MacArthur Memorial Podcast

On May 8, 2025, the MM in partnership with the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Virginia Holocaust Museum, hosted Dr. Roger Loria, a holocaust survivor. The event was particularly poignant – it was held on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day – the day the Allies defeated Nazi Germany. A video of the presentation is also available via YouTube: https://youtu.be/nltcQ4eKIgU?si=qsTn9-DI2gZ5qp-u  Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On April 11, 1951, at 1:00AM ET, President Harry S. Truman announced General Douglas MacArthur was relieved of command. Millions of people heard the news on the radio before MacArthur himself heard. How did he find out? MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discuss this and his reaction to the news.A bonus Q&A of listener questions was also added to the end of this episode.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

Douglas MacArthur drew inspiration from mentors, role models, and a personal "pantheon" of historical figures throughout his life. On March 7, 2025, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discussed who was included in this "pantheon" and solicited questions from the audience about this topic. This video Q&A, recorded on March 12, 2025, was created in response to those questions.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

General Douglas MacArthur's iconic cap, one of the most amazing artifacts in our museum, is a finalist for a conservation prize from VAM – the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM).  Currently the cap is on VAM's Virginia Top 10 Endangered List. The list helps raise public awareness of amazing artifacts in Virginia museums and the importance of preserving these artifacts. General MacArthur's cap is an internationally recognized symbol of America keeping promises, of civilian control over the military, of liberation and peace, and of triumph over fascism and militarism. MacArthur wore this cap from 1936 to 1961, through many important moments in American history. In 1942, saltwater exposure caused the cap to shrink as he escaped the besieged island of Corregidor aboard PT-41. Arriving in Australia during one of the darkest periods of the war, he wore the cap as he famously promised "I Shall Return.” When he kept that promise in 1944, he was wearing the cap as he was pictured wading ashore in the Philippines. He was also wearing the cap when he presided over the surrender of Japan, the Occupation of Japan, and the Korean War. VAM invites members of the public to vote for the artifact they would like to see receive a $1000 conservation prize. MacArthur's cap has been assessed by a conservation specialist, and we have a plan for its conservation – but winning this prize would help jumpstart our efforts to fully fund this project. Your vote can help preserve MacArthur's cap!You can vote once daily, from FEB  11 – FEB 28, 2025. VOTE: VA's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts - Vote DailyLearn more about VAM: Virginia Association of Museums | VAMHave a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

To date, the 1945 Battle of Manila remains the US military's largest and most intense experience of urban warfare. It resulted in 6500 American military casualties, 16000 Japanese military KIA, and a staggering number of civilians were killed and wounded. Manila, the Pearl of the Orient was destroyed. Even against the general WWII backdrop of tremendous worldwide suffering, horror, and millions of civilians and military casualties, Manila stands out as a terrible tragedy. It's a battle that should be better known. On February 3, 2025, the 80th Anniversary of the start of the battle, MacArthur Memorial historians Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel sat down to discuss the battle. In response to listener questions on social media, a bonus Q&A was added to this episode.To view the YouTube video of the first part of the discussion, please visit: https://youtu.be/KmDsYp6exB4?si=EKYQhp5K6xch1Hfh Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

The MacArthur Memorial is in Norfolk, VA, the hometown of General MacArthur's mother, but General MacArthur was not born in Norfolk. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the Little Rock Barracks. Today that building houses the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History. To discuss MacArthur's birthplace, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Stephan McAteer, Museum Supervisor of the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History. Learn more about the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military HistoryHave a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

By 1944, as the Americans got closer to the Philippines, the Japanese accelerated their efforts to ship POWs held in the Philippines to other parts of their empire to work as forced laborers. POWs would be packed by the hundreds in the dark holds of transport ships. With little to no food or water, and no proper sanitation, the holds of these ships became another hellscape for the POWs. It is impossible to really explain the horror they faced. The transports were aptly named “hellships.” One of the most notorious of the hellships was the Oryoku Maru. In this latest episode, MacArthur Memorial historians Amanda WIlliams and Jim Zobel sat down to discuss the final voyage of the Oryoku Maru. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On October 26, 2024, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf with a series of presentations. Dr. Peter Mansoor, a retired US Army officer and the General Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History at Ohio State University, presented a lecture entitled The Naval Battle of Leyte Gulf. If you would like to see the slides he used, you can also find his presentation on the MacArthur Memorial's YouTube channel. Link: https://youtu.be/eFBjKmdlt_0 Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On October 26, 2024, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf with a series of presentations. Thomas Cutler, a retired USN officer and a preeminent naval historian, presented a lecture entitled The Naval Battle of Leyte Gulf. If you would like to see the slides he used, you can also find his presentation on the MacArthur Memorial's YouTube channel. Link: https://youtu.be/eFBjKmdlt_0 Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

