CLASSIC: The Korean Soldier Who Fought for 3 Armies During WWII

Summary

Ridiculous History – Episode: CLASSIC: The Korean Soldier Who Fought for 3 Armies During WWII

Hosts: Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown
Release Date: February 25, 2025
Production: iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction and Context

In this compelling classic episode of Ridiculous History, hosts Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown delve into the extraordinary and tumultuous journey of Yang Kyungjong, a Korean soldier whose life epitomizes the chaotic shifts of allegiance during World War II. Setting the stage with a stark reminder of the war's devastating toll, Ben remarks at [03:57] MM:SS:

Ben: "World War II was the most dangerous, deadliest military conflict in human history in absolute terms of people that died. Over 60 million people were killed and that was about 3% of the world population at the time."

This grim backdrop underscores the extraordinary circumstances that shaped Yang's unique military trajectory.

Early Life and Japanese Conscript (1938)

Yang Kyungjong's story begins in Manchuria in 1938, where at the age of 18, he is forcibly conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army. Ben introduces him as:

Ben: "He was 18 years old in Manchuria, and he was conscripted by the Imperial Japanese army to fight against the Soviet Union."

Despite his youth and unwillingness, Yang becomes part of the prestigious Kwantung Army, gaining early military experience under dire circumstances.

Capture and Soviet Conscript

The tides turn when Soviet forces capture Yang, transporting him to a labor camp. Faced with the grim choice between enduring life in a gulag or fighting for the Soviet Union, Yang opts for survival. Noel summarizes the situation:

Noel: "They conscripted this guy. Do you want to stay in a gulag or do you want to fight for the glory of Mother Russia?"

At [09:17], Ben elaborates on the Soviet Union's desperate manpower shortages:

Ben: "The Soviet Union had a terrible, terrible, terrible problem with manpower. They were so desperate, in fact, that they were taking anyone they could find to join up with the Soviet military."

Yang serves in the Red Army for approximately a year, stationed on the Eastern Front of Europe, gaining invaluable combat experience.

Capture and German Conscript (1943-1944)

In 1943, during the Third Battle of Kharkov, Yang is captured once more, this time by German Wehrmacht soldiers. Noel identifies the unit responsible:

Noel: "They were called the OST Battalion, which means East Battalion."

Despite the Nazi regime's typically strict racial policies, Yang's prior military experience earns him a place in the German ranks. Ben adds:

Ben: "They had fallen into the habit of allowing people to 'volunteer' for this. Yang was conscripted to fight in the East Battalion, part of the 709 Infantry Division in the Wehrmacht."

Yang is deployed to the Cotentin Peninsula in France, positioning himself against the Allied forces during the pivotal D-Day invasion. His role involves defending the Nazi-held beaches, a stark contrast to his earlier conscripted service.

Final Capture and American POW (1944)

As the Allies gain momentum, Yang is captured yet again, this time by American forces. The confusion surrounding his identity is evident when Lieutenant Robert Brewer mistakes him for a Japanese soldier:

Ben: "Lieutenant Robert Brewer of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment thought Yang was a Japanese soldier in a German uniform and sent him to a POW camp in England."

Unable to communicate due to language barriers, Yang's fate takes a turn toward the unexpected as he is transferred to a prison camp in the United States.

Post-War Life and Legacy (Post-1947)

Released from captivity in 1947, Yang makes a life-altering decision to remain in the United States, settling in the Chicago area of Illinois. The hosts touch upon the enigmatic nature of his later years:

Noel: "He quietly passed away in 1992, but there's really not much information about what he did with the rest of his life."

Despite the scarcity of detailed records, Yang's story culminates in his legacy as the only known soldier to have served under three distinct armies during WWII. Ben muses on the potential for storytelling inspired by Yang:

Ben: "Can you imagine the stories this guy must have?"

Reflections and Conclusion

Ben and Noel reflect on the resilience and adaptability Yang exhibited amidst the chaos of war. They ponder the psychological toll and the sheer improbability of serving multiple factions, highlighting the absurdities and tragedies intertwined in historical narratives.

Noel: "This kid cannot catch a break."

