Our WWII Dad follows brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla as they uncover the untold WWII story of their father, PFC Louis Cangilla — from Pittsburgh to the battlefields of Europe, including Aachen and the Battle of the Bulge. Through cinematic storytelling, battlefield visits, family memories, veteran interviews, and conversations with other WWII families, the series preserves the voices and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation before they are lost to history. Hosted by Emmy® winner Chris Cangilla and his brother Ken. Real WWII stories, family legacies, and discoveries that bring history to life.
Our WWII Dad
Claim This Podcastby Chris and Ken Cangilla
5.0(6 reviews)
17 episodes
Updated Bi-weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
57
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality73
Social0
YouTube72
Engagement32
Podcast Overview
Our WWII Dad follows brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla as they uncover the untold WWII story of their father, PFC Louis Cangilla — from Pittsburgh to the battlefields of Europe, including Aachen and the Battle of the Bulge. Through cinematic storytelling, battlefield visits, family memories, veteran interviews, and conversations with other WWII families, the series preserves the voices and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation before they are lost to history. Hosted by Emmy® winner Chris Cangilla and his brother Ken. Real WWII stories, family legacies, and discoveries that bring history to life.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
6/17/2023
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57
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality73
Social0
YouTube72
Engagement32
8
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1
Good Performance
10
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excellent
Episode Length
1h 16m
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good
Show Experience
15 episodes over 2.1 years
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Every 52 days
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Recent Episodes
December 5, 2025
Episode 15: Pearl Harbor Survivor & Midway Hero: The Real Story of "Bud” Kroeger (Told by His Son)
<p>Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Release — Special EpisodeIn this episode of Our WWII Dad, we share the extraordinary true story of Captain Edwin John “Bud” Kroeger — A Pearl Harbor Survivor, SBD Dauntless dive bomber pilot from the legendary USS Enterprise, and one of the most decorated U.S. Navy aviators of World War II. His son, Bill Kroeger, joins us to tell the story of a father who witnessed Pearl Harbor from the air on December 7th, 1941… survived being fired upon by American forces during the chaos… flew four years of combat missions… and helped change the course of the Pacific War during the Battle of Midway. Bud flew the iconic Douglas SBD Dauntless into some of the most dangerous battles of WWII — the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Marshall Islands raids, and the decisive strike on the Japanese carriers Akagi and Hiryu. His actions were so significant that he was a featured character in the 2019 film Midway. Bill also shares rare photos, Bud’s pilot log books, his combat awards, a blood chit, and even a remarkable keepsake from the flight deck of the USS Enterprise — a deeply personal link connecting him back to where his father launched and returned during some of WWII’s most pivotal moments. If you love WWII aviation history, Pearl Harbor stories, dive bomber tactics, or the real-life accounts behind the film Midway, this episode is for you. </p><p>⭐ ⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 – Introduction03:18 – Interview with Bill Kroeger03:26 – How Bill discovered Our WWII Dad - LA Times Article & LA Area Emmy Nomination04:38 – Bill Kroeger’s personal background05:39 – Bud Kroeger’s early flying: Purdue gliders & WWII glider history10:14 – Bud joins the U.S. Navy: Training in Michigan & Pensacola12:42 – First assignment: The USS Enterprise 13:14 – Bud’s Pearl Harbor story: Flying the Douglas SBD Dauntless 25:35 – Payback Raids: Marshall & Gilbert Islands — Bud wounded in action30:35 – The Battle of Midway: Sinking Akagi & Hiryu43:16 – The SBD Dauntless: Capabilities & tactics47:22 – Bud’s later WWII service: Training pilots; USS Hancock & USS Hornet48:21 – Bud on the Helldiver & Skyraider48:55 – Bud’s combat citations & decorations49:51 – Post-war service: USS Midway & the 50,000th carrier landing51:13 – Naval attaché service in Yugoslavia52:06 – Bud’s treasured keepsakes: Log books, Enterprise deck piece, blood chit59:39 – Bill Kroeger’s acknowledgments01:02:22 – Why we must record our WWII stories now01:03:36 – Bud’s Eternal Wings01:04:17 – Sons & Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors01:07:25 – Final thoughts</p><p>⭐ 📩 Share Your WWII StoriesWe’d love to hear about your WWII dads, grandfathers, mothers, or relatives.Email us anytime at Info@OurWW2Dad.com ⭐ 👍 Support the MissionIf this episode resonated with you, please:✔ Subscribe✔ Leave a rating✔ Share with friends or family✔ Comment with your thoughts or storiesYour support helps preserve these stories for future generations.</p><p>#PearlHarbor#BattleOfMidway#WWIIHistory#SBDDauntless#USSEnterprise#OurWWIIDad</p><p><br></p>
November 10, 2025
Episode 14: Veterans Day | Before Their Stories Are Gone - Ordinary Objects, Extraordinary Meaning
<p><strong>Before Their Stories Are Gone.</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>In this Veterans Day Special from the acclaimed podcast Our WWII Dad, Emmy® Award-winner Chris Cangilla reflects on the heroes of the Greatest Generation — and the families who keep their stories alive.</strong></p><p><strong>From a WWII reenactment in South Elgin, Illinois, where Chris sat in a Willys Jeep like his father once drove, to emotional memories of veterans who could have taken deferments but chose to serve — this heartfelt hour pays tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and legacy of those who built our freedom.</strong></p><p><strong>Featuring powerful reflections and stories from:</strong></p><p><strong>• Bob Marshall – WWII Marine, celebrating his 100th birthday</strong></p><p><strong>• Erik Brun, Olaf & David Minge, Pat Pattison, and Mikke Pierson – children of WWII veterans carrying their fathers’ stories forward</strong></p><p><strong>• The Cangilla family legacy – brothers Louis, James, Marcy, Steve, and John, and their brother-in-law Dick</strong></p><p><strong>Along the way, Chris explores the themes that unite us all — how ordinary objects like a shovel, a jacket, or a prayer card can hold extraordinary meaning — and why sharing these memories ensures they live on.</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Have a WWII story of your own? Share it with us at info@OurWWIIDad.com</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Subscribe for more WWII stories, family legacies, and the echoes of history still heard today.</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Episode Description:</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>WWII Vet USMC Bob Marshall’s 100th birthday (2:15), Those Who Could Have Stayed Home (3:41), Wilbur P. Ball – US Army G Company, 35th Regiment (4:00), Woody Martin – US Army JASCO (7:30), Walter Director – US Navy Yeoman SV6 (9:51), The Children Who Carry The Stories (12:37), Erik Bruh, son of Christian M. Bruh – US Army PFC, 99th Infantry Battalion (separate) (13:41), Olaf and David Minge, grandson and son of Dr. Raymond Minge – US Army Capt., 99th Infantry Battalion (separate) (16:58), Pat Pattison, son of Raylinn Pattison, US Army Capt., 96th Infantry “Deadeyes” (20:24), Mikke Pierson, son of Frank R. Pierson, US Army Infantry and future Academy Award “Oscar” winner (23:36), The Family That Answered The Call (36:48), Patricia Spicuzza Cangilla, Our WWII Mom (38:19), Dick Flynn, Our WWII Uncle (39:41), Our WWII Dad’s four WWII Veteran Brothers (42:54), Louis T. Cangilla - US Army PFC, 99th Infantry Battalion (separate) – Our WWII Dad (49:56), The Long Echo – Ordinary Objects, Extraordinary Meaning (01:03:00). </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>#VeteransDay #WWII #OurWWIIDad #WWIIStories #GreatestGeneration #WWIIVeterans #Legacy #Storytelling #MilitaryHistory #WWIIHeroes #OrdinaryObjectsExtraordinaryStories</strong></p>
August 7, 2025
Episode 13: Walking with Easy Company: Inside the Original Band of Brothers® Tour