General Douglas MacArthur's forces began landing at Leyte on October 20, 1944. That's the day MacArthur took the famous picture wading ashore at Leyte, but there was a lot more to the operation than that. Why was Leyte chosen over Mindanao? How prepared were Japanese commanders for the invasion? How did the Japanese army and navy try to repel the invasion? Did MacArthur really hope to take part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf aboard the USS Nashville? MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams sat down to discuss these questions and more.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

During World War II, as many young men joined the military, many college basketball programs in the United States were suspended. The US Military Academy at West Point was one of the schools that continued its basketball program. Army's 1943 season was not a great season – but the 1944 season was spectacular. Against a backdrop of war, Army delivered a perfect season and then many of the key players on that team went from basketball to the battlefield. To discuss this unique team, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Jim Noles, author of Undefeated: From Basketball to Battle: West Point's Perfect Season 1944. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

When most people think about the battles in the Pacific during World War II, they probably think of Guadalcanal, Okinawa, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Leyte Gulf, Midway, etc. It was a very long and difficult war though, and there were dozens of other battles. One of the lesser-known battles is the Battle of Morotai, which began on September 15, 1944. Part of the Halmahera Island group, Morotai is a small island in what is now Indonesia – southeast of the Philippines. Prior to World War II it was part of the Netherlands East Indies. It was occupied in 1942 by the Japanese. To mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Morotai, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda WIlliams sat down to discuss the battle and the role in played in setting up MacArthur's return to the Philippines. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was one of the most popular and successful relief programs during the Great Depression. Between 1933-1942, it put 3 million men to work throughout the United States. These young men worked on conservation and transportation projects on Federal, State, and local government lands. The CCC was the brainchild of President Franklin Roosevelt and his liberal New Deal advisors. In large part, it was successful because of the U.S. Army, a bastion of conservatism at the time, and more specifically, because of the efforts of the anti-New Deal Army Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur. It was an interesting match made out of necessity. Join MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams for a discussion of MacArthur and the CCC.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On November 29, 1952, a 22-year-old CIA operative named Jack Downey was shot down over China while taking part in an air drop. Four successive Administrations refused to acknowledge his connection to the CIA. Without this acknowledgement, Downey spent 21 years as a POW - the longest-held POW in American history. His treatment in prison was largely dictated by the events of the Korean War and the Cold War. Barry Werth, author of Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War, joined the MacArthur Memorial Podcast to discuss Jack Downey's experience. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In late July 1944, President Roosevelt met with General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The future of the war in the Pacific was discussed at this Pearl Harbor Conference, or Pacific Strategy Conference as it is also called. It was not a "real" conference in the sense that it did not include Admiral Ernest King or General George Marshall, but it was a very consequential meeting. Recently, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams sat down to discuss what happened before, during, and after the meeting.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In this latest episode, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams answer some of the more popular and/or unique questions about General MacArthur we have received from MacArthur Memorial Podcast listeners and on social media.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On June 18, 1945, one month shy of his 59th birthday, Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. became the most senior US military officer to be killed by enemy fire in World War II. At the time, he was leading the Tenth Army on Okinawa. Buckner kept a diary from January 1, 1944, to June 17, 1945. That diary has only recently been fully published. It is an important addition to our understanding of Buckner and the Pacific War. To discuss this diary and Buckner's service, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Christopher Kolakowski, editor of Tenth Army Commander: The Writings of Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., 1944-1945.  Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In 1942, John D. Bulkeley, commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 and skipper of PT-41, spirited MacArthur and his family off Corregidor. Bulkeley received a Silver Star for his role in MacArthur's escape and was later awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty in Philippine waters from 7 December 1941 to 10 April 1942. His service did not end in the Pacific though. Bulkeley went on to serve in Europe and played a key role in the operation of PT boats in the English Channel and also participated in the D-Day operation. To discuss this period of Bulkeley's career, John Long, Director of Education at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA, returned to the MacArthur Memorial Podcast.The National D-Day Memorial (dday.org)Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

