I’d like to take a moment to honor those who fought for our freedom by sharing a Veterans’ Day story you won’t hear on the news.
During the Iraq War, interpreters walked into firefights side-by-side with American troops. As cultural advisors, these brave Iraqis did far more than translate. Their actions and expertise kept American soldiers alive.
But after the war moved on, some interpreters were left behind with a bounty on their heads.
While waiting on bureaucracy to follow through on the promise to get them out safely, many interpreters were targeted and hunted down by death squads.
Some did not survive.
When Colonel Steve Miska saw our allies abandoned, he decided unprecedented action was required. He believes a promise made should be a promise kept.
Baghdad Underground Railroad is the true story of how American soldiers built an underground network spanning the globe to bring our allies to safety.
Steve Miska is a retired Army Colonel, a former economics professor at West Point, and a former advisor to the White House. He’s also a longtime friend. We’ve collaborated on a few projects, including a free speech initiative at First Amendment Voice, so when he asked me to narrate the audiobook of Baghdad Underground Railroad, it was an easy yes... but I had no idea what I was about to get into.
Narrating the story of Baghdad Underground Railroad has become one of the biggest honors of my life.
GEN (R) David Petraeus said Baghdad Underground Railroad “Should be on every American's reading list.
The book just won Best Book for Military History at the American Book Fest, and we’re thrilled to announce the audiobook is now live on Audible.
Col. Steve Miska, US Army (Ret.) joins me on the show to share what 25 years in uniform taught him about keeping your head in a crisis, building teams that actually trust each other, and what “no man left behind” looks like in the real world.
And if you're looking for something meaningful to share this Veterans Day, The Baghdad Underground Railroad audiobook (narrated by yours truly, as well as Steve and his daughter Heather Miska) is now on Audible. It's the true story of the allies who risked everything for us, and the veterans who refused to leave them behind.
Hear Steve’s story on the latest episode of the podcast:
https://fountain.fm/episode/ZXLmglpl9HpZso1rQ60S
