Steve Smith (Battlefield Guide & Author) – Passing the Torch of Remembrance

Special Event: Adapt or Die with AJ Orlikoff of the Historic Congressional Cemetery (Live at The Military Women's Memorial, Arlington)

Episode Description: Adapt or Die — Reimagining Sacred Spaces with AJ Orlikoff Welcome to a very special, live Memorial Day edition of Story Behind the Stone, recorded on location at the Military Women’s Memorial at the footsteps of Arlington National Cemetery! In this exclusive fireside chat (minus the actual fire, thanks to the summer heat), host Matthew Stewart sits down with AJ Orlikoff, the Director of Programming at Washington D.C.’s iconic Historic Congressional Cemetery. Inspired by his provocative article, "Adapt or Die," featured in American Cemetery & Cremation magazine, AJ challenges us to radically reimagine how we activate history. Together, they tackle a vital question: How do we keep the legacies of our veterans alive in a fast-changing, modern world without losing an ounce of the reverence they earned? What You’ll Hear in This Episode: * Portals to the Past: Why historic cemeteries should be viewed as open-air history museums * The Postmodern Audience: How shifting cultural views on mortality have isolated modern burial grounds, and why younger generations are starving for authenticity  * How Dogs (and Live Theater) Saved a Cemetery: The incredible comeback story of how Congressional Cemetery went from an endangered, neglected site in 1997 to a thriving community space through unorthodox programs like the Canine Corps and "Soul Strolls". * Walking the Line: The delicate moral and professional balance between dynamic public engagement and maintaining solemn dignity for the interred. * A Call to Action for Local Communities: Practical advice on how everyday citizens and small, regional cemeteries can step up to preserve and dynamically share veteran history. About the Guest: AJ Orlikoff is a dedicated public historian who has spent his career humanizing history. Before directing the programming slate at the Historic Congressional Cemetery, he served as an educator for the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and as a lead education specialist for the National Museum of the United States Army. Tune In & Connect: * Story Behind the Stone airs every Friday at 11 a.m. Eastern on the Wreaths Across America Radio Network  * Subscribe and listen on-demand via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. * To learn more about the cemetery's tours and events, visit CongressionalCemetery.org

Special Event: The Future of Veterans' Heritage (Live at The Military Women's Memorial, Arlington)

What if the greatest threat to our veterans' heritage isn't the passage of time, but our own silence? This Memorial Day, Story Behind the Stone brings you a front-row seat to a powerful live event recorded at the gates of Arlington National Cemetery inside the Military Women’s Memorial. In this special episode, "The Future of Veterans Heritage" (brought to you by our friends at Wreaths Across America Radio), we look at how cutting-edge technological innovation and grassroots community action are ensuring the names engraved on our national headstones never fade into history. What You’ll Hear in This Episode: * The Power of Human Connection: Army veteran and CEO Kristin Sargent opens the event with a deeply moving tribute to Captain Doug Sloan, reminding us to use modern tools to bridge the gap between the past and present. * The Main Panel (Record, Route, & Ritual): Moderated by Ryan Mullens (Co-Founder of Memory Anchor), this powerhouse panel features Monica Mohindra (Library of Congress Veterans History Project), Nick Miller (former CIO of Arlington National Cemetery), and Amber Caron (Wreaths Across America) discussing the digital future of remembrance. * Adapt or Die: An exclusive fireside chat with AJ Orlikoff (Historic Congressional Cemetery) on how we must radically reimagine and activate historical spaces for a modern audience. * Honoring an Ongoing Conflict: A closing address from retired Green Beret Michael "Rod" Rodriguez (President and CEO of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation) on the historic mission to build the National GWOT Memorial on the National Mall. Hit play to discover how we can permanently anchor the humanity, photos, and stories of our fallen to their final resting places.

Julie Verne (British Normandy Memorial) – Commemorating the Fallen Under British Command

"These aren't just names. These were people who had wives, brothers, fathers, mothers, girlfriends at home. Lives cut short. They should be remembered." This week, we speak with Julie Verne from the Normandy Memorial Trust. As we approach the 82nd anniversary of D-Day this year, Julie shares the moving history behind this sanctuary overlooking Gold Beach in France, which serves as a permanent home for over 22,000 individuals who fell under British command. We explore the site's architecture, the ongoing research adding long-lost names to the Roll of Honour, and the groundbreaking education initiatives connecting today's youth to a generation of heroes. In this episode: - Explore the site's brilliant architecture and symbolism, which features 160 stone columns converging into the geometric shape of a Union Jack - Discover the immersive "Operation Remembrance" package at the Winston Churchill Centre for Education, which engages young students through tactical strategy activities, virtual reality reconnaissance missions, and conversational AI modeled after real veteran testimonies - Learn about the unique Youth Ambassador project led by 11-year-old Alexander Churchill, the great-great-grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, who conducts personal video interviews with World War II veterans to pass their wisdom down to his own peers

Alexander Landry (Babcock Canada, RMC, & CMEA) – Engineering a Path of Service

"My service wasn't going to be necessarily dedicated to a full-time career in the military. It doesn't mean that I can't continue giving back and serving my community and my country." This week, we speak with Alexander Landry, a defence and security professional at Babcock Canada and a military engineer officer with over 14 years of leadership experience. Alexander shares his journey from the Royal Military College to NATO assignments in Turkey and Operation Unifier in Ukraine. We explore the evolution of modern warfare, the strategic importance of Arctic sovereignty, and why a commitment to public service remains the through-line of his family's long military lineage. In this episode: - Explore the shift in NATO’s defence posture and the importance of Article 2, known as the "Canadian Article", which emphasizes economic prosperity and shared democratic values as essential pillars of global security - Learn about the unique role of the "Sapper" and how the Canadian Military Engineer Association provides a vital safety net for the engineer family through advocacy and programs  - Hear about the 150th anniversary of the Royal Military College and the Alumni Association’s ongoing mission to bridge the generational gap between "the old brigades" and the current generation of cadets

Alicia Costello & Ta'Na Alexander (THC & CCTA) – Language as a Tool for Victory

"This story was never lost. It was just waiting to be told." This week, we speak with Alicia Costello, a historian with the Texas Historical Commission, and Ta'Na Alexander, a descendant of an original Choctaw Code Talker. We delve into the collaborative effort to establish a historical marker in Fort Worth that honors the Native soldiers of the 142nd Infantry who utilized a code that was never broken. In this episode: - Discover the significance of the Camp Bowie marker, located on the very grounds where Choctaw soldiers trained in 1917 before deploying to provide a critical advantage in the Great War - Learn about the "Under-Told Markers" program, a special initiative by the Texas Historical Commission that funds markers for stories historically overlooked or missing from the landscape - Understand the legacy of the Telephone Warriors, whose contributions remained a classified secret for decades until public recognition began to flourish following a 1989 visit from the French government