A US soldier's amazing tale from the waning days of World War One is the centerpiece for The World's Veteran's Day edition. More on that in a minute.
First, though, to another veterans-related story. We will speak with Hector Barajas, who was born in Mexico but served in the US military in hopes of gaining American citizenship. Hector, however, ended up being deported back to Mexico after his service. Among other things, he lost his medical benefits. Now, a movement is afoot to ensure deported veterans get those benefits, no matter what their crime may have been.
We'll also have the second report in our Young Lebanon series. Today reporter Ari Daniel tells us about Ahmad. He's a ten-year-old who lives a hardscrabble life in Beirut, but is getting help from a local NGO. Not food aid, or help with school supplies. Instead they're giving him basketball equipment.
Now back to that soldier's story. Frank Burke served as a private in the US Army during World War I. He was posted to Belgium, right along a stretch of the front called the Hindenburg Line. Near the end of the war, he undertook a dangerous mission. And only now are the details of his service coming to light. One of our audio engineers, Jane Pipik, is Burke's grandniece. She tells us about her family's recent journey to Belgium to learn more about him and his service.