The Occupation of Japan after World War II is often considered a masterclass in civil affairs. It was not perfect, but it was successful. General Douglas MacArthur's primary mission was to demilitarize Japan. Before he even arrived in Japan however, he was convinced that a sustainable peace would require significant legal and social changes – particularly in terms of the status of Japanese women. The MacArthur Memorial Podcast has covered MacArthur's role in mandating and supporting these reforms in a previous podcast, but we have never focused on any of the staff members in his HQ who drafted these new policies. One of those staff members was a young woman named Beate Sirota. Her daughter, Professor Nicole Gordon, joined the MacArthur Memorial Podcast to discuss Beate Sirota's work during the Occupation. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On September 11, 1940, the SS Quanza arrived in Norfolk, VA. She was carrying a number of Jewish refugees who were fleeing the Nazi war machine. While they would ultimately find safety through the efforts of the Jewish community in Hampton Roads, this small humanitarian victory would be the catalyst for the virtual elimination of similar opportunities for future refugees. To discuss the story of the SS Quanza, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Wendy Juren, a member of the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.On May 9, 2024, at 7:00PM, the MacArthur Memorial and the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater will host a FREE screening of Nobody Wants Us - a documentary film about the refugees aboard the SS Quanza.  Register here: Form Center • Nobody Wants Us Film Screening (macarthurmemorial.org) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In April 1944, General Douglas MacArthur's forces made a 580-mile amphibious leap to seize airfields at Hollandia and Aitape in New Guinea. It was a bold plan that meant making two simultaneous amphibious landings deep in enemy territory and it was the first time Admiral Chester Nimitz's aircraft carriers supported a MacArthur assault. Join MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams for a discussion of these operations and the logistics involved. The April 2024 issue of the MacArthur Report will feature maps/pictures related to this podcast and the previous episode on the Admiralty Islands. You can find that issue here after April 30, 2024: The MacArthur Report | MacArthur Memorial, VA - Official WebsiteSign up for the quarterly MacArthur Report: Signup Form (constantcontactpages.com) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

Part II of a two part interview.From 1942-1945, Ernie Pyle was the most famous American war correspondent. In 1942, his columns were featured in 42 newspapers. By 1945, they were featured in 400 daily and 300 weekly newspapers. He covered the war from the Blitz to North Africa, to Italy, to Normandy, and then the Pacific. The American public found his writing human and accessible. Those in combat found him a particular ally – someone who understood suffering, someone who could explain a little bit of what they were experiencing to those back home. To learn more about Pyle, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast spoke with David Chrisinger, author of The Soldier's Truth: Ernie Pyle and the Story of World War II.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

General MacArthur's multi-city state funeral concluded in Norfolk, VA on April 11, 1964. Join MacArthur Memorial historians Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel for a discussion of the events and logistics associated with this final salute to General MacArthur. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

From 1942-1945, Ernie Pyle was the most famous American war correspondent. In 1942, his columns were featured in 42 newspapers. By 1945, they were featured in 400 daily and 300 weekly newspapers. He covered the war from the Blitz to North Africa, to Italy, to Normandy, and then the Pacific. The American public found his writing human and accessible. Those in combat found him a particular ally – someone who understood suffering, someone who could explain a little bit of what they were experiencing to those back home. To learn more about Pyle, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast spoke with David Chrisinger, author of The Soldier's Truth: Ernie Pyle and the Story of World War II.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In February 2024, the MacArthur Memorial hosted an event to mark the 125th anniversary of the Philippine American War. This event was in partnership with the Hampton Roads chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society and the Council of United Filipino Organizations of Tidewater. The event featured presentations by several scholars on different aspects of the war. This episode features a lecture on the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo by Dwight Sullivan, author of Capturing Aguinaldo: The Daring Raid to Seize the Philippine President at the Dawn of the American Century. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In February 2024, the MacArthur Memorial hosted an event to mark the 125th anniversary of the Philippine American War. This event was in partnership with the Hampton Roads chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society and the Council of United Filipino Organizations of Tidewater. The event featured presentations by several scholars on different aspects of the war. This episode features a lecture by Dr. David O. Lozada III, a history professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, on The Philippine-American War from the Filipino perspective. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In February 2024, the MacArthur Memorial hosted an event to mark the 125th anniversary of the Philippine American War. This event was in partnership with the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society and the Council of United Filipino Organizations of Tidewater. The event featured presentations by several scholars on different aspects of the war. Dr. Brian Linn, author of The U.S. Army and Counterinsurgency in the Philippine War, 1899-1902, presented a lecture entitled: The US Army and the Philippine-American War.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

