Chapter 51: The Oryx

Gregory Heitmann reflects on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, then shares a detailed chapter from The Colonel and the Kid memoir about a 2019 oryx hunt on White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The episode blends personal remembrance, hunting logistics, military history, and family legacy, all centered on a story he wishes he could have told his grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel Edwin P. Hagen Jr.

In this episode, Gregory Heitmann opens with the purpose of the podcast: preserving his grandfather's memory and the lessons passed between them. He then reads Chapter 51, describing the challenge of tracking a broken-horn oryx across a restricted missile range, the tension of making the shot, and the scramble to load the animal before the gate closes. He closes with reflections on the hunt, a Minnesota Twins update, NFL no ...