The Liberty ships were the lifeline of World War II, blunt-nosed freighters that carried the food, fuel, and ammunition which kept entire armies fighting. Against U-boats, storms, and staggering odds, they proved that industry could be turned into strategy. This extended version of our written article takes you beyond the page to show why these “ugly ducklings” mattered—and how the Jeremiah O’Brien became one of the last living witnesses to a fleet that fed victory.

In this narrated episode, listeners will hear more detail than the article could hold: convoy nights under blackout, storm-lashed decks, Armed Guards firing at sudden shadows, and the relentless endurance of merchant mariners who made it all possible. Through vivid battlefield storytelling and lessons in leadership, logistics, and resilience, the story unfolds not just as history, but as lived experience at sea. Produced by Trackpads.com.

In the summer of 1944, while Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, another battle was being fought in shadows. Operation Fortitude turned rubber tanks, phantom fleets, and double agents into strategic weapons, keeping German divisions pinned at Calais while the real invasion gained ground. This episode is an extended version of the written Trackpads article, exploring how deception shaped the fate of D-Day and, with it, the entire campaign in Western Europe.

Listeners will hear more than just the headlines of history. This narrated version brings vivid battlefield storytelling, detailing the painstaking craft of camouflage units, the courage of sailors executing radar illusions, and the quiet discipline of agents weaving false reports. It examines leadership lessons drawn from the balance of risk, patience, and creativity that made Fortitude succeed. Where the article offers the quick read, the episode delivers the full experience. Produced by Trackpads.com.