From February 29 – May 18, 1944, a thousand troopers of the First Cavalry Division, a few United States Navy destroyers and a handful of “Fighting Seabees” defied the odds and seized the Admiralty Islands, making it possible for General MacArthur to keep his promise to return to the Philippines. The Admiralty Island Campaign was the boldest action of MacArthur's forces in World War II. Some contemporaries called it reckless, others brilliant. MacArthur Memorial historians Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel break down the operation and discuss MacArthur's decision to accelerate a planned invasion of the islands. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

Former paratrooper, James M. Fenelon, author of Angels Against the Sun: A WWII Saga of Grunts, Grit, and Brotherhood, joined the MacArthur Memorial Podcast to discuss the story of the 11th Airborne and the liberation of the Philippines during World War II.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

The Philippine-American War (1899-1902) was a controversial war. Many Americans did not support it, including anti-imperialists like Mark Twain. Others did. In response to the war, the English writer Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem The White Man's Burden, in which he encouraged the United States to “take up the White Man's burden” to maintain colonial control of the Philippines as a way to bring progress to the Filipino people. The great irony of this phrase though was that African American troops – the Buffalo Soldiers – made up part of the force used to “take up the White Man's burden.” To discuss the service of the Buffalo Soldiers in the Philippines during this period, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Jeff Acosta, a former curator of the MacArthur Memorial and a history professor at Tidewater Community College. Join us for a FREE event at 10:00AM EST on February 3, 2024, as we mark the upcoming 125th anniversary of the Philippine-American War with a series of lectures and an unveiling of the MacArthur Memorial's copy of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's 1899 declaration of independence. Event sign up: Philippine-American War Remembrance EventNot able to attend in person? Receive a post-event email with a link to a recording of the event and a new MacArthur Memorial Collections guide for the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War.  Email: macarthureducation@norfolk.gov.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

The Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939 and then the 1941 invasion of Soviet occupied-Poland brought an almost unimaginable scale of suffering to the people of Poland. And yet, in the midst of such terror, there were people who risked their lives to help those targeted for extermination. One of those was a woman posing as a Polish countess. Her real name was Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg. She was Jewish AND she was operating in Lublin, Poland – at the heart of the Nazi effort to destroy the Jews. Against all odds, she saved thousands of people. To share this amazing story, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Dr. Elizabeth “Barry” White one of the authors of The Counterfeit Countess: The Jewish Woman Who Rescued Thousands of Poles During the Holocaust.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In this MacArthur Q&A Part II, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams answer questions posed by MacArthur Memorial Podcast listeners.  When did the MacArthur family settle in America?What battles was General MacArthur directly involved in during the New Guinea campaign?How involved was MacArthur with the United States Army Military Government in Korea during the occupation period from 1945-1948?What was it like to work close to the General?  What was General MacArthur's postwar relationship with some of his peers, namely, Fletcher, Spruance, and especially Nimitz?During the Korean War, did General MacArthur consider putting nuclear chemicals on the borderline of the Korean Peninsula and China?and more!Keep your questions coming! There will be future Q&A episodes! Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In 1901, during the Philippine-American War, the Governor-General of the Philippines, Brigadier General Arthur MacArthur Jr., father of Douglas MacArthur, approved a daring plan by Frederick Funston to capture General Aguinaldo. Once Aguinaldo was in custody, Arthur MacArthur persuaded him to swear allegiance to the United States and to use his influence to help end the war. What do we know about the discussions between the two men? How did they see the future of the Philippines? How did this event influence Douglas MacArthur's vision of Philippine independence? In this latest episode, MacArthur Memorial historians Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel discuss these questions and more. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

