Podcasts about macarthur memorial

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, all 48 states played a role in war mobilization and made unique contributions shaped by their histories, their politics, their natural resources and industries, and their military manpower. Previous episodes have explored the experiences of eastern, southern, and midwestern states. In this latest episode, we shift west to California, a state that provided approximately 112,000 soldiers and Marines while providing crucial support for the war effort on the home front. To learn more about California's experience of World War I, we sat down with Dr. Diane North, author of California at War: The State and the People During World War I.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.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

The MacArthur Memorial recently won $1,000 from the Virginia Association of Museums to conserve the item the infamous general wore more than 70 years ago.

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

There are 125 WWI recipients of the Medal of Honor. One of those recipients was Private Thomas Croft Neibaur of the 167th Infantry Regiment, 42nd “Rainbow” Division who received the award for heroism at the Cote de Chatillon in 1918. Neibaur was the first Mormon and the first soldier from Idaho to receive the Medal of Honor. His actions led General John J. Pershing to name him amongst the “Immortal Ten”  of World War I, and yet, in a tragic turn of events, in 1939 Neibaur returned his Medal of Honor. To discuss Neibaur's WWI service and life, the World War I Podcast hosted Sherman Fleek, author of Place the Headstones Where They Belong: Thomas Neibaur, WWI Soldier. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.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

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

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

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

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

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

Part IIIn early October 1918, several companies of the US 77th Division found themselves surrounded in the Argonne Forest during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.  Led by Major Charles Whittlesey, the Lost Battalion, as it came to be known, survived a hellish six days. It's a story many are aware of – but like most such stories – it's likely that the popular version we are familiar with doesn't have the richness or nuance of what actually happened. To explore the story of the Lost Battalion, the World War I Podcast hosted Robert J. Laplander, author of Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legend of America's WWI Epic.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.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

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

In the winter of 1918, General John J. Pershing presented then Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur with his second Distinguished Service Cross. The award was for actions in France at the Côte de Châtillon between October 14-16, 1918. The citation ends with an interesting sentence: “On a field where courage was the rule, his courage was the dominant feature.” What happened there? What do we know about the circumstances behind this award? To answer these questions, MacArthur Memorial historians Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel sat down to discuss this WWI chapter in Douglas MacArthur's career. FormativeWhere the leaders of today are interviewed by leaders of tomorrow! Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.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

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

Between 1914-1916, Portugal walked a delicate line. While actively engaged in an undeclared war with Germany in Africa, Portugal was not a combatant in Europe, nor did it officially declare neutrality. It stayed out of the war, but it provided support in a variety of ways to Britain – its historical ally. Britain hoped to maintain this arrangement for the duration of the war. In contrast, the Portuguese government was anxious to join the war. In March 1916, it got its way. By 1917, the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (CEP) was fighting in France. In the decades after WWI, the dominant trend in scholarship was to view the CEP as incapable and