Ben: "He has got that thousand league stare. So common with people who have experienced PTSD or traumatic events."

The episode concludes with musings on the human capacity to endure and adapt, even in the face of relentless adversity.

Listener Mail and Community Engagement

Transitioning from the historical narrative, the hosts engage with listener feedback and creative contributions, particularly focusing on T-shirt design ideas inspired by Ridiculous History. They encourage ongoing community interaction, emphasizing the show's commitment to listener involvement.

Ben: "These are great. These folks are knocking it out of the park."

This segment underscores the show's vibrant community and the hosts' appreciation for their audience's creativity and support.

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Notable Quotes:

• Ben [03:57]: "World War II was the most dangerous, deadliest military conflict in human history in absolute terms of people that died. Over 60 million people were killed and that was about 3% of the world population at the time."

• Noel [09:56]: "Yeah, they were short staffed."

• Ben [10:11]: "They were forcing anyone they could find to join up with the Soviet military."

• Noel [16:43]: "They weren't like they weren't getting their asses handed to them at this point yet. This is just the beginning of the war. They were still quite strong."

• Ben [24:34]: "He’s so young. And the kid next to him looks even younger. He looks like he's like 15."

• Noel [21:55]: "I believe they were ethnic Georgians. Isn't that right?"

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Further Engagement:

As the episode wraps up, Ben and Noel tease upcoming content and express gratitude toward their contributors, maintaining a lively and interactive rapport with their audience. They hint at future episodes that continue to explore the bizarre and often overlooked stories of history.

---

Conclusion:

This episode of Ridiculous History masterfully intertwines personal narrative with the broader strokes of World War II, painting a vivid picture of Yang Kyungjong's unparalleled military journey. Through engaging storytelling and insightful commentary, Ben and Noel bring to light a remarkable tale that underscores the unpredictable and often absurd nature of history.

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For more outrageous and fascinating historical tales, tune into Ridiculous History on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Ben]

Fellow ridiculous historians, we are returning to you from far far away with a classic episode that we think you're gonna really dig. We've got a lot of veterans in the crowd and usually if you're a veteran, you fight for just one army. And then there's this other guy.

[Noel]

Yeah, we're talking about Yang Kyungjong, who didn't really set out to become a soldier, but the wheel of fate had other plans.

[Ben]

And we hope you join us in this episode from 2018, wherein we follow the travels of one remarkable man through prisons, battlefields, and a gripping, harrowing experience that ultimately leads to him fighting for not just one army, but three armies during World War II. Let's roll it. How to have fun anytime, anywhere Step 1 Go to chumbacasino.com chumbacasino.com Got it.

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VGW Group void where prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply. Breaking News T Mobile Network outperforms expectations in all sectors because T Mobile helps keep you connected from big cities to your hometown on America's largest 5G network. Switch now. Keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com KeepAndSwitch up to four lines of a virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlocked device, credit service port in 90 plus days device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required Card has no cash access and expires in six. Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarke.

[Noel]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarke]

Each season we explore a new theme.

[Ben]

From poisoners to art thieves, we uncover.

[Noel]

The secrets of history's most interesting figures.

[Ben]

From legal injustices to body snatching, and.

[Maria Tremarke]

Tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in cocktails and mocktails inspired by each story.

[Noel]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app.

[Ben]

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gabe Leonors]

What would you do if mysterious drones appeared over your hometown? I started asking questions. What do you remember happening on that night of December 16th?

[Maria Tremarke]

It actually rotated around our house looking as if it was peering in each.

[Noel]

Window of our home.

[Gabe Leonors]

I'm Gabe Leonors from Imagine I heart Podcasts and Leonard's Entertainment. Listen to Obscurum invas of the drums wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

[Ben]

Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome to the show, friends and neighbors. We are going to start today on a very down note, but we promise we will get to a good note by the end of today's episode. Here's the downside. World War II was the most dangerous, deadliest military conflict in human history in absolute terms of people that died. Over 60 million people were killed and that was about 3% of the world population at the time.

[Noel]

That sucks.

[Ben]

That's terrible. That's terrible. But that is the context in which we find today's very strange story. I'm Ben.

