Beyond the Call: Private First Class Clarence Byrle Craft at Hen Hill, Okinawa, 1945 follows a young rifleman’s one-man assault that helped crack a key Japanese strongpoint during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II, placing listeners on the muddy slope as he charges through machine-gun fire, grenades, and a deadly cave stronghold. This episode weaves the larger context of the Pacific campaign with a ground-level view of Craft’s decisions, courage, and responsibility for his fellow soldiers. It reflects on what his actions reveal about leadership, moral courage, and service beyond the battlefield. Beyond the Call is the Monday feature of Dispatch: U.S. Military History Magazine, and the podcast is developed by Trackpads dot com.

Beyond the Call is a narrative podcast that brings Medal of Honor stories to life, one battlefield at a time. Each episode focuses on a single recipient, weaving together their personal background, the historical stakes of the fight, and a clear, gripping account of what happened in those crucial minutes when everything was on the line. You’ll hear how ordinary Americans found themselves in extraordinary circumstances, what they saw, what they decided, and how their actions changed the course of battles and saved lives. The goal is simple: make these citations more than words on a page by restoring the context, the terrain, and the human beings behind them.

This podcast is designed for listeners who are curious about military history but don’t need a staff ride or a doctrine manual to stay engaged. We keep the storytelling accessible but accurate, connecting leadership, ethics, and decision-making under fire to lessons that still matter today. Whether you’re a veteran, a student of history, or someone who just appreciates stories of courage and character, Beyond the Call invites you to slow down, listen closely, and spend time with these remarkable lives. Subscribe, share an episode with a friend, and come back each week as a new Medal of Honor story steps out of the footnote and into the foreground.

This episode of “Beyond the Call: Medal of Honor Stories” tells the story of Corporal Henry F. Warner, a 21-year-old antitank gunner whose courage on a frozen Belgian hillside helped halt a German armored thrust during the Battle of the Bulge. Near the village of Dom Bütgenbach in December 1944, Warner and his 57mm antitank gun faced repeated attacks from German tanks and infantry. Wounded, under intense fire, and eventually alone at his gun, he refused to abandon his position, destroying or disabling multiple enemy tanks and helping to save his battalion’s line.

Across this episode, we walk through Warner’s life, the wider context of the Ardennes offensive, and a step-by-step breakdown of his Medal of Honor actions. You’ll hear how one junior NCO’s training, discipline, and resolve under fire shaped a critical moment in World War II, and what his story still offers modern leaders and listeners today. If you care about military history, battlefield leadership, or the human dimension of valor, this is an episode you will not want to miss.