Advertise on podcast: Post One: True stories from Marine Embassy Guards

In April 1975, as South Vietnam collapsed, the Marines at the U.S. Consulate in Can Tho faced a mission no one had trained for: evacuating by boat. Retired Colonel Steven Hasty — the only Marine to have served as an enlisted watch stander, detachment commander, and later as the Commanding Officer of the MSG Battalion — recounts how he and his MSGs, alongside Consul General Francis Terry McNamara, led nearly 300 people down the Bissau River to freedom. In this first of a two-part series, Colonel Hasty takes us inside those final days — from life as a detachment commander in a war-torn city, to the chaos of planning an evacuation without helicopters, and the remarkable boat journey that carried them to safety.

On June 19, 1985, gunmen disguised as Salvadoran soldiers opened fire in a crowded restaurant district of San Salvador targeting U.S. Marines. In minutes, twelve people were dead, including four Marine Security Guards—the deadliest attack in MSG history. In this episode, we hear from Anton Koszuth, a Marine Security Guard who survived that night. Anton recounts the chaos of the ambush, the split-second decisions he made to move civilians to safety, and the stark reality of relying only on a hand-held radio to call Post One. He reflects on the bonds between Marines, the weight of losing friends in an instant, and how the experience has shaped his life ever since.

Dr. Greg Matos shares his harrowing experience as a Marine Embassy Guard during a terrorist attack on the American consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2004. He discusses the events leading up to the attack, the decisions he had to make under extreme pressure, and the long-term impact of that day on his life and career. The conversation also touches on the importance of communication and relationships within the Marine Corps, the challenges of mental health support for veterans, and the evolving role of Marine Security Guards. gregmatos.com Instagram: @drgregmatos Dr. Greg Matos on Facebook

Former Marine Security Guard and former Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent Matthew Kearse joins the show to explain why he believes MSG duty is the best in the military. He shares a wild story of a detachment commander being subdued by two RSOs, breaks down the often-complicated relationship between RSOs and the Marines and explains what happens when that trust collapses. Matt also reflects on why many Marines struggle on MSG duty and how he successfully transitioned from the Marine Corps to the State Department.

Former Marine Security Guard Daniel Briehl recounts his firsthand experience during the August 7, 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. He describes surviving the blast, falling down an elevator shaft, leaving the hospital, and hitchhiking back to the embassy to continue helping in the aftermath. The episode captures the realities of pre-9/11 embassy security, the loss of a fellow Marine, and how the attack permanently shaped his understanding of duty and the Marine Security Guard mission.