PODCAST · history
Our WWII Dad
by Chris and Ken Cangilla
Our WWII Dad follows brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla as they uncover the untold WWII story of their father, PFC Louis Cangilla — from Pittsburgh to the battlefields of Europe, including Aachen and the Battle of the Bulge. Through cinematic storytelling, battlefield visits, family memories, veteran interviews, and conversations with other WWII families, the series preserves the voices and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation before they are lost to history. Hosted by Emmy® winner Chris Cangilla and his brother Ken. Real WWII stories, family legacies, and discoveries that bring history to life.
Episodes
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Before We Knew the Whole Story | Our WWII Dad on The American Veteran Show
Before they knew the whole story, they were already searching for answers. In August 2023, Chris Cangilla, his brother Ken, and their mother Pat joined host Steffan Tubbs on The American Veteran Show to talk about Our WWII Dad and their journey to uncover the World War II story of their father,...
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Why Our WWII Fathers Never Told Their Stories | Howard Mansfield
Why did so many World War II veterans come home and rarely talk about what they experienced? In Episode 16 of Our WWII Dad, author Howard Mansfield joins Chris and Ken Cangilla to explore that silence through the remarkable story of his father, Pincus Mansfield, a WWII veteran whose wartime...
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He Flew Into Pearl Harbor… And Americans Opened Fire
On December 7, 1941… he flew straight into Pearl Harbor—unaware the attack had already begun. As his SBD Dauntless approached Oahu from the USS Enterprise, American anti-aircraft crews—overwhelmed and under attack—mistook him for the enemy and opened fire. He survived. And months later, he would...
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Before Their WWII Stories Are Gone… We Have to Remember
Before their stories are gone… we have to remember. 👉 This is Episode 14 of the Our WWII Dad series — a special Veterans Day episode reflecting on the people, memories, and moments that continue to shape us. What started as one story—our dad’s—has become something much bigger. Through the voices...
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He Walked Where Easy Company Fought…What He Was Told Changed Everything
What would it feel like to walk the exact path of Easy Company across Europe? 👉 This is Episode 13 of the Our WWII Dad series. In this episode, Chris and Ken Cangilla sit down with John Healy—an Ireland native who traveled across Europe with his son on the official Band of Brothers tour…
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WWII Changed Him Forever… Then He Changed Hollywood
Some soldiers come home from war carrying memories they can never escape. At just 19 years old, Frank Pierson was leading patrols behind enemy lines in New Guinea during World War II. One mission would change him forever. Years later, he would become one of Hollywood’s most influential...
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We Found Our Dad at the WWII Museum
We didn’t expect to find him there. During a visit to the National WWII Museum, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla discovered something deeply personal — a prayer card nearly identical to the one their father carried during World War II. But that was only the beginning. In this episode of Our WWII...
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The Doctor Who Treated a Malmedy Massacre Survivor
He survived one of the most infamous massacres of World War II. In this episode of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla continue the story of Dr. Raymond Minge of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) — and the moment he treated a survivor of the Malmedy Massacre during the Battle of…
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His Replacement Was Killed — So He Stayed
He was supposed to leave the war. Dr. Raymond Minge, a medic with the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate), had been scheduled for transfer to a larger medical facility during World War II. But when the doctor sent to replace him — Captain Gordon F. Fischer — was killed shortly after arriving,...
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Japan Attacked California During WWII
Most Americans know about Pearl Harbor — but few realize Japan also attacked the U.S. mainland during World War II. In this chapter of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla uncover the hidden story of wartime California, including the Japanese submarine attack on the Elwood Oil Fields…
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Mistaken for the Enemy — Inside the 99th
During the Battle of the Bulge, fear and confusion spread across Allied lines as German soldiers disguised themselves as Americans during a covert mission known as Operation Greif. For the men of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) — a largely Norwegian-American unit with strong accents and an...
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They Didn’t Have to Serve — But They Did
Some of the men and women who served during World War II never had to go to war at all — but they chose to serve anyway. In this powerful chapter of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla expand beyond their father’s story to honor other WWII veterans and families whose sacrifices helped...
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The Story So Far: A Father’s WWII Journey
This is the story that started it all. In this special presentation of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla bring together the most powerful moments from the first chapters of their father’s World War II journey — from his early days in the Army and the Battle of the Bulge to the...
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He Brought This Home. We Found His Story.
Everything they needed to understand their father’s World War II story had been sitting in a duffel bag for decades. In this emotional chapter of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla conclude their father’s wartime journey by uncovering how the items he carried home from Europe —…
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The WWII Prayer Card That Changed Everything
It looked like a simple prayer card — until it unlocked their father’s journey through World War II. In this chapter of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla uncover how a small 1945 prayer card marked by their father became the key to tracing his exact movements across Europe during the...
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We Found Where He Was in the Battle of the Bulge
What if you could stand in the exact place your father stood during the Battle of the Bulge? In this chapter of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla retrace their father’s footsteps across Belgium during one of World War II’s most brutal battles — leading to a powerful discovery in…
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He Didn’t Belong There: A WWII Replacement Soldier’s Story
He was young, undersized, and completely new to the unit. In this chapter of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla follow their father’s journey as a World War II replacement soldier sent into the elite 99th Infantry Battalion — a Norwegian American unit he had never trained with and...
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She Was 12 — He Was 18: Two Lives During WWII
She was 12 years old when World War II began. He was 18 when he left home to serve. In this opening chapter of Our WWII Dad, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla explore how the war changed both of their parents’ lives forever — one from the American homefront, the other from the road to Europe and...
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Start Here: Why We Had to Tell Our Dad’s WWII Story
New to Our WWII Dad? Start here. Before uncovering their father’s World War II story, brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla set out to answer a question they had carried for years: what did their dad truly experience during the war — and why did those experiences still echo through their family decades...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Our WWII Dad follows brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla as they uncover the untold WWII story of their father, PFC Louis Cangilla — from Pittsburgh to the battlefields of Europe, including Aachen and the Battle of the Bulge. Through cinematic storytelling, battlefield visits, family memories, veteran interviews, and conversations with other WWII families, the series preserves the voices and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation before they are lost to history. Hosted by Emmy® winner Chris Cangilla and his brother Ken. Real WWII stories, family legacies, and discoveries that bring history to life.
HOSTED BY
Chris and Ken Cangilla
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Our WWII Dad have?
Our WWII Dad currently has 19 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Our WWII Dad about?
Our WWII Dad follows brothers Chris and Ken Cangilla as they uncover the untold WWII story of their father, PFC Louis Cangilla — from Pittsburgh to the battlefields of Europe, including Aachen and the Battle of the Bulge. Through cinematic storytelling, battlefield visits, family memories, veteran...
How often does Our WWII Dad release new episodes?
Our WWII Dad has 19 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Our WWII Dad?
You can listen to Our WWII Dad on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Our WWII Dad?
Our WWII Dad is created and hosted by Chris and Ken Cangilla.
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