WWIA Podcast
Welcome to the WWIA Podcast! After 16 years of proudly serving our Purple Heart Heroes, we have decided to complement our mission by introducing a brand-new podcast in 2023! The WWIA Podcast is a great way to stay connected, go behind the scenes, and learn more about the Foundation, our Heroes, Hosts, Supporters, Donors, and much more. It also serves as another vehicle to help bring greater awareness of our mission to bring Honor, Connection, and Healing to our combat-wounded Heroes, through the power of the great outdoors. You can find the latest episodes here on this page or through your preferred audio or podcast service, such as iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, by clicking the links below. Be sure to subscribe/follow to get all the latest episodes. Also, please do us a favor and leave us a review on your favorite podcast service when you get a chance. Tell your friends and family about our podcast, and more importantly about our mission. Alright, go listen and enjoy!
Welcome back to another special edition of the WWIA Podcast! In the conclusion (part 8) of this series, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, shares the remaining years of his military career as he moves from the Florida Keys to his final assignment at SOCOM at MacDill Airforce Base in Tampa, Florida. John further explains how he transitioned from retirement to founding the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIA).
This special podcast series was released to commemorate John J. McDaniel Day and follow John throughout his 20 years of military service up to where, how, and why the Foundation was started. These episodes are filled with great stories, personal and historical insights, and chronicle John’s journey as only he can tell it.
In 2013, Mayor Buck Tower officially proclaimed April 19th as John J. McDaniel Day in the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. John started his military career after graduating from The University of Wisconsin Madison and going through the ROTC program. During his career as a former Infantry officer, Airborne Ranger, and Master Parachutist he earned such awards as the Combat Infantryman’s badge, the Master Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab. John served on active duty from November 1987 to November 2007. Soon after John’s retirement, he felt that his service to the nation was not yet finished. As a concerned citizen, he started taking a few Wounded Warriors out on hunting and fishing trips, but quickly saw that the need for this kind of healing and outreach was greater than he could support on his own. In 2009, The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and with the help of a remarkable network of Patriotic Hosts, Guides, Supporters, Volunteers, and caring communities across North America, they have been changing the lives of America’s combat-wounded Purple Heart Heroes ever since. We hope you enjoy this special series.
Welcome back to another special edition of the WWIA Podcast! In part seven of this series, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, continues expounding on his military career as he moves on from Washington D.C. to the Joint Southern Surveillance Reconnaissance Operations Center (JSSROC) in Key West, Florida.
This special podcast series was released to commemorate John J. McDaniel Day and follow John throughout his 20 years of military service up to where, how, and why the Foundation was started. These episodes are filled with great stories, personal and historical insights, and chronicle John’s journey as only he can tell it.
In 2013, Mayor Buck Tower officially proclaimed April 19th as John J. McDaniel Day in the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. John started his military career after graduating from The University of Wisconsin Madison and going through the ROTC program. During his career as a former Infantry officer, Airborne Ranger, and Master Parachutist he earned such awards as the Combat Infantryman’s badge, the Master Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab. John served on active duty from November 1987 to November 2007. Soon after John’s retirement, he felt that his service to the nation was not yet finished. As a concerned citizen, he started taking a few Wounded Warriors out on hunting and fishing trips, but quickly saw that the need for this kind of healing and outreach was greater than he could support on his own. In 2009, The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and with the help of a remarkable network of Patriotic Hosts, Guides, Supporters, Volunteers, and caring communities across North America, they have been changing the lives of America’s combat-wounded Purple Heart Heroes ever since. We hope you enjoy this special series.
Welcome back to another special edition of the WWIA Podcast! In part six of this series, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, continues covering his military career and discusses his time at Command and General Staff College (CGSG) including an interesting assignment in Washington D.C. during 9/11.
This special podcast series was released to commemorate John J. McDaniel Day and follow John throughout his 20 years of military service up to where, how, and why the Foundation was started. These episodes are filled with great stories, personal and historical insights, and chronicle John’s journey as only he can tell it.
