Combat Leadership and Cold Truths with Major General (Ret) William M. Matz

·1 hr 4 min·5 clips

A retired Major General explains how overcoming childhood polio became his toughest battle, driving his entire military journey.

Host Rad introduces retired Major General William M. Matz, highlighting his extensive military career and current role as former secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission. Matz explains that his book 'My Toughest Battle' originated from notes he wanted to leave for his grandsons, detailing his lifelong struggle with polio contracted at age six in 1944. He describes how doctors said he'd never walk without a brace, but his father insisted he discard it, a pivotal moment in his recovery. Matz discusses enlisting via ROTC despite polio being a disqualifier, relying on a neurosurgeon's reluctant approval. He shares experiences from Ranger training, where a buddy carried him during a night reconnaissance, emphasizing camaraderie. Matz served in the 82nd Airborne during the Cuban Missile Crisis and commanded a rifle company in the Mekong Delta during Vietnam's Tet Offensive. He details the harsh conditions of Delta warfare, including trudging through water, fungal diseases, and booby traps. The conversation covers his involvement in Operation Just Cause in Panama, working under Secretaries of Defense Weinberger and Carlucci, and his views on military transitions across presidential administrations. Matz introduces the concept of 'Kit Carson Scouts' (Hoi Chánh), former VC fighters who aided U.S. units. He reflects on hiding his polio-induced limp throughout his career and now managing post-polio syndrome. The episode concludes with Matz contrasting the accountability of his upbringing with modern culture and encouraging youth to serve.

As heard by us

A veteran-centered conversation about leadership, Vietnam, military technology, and the media's influence on public opinion.

Rad's conversation with a retired major general moves from military leadership and Vietnam service into the way war reaches civilians through television and public debate.

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Why you'd press play

If you want Vietnam, command, and leadership heard through a veteran's own hard-won lens, press play.

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