The Unforgotten — Season 3: Finding Dolores Wulff

Episode 4: Uncle Slick (August 25, 2025)

Brief Overview

This episode is a deep portrait of Matthew “Slick” Rocha—veteran, protector, and uncle—whose life, hardened by war and loss, shaped the fate of his nephews after their mother, Dolores Wulff, disappeared in 1979. The episode explores Slick’s dark wartime past, his moral dilemmas post-war, and how he became a healing, stabilizing force for Paul and Tom Wolf when their world fell apart. The story moves between intimate family memories and Slick’s extraordinary (and haunting) military experiences, revealing how trauma can define but not destroy someone’s capacity to protect and nurture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Slick’s Immediate Reaction to Dolores’ Disappearance (00:05 - 02:18)

• When his sister vanished, Slick was ready to extract the truth from Carl Wulff, even considering violence ("plan B") to get answers.
  • Quote (01:06, Matthew 'Slick' Rocha):
    “I was going to take him up to the hills west of here, tie him to a tree, and before doing that, I was going to dig a grave and I was going to put a gun to his head... I assumed that he would choose the first one. Not wanting to have his head blown off.”
• Family convinced Slick not to act on plan B, reminding him of raising Dolores’ children if results turned fatal.
  • Quote (02:02):
    “They all came to me... if you kill him, you’ll go to jail—you gotta raise Dolores’ kids. That’s why plan B never transpired. Look, was for the best.”

The Wolf Brothers in the Aftermath (03:17 - 08:37)

• Paul and Tom Wolf, devastated after their mother’s disappearance, lost both parents in effect—living under a cloud of tragedy and public scrutiny.
  • Quote (03:59, Matt Rocha Jr.):
    “You can tell people are talking around you... kids just not having a filter... my parents don’t want me to hang out with you. They don’t know what you’re like and your family situation.”
• Living with Uncle Slick offered structure, support, and familiarly wild, rural fun—sports, chores, and a “farm Disneyland”—alongside their Rocha cousins.
  • Quote (05:39, Matt Rocha Jr.):
    “It was like some type of farm Disneyland... hiding on other people’s property... city kids would be scared shitless to go into the barn, which was dark at night.”
• Underlying pain and trauma often emerged during minor conflicts.
  • Quote (06:17):
    “Paul... was always very stoic... in the times when he’d get a beat down... he was letting out all the angst and pain that he had in a different way.”
• Tom's emotions ran closer to the surface; at one point, he contemplated violence against his father.
  • Quote (07:01):
    “One time Tom snapped... took off in his truck with one of the guns... he was going to shoot his dad.”

Slick as Protector and Mentor (09:30 - 13:38)

• Slick made a pact with Dolores: if anything happened, each would look after the other's kids. He took the promise seriously, giving Tom and Paul security and unconditional support.
• Sports and mentorship through coaching were central parts of their healing; Slick’s example inspired Paul to a high-level football coaching career.
  • Quote (11:35, Matt Rocha Jr.):
    “The most impressive man I’ve ever met... his selflessness is off the chart.”
• The origin of the nickname “Slick” related to a family joke, not his military past. Slick gave everyone nicknames, including his children and nephews.
  • Quote (13:06, Matthew 'Slick' Rocha):
    “I’m great with nicknames. I coached, who knows, 5,000 kids and I had a nickname for every one of them, including my own kids...”

Meeting Slick: The Man Behind the Reputation (13:54 - 16:15)

• The hosts visit Slick, an 82-year-old living alone, hard of hearing, and marked by decades-old habits and sacrifice. Despite his age and frailty, both are struck by his presence and storytelling power ("we were immediately transfixed").

Slick’s Harrowing Military Career (16:15 - 32:57)

Training and Early Army Life

• Enlisted in 1956, became a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne, enduring brutal training and selection.
  • Quote (17:05, Slick):
    “You volunteer for that, but you can quit at any time... They’re always asking you, you want to quit, you want to quit... I was a stubborn sector. That’s like my old man. They gonna make me quit.”

Protecting the Little Rock Nine (19:36 - 24:45)

• Slick’s first mission after training: protecting Elizabeth Eckford (one of the Little Rock Nine) and more—personally escorting her into newly desegregated Central High.
  • Quote (22:07, Slick):
    “I was assigned one girl, driving a jeep to pick her up, bring her back, go to class with her, make sure nobody picked on her...”
  • Quote (23:01, Slick):
    “What do they say? You ain’t taking that [rifle] to school... I kicked a round out... I said, ‘the next one is gonna go right between your eyes.’”
  • Elizabeth Eckford, in her book, credits the soldiers:
    “The 101st Airborne soldiers protected us in a way no one else could. They were fearless, strong and prepared for anything... it felt like we were headed to war.” (24:14)

Vietnam: Covert Missions and Moral Cost (24:45 - 32:57)

• Slick performed covert assassinations, sabotage, and survival missions—often alone—carrying only a knife, wire, explosives, and minimal supplies.
  • Quote (25:31, Slick):
    “CIA had found an encampment... I’d free fall... dig a hole, bury my parachute. Then you go in there and... you killed the high ranking guy [with a knife].”
• Describes executing a Mafia-connected psychopath for killing civilians.
  • Quote (28:05, Slick):
    “I told him, you do that again, I’ll kill you... [After repeated killings,] I jumped down, had my jump knife. I cut his belly open. From belly to brisket.”
• On escaping near-certain death:
  • Quote (30:32, Slick):
    “They cleared that ridge, and the Phantoms got napalm... I ran by them. There wasn’t even one guy that shot at me. They saved my butt.”
• Deep conflict and guilt set in, years after honorable discharge.
  • Quote (32:11, Slick):
    “After I got out... the guys I killed start dawning on me. They had wives, they had kids. And then I started feeling terrible. ... If I’d have felt that way to begin with, I’d have never volunteered.”

