Welcome to Beyond the Call, where history, leadership, and heroism come alive. I’m your host, and today we bring you the remarkable story of a Marine whose actions on the black sands of Iwo Jima would earn him the Medal of Honor and the nickname “One-Man Regiment.” This episode is drawn directly from our full-length article, preserving every detail so you can experience the battle as it unfolded.

In February 1945, during some of the fiercest fighting of World War II, Private Wilson Douglas Watson of the United States Marine Corps Reserve charged enemy pillboxes, destroyed entrenched positions, and stood alone for fifteen minutes on an exposed hilltop, holding off sixty Japanese soldiers. His courage and determination secured critical ground for his platoon and left a legacy that continues to inspire. You can find more military history and Medal of Honor stories at Trackpads.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Call, where history, leadership, and heroism come alive. In this episode, we bring you the incredible story of Colonel Leon William Johnson, a United States Army Air Corps commander whose courage in World War II earned him the Medal of Honor. On August 1, 1943, Johnson led his B-24 Liberators into the heart of one of the most heavily defended targets in Europe — the Ploesti oil refineries in Axis-controlled Romania.

What unfolded was a mission unlike any other: a low-level strike through walls of anti-aircraft fire, aggressive enemy fighter attacks, and an environment choked with smoke, flames, and the constant threat of exploding fuel. Against staggering odds, Johnson’s leadership and skill carried his men through the gauntlet, crippling a vital enemy resource and writing his name into the annals of military aviation history. You can find more about the Medal of Honor, military history, and stories like this at Trackpads.com.