In Episode 2 of Reconnaissance Man, presented in partnership with Combat Story, we follow U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant James "Jim" Steele through two defining Cold War flashpoints: the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Dominican Civil War.
After returning from Vietnam and serving at Parris Island, Steele finds himself watching the Cuban Missile Crisis unfold from stateside. Unsatisfied with secondhand reporting and eager to understand what American forces were actually doing at Guantanamo Bay, he carries out an unauthorized mission of his own making, sneaking onto a military transport bound for Cuba during one of the most dangerous moments in modern history.
What he finds at Gitmo surprises him.
Despite the world standing on the edge of nuclear war, Steele sees defensive preparations that fall far short of what he expected. The experience reinforces one of his lifelong lessons: reconnaissance means seeing for yourself.
The episode then follows Steele to the Dominican Republic during Operation Power Pack, where U.S. forces intervened during the Dominican Civil War. There, Steele serves as an aerial observer, helps locate a hidden enemy tank, calls in fires, and reflects on the poverty, instability, and human suffering beneath the larger Cold War struggle.
This chapter of Reconnaissance Man is about initiative, risk, Cold War tension, and the instincts of a Marine reconnaissance officer who was never content to stay on the sidelines.
CHAPTERS
00:00 The Cuban Missile Crisis Begins
01:44 Introducing James "Jim" Steele
03:01 A Hard-Charging Marine Instructor
07:29 Sneaking into Guantanamo Bay
11:20 Life Inside Gitmo During the Missile Crisis
13:53 What Steele Found Defending Guantanamo
16:52 Cold War Technology and Burst Communications
17:56 The Cuban Missile Crisis Comes to an End
19:43 The Court-Martial That Never Happened
21:40 Operation Power Pack Begins
24:23 Deploying to the Dominican Republic
27:58 Hunting an Enemy Tank from the Air
31:53 The Reality Behind the Headlines
34:17 Fighting Poverty, Not Just Rebels
36:02 How the Dominican Civil War Ended
36:54 Episode 3 Preview: Back to Vietnam
Created by investigative journalist Ashly McGlone in collaboration with the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation (MRF), and visually brought to life by Combat Story, Reconnaissance Man is a nine-part limited series following Steele's extraordinary 30-year military career through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond.
🎙️ Guest — James Lyle Steele
James Lyle Steele is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel whose 30-year career carried him through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. A member of the original generation of Marine reconnaissance men, Steele's story offers a rare firsthand look at war, survival, and service across decades of American military history.
Ashly McGlone is an investigative journalist and the creator of Reconnaissance Man. As Steele's granddaughter, she pairs reporting, narration, and historical context with family connection to bring his extraordinary story to life with depth and care.
🔗 Find Reconnaissance Man and Ashly McGlone Online:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reconnaissanceman/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashlyreports/
✖️ X (Reconnaissance Man): https://x.com/ReconManPod
✖️ X (Ashly McGlone): https://x.com/AshlyReports
🎙️ Host — AJ Pasciuti
AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat.
🔗 Find AJ Online:
📕 Darkhorse: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/Darkhorse
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/
📘 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/
🔗 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/
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