During World War II thousands of British cadets learned to fly at six civilian training schools across the southern United States. The first and largest of the schools was in Terrell, Texas. More than 2,200 Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Corps cadets earned their wings at the No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum in Terrell between 1941 and 1945. To explore the history of this flying school in Terrell, the MacArthur Memorial podcast hosted Tom Killebrew, author of The Royal Air Force in Texas: Training British Pilots in Terrell during World War II. Learn more about the No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum: Home Page (bftsmuseum.org) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On September 10th, 1981, with the help of Mrs. Jean MacArthur, President Ronald Reagan dedicated a corridor in the Pentagon in honor of General Douglas MacArthur. Recently, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams sat down to explore the history of the MacArthur Corridor and discuss some of the MacArthur Memorial artifacts on display there.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On October 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur kept his famous I Shall Return promise when he landed at Leyte with one of the largest invasion forces in history. From the beach, he broadcast his "I Have Returned" speech. It is a short, 2-minute speech, but it is packed with emotion. MacArthur had written the speech about a month before the landings, and it had gone through several drafts. On September 29, 1944, MacArthur recorded the speech in an OWI office in Brisbane in the event of technical difficulties during the landings. This podcast episode features this recorded version. After he gave the speech live on the beach on October 20, 1944, the content of the speech made its way around the world. It was panned by newspapers in the US and by later writers. They considered it “sacrilegious,” “flamboyant,” and as proof of “MacArthur's supreme egotism.” As MacArthur's air chief General George Kenney explained however, the speech was not meant for Americans or for the world. It was for the Filipino people. That audience received it well. For many, it was a new commitment from a trusted source.  - a commitment to see the liberation of the Philippines through to completion.Just something to think about as you listen to this recording of MacArthur's I Shall Return Speech. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On September 30, 2023, the MacArthur Memorial opened a new 5000 sq ft exhibit entitled The Price of Unpreparedness: POWs in the Philippines during World War II. The opening event featured the following presentations:Dr. Frank Blazich, Jr. - Defeat, Death, and Defiance: The POW Experience in the PhilippinesMary Maynard - An American Family's WWII Tail of Adventure and SurvivalCecily Marshall - The Civilian Internee ExperienceCorey Thornton and Jim Zobel - Overview: The Price of Unpreparedness Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

20,000 American troops went into captivity after the fall of the Philippines in 1942. Recent scholarship indicates that half of those POWs did not survive captivity. Surviving the POW experience in the Philippines – including the hell ships and labor camps in Korea and Japan – was no easy feat. For those who did survive to liberation – how did the US Army medical system treat them? How were they reintegrated back into society? To examine the repatriation of these former POWs, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast spoke with Scott Woodard, Historian with the US Army Medical Department Center of History and Heritage  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

Franklin Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur, and Winston Churchill were all very different men, but they shared a few things. One thing they shared was a common ancestor – Sarah Barney Belcher – a woman born in Massachusetts in 1771. They also all had fascinating mothers who were instrumental in their careers. To explore the roles played by Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast interviewed Charlotte Gray, author of Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

The US Army Veterinary Corps (VC) has a fascinating history. Created in 1916, by WWII its activities were chiefly centered on food inspection to ensure animal products going to feed the Army were being sanitarily procured, produced, and transported. The VC also had responsibility across theatres for about 56,000 horses and mules, thousands of war dogs, and pigeons used by the Signal Corps. On December 8, 1941, there were 12 VC officers stationed in the Philippines. As the Japanese invaded the islands, they played an important role in trying to feed the beleaguered defenders, as well as caring for military animals and even human patients. When the Philippines fell to the Japanese in the spring of 1942, these men went into captivity – applying their unique skillset to the challenges of the POW experience. To share these stories, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Jon Frank, the son of Charles B. Frank, a VC officer who survived the POW experience in the Philippines.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In 1942, US Army dental officer, Roy L. Bodine, became a POW when Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.  He spent 41 months as a POW - surviving the Bataan Death March, POW camps, Hell Ships, and labor camps. One month after VJ Day, he was liberated from a labor camp in Korea. Throughout his captivity, he kept a diary which was later used as evidence in war crimes trials after WWII. To discuss Bodine's POW experience and later life, MacArthur Memorial Archivist Jim Zobel interviewed Major General Patrick Sculley (USA, Retired). General Sculley knew Bodine and has spent many years researching Bodine's POW experience.   Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

Throughout World War II, Allied leaders met in a series of conferences to discuss and decide joint military and political goals. The Casablanca Conference, held in Casablanca, French Morocco, from January 14-24, 1943, was the third of these meetings. And as with the other conferences, the personalities, the debates, and the eventual agreements are absolutely fascinating.  To explore the Casablanca Conference, the MacArthur Memorial hosted James B. Conroy, author of The Devils Will Get No Rest: FDR, Churchill, and the Plan that Won the War. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

