The Heirloom Podcast: Landing on Boats with Col. Craig Ziemba

Season 1, Episode 2

At The Heirloom, we know that everyone leaves a legacy. Whether you’re an astronaut, a fighter pilot, or a stay-at-home mom, lasting legacy is built in everyday moments.

In episode two of The Heirloom Podcast, we sit down with retired Navy Colonel Craig Ziemba—fighter pilot, combat veteran, and longtime wingman to our first guest, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore. Craig brings us down from space into the cockpit to reflect on what it means to live a life of service, sacrifice, and steady faith.

He’s logged over 11,000 flight hours, completed eight combat tours, and landed jets on aircraft carriers in the dead of night—but the most impressive part of Craig’s story isn’t on his résumé. It’s the legacy of faith and friendship he’s built along the way.

In this episode, Craig shares:

• What it feels like to land on a moving ship with zero visibility
• How real-life call signs like “Bambi” and “Chili Pants” are actually earned
• Why humor and brotherhood are vital in high-stakes combat zones
• How he and Butch co-wrote Life’s Emergency Procedures, a pocket-sized checklist for life grounded entirely in Scripture
• And what it means to be a true wingman—on the battlefield and in life
  

One of the most powerful moments came when Craig described Butch’s impact during a season when his own life hit rock bottom:

“Every man needs a wingman. The guy who flies through the clouds with you. When I lost all navigation, Butch was that steady voice for me—‘little power, come right.’ He helped bring me home.”

At The Heirloom, we believe legacy isn’t just about what you leave behind—it’s about who you walk with, who you lift up, and who brings you back when you're lost in the fog. Craig and Butch live that out, not only in the skies but in the way they love their families, their God, and their brothers in arms.

Their new book Life’s Emergency Procedures—published by The Heirloom Press right here in Laurel—is now available at LaurelMercantile.com. It’s a fighter pilot’s manual for real life—Scripture-first, boldface memory items, written to steady your hand when life gets turbulent.

At The Heirloom, we’re here for conversations like this—authentic, funny, convicting, and rooted in something lasting.

Join us on this journey. Because legacy doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built, one day at a time.

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