[Noel]

You are indeed Ben. And I am a very chilled out Noel.

[Ben]

You're very chill today.

[Noel]

Very chill today. I'm feeling very chill. And I just want to say props to Robert Evans from Behind the bastards who put this phrase in my head. Chock full of Nazis. I love it. Slash. It terrifies me.

[Ben]

He has used it in the past before.

[Noel]

Has he really?

[Ben]

Yeah, he's got away with words. He wrote for crack.com for a very long time too. I'm a big fan of Robert Evans, but I'm also, and I think you can get with me on this one. I'm also a big fan of super producer Casey Pegram.

[Noel]

And super producer Casey Pegram is a huge fan of military history.

[Ben]

Is that true, Casey? No, it's not true. Casey out the case. I'm off the case on this one, guys. Turning in my badge.

[Noel]

No, no, no. I'll tell you what you're gonna be on soon, my man is a T shirt.

[Ben]

Oh, that's true.

[Noel]

You're gonna be wearing a robe and pounding a gavel and you're gonna have a disapproving look on your face.

[Ben]

Well, I think, you know, when we had talked about this off air, Casey, you were pretty excited about a Law and Order esque type T shirt. Yeah, if we don't get sued to oblivion for doing it.

[Noel]

Nah, it's fine, man. It's fine. It's fair use. You can get that shirt when it eventually becomes a [e-mail] ridiculoushistory just putting that out there at the top.

[Ben]

Yes, that's true for anyone who tossed some ideas our way in our community page. Ridiculous historians. We do want to confirm that was not just idle chatter and Facebook commentary I was throwing at you. We have indeed gotten together and started making some T shirts. We even have one just for the Quister. And we'd love to talk Casey into being the inspiration for some T shirt art. So let us know what your ideas are.

[Noel]

Oh, no, it's happening, my friend. It's happening.

[Ben]

And if you are listening to something in today's episode and you hear a turn of phrase or a particular image pops in your mind that you think would be a good idea for a T shirt, do not hesitate. Let us know.

[Noel]

I can't believe Chock full of Nazis is already a thing. It's so good.

[Ben]

Is it. Is it just the assonance or what is it?

[Noel]

Well, no, there's a coffee brand called Chock Full of Nuts. So when you say chock full of Nazis, that's just. That's what I picture is like a can of coffee with, like, swastikas on it.

[Ben]

Oh, I see. I see. Levels.

[Noel]

We're not entirely BSing here. The Nazis do come into play in today's story, but that's not where it begins. No, it begins in Manchuria.

[Ben]

That's right, Noel. It begins in Manchuria in 1938. There's a young man whose name we were probably not going to pronounce correctly. Spoiler alert, because we are not Korean. His name is Yang Kyongjong.

[Noel]

Still solid, man.

[Ben]

We'll see. We'll see. He was 18 years old in Manchuria, and he was conscripted by the Imperial Japanese army to fight against the Soviet Union. Yeah.

[Noel]

In this. Little known, at least to me, and I think you were maybe tangentially aware of it, but a conflict called a couple of different things. The Russians referred to it as the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, and then the Japanese side referred to it as something else.

[Ben]

The Nomenhon incident.

[Noel]

There you go.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Noel]

What was the incident? What was the beef?

[Ben]

Well, first, I want to point out that the Battle of Khalkhin Gol sounds like a spinoff of a Tolkien book. You know what I mean? Yeah.

[Noel]

Like something from Dune.

[Ben]

And that's why, for the title alone, I'm going with the Russian side on this one. But it was a series of conflicts, as you said, that were undeclared between the Soviet and Japanese forces due entirely to disagreements about borders. And they were fought along the Soviet Union, Mongolia, Japan, and Manchuku from, like, across the year in 1939. And this. This mainly happened because these two forces were attempting to expand their territory and their reach. The Japanese forces maintained that the border between Manchukuo and Mongolia was this river, the Khalkun Gol, or in English, the Kalka river, which. Which flows into Lake Bur. But the Mongolians, who were allied with the Soviet forces, said that the border was actually 16 kilometers, or almost 10 miles east of the river, just east of the Nomonhan village.

