Author: sothereiwas

This week, we flip the script—Fig and RePete aren’t hosting, we’re the guests on The Flying Dutchman Show. Dutch dives into the stories, chaos, and camaraderie that define life as a Marine Harrier pilot, pulling out unforgettable tales from our years in the cockpit. From flight school struggles and first carrier landings to NATOPS checkride drama and mid-air close calls, no part of Marine aviation is off limits. You’ll hear […]

So there he was…35 feet above the water, at night, trying to airlift survivors. What happens next involves a suitcase, a shrug, and one hell of a throw. Join So There I Was as Coast Guard helo pilot “Sticks” returns to recount harrowing rescues during the Texas floods—where flying into chaos is just another Tuesday. From medevacs that look more like belly-flop contests to triaging 170 people solo in rising […]

From screw-up recruit to revered drill instructor, First Sergeant John Crouch takes us deep into the crucible of Marine Corps transformation. In this gripping episode, Crouch recalls his early days at bootcamp, his infamous misstep during the Laws of Land Warfare class, and the brutal but formative experience of Drill Instructor School at Parris Island. He shares harrowing tales of PT punishment, spit-shined leadership, and the unwavering standards that mold […]

So there I was… with $174 in loose change, one Garande rifle, and a sandpit full of regret. In this unforgettable episode, retired Marine First Sergeant John Crouch returns to So There I Was to share a story so absurd, it should be fiction—but it’s 100% real! From psychological stress at Officer Candidate School to creative punishments involving unsecured wallets and rifles. And you’ll hear how a Medal of Honor […]

We’re honored to be joined by retired USCG Chief Claude Morrissey—a veteran rescue swimmer with decades of gripping search and rescue tales. From cliffside hoists in Kodiak to extracting F-18 pilots from the Atlantic, Claude brings raw stories, grit, humor, and humility. He shares what it takes to make it through the brutal Rescue Swimmer A-School, the harrowing rescues that shaped his career, and what it’s like to fly missions […]

Stealth takes us straight into the Cold War cockpit on a Navy E-2 Hawkeye as he stood the watch during some of America’s most tense moments. From scrambling on alert after Reagan was shot, to deploying over the North Atlantic in DEFCON 2, to narrowly avoiding catastrophe when a ‘friendly’ dropped a bomb on a U.S. cruiser—this episode is packed with edge-of-your-seat stories. Stealth shares what it was like controlling […]

🎙️ No New Episode This Week – But Wait… It’s a Good Thing! 🎙️ Last week’s So There I Was with Dos Gringos clocked in at over 2 hours and 15 minutes — a wild ride packed with laughs, songs, and unforgettable stories. Add in some tech gremlins this week, and we figured: let’s give you a little more time to soak it all in. If you haven’t heard it […]

She’s five feet tall and larger than life! She once grounded an entire A&P school’s ego. Meet Mary Latimer — a pilot, mechanic, controller, examiner, and walking aviation pioneer. In this episode, she narrowly avoids lawn-darting a Cessna 172 from 5,000 feet with no elevator control using trim like a Jedi, and managed a mag failure mid-checkride. She once told an Air Traffic Control manager she was only going to […]

Ben Densley joins So There I Was to share his extraordinary journey—opening with a terrifying incident during a night parachute jump on to becoming a Green Beret, then a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He recalls intense special forces training, covert operations in Laos, and flying for Air America in combat zones. Ben speaks candidly about the dangers he faced, the emotional toll of war, and the resilience needed to navigate […]