<p>What would make someone with no WWII family connection walk where Easy Company fought?In this powerful episode of Our WWII Dad, we sit down with John Healy, an Ireland native now living in Arizona, who—along with his son—traveled across Europe on the Original Band of Brothers® Tour. Created by historian Stephen Ambrose and Easy Company’s own Major Dick Winters, this two-week journey follows the path of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment from Camp Toccoa to Berchtesgaden.We dive into each chapter of the Band of Brothers® story — discussing the real locations, battles, and memories connected to each episode. From the flooded lands of Normandy to the snow and ice of Bastogne, and the haunting silence of Dachau, this conversation is a tribute to the real men who served.🎧 Along the way, we reflect on our own father’s story — a replacement soldier with the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) — and the deeper meaning behind retracing the footsteps of heroes.📍 Episode Highlights Include:Currahee & Camp ToccoaBrecourt Manor & Normandy drop zonesCarentan & AldbourneOperation Market Garden & the Sunset MarchBastogne, Foy, and MalmedyDachau, Holocaust memory, and post-war reflectionsEagle’s Nest & Nixon’s VAT 69The final words John received on his last day of the tourWatch, reflect, and remember. This one stays with you.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more WWII stories.📧 Contact us at: info@OurWW2Dad.comEpisode Highlights: “Flash & Thunder” - John Healy interview (01:36), How John got his interest WWII history – (03:50), Being drawn into Band of Brothers® (08:02), Ken’s path to the real Easy Company sites (08:26), John and his son take the official Steven Ambrose, Band of Brothers® Tour (09:27), Part One – Currahee (13:20), Camp Toccoa (13:40), Part Two – Day of Days (16:49), C-47 Skytrain & National WWII Museum (17:04), D-Day & Normandy Beaches (19:29), Assault on Brecourt Manor (22:52), Part Three – Carentan (25:15), Medics Church – Angoville-au-Plain (27:51), Malarkey & the laundry in Aldbourne, England (31:39), Part Four – Replacements (32:16), Our WWII Dad, a 99th Infantry Battalion (separate) replacement soldier with a similar timeline to the replacements in Easy Company (32:26), Operation Market Garden (34:12), 82nd Airborne, Oversteek Bridge, & the Sunset March (38:30), The American Cemeteries – Normandy, Luxembourg, Henri Chappelle, Fort Logan (41:00), Part Five – Crossroads (44:38), Operation Pegasus (47:26), Called up to Bastogne & Malmedy, Belgium – The Battle of The Bulge (48:16), Easy Company in Bastogne (48:34), Part Six – Bastogne and the aid station with Doc, Renee & Augusta (51:46), Dr. Minge & the Malmedy Massacre (53:29), Part Seven – The Breaking Point (54:51), Foy, Belgium, Shifty Powers shoots the sniper, the hidden German tank, & Lt. Ronald Speirs’ heroism (55:04), Band of Brothers® not shot on location – Tom Hanks producer (01:00:09), Choir at Saint-Barbara chapel in Noville (01:00:40), Part Eight – The Last Patrol (01:01:35), Major Winters disobeys an order? (01:04:10), Part Nine – Why We Fight (01:04:51), Tour departure, visits Dachau Concentration Camp vs. Kaufering camp of Landsberg am Lech (01:05:05), the National Holocaust Museum in Washington DC (01:07:01), German nationals oblivious to the camps? (01:06:56), The 99th & Dr. Minge at Buchenwald Concentration Camp (01:08:12), Webster & the Baker (01:09:17), Part Ten – Points (01:09:46), Berchtesgaden & the Eagle’s Nest (01:10:12), VAT 69 and Captain Lewis Nixon (01:15:14), What John was told on his last day with the Band of Brothers® Tour (01:16:38), Our concluding thoughts (01:19:57), Covering Fire vs. Suppressing Fire (01:21:36), What the soldiers’ hand signals mean (01:22:01) like, comment, and email us at info@OurWW2Dad.com (01:26:25), and the lasting quote (01:27:07).#BandOfBrothers #EasyCompany #WWIIHistory #WWIIVeterans #WWIIPodcast #WWIITour #StephenAmbrose #DickWinters #WWIITour</p>
17 total episodes available
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- What is Our WWII Dad?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates bi-weekly.
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This podcast is available on 8 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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