[Noel]

And this wasn't just a little scrap, my friend. Upwards of 50,000 men, or as Cotton Flynn would say, 50,000 men were killed. No small potatoes, man. But you know who wasn't killed is our. The hero. I'm gonna call him the hero because I think he's a total hero.

[Ben]

He's the protagonist, for sure.

[Noel]

Yeah. He was not killed, thankfully. He was in fact, captured by the Russians and sent to a labor camp. And then he was drafted into the Russian Army.

[Ben]

And there are two reasons for this. So when he was originally conscripted by the Imperial Japanese army, he became part of a pretty hardcore fighting force called the Kwantung Army. This was the largest and most prestigious command in the Japanese army. So he already had some experience. Right. As a unwilling soldier. And the second factor that led to his conscription, again, his second conscription, was that the Soviet Union had a terrible, terrible, terrible problem with manpower.

[Noel]

Yeah, they were short staffed.

[Ben]

Yeah, that barely even begins to cover it. They were so desperate, in fact, that they were taking anyone, you know, so they. So they conscripted this guy. Do you want to stay in a gulag or do you want to fight for the glory of Mother Russia?

[Noel]

Yeah, sure. Easy, easy, easy.

[Ben]

Call. Have you ever been in a gulag?

[Noel]

Doesn't sound nice.

[Ben]

Yeah, you get it. So they were forcing anyone they could find to join up with the Soviet military. And Yang does this for what, about a year, Noel. Right.

[Noel]

Mm. Because, you see, this was right on the cusp of a little scrap we like to call World War II. In a previous episode, we talked about the Nazis use of soccer, American soccer, football, as a propaganda tool. We talked about this idea of appeasement and how the Allies kind of kept letting Hitler do his thing, letting him do his thing. He's going to be fine. He's going to chill out. Finally, he invades Poland, and that's just a bridge too far. And then here we are.

[Ben]

Right. Because here in the Pacific and Eurasian theater, even before the war is breaking out, we see these tensions, these undeclared conflicts ratcheting up, and Yang is caught in the middle of it. So just to keep track, he was not Japanese, but he got drafted to the Japanese army. He Got captured and then he got drafted to the Russian army and he. In 1942, he was fighting in what they called the Red Army. He was sent to the Eastern front of Europe. He was there for a year. But then in 1943, during the Third Battle of Kharkov, he gets captured by Wehrmacht soldiers. By German soldiers.

[Noel]

Yeah, that's right. They were called the OST Battalion, which means East Battalion. Great article on not the most creative website name, but rare historicalphotos.com has more than a photo. It's got a real nice photo of who we think this young man was. And it's very intense because he just has a real, real hang dog look on his face.

[Ben]

And he's so young.

[Noel]

He's so young. And the kid next to him looks even younger. He looks like he's like 15. It's crazy. So. But yeah, there, there's some good information on this site. I recommend checking it out. It's just called Yang Kyung Jong, the only known soldier to have fought on three sides of a war in 1944.

[Ben]

Spoilers, right?

[Noel]

What side was next? What side came next?

[Gabe Leonors]

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[Noel]

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[Ben]

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[Gabe Leonors]

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[Ben]

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[Gabe Leonors]

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[Noel]

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[Maria Tremarke]

Hey y'all. I'm Maria Fernanda Diaz. My podcast when youn're Invisible is my love letter to the working class people and immigrants who shaped my life. I get to talk to a lot of people who form the backbone of our society, but who have never been interviewed before. Season 2 is all about community organizing and being underestimated.

[Ben]

All the greatest changes have happened when a couple of people said this sucks, let's do something about it. I can't have more than $2,000 in my bank account or else I can't get disability benefits. They won't let you see succeed.

[Noel]

I know we get paid to serve.

[Ben]

You guys, but like be respectful.

[Maria Tremarke]

We're made out of the same things. Bone, body, blood.

[Maria Fernanda Diaz]

It's rare to have black male teachers.

[Noel]

Sometimes I am the lesson and I'm also the testament.

