gold star Archives -

Ep 124 | Colleen Shine – The Search for Her Father in Vietnam

December 2, 2025 By Thad Forester

In this episode, Colleen Shine, daughter of Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony Shine, shares her decades-long search for answers about her father’s fate after he was shot down and went missing in Vietnam in 1972. At just eight years old, Colleen began a journey that led her from uncertainty and loss to a determined investigation, including traveling to Vietnam to discover her father’s crash site and bringing his remains home in 1996. Colleen reflects on her personal experience as a Gold Star Daughter, the impact of POW/MIA families, and the enduring lessons about honor, family, and the lasting reverberations of war.

Colleen is a member of the board on Sons and Daughters in Touch, committed to uniting the Gold Star sons and daughters of American servicemen who were killed, or who remain missing, as a result of the Vietnam War.

You can read more about Colleen’s quest to get answers in Vietnam here:

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You can also watch this interview on YouTube here.

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Ep 119 | Mark Roland – Insider Attack!

November 25, 2024 By Thad Forester

Matthew Roland was killed-in-action in Afghanistan in August 2015 in an insider attack (aka “green on blue”) at an Afghan-led security checkpoint. Killed alongside him was teammate SSgt Forrest Sibley, both Air Force Combat Controllers attached to an Army Special Forces team.

Matthew’s father Mark, shares what happened, how Matthew responded instantly and what his and Forrest’s final moments were like. In addition, we talk about the notification process, grief, healing and the CCT community and support.

Matthew was awarded the Silver Star for his actions that day. You can read the citation here.

Also mentioned in this episode is Danny Sanchez, who was another CCT killed in a green on blue attack. His mother was a guest in episode 99.

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You can watch this interview with Mark Roland here: https://youtu.be/XLhUOs8_9JE

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Ep 099 | Yvette Sierra – Gold Star Mother to SrA Danny Sanchez

January 9, 2023 By Thad Forester

On Sept 16, 2010, Yvette’s son, Daniel Ray Sanchez (Danny) was killed in Afghanistan by an insurgent who infiltrated the Afghanistan partner force.

Today, Danny’s mom tells us why this “ball of energy” was made for Combat Control and what happened on his first deployment – how was an insurgent able to get on the helicopter with Danny and his team and then kill Danny when they landed. Fortunately, that guy was killed immediately, but only after injuring others, and of course killing one of America’s bravest.

Yvette started the SrA Danny Ray Sanchez Foundation and holds an annual race on Labor Day weekend to raise money to provide scholarships to Montwood High School graduates, and hopefully to other schools in the district soon.

Yvette and I have become friends since 2010. We’ve mourned together and attended several events together. I loved finally getting to have her on Patriot to the Core. Listen to this mother’s love of her son as she shares how she was notified and how she’s handled his loss since. We also discuss how Danny’s death affected her youngest son, Dakota, since he’s no longer being duct-taped to the door or being hung on the door knob by his underwear, compliments of his big brother.

You can also watch this interview on YouTube here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Memorial 3 Gun
Combat Control Foundation

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Ep 097 | Scott DeLuzio – Surviving Son

November 7, 2022 By Thad Forester

Scott’s younger brother, Steven, was killed-in-action in Afghanistan in Aug. 2010 at the same time that Scott was deployed just miles away.

Not only did Scott (@scottdeluzio) have to receive the news of Steven’s death while Scott and his unit were outside the wire, his teammates had to engage in combat until he could get on a bird and to his brother’s body.

Anger immediately ensued, almost a homicidal rage. Scott opens up about the next few days of getting home to his parents before Steven’s body, dealing with the media, using alcohol to cope and sleep, and how he got to a point where he had to make some changes. Thankfully he had a supportive wife and found the right people at the VA to help him out.

You can learn more about Scott and Steven by reading his book, Surviving Son. His parents lost one of their two sons for the price of freedom. And in Scott’s words, speaking of Afghans: “The gift of freedom is priceless, even if the recipients only experience it for a short time.”

Mentioned in this episode:

Drive On Podcast
Scott on PUT6 podcast
Scott on HeroFront podcast

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Ep 080 – Three Wise Men

March 15, 2021 By Thad Forester

In 2010, Beau and Ben Wise buried their big brother Jeremy. Two years later, Beau buried his brother Ben. He went from the youngest son to the only son.

Their parents are the only known U.S. military family to lose two sons in Afghanistan during the 19+ year war.

In this interview, I’m privileged to have Beau Wise and his co-author of “Three Wise Men“, Tom Sileo.

After top U.S. officials realized that two Wise brothers had been lost, Beau, a Marine, was permanently pulled from the battlefield – becoming the only U.S. service member to be removed from combat as a result of such extraordinary events in Afghanistan.

Great Americans, sad and powerful story.

You can read more of Tom Sileo’s books here.

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