{"podcast":{"title":"Veterans Chronicles","slug":"veterans-chronicles-608161","podcast_index_feed_id":608161,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/2980518/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/veterans-chronicles","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/e41bccc94ca5a4c02e6c6a01a32a9ba7.jpg","author":"Radio America","episode_count":550,"summary":"Veterans Chronicles brings America’s military heroes to life through raw, first-person stories. Veterans recount the battles and moments that shaped their lives, from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan. Powerful, personal, and deeply human, Veterans Chronicles preserves history one voice at a time. Learn more about Veterans Chronicles https://heliosmedia.us/veterans-chronicles/","last_synced_at":"2026-07-23T00:18:34.826964+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/veterans-chronicles-608161"},"episode":{"title":"LCDR Kaj Larsen, U.S. Navy, SEAL Training, War on Terrorism","slug":"lcdr-kaj-larsen-u-s-navy-seal-training-war-on-terrorism","published_at":"2026-07-08T11:00:03+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/veterans-chronicles-608161/lcdr-kaj-larsen-u-s-navy-seal-training-war-on-terrorism","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/veterans-chronicles-608161","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/lcdr-kaj-larsen-u-s-navy-seal-training-war-on-terrorism--72709231","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72709231/20260708_kaj_larsen_final.mp3","summary":"Kaj Larsen did not follow the typical route to becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL. He was admitted to the U.S. Naval Academy but left after two years to focus on playing water polo at the collegiate level. A few years later he enlisted in the Navy and immediately tried to get a slot in Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/s) training in Coronado, California. Those billets are not usually given to men who left Annapolis but Larsen managed to snag one after his lifeguarding skills made headlines. In this edition of Veterans Chronicles , Larsen explains his path to becoming a SEAL officer in more detail, his thoughts upon arriving at Coronado, and how the incredible intensity of the training started during the first hour of the very first day. Larsen also details the agony of \"Hell Week,\" his most difficult moments during BUD/s, and what the seemingly ruthless instructors are trying to achieve through their relentless demands. Larsen also tells us what it was like being in the middle of this training when the 9/11 terrorist attacks struck the U.S. Finally, Larsen reveals what his first combat experience was like and how SEAL gear and tactics have evolved since his time in combat as a result of new technologies and adapting to the tactics of our enemies.","meta_description":"Kaj Larsen did not follow the typical route to becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL. He was admitted to the U.S. Naval Academy but left after two years to focus on p…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2097,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/veterans-chronicles-608161/episodes/lcdr-kaj-larsen-u-s-navy-seal-training-war-on-terrorism/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/veterans-chronicles-608161/lcdr-kaj-larsen-u-s-navy-seal-training-war-on-terrorism.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}