial tribute to Robert F. Kennedy’s revolutionary vision, which offers the roadmap America needs today, is an excellent book for any history buff or Kennedy aficionado.

Actress Lizzy Caplan with “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t”

The National Defense is excited to welcome actress Lizzy Caplan to the show to talk about the newest release in the “Now You See Me” franchise, “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t.”  Randy and Lizzy talk about the film's shoot, their time in Antwerp, and Abu Dhabi.  A lot of buzz is surrounding the new movie “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t,” and we can’t wait to see it!

Author Matthew Davis with “Biography of a Mountain”

The National Defense welcomes author Matthew Davis to the show to talk about an American landmark that you might think you know all about, but will soon learn you’ve only scratched the surface: Mount Rushmore.  Matthew has written the book “A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore,” in which his research has uncovered some fascinating insights.

SylvanSport Founder and CEO Tom Dempsey and Kyle Mundt, VP Product Development

We welcome the founder and CEO of SylvanSport, Tom Dempsey, and VP Product Development, Kyle Mundt, to the show to talk about their unique camping equipment company.  SylvanSport has a line of campers and trailers designed to make outdoor living a bit more enjoyable, as well as to provide shelters for first-response teams on the ground during some of America’s natural disasters.  Randy talks with the guys about the history of their company, their mission to use local, recycled products, and more.

Greg Cope White from Netflix’s “Boots”

We welcome USMC Veteran and author of “The Pink Marine,” which became the basis for the smash-hit Netflix series “Boots,” Greg Cope White, to the program.  Randy speaks with Greg about his time in the service during “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” why serving in the Marines was important to him, and how his experience helped to form the creative endeavors Cope White is producing today.

Documentarian David Schmidt on The National Defense

Documentarian David Schmidt joins us to hear all about the streaming release of the Ken Burns PBS series “The Revolutionary War.”  David and Randy discuss the nature of Ken Burns’ work, how that ethos has led to some of the most treasured documentaries in PBS’ library, and some interesting stories they uncovered while researching the piece on America’s forefathers.

Military Veteran and Ryder's 2024 Truck Driver of the Year Roman Esquibel

We welcome military veteran, VFW member, and 2024 Truck Driver of the Year from Ryder, Roland Esquibel, to the show to talk about how he came to be known as one of the best truck drivers in the country. Over the past 35 years, Roland Esquibel has driven more than 2.3 million miles delivering Acme Brick. Today, he makes those deliveries in a Ryder System uniform, and Ryder has just recognized him as one of its three Drivers of the Year.

Brad Gilmore with “There’s Something Really Great About a Grandma”

We welcome multimedia journalist and author, Brad Gilmore, to the show to talk about his new children’s book, “There’s Something Really Great About a Grandma.”  Randy and Brad talk about Brad’s native Houston, air travel, and how he came to write this book.

Military Artist Brian Fox

We welcome painter and artist Brian Fox to the program to talk about his life and career as an accomplished artist, as well as the unveiling of his new exhibition: “Valley of the Shadow: The Cost of Walking with Death.”  The collection presents powerful portraits that honor combat veterans and explore the emotional impact of war. Through expressive detail, Fox reflects on courage, sacrifice, and the lasting cost of service.