[Maria Tremarke]

Listen to when you're invisible as part of the my cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gabe Leonors]

Have you ever looked into the night sky and wondered who or what was flying around up there? We've seen planes, helicopters, hot air balloons and birds. But what if there's something else, something much more ominous that appears under the COVID of night? Silent, unseen, watching. They may be right above your car late one night as you cruise down the road, or look like mysterious lights hovering above your home. Drones. Or are they?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

We used the word drone because it.

[Ben]

Was comfortable to other people. One minute was there and one minute it wasn't. Oh, that is beyond creepy.

[Gabe Leonors]

Do you feel like this drone was targeting you specifically?

[Noel]

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

[Gabe Leonors]

Listen to obscurum invasion of the Drones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Cameron Mitchell]

This is John Cameron Mitchell and my new fiction podcast series, Cancellation island stars Holly Hunter as Karen, a wellness influencer who launches a rehab for the recent recently canceled. In the future, we will all be canceled for 15 minutes, but don't worry, we'll take you from broke to woke or your money back. Cancellation Island's revolutionary rehab therapies, like bad touch football, anti racism, spin class, and mandatory ayahuasca ceremonies are designed to force the council to confront their worst impulses. But everything starts to fall apart when people start disappearing. Karen, where have you brought us Cancellation island, where a second chance might just be your last. Listen to Cancellation island on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben]

So after he is captured by the German side, first off, they apparently don't bother with asking him how he came to end up fighting in Ukraine for the Soviets. Right. It's very likely that had circumstances been different, he would have been executed. Right. Because the Nazis at this time were not in the habit of allowing prisoners to volunteer to serve in the army.

[Noel]

Yeah, weren't they down with that whole white supremacist master race thing and they want to keep it pure.

[Ben]

Well, at this point in the conflict, they were willing to take almost anyone who would throw in for the cause. Just another body to put in front of the bullets, you know?

[Noel]

But they weren't like they weren't getting their asses handed to them at this point yet. This is just the beginning of the war. They were still quite strong.

[Ben]

Right. But an experienced soldier is still an asset.

[Noel]

That's true.

[Ben]

And so because they had fallen into the habit of allowing, again, air quotes, allowing people to air quotes, volunteer for this. Yang was conscripted to fight in that East Battalion, or how do you say it, Noel?

[Noel]

Ost Battalion.

[Ben]

Perfect. Thank you, man. In the 709 Infantry Division in the Wehrmacht. And these battalions were small groups of men that were all volunteers, quote, unquote, volunteers from the different regions of Europe that the Nazi regime controlled. They were folded into larger units of German soldiers to serve as shock troops and backup to more experienced battalions. You can find this right up to on todayifoundout.com by Carl Smallwood.

[Noel]

I've been digging that site.

[Ben]

Yeah, I've been digging it as well. Highly recommended. We don't know who they are. We just think they do fun stuff. So there he is. Now he's in this other army. What happens next?

[Noel]

So now he's gonna fight for his Reich to party, huh?

[Ben]

I'll allow it.

[Noel]

Thank you, Ben. You're very kind. In 1944, he gets sent to France where he's going to join the Wehrmacht's OST Battalion. And there are tons of Soviet prisoners much the same way that he was conscripted by the Japanese. Very similar deal.

[Ben]

Right.

[Noel]

It becomes kind of like slave labor. Right. Or like slave soldiers.

[Ben]

Yeah. They're not forcibly saying join or die, maybe as explicitly, but seems implied. But yeah. To quote Dennis Reynolds from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, there's the implication. So we have to admit it's not as if this kid was just raring to go for war. He was trying to stay alive and had done it successfully. So he goes to this Cotenin Peninsula in France shortly before the Allies attempt to storm the beaches in an historical event known today as D Day. D Day, that's right, D Day, where the Allied troops are storming the beaches at France. You've seen it depicted in so many war films here in the West. Well, it turns out this kid is on the other side, the Axis side, and he's trying to prevent the Allies from storming the beaches.

[Noel]

Yeah, he's defending it on behalf of the Nazis. And he gets captured again.

[Ben]

He gets captured again. Can I tell you quick?

