The Live Drop

Top counterintelligence and interrogation expert Stuart Herrington shares from a renowned and decorated intelligence career. He sets the stage with his introduction to military intelligence duty in Cold War Berlin in 1968.
Over the course of a friendly conversation he comments on: The Fall of Saigon, lunch with Henry Kissinger and his most significant command as Director, U.S. Army Foreign Counterintelligence Activity (FCA), between January 1988 and May 1992. During his tenure as Director of FCA, he pursued and wrapped up two of the most sensitive and significant espionage cases in post WW II history: Hungarian operative Clyde Lee Conrad & US Army Analyst James Hall.
A vocal opponent of enhanced interrogation methods, Herrington cites the effectiveness of his more humanitarian approach in Operation Just Cause in Panama, The Gulf War, MACV SOG in the Vietnamese provinces, The Iraq War, and Guantanamo.
And he's prolific, having provided us with a published first-hand catalog of his experiences. He also shares some writing advice along with lessons learned from a fascinating and four-decade intelligence career.
Books by Stuart Herrington:
Traitors Among UsStalking the VietcongPeace with Honor? An American Reports on Vietnam, 1973-1975 Silence Was A Weapon: The Vietnam War in the Villages
Stuart also appears in the documentary film The Fall of Saigon

TRANSMISSION 022

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Live Drop guest Kao Kalia Yang is a celebrated Hmong-American writer.
She holds degrees from Carleton College and Columbia University. Yang is the author of The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir winner of the 2009 Minnesota Book Awards in Creative Nonfiction/Memoir and Readers’ Choice, a finalist for the PEN USA Award in Creative Nonfiction, and the Asian Literary Award in Nonfiction.
Her second book, The Song Poet won the 2016 Minnesota Book Award in Creative Nonfiction Memoir, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Chautauqua Prize, a PEN USA Award in Nonfiction, and the Dayton’s Literary Peace Prize.
Yang’s debut children’s book, A Map Into the World is a American Library Association Notable Book of the Year, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, winner of the Northstar Best Illustrator Award, and winner of the 2020 Minnesota Book Award in Children’s Literature.
Her co-edited collection titled What God is Honored Here?: Writings on Miscarriage and Infant Loss By and For Indigenous Women and Women of Color is a groundbreaking work that centers the poetry and prose of women whose voices have been neglected and silenced on the topic despite the fact that they experience these losses disproportionately.
Her most recent Children's book: The Most Beautiful Thing was just published on October 6th, 2020. Kalia is also a teacher and public speaker.

I wanted to talk to Kalia about the legacy of the Secret War in Laos - how it is remembered in the Hmong diaspora. A civil war fought alongside Vietnam's in the shadows by the CIA, with Hmong fighters against communist insurgents. I ended up having an enlightening cultural conversation with a poet in real time about birth, life, suffering, loss, death and grief in Hmong tradition and in current-day America.
Her next book Somewhere in the Unknown World – a collective memoir about the lives of refugees - is available for pre-order and comes out on November 8th, 2020.
You can find out more about Kalia and her work at kaokaliayang.com

Episode 49
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Crea

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My guest Neil Graham Hansen began his aviation career as a pilot for Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. He then spent more than a decade in Southeast Asia as a captain for Air America - the CIA's airline that operated during the Vietnam era and the 'Secret War' in Laos. Upon returning to the States, unable to let go of the thrills of high stakes flying, his career trajectory veered off course into a Federal prison for smuggling narcotics - where he began his redemption as an advocate for his fallen Air America colleagues.
Neil talks with me about the history Air America (the world’s most shot-at airline) that could go anywhere anytime, especially where military wasn’t allowed. He talks about his relationship to the customer - the CIA, and he clarifies the daring, diverse, and patriotic culture of Air America pilots and crew. Look for him to explain terms like: sticky brick, blackpearl, hard rice, the customer, and five-dollar turns.

Neil has recently written a great book FLIGHT with co-writer Luann Grosscup – An Air America Pilots story of Adventure Descent and Redemption.
This historical aviation narrative incorporates the pathos of a war zone, humor, and candid insight. Neil pulls the reader directly into the cockpit, onto dirt mountaintop landing strips, into the raunchy brothels of Laos, alongside his first toddling steps into Buddhism, aboard the plane he flew out of Cambodia hours before it fell to the Khmer Rouge, down the road of self-destruction and beside him as he regains a foothold on the path to integrity.
Neil's tireless in telling the story of Air America’s heroes. His appearances are currently subject to confirmation, but look for his presentation at: AIRVENTURE in Oshkosh, WI
Other links and resources mentioned:
Air America Historical Social ClubFlight Facebook PageAir America, by Christopher RobbinsExperimental Aviation Association
Veteran’s Channel
Flying Men Flying Machines
Episode 032Hello Listener, If you've enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please consider signing up as a contributing patron and join the community for exclusive commentary, and content. A $10 a month donation will really keep us going ---> https://www.patreon.com/thelivedrop

Alternatively, if you would like to help make Season Three operational you could offer a one time donation of any amount right here ---> https://www.paypal.me/thelivedrop

Thank you for listening and your support,

Mark Valley
Creator/Host

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Toby Harnden is an awarded journalist, foreign correspondent and former bureau chief of the Sunday Times. His most recent book is First Casualty: The untold story of he CIA mission to avenge 911. After numerous interviews with key players and having visited Afganistan several times over the last decades, Toby documents the unconventional success story of CIA’s Team Alpha from their insertion into the Darya Suf Valley, coordination with Special Forces ODA 595, link-up and cooperation with Northern Alliance commander Abdul Rashid Dostum - leading to the fall of the Taliban at the end of 2001.
Toby brings his well-informed insights about some of these initial players: Including David Tyson, JR Seeger, Alex Hernandez and their ride on horseback North with Dostum to Mazar I Sharif, along with the first casualty, Johnny Michael Spann and the events at the Qala-I Jangi fort complex. We discuss the complexity and the accomplishment of how those few intrepid officers and operators transcended traditions, tribes, allegiances and history in an operation that holds clues to the future of Afghan resistance to the Taliban.
More about the author at: Tobyharnden.com
I hope you've enjoyed listening to this episode. I could use your help to make more...
I like to keep the track clean of ads, and sales pitches. As such, meeting costs and finding time to produce this podcast is a challenge, so any support is appreciated. If you would like to help make Season Three operational, please consider a one time donation of any amount right here ---> https://www.paypal.me/thelivedropOr alternatively, join The Live Drop Patreon community for exclusive commentary and content starting with a $5 monthly donation ---> https://www.patreon.com/thelivedropAs always, please rate and review the show on iTunes. Your input is appreciated.

Thank you for listening and your support,

Mark Valley
Creator/Host
thelivedrop.com

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