The Lie | 5

Larger Than Life

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times, Documentary, Street Racer, Neon Hum Media, Street Car, 60s, True Crime, Drag Racing, Daniel Miller, Watts Riots, Society & Culture, Big Willie, Big Wilie Robinson, 1960s, Race, Class, L.a. Times

4.4 • 806 Ratings

🗓️ 23 July 2019

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Episode 5: A startling revelation about Big Willie Robinson leads to a reappraisal of the street racer and his mission. As members of the Brotherhood of Street Racers try to make sense of his secret, a new truth emerges. Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL

Transcript

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0:00.0	Okay, I'm recording on my end.
0:01.9	Daniel, what are we doing?
0:03.2	That's our producer, Grant Irving.
0:05.4	I called him because after months of waiting,
0:07.8	I got Big Willie Robinson's records from the military.
0:12.6	Remember, Willie said he served with distinction during the Vietnam War.
0:18.6	I became special forces, green beret for the United States Army.
0:23.6	Because technically we didn't exist.
0:26.6	We were like James Bond.
0:28.6	Yes, we were trained like James Bond.
0:32.6	Our bosses in Vietnam was the CIA.
0:35.6	Friends and members of the Brotherhood of Street Racers heard Willie's stories of bravery.
0:41.1	I remember something about jumping out of an airplane with a parachute.
0:46.4	Willie was injured in a firefight.
0:48.7	You got the Purple Heart.
0:50.1	I knew what Willie and people close to him said.
0:52.6	But I wanted to know what the military's record showed.
0:55.6	So when a piece of mail came from the Army, I called Grant.
0:59.1	We are opening a letter that came in the mail for me
1:02.0	from the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Human Resources Command.
1:06.0	It's actually a CD-ROM that they've sent.
1:12.4	Big Willie did not fight in the Vietnam War.
	...

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