Re-integration and Emotional Unburdening (33:22 - 39:39)

• Slick rarely shared his experiences until watching the film Platoon with his sons in the late ‘80s—a moment that broke his emotional dam.
  • Quote (35:15, Matt Rocha Jr.):
    “He started crying. And then he told me... he was in Vietnam. ... and he started telling me about what happened while he was there.”
• Admitted to pushing himself into a “zombie” state during and after combat.
  • Quote (39:12, Matt Rocha Jr. about Slick):
    “From now on, it sort of took the emotion out of everything. And he just became sort of a zombie... just went about what he had to do...”

Slick’s Legacy—Strength through Suffering (39:39 - 49:10)

• Slick’s trauma forged a rare, tranquil resilience—enabling him to be a calming, non-reactive force as an adult, father, and mentor.
  • Quote (39:53, Matt Rocha Jr.):
    “He was super mellow because he had seen the worst, so nothing was worth getting worked up about.”
• His impact was foundational: inspiring Paul’s coaching career, keeping family bonds alive, and breaking cycles of violence despite his past.
• The hosts reflect on the extraordinary contrast between Slick’s past and what he built afterward:
  • Quote (45:40, Adam Rittenberg):
    “The man that Slick became is the one who influenced and impacted them, not the person he was when he got back from Vietnam.”
• The ultimate restraint: choosing caregiving over vengeance against Carl Wolf, keeping his promise to Dolores over revenge.
  • Quote (49:10, Matt Rocha Jr.):
    “He was obviously the glue for not only his own family, but our family and so many other people, and just an unbelievable human, just in every which way.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 01:06 | Matthew 'Slick' Rocha | “I was going to take him up to the hills west of here, tie him to a tree... you got two choices, Wolf. You can tell me or the police tomorrow where she’s at or I can blow your head off.” | | 06:17 | Matt Rocha Jr. | “He never showed a lot of emotion. But then... he was letting out all the angst and pain that he had in a different way.” | | 11:35 | Matt Rocha Jr. | “The most impressive man I’ve ever met... his selflessness is off the chart.” | | 17:05 | Matthew 'Slick' Rocha | “They’re always asking you, you want to quit, you want to quit... I was a stubborn sector. That’s like my old man. They gonna make me quit.” | | 22:07 | Matthew 'Slick' Rocha | “I was assigned one girl... drive her to class, make sure nobody picked on her...” | | 23:01 | Matthew 'Slick' Rocha | “I said, ‘the next one is gonna go right between your eyes.’ They got off the sidewalk and I would, I would have killed them if they got violent, physical.” | | 32:11 | Matthew 'Slick' Rocha | “The guys I killed start dawning on me. They had wives, they had kids. And then I started feeling terrible.” | | 35:15 | Matt Rocha Jr. | “He started crying. And then he told me... he was in Vietnam. ... and he started telling me about what happened while he was there.” | | 39:53 | Matt Rocha Jr. | “He was super mellow because he had seen the worst, so nothing was worth getting worked up about.” | | 45:40 | Adam Rittenberg | “The man that Slick became is the one who influenced and impacted them, not the person he was when he got back from Vietnam.” |

Important Segments and Timestamps

• Slick’s Plan B / Family Intervention: (00:05 – 02:18)
• Wolf Brothers’ Upheaval and Adjustment: (03:17 – 08:37)
• Slick’s Influence and Nicknames: (09:30 – 13:38)
• Visiting Slick—First Impression: (13:54 – 16:15)
• Paratrooper Training & Little Rock Nine: (16:15 – 24:45)
• Vietnam: Covert Missions, Trauma, and Guilt: (24:45 – 32:57)
• Military Experiences Emerge After Decades: (33:22 – 39:39)
• Reflections on Slick’s Resilience and Legacy: (39:39 – 49:10)

Tone and Atmosphere

• The episode is unsparing, honest, and matter-of-fact—mirroring Slick’s own demeanor.
• There’s deep admiration but no hero worship. The tone is reflective, sometimes tense, but ultimately warm and life-affirming, steeped in the challenge of making peace with a violent past.
• The hosts express awe at Slick's character and the full spectrum of his lived experience—from potential avenger to steadfast (if wounded) family patriarch.

Summary Flow

Listeners are led from the edge of family vengeance through the struggle for day-to-day normalcy, and then into the heart of American history as lived by one man whose scars shaped but did not define him. The episode offers no illusions about trauma, but refuses to let darkness have the last word: Slick’s choice not to repeat the violence of his past became the foundation for the Wolf brothers’ survival and future.

Next Episode Preview:
The long-stalled investigation against Carl Wolf revives, as family persistence begins to pay off.