[Noel]

Aside, something I learned from todayifoundout.com was that the actor who played Scotty on Star Trek, his name's James Doohan, he was among the Canadian soldiers who stormed the beach at Normandy. And he got shot six times. I believe he lost a finger, Got shot through the hand, several shots in the leg. And One in the chest that would have ended his life if it hadn't have been for this age old movie trope. What do you think it was, Ben? Age old movie trope what saved his life?

[Ben]

Oh, was it a Bible? Was it a flask?

[Noel]

Cigarette case?

[Ben]

It was a cigarette case. Okay.

[Noel]

So I just. I love that because it's such a trope and it's a trope because, gosh darn it, it happens.

[Ben]

So the Germans eventually get overrun. This is not all entirely US Propaganda. It really does happen. The Germans are eventually getting overrun by the Allies. And this time Yang is captured again, but this time by the Americans.

[Noel]

And kid can't catch a break.

[Ben]

This kid cannot catch a break.

[Noel]

Or maybe he's catching all the breaks.

[Ben]

It's, you know, it's an interesting question. It's kind of a half full, half empty glass thing. Right.

[Noel]

It's a very Forrest Gumpian kind of situation. He's still alive, right?

[Ben]

He's alive at this point. So that's. That is, I think, the. Probably his number one priority at that point. But there's a wrinkle. There's a problem here. When he's captured, he can't speak German. He can't speak English. The officers who originally found him and captured him among them there was Lieutenant Robert Brewer of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne. And he thought that this guy was a Japanese soldier in a German uniform. And he reported, somewhat puzzled, that. That the regiment had captured four Asian people in German uniform and that no one could talk to them. And so they just sent him to a POW camp in England.

[Noel]

Oh, and I believe they were ethnic Georgians. Isn't that right?

[Ben]

Right. Yeah. That's the current debate. Because you could see how someone from the west without experience in this part of the world or these cultures might just quickly categorize them. You know what I mean?

[Noel]

Totally.

[Ben]

And it's like there's only one type of person that I could think of who would be here and looks like this. They must be Japanese. Take them away. Book em Dano.

[Noel]

Oh, I actually have it here as if they were from Turkestan.

[Ben]

Turkestan. Okay. So still in Eurasia. Cause I found that they were from Georgian descent.

[Noel]

Interesting. Yeah. There's not. This is kind of a murky story. It's true. Yeah. It's a lot of hearsay. And not much is known about this young man's life prior to, you know, being conscripted into the Japanese army. Very little. But what is known is that he didn't stick around after the war ended or he didn't go back home either. He went to America.

[Ben]

Yeah. He was transferred to a prison camp in the US and then he was released from captivity in 1947. And he said, you know what? I'm gonna stay here.

[Noel]

Yeah. Land of opportunity and all that.

[Ben]

He moved to Illinois and lived there. Cool. Yeah. And that's where. I don't know.

[Noel]

Cook County, Right.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Noel]

Which is. Is that Chicago area?

[Ben]

Yeah, yeah, Chicago area. And again, I don't. I don't know if you found anything on this, but I found that his life gets murky again. He sort of falls from the historical record. Yeah.

[Noel]

That's where the story ends, at least as far as rare historical photos is. And they say that they found that he quietly passed away in 1992, but there's really not much information about what he did with the rest of his life. But, man, you look at the picture of who is supposedly this young dude, he has seen some.

[Ben]

He's got that thousand league stare. So common with people who have experienced PTSD or traumatic events. But there's a little bit of a fictional side to this that he would have enjoyed had he gotten the chance to experience it. There was a film made about his journey called my way in 2011, and it's entirely based on Yang Kyongjong's. I don't want to say adventures. No. His experiences hopping from one army to another all the way to Illinois. Can you imagine the stories this guy must have?

[Noel]

Nope.

[Ben]

Can you also. Also, Additionally, could you imagine going to see a movie that was inspired by true events in your life? Would you do it or would you want to skip it?

[Noel]

Like, go see my movie? Yeah, I think it'd be cool.

[Ben]

I think it depends on who plays, like, I would want to know who played me.

[Noel]

Well, I would obviously have final say on that.

[Ben]

I think we have to.

