The views expressed in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States government.

Hello and welcome to the fighter pilot podcast, the internet radio show that explores the fascinating

world of air combat past, present, and future. The aircraft, the weapons systems, the emerging

technologies, and most importantly, the people. I'm your host, Tucker Hamilton, call sign Cinco.

Fights on. Fighter Pilot Podcasts fights on fighter pilot podcast listeners

well I'll tell you history matters

because the machines may change

but the core challenges of combat do not

if we study the past honestly

we learn not just who fought

but how they adapted

what they got wrong and what it really

took to prevail.

And with that, Pete Owen is joining us today, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel, historian,

and author of Fighting Falcons, a powerful new look at VMF 21 in the Pacific War.

This episode is about far more than dogfights. It's about how marine aviation

was tested at Midway, sharpened in the Solomons, and ultimately proved itself from the deck of Bunker Hill,

revealing what combat, adaptation, and airpower really looked like in the Pacific. So Pete,

thanks so much for joining us. I'm excited to have the listeners learn about this new book.

Thank you so much, Sinko. I'm thrilled to be here. This is a great opportunity for me.

Wonderful. And let's begin by telling the listeners a little bit about yourself.

Okay, yeah, sure. And I think the first thing that folks need to understand is I'm not an aviator.

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