VIPs and Exclusives

AWH 2008

AWH producer, John Lu, recalled seeing a black and white photograph of a Tiger Stripe clayed Green Beret with bandage on his head, a CAR-15 in his hand, and the 1000-year stare in his eyes; at the time Lu thought that picture embodied the word "tough". Years later Lu would call the Green Beret in that photo a dear family friend.

Col. Paul Longgrear earned his Silver Star medal for his bravery during the battle of Lang Vei noted in books such as "Night of the Silver Stars" and "Tanks In The Wire".

AWH 2007

Sgt. Kenn Miller served three tours with the LRRP unit in Vietnam and holds the title for most combat patrols as a LRRP man in Vietnam. Author of the award-winning "Tiger the LuRP Dog" and "Six Silent Men" book II, Sgt. Miller is AWH's very first Vietnam era Spec.Op. figure.

Ranger Todd Blackburn was made famous by his fall from the Black Hawk during the Oct. 1993 Somalia mission (Black Hawk Down) when his chopper took a hit as he prepared to repel. Shown here in his period shot and a photo taken with Ranger MSG Howard "Mad Max" Mullen at Operation IRENE in 2008, Todd's figure will be released in the near future.

AWH 2006

Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester of the 187^th Military Police Company, Kentucky Army National Guard, bravely assaulted a group of insurgents who ambushed a transport column escorted by her unit while in Iraq. Sgt. Hester became the first woman to earn the Silver Star medal in combat.

Maj. Alfred Rascon earned the Congressional Medal of Honor while serving as a combat medic with the 173^rd Airborne in Vietnam.

AWH 2005

Ranger MSG (ret) Howard "Mad Max" Mullen, Ranger Col. (ret) Danny McKnight, Mrs. Theresa Cunningham, Mr. Tony Chin of Merit International, and Ranger Capt. Nathan Self at AWH 2005.

Featured in the 2005 exclusive twin pack was late US Air Force Senior Airman (Pararescue Jumper) Jason Cunningham alongside the mission, Operation Anaconda, leader, Ranger Captain Nathan Self. PJ Cunningham was badly wounded during the operation yet continues to work on injured soldiers until he succumbed to his own injuries.

Former German paratrooper Gunther Meyer fought gallantly against the Russians during the bloody battle of Zeelow Heights and subsequently the defense of Berlin. Gunther is a decorated paratrooper and an accomplish concert pianist.

Shown here autographing the convention twin pack (of himself and a Russian adversary) and surrounded by WWII re-enactors, Gunther Meyer was a rare treat to WWII enthusiasts.

AWH 2004

Featured in "Airborne versus Airborne at Anzio" twin pack is Congressional Medal of Honor nominee Mr. James "Maggie" Megellas. Mr. Megellas is also the author of "All The Way to Berlin". Lt. Megellas fought gallantly from the bloody beach landing in Anzio, Italy, all the way to Berlin!

Featured in "Stalingrad Stand Off" twin pack are Austrian Prince Alfred von Habsburg-Hohenberg (right) and Russian Col. Anatoly Kozlov (left). The two fought against each other in Stalingrad and met for the first time in person as AWH 04. (Show producer John Lu, center).

Prince von Habsurg-Hohenberg assisted 200+ Jews escape to Switzerland through a work project and was imprisoned by Hitler for his action but later freed to fight in the Panzer Army till the war's end.

AWH 2003

Easy Company Medic Ed Pepping, 506^th PR, 101st Airborne, Normandy, is featured in "Airborne Rivals" twin pack. Medic Pepping was injured during the Normandy jump but fought on to help to fellow paratroopers and was credited for pulling an injured US tanker commander out of a burning tank.

Featured in "Brothers in Arms" twin pack are Walter Ehlers and his brother, Roland Ehlers, joined the Army together. Roland perished on D-Day while Walter fought on to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor on D-Day + 11.

AWH 2002

US Army Ranger Col. (ret) Danny McKnight was AWH's very first VIP/exclusive figure. Col.. McKnight led Task Force Ranger during the Oct. 3, 1993 mission in Somalia made famous by the hit movie "Black Hawk Down". A highly decorated Ranger, Col. McKnight also commanded the Ranger Battalion that parachuted into Panama to capture Noriega.

Col. Danny McKnight graciously answered the call to champion A Weekend of Heroes during the show's humble beginning and became a stable in many of John Lu's productions ever since; mostly notably in Operation Lion Claws and Operation IRENE.