[Noel]

This came up on Movie Crush, the mini Crushes that I do with our buddy Chuck from Stuff youf Should Know. A listener asked who we would get to play ourselves in our movie. Chuck said he would get Jack Black to play him. Cool. I said I want Bradley Cooper to play me, and I want him to really do some acting, man. You know, put on some pounds, you know, do the work. Put in the work. Bradley Cooper. I want to see your chops.

[Ben]

That reminds me. Hey, let me know who you would want to play you in a film adaptation of your life or a really interesting story in your life. I always think that's an interesting question. I've Never saw anyone. I would just play myself. There's the technology now where I could play the young eagle.

[Noel]

We don't have the time, man. We got too much going on.

[Ben]

We'll make the time. We'll make the time. I'll do it animated.

[Maria Tremarke]

Hey, y'all. I'm Maria Fernanda Diaz. My podcast when youn're Invisible is my love letter to the working class people and immigrants who shaped my life. I get to talk to a lot of people who form the backbone of our society, but who have never been interviewed before. Season 2 is all about community organizing and being underestimated.

[Ben]

All the greatest changes have happened when a couple of people said, this sucks, let's do something about it. I can't have more than $2,000 in my bank account or else I can't get disability benefits.

[Noel]

They won't let you.

[Ben]

You succeed. I know we get paid to serve you guys, but, like, be respectful.

[Maria Tremarke]

We're made out of the same things. Bone, body, blood.

[Maria Fernanda Diaz]

It's rare to have black male teachers.

[Noel]

Sometimes I am the lesson. And I'm also the testament.

[Maria Tremarke]

Listen to when you're invisible as part of the my Cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gabe Leonors]

Have you ever looked into the night sky and wondered who or what was flying around up there? We've seen planes, helicopters, hot air balloons, and birds. But what if there's something else, something much more ominous that appears under the COVID of night, Silent, unseen, watching. They may be right above your car late one night as you cruise down the road. Or look like mysterious lights hovering above your home. Drones. Or are they?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

We used the word drone because it.

[Ben]

Was comfortable to other people. One minute was there and one minute it wasn't. Oh, that is beyond creepy.

[Gabe Leonors]

Do you feel like this drone was targeting you specifically?

[Noel]

Yes. Absolutely.

[Ben]

Absolutely.

[Gabe Leonors]

Listen to obscurum Invasion of the Drones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Cameron Mitchell]

This is John Cameron Mitchell and my new fiction podcast series, Cancellation island stars Holly Hunter as Karen, a wellness influencer who launches a rehab for the recently canceled. In the future, we will all be canceled for 15 minutes. But don't worry, we'll take you from broke to woke or your money back. Cancellation Island's revolutionary rehab therapies like bad touch football, anti racism, spin class, and mandatory ayahuasca ceremonies are designed to force the council to confront their worst impulses. But everything starts to fall, fall apart when people start disappearing. Karen, where have you brought us Cancellation island, where a second chance might just be your last. Listen to Cancellation island on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Maria Fernanda Diaz]

Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here?

[Ben]

How? Go slower.

[Maria Fernanda Diaz]

From Blumhouse TV, iHeart podcasts, and Ember 20 comes an all new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. And Santi was gone. I've been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi and what's the way to find a missing person. Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously. Hmm. Pillow talk, the most unwelcome window into the human psyche. Follow our out of his element hero as he engages in a series of ill conceived investigative hookups. Mama always used to say, God gave me gumption in place of a gag reflex. And as I was about to learn, no amount of showering can wash your hands of a bad hookup.

[Noel]

Now take a big whiff, my bruh.

[Maria Fernanda Diaz]

Listen to the hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite show.

[Noel]

Well, speaking of making time, why don't we make a little time for some listener mail?

[Ben]

Yes, listener mail. I'm not gonna do that voice the whole time. But we do wanna say thank you to Aaron, who wrote to us on Facebook and said, wasn't there talk about you guys having some ridiculous history T shirts made? Is this actually in the works? And then while we were in the thread, I asked you if you were on ridiculous historians to suggest some cool T shirt ideas. And I'd like to. Nolan, I'd like to just laund a few of these. Did you see this?

[Noel]

No, I didn't. Surprise me.