In 2013, Mayor Buck Tower officially proclaimed April 19th as John J. McDaniel Day in the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. John started his military career after graduating from The University of Wisconsin Madison and going through the ROTC program. During his career as a former Infantry officer, Airborne Ranger, and Master Parachutist he earned such awards as the Combat Infantryman’s badge, the Master Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab. John served on active duty from November 1987 to November 2007. Soon after John’s retirement, he felt that his service to the nation was not yet finished. As a concerned citizen, he started taking a few Wounded Warriors out on hunting and fishing trips, but quickly saw that the need for this kind of healing and outreach was greater than he could support on his own. In 2009, The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and with the help of a remarkable network of Patriotic Hosts, Guides, Supporters, Volunteers, and caring communities across North America, they have been changing the lives of America’s combat-wounded Purple Heart Heroes ever since. We hope you enjoy this special series.
Welcome back to another special edition of the WWIA Podcast! In part five of this series, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, continues discussing his military career as he details his time in Alaska including the 501st Long Range Surveillance Detachment and Space Command.
This special podcast series was released to commemorate John J. McDaniel Day and follow John throughout his 20 years of military service up to where, how, and why the Foundation was started. These episodes are filled with great stories, personal and historical insights, and chronicle John’s journey as only he can tell it.
In 2013, Mayor Buck Tower officially proclaimed April 19th as John J. McDaniel Day in the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. John started his military career after graduating from The University of Wisconsin Madison and going through the ROTC program. During his career as a former Infantry officer, Airborne Ranger, and Master Parachutist he earned such awards as the Combat Infantryman’s badge, the Master Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab. John served on active duty from November 1987 to November 2007. Soon after John’s retirement, he felt that his service to the nation was not yet finished. As a concerned citizen, he started taking a few Wounded Warriors out on hunting and fishing trips, but quickly saw that the need for this kind of healing and outreach was greater than he could support on his own. In 2009, The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and with the help of a remarkable network of Patriotic Hosts, Guides, Supporters, Volunteers, and caring communities across North America, they have been changing the lives of America’s combat-wounded Purple Heart Heroes ever since. We hope you enjoy this special series.
Welcome back to another special edition of the WWIA Podcast! In part three and four of this series, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, continues discussing his early military career as he expounds on his post-Ranger School assignment, combat in Panama, and an awesome story involving alligators and beer.
This special podcast series was released to commemorate John J. McDaniel Day and follow John throughout his 20 years of military service up to where, how, and why the Foundation was started. These episodes are filled with great stories, personal and historical insights, and chronicle John’s journey as only he can tell it.
In 2013, Mayor Buck Tower officially proclaimed April 19th as John J. McDaniel Day in the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. John started his military career after graduating from The University of Wisconsin Madison and going through the ROTC program. During his career as a former Infantry officer, Airborne Ranger, and Master Parachutist he earned such awards as the Combat Infantryman’s badge, the Master Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab. John served on active duty from November 1987 to November 2007. Soon after John’s retirement, he felt that his service to the nation was not yet finished. As a concerned citizen, he started taking a few Wounded Warriors out on hunting and fishing trips, but quickly saw that the need for this kind of healing and outreach was greater than he could support on his own. In 2009, The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and with the help of a remarkable network of Patriotic Hosts, Guides, Supporters, Volunteers, and caring communities across North America, they have been changing the lives of America’s combat-wounded Purple Heart Heroes ever since. We hope you enjoy this special series.
Welcome back to another special edition of the WWIA Podcast! In part two of this series, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, continues discussing his early military career as he moves into his time at Ranger School.
This special podcast series was released to commemorate John J. McDaniel Day and follow John throughout his 20 years of military service up to where, how, and why the Foundation was started. These episodes are filled with great stories, personal and historical insights, and chronicle John’s journey as only he can tell it.
In 2013, Mayor Buck Tower officially proclaimed April 19th as John J. McDaniel Day in the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. John started his military career after graduating from The University of Wisconsin Madison and going through the ROTC program. During his career as a former Infantry officer, Airborne Ranger, and Master Parachutist he earned such awards as the Combat Infantryman’s badge, the Master Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab. John served on active duty from November 1987 to November 2007. Soon after John’s retirement, he felt that his service to the nation was not yet finished. As a concerned citizen, he started taking a few Wounded Warriors out on hunting and fishing trips, but quickly saw that the need for this kind of healing and outreach was greater than he could support on his own. In 2009, The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and with the help of a remarkable network of Patriotic Hosts, Guides, Supporters, Volunteers, and caring communities across North America, they have been changing the lives of America’s combat-wounded Purple Heart Heroes ever since. We hope you enjoy this special series.
Welcome to a special edition of the WWIA Podcast! In case you didn’t know, today is John J. McDaniel Day! In 2013, Mayor Buck Tower officially proclaimed April 19th as John J. McDaniel Day in the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. John started his military career after graduating from The University of Wisconsin Madison and going through the ROTC program. During his career as a former Infantry officer, Airborne Ranger, and Master Parachutist he earned such awards as the Combat Infantryman’s badge, the Master Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab. John served on active duty from November 1987 to November 2007. Soon after John’s retirement, he felt that his service to the nation was not yet finished. As a concerned citizen, he started taking a few Wounded Warriors out on hunting and fishing trips, but quickly saw that the need for this kind of healing and outreach was greater than he could support on his own. In 2009, The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and with the help of a remarkable network of Patriotic Hosts, Guides, Supporters, Volunteers, and caring communities across North America, they have been changing the lives of America’s combat-wounded Purple Heart Heroes ever since.
In recognition of John J. McDaniel Day, we are releasing a series of special podcast episodes featuring WWIA’s Founder and CEO, John McDaniel. These episodes follow John throughout his 20 years of military service up to where, how, and why the Foundation was started. These episodes are filled with great stories, personal and historical insights, and chronicle John’s journey as only he can tell it. Please join us in recognizing and celebrating John McDaniel Day, and we hope you enjoy this special series.
On this episode of the WWIA Podcast, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel spends some time talking with Mr. Dave Hintz, one of the Foundation’s longest and most ardent supporters. Dave is the founder and driving force behind Hides for Heroes, a phenomenal fundraising powerhouse based in Waupaca, Wisconsin. Through their tremendous hard work and collective efforts, the incredible Hides for Heroes team has donated over $127,000 to WWIA since 2012! Dave's dedication, patriotism, and thoughtfulness are second-to-none, and we hope you enjoy getting to know him and his example of how one person's ingenuity and generosity can blossom into something amazing that impacts thousands of lives! We know you’re going to love this episode.
On this episode of the WWIA Podcast, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel sits down for a special conversation with WWIA Team member, Corrina Hart. Corrina has been with WWIA for 10 years as their Logistics Coordinator and Hero Engagement Specialist, ensuring the Foundation’s operations run smoothly and provide the best services possible to the Purple Heart recipients they proudly serve. She is the proud daughter of a 100% disabled Vietnam veteran who succumbed to his wounds in June of 2009, and sister of a career Air Force senior NCO (retired). An accomplished sportsman herself, having owned and operated a hunting and fishing guide service for nearly 10 years, Corrina has an intimate understanding of what's entailed in making our events successful. She is honored to have such a critical role in an organization that gives so much back to our wounded veterans. In addition to her work with WWIA, Corrina is a retired volunteer firefighter/EMT currently residing in Idaho. She enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and spending time with her daughter and grandson.
WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel proudly welcomes Matt Brannon to the WWIA Podcast. Matt’s life has been dedicated to the service of his country and others. Matt is a proud husband and father, a United States Army Purple Heart Veteran, a certified WWIA Guide, Event Host of the Alabama Turkey and Hog Hunt, and a newly elected WWIA Board Member. Matt has served in Law Enforcement for the past 11 years. He is a Special Agent Senior, working for the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation and currently assigned to the Narcotics division, working on the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force. He also holds full credentials with Homeland Security/ICE. Matt strongly believes in the healing power of the great outdoors and the mission of WWIA. Matt is truly an exceptional Hero and Patriot, and we hope you enjoy getting to know him as he shares his story.