Reconnaissance Man | Vietnam Before the War
April 27, 2026
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36:25Now PlayingReconnaissance Man | Vietnam Before the War
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as posted by the channelCombat Story Special Episode: Reconnaissance Man, Episode 1, “Good Morning, Vietnam.”
Before Vietnam became the war America remembers, James Lyle Steele was already in it.
He was part of the original generation of Marine reconnaissance men, operating at the leading edge of a conflict that was still taking shape and already turning brutal. Poisoned bamboo. Booby traps. Hidden tunnels. Ambushes. Helicopter assaults. Men blown apart. The kind of war that did not care how prepared you thought you were.
This episode is not a broad history of Vietnam. It is a firsthand account from a man who saw the war before most Americans even understood it had begun. Steele takes you into the uncertainty, the ingenuity of the enemy, and the constant reality that one wrong step could be your last.
Created by investigative journalist Ashly McGlone in collaboration with the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation (MRF), and visually brought to life by Combat Story, Reconnaissance Man is a nine-part limited series following Steele’s extraordinary 30-year military career through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond.
🎙️ Guest — James Lyle Steele
James Lyle Steele is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel whose 30-year career carried him through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. A member of the original generation of Marine reconnaissance men, Steele’s story offers a rare firsthand look at war, survival, and service across decades of American military history.
Ashly McGlone is an investigative journalist and the creator of Reconnaissance Man. As Steele’s granddaughter, she pairs reporting, narration, and historical context with family connection to bring his extraordinary story to life with depth and care.
🔗 Find Reconnaissance Man and Ashly McGlone Online:
🎙️ Host — AJ Pasciuti
AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat.
🔗 Find AJ Online:
📕 Book (Darkhorse)
🎧 Featured Combat Story Episodes with AJ
👉 Combat Story Podcast — Part 1 (USMC Sniper & Force Recon)
Battle of Fallujah | Shooting w/ Chris Kyle | American Sniper | AJ Pasciuti
👉 Combat Story Podcast — Part 2 (Sniper vs. Sniper Battle)
Killing the Enemy’s Most Lethal Sniper | Force Recon | AJ Pasciuti
🔔 Watch. Listen. Follow
If you value real stories and honest perspectives from those who lived it, follow Combat Story wherever you get your podcasts.
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