[Ben]

All right, so Aaron says, didn't you guys throw out the idea for a squatched T shirt using sasquatch as a verb? I think that's a home run.

[Noel]

You got squatched, son.

[Ben]

Yeah. And then Oliver says, a bear with super dilated pupils holding a honey jar with skull and crossbones for hallucinogenic honey. And then all caps for sure. Napoleon getting attacked by rabbits.

[Noel]

I love all of these.

[Ben]

These are great. These. These folks are. You guys are knocking it out of the park. And then we've had people go through and list things that they thought were T shirt worthy, such as the West Point Eggnog Riot, the Gold Rush Egg War, Harvey Wiley's Poison Squad. The list goes on. So thank you to everybody who wrote in, and please feel free to jump on that thread and give us more of your suggestions.

[Noel]

Hashtag poison Squad.

[Ben]

Poison squad.

[Noel]

Okay, I got one here. Subject is. Yes, my ears are happy.

[Ben]

I know this one.

[Noel]

Yeah, yeah. So our buddy Jacob W. Had written to us previously to alert us to the fact that we mispronounced a word that particularly triggered him and sent him into a blind rage. But thankfully, he seems to have chilled out. Portmanteau. Pronounced correctly. And I know it was me. Ben, it was me. I said portmanteau. I don't know why I know how to pronounce it. I just got caught up in the moment.

[Ben]

You're beating yourself up, he says.

[Noel]

I don't know if it was my pedantry in the message it was I sent you all from your site or if there were more of us bothered by that little detail. Either way, it shows that you do listen. We do. And you're willing to change. We are sometimes admirable traits. My boys. That was my interjection to my boys. Keep up the good work.

[Ben]

Well, thank you so much for writing in. This concludes our listener mail, but not our show. Tune in for our next episode when we look at the vital role potatoes played in World War II. In the meantime, you can find us on Instagram, you can find us on Facebook, you can find us on Twitter. You can summon us at a crossroads at midnight. Say our names three times into an unlit mirror.

[Noel]

Other show.

[Ben]

No, I mean, that's how I get around.

[Noel]

Okay, cool. Yeah, you do. You, my man. And hey, we totally forgot to give our thankies on the last episode because we were so taken by Robert Evans's glorious extra credit segment. So there's really nothing we can do about the past. But we are now in the present, at which time I would like to thank. We would like to thank super producer Casey Pegram. Alex Williams, who composed our theme.

[Ben]

Our researchers, Eve's Jeffcoat and Christopher Haciotes as well, of course, as you. Thanks so much for tuning in, folks.

[Noel]

See you next time. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Ben]

Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarke.

[Noel]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together, we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarke]

Each season, we explore a new theme. From poisoners to art thieves.

[Noel]

We uncover the secrets of history's most interesting figures, from legal injustices to body snatching.

[Maria Tremarke]

And tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in cocktails and mocktails inspired by each story.

[Noel]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gabe Leonors]

What would you do if mysterious drones appeared over your hometown? I started asking questions. What do you remember happening on that night of December 16th?

[Maria Tremarke]

It actually rotated around our house, looking as if it was peering in each.

[Noel]

Window of our home.

[Gabe Leonors]

I'm Gabe Leonors from Imagine I Heart Podcasts and Lehners Entertainment. Listen to Obscurum in Invasion of the Drones wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

[Maria Tremarke]

Hey y'all. I'm Maria Fernanda Diaz. When youn're Invisible is my love letter to the working class people and immigrants who shaped me. Season 2 shares stories about community and being underestimated.

[Ben]

All the greatest changes have happened when a couple of people said this sucks, let's do something about it. We get paid to serve you, but.

[Maria Tremarke]

We'Re made out of the same things.

[Maria Fernanda Diaz]

It's rare to have black male teachers.

[Noel]

Sometimes I am the testament.

[Maria Tremarke]

Listen to when youn're Invisible on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Maria Fernanda Diaz]

Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

Ow.

[Ben]

Go slower.

[Maria Fernanda Diaz]

From Blumhouse TV, iHeart podcasts and Ember 20 comes an all new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. I've been been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi and what's the way to find a missing person. Sleep with everyone he knew? Obviously. Listen to the hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.