The National Defense Radio Show

We welcome CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti’s to talk about his new book “Torched.”  “Torched” is a searing firsthand account of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, the failures that fueled the catastrophe, and the high-stakes battle over how the city will rebuild ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.

We welcome back Chip Lupo from WalletHub to talk about their 2026 Best & Worst States for Military Retirees. Military families are accustomed to moving, but when it comes time to retire, it can be difficult to decide where to put down roots. For example, veterans must consider state tax policies on military benefits, along with the relative friendliness of different job markets and other socioeconomic factors, when choosing a state in which to settle down using 28 key indicators on veteran retirement.

Actress Rae Dawn Chong joins the show to assure us that she is still, in fact, ALIVE, to talk about AI, and to promote her new film “Scared to Death.”  Rae Dawn stars as Ruth, a "motherly boss lady" and film producer, in this horror-comedy film.

We welcome Bill Spade, World Trade Center Firefighter, and sole survivor from FDNY Rescue Company 5 along with Jaymes Polling, a veteran with three tours in Afghanistan with 82nd Airborne Division to the show.  Bill and Jaymes have put together the incredible live show “Behind the Lines: a 9/11 Story.”   “Behind the Lines” is a live story, music, and theatre production set against the tragedy of 9/11 and the war that followed.

We welcome Hollywood royalty, actress Mamie Van Doren, to the show to talk about her time in Hollywood, spilling the tea on USO tours during Vietnam, and about her new book.  “You Thought I Was Dead: My Life of Celebrities, Sex, and Champagne” is a candid, no-holds-barred memoir in which this Hollywood icon busts myths, settles old scores, and unveils untold stories from a life lived at the glittering and gritty edges of the Golden Age.

We welcome back to the program, the founder and President of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). Randy and Bonnie discuss TAPS, and their upcoming TAPS Good Grief Camp a program for children who are grieving the suicide death of a loved one who served in the Armed Forces.

We welcome actor Nick Gehlfuss to the show to talk about his role as by-the-book FBI Special Agent Bill Goodman in the CBS crime drama “CIA.” Nick and Randy talk about his work on the Dick Wolfe project, the relationship between TV viewers and actors, as well as how challenging it is to accurately portray espionage on network television. We thank Nick for his time and insight into his industry.

We welcome retired NPR journalist and host, David Greene, to the program to talk about his life on the radio, as well as the new music documentary about humanity, conversation, and the search for common ground: “Louder Than Guns.” Following a school shooting in Nashville, David’s friend, musician Ketch Secor, traveled the U.S. to foster dialogue, aiming to bridge the gap between gun rights advocates and those seeking stricter gun safety laws.

We welcome a really interesting guest to the program in anti-squatting expert, Flash Shelton, who took his personal experience dealing with the home of his late mother being squatted in by seven people over a period of months, and how that experience informed his career protecting home-owners. Flash’s work is now being featured in the new A&E series “Squatters,” where he helps home-owners take back what rightfully belongs to them.

The National Memorial Day Concert honors our country’s veterans, servicemen and women and military families, and The National Defense is proud each year to promote this celebration on the National Mall in Washington D.C. It will be a very special Memorial Day this year as it is both the 250th birthday of our Nation, as well as the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks on 9/11. Taking part in these festivities is the 43rd Surgeon General of the U.S., Lt General Patricia Horoho who was present at the Pentagon on September 11th when it was hit by a hijacked airliner. Patty will be telling her story of the events of 9/11 and we hope you’re able to tune in on PBS!