Beyond the Call: Staff Sergeant Ysmael Reyes Villegas at Villa Verde Trail, 1945

Beyond the Call: Staff Sergeant Ysmael Reyes Villegas at Villa Verde Trail, 1945 follows a young squad leader in the 32nd Infantry Division as he leads a lone assault against interlocking Japanese foxholes during the brutal Luzon campaign of World War II, breaking a deadly strongpoint at the cost of his life. Listeners hear a ground-level narrative of that climb under fire, the wider struggle along the Villa Verde Trail, and a reflection on how his courage, responsibility, and care for his men shaped the outcome for his unit. Beyond the Call is the Monday feature of Dispatch: U.S. Military History Magazine, and the podcast is developed by Trackpads.com.