Episode 34: Lew Bottando, ”Lucky” Vietnam Veteran With Three Purple Hearts

Lew Bottando describes himself as lucky. He has been married 50 years to his high school sweetheart, and retired from a long career in the Chicago Fire Department as a battalion chief. His luck began, however, before all of that: he came home alive from the jungles of Vietnam after earning two Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts. In this episode, Lew takes us back in time to those jungles an ocean away, using language that is evocative, graphic, and at times shocking. There's also an epilogue to his story for which you must stay tuned.