When the Philippines fell to the Japanese in the spring of 1942, tens of thousands of American and Filipino troops became POWs. Approximately 1 in 3 (possibly more) of the Americans did not survive captivity. Their treatment by their captors and their limited access to medical care/supplies is often highlighted by historians. To discuss this in more depth and to highlight the experiences of US Army medical personnel held captive in the Philippines, Andy Watson, Chief of the U.S. Army Medical Department Center of History and Heritage, joined the MacArthur Memorial Podcast. Learn more about US Army Medical history and heritage:  Home | AMEDD Center of History & Heritage (army.mil) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

On June 6, 1944, the Allied invasion of Normandy began. D-Day, as the first phase of this invasion has come to be known, was a critical moment in the liberation of Europe. It did not mark the end of the war, but 11 months later, the sacrifices of June 6 would lead to the total defeat of Nazi Germany. John Long, Director of Education at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA joined the MacArthur Memorial Podcast to provide an overview of D-Day and "The Bedford Boys."Learn more about the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

Between 1943-1945, the US Navy operated Naval Air Station Wildwood in Cape May, NJ as a training center for dive bomber squadrons. Thousands of pilots were trained there and during the peak training months of mid 1944 – early 1945, the air station was home to over 200 warplanes. From a historical perspective, NAS Wildwood is a fascinating study in American mobilization and US naval warfare doctrine. Jim Krombach, a naval aviation historian and a member of the Board of Trustees for NAS Wildwood, joined the MacArthur Podcast to share the story of NAS Wildwood. Learn more about the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum: NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum | (usnasw.org) Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

World War II was a total war. That required it to also be a media war. Media coverage mattered. The opinions and impressions of citizens on the home front and of citizen soldiers on battlefield had to be considered. But exactly how did the nexus of media and public opinion effect military decision making during the war? Did media coverage fundamentally shape Allied strategy? Was media a tool for commanders, or did it encourage commanders to pursue prestige prizes over better military objectives?  To answer these questions, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Dr. Alexander Lovelace, a Scholar in Residence at the Contemporary History Institute, Ohio University and the author of The Media Offensive: How the Allied Press and Public Opinion Shaped Allied Strategy during World War II.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

The Greatest Generation has many female heroines – women and girls who stepped out of line to serve their countries and their communities in the darkest days of World War II.  Many of them remain relatively unknown. To discuss some of their stories, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Major General (Ret.) Mari K. Eder, author of The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II.  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

During the Spanish American War (1898), Philippine Revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines independent of Spain. After Spain's defeat, the Filipinos expected independence. Instead, as part of the 1898 Treaty of Paris, the US took over the Philippines. In response, on January 5, 1899, Aguinaldo declared the Philippines independent from the US. Philippine newspaper La Independencia printed copies of this declaration which were then put up all over the city of Manila. Amazingly, one of these copies survived! It is in the MacArthur Memorial's collection and is in need of conservation!Currently, the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) has it listed as one of Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifact's of 2023. The public can view this list online and vote for the artifact they would like to see receive a $1000 conservation prize. You can vote once a day now through March 3, 2023. VOTE: Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts 2022 (wishpond.com)If you are listening to this after March 3 2023 – you can't vote anymore, but you can still enjoy learning about this incredibly unique artifact!! Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

During World War II, the Nisei, first generation Americans whose parents were immigrants from Japan, fought in the Pacific theater. Their language skills and other intelligence contributions saved lives and shortened the war. And yet, as they served with great distinction, their families back home in America were held in government internment camps under U.S. Executive Order 9066. To discuss the Nisei and the war against Japan, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Bruce Henderson, author of Bridge to the Sun: The Secret Role of the Japanese Americans Who Fought in the Pacific in World War II. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

As part of the commemoration of the 143rd anniversary of General MacArthur's birthday, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams sat down for a virtual discussion of the 1945 drive to Manila in the context of MacArthur's 65th birthday.Did MacArthur try to rush to Manila to celebrate his birthday there?Was a birthday parade planned? Those questions and more will be answered! Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In this latest episode, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams answer questions posed by MacArthur Memorial Podcast listeners. Why did he not like President Truman?Was there ever a serious attempt to become POTUS? What world leaders visited him in retirement?What if MacArthur had been the ETO commander during WWII?What did he plan to do in China during the Korean War? Why don't we know more about his early career? And more! Keep your questions coming! There will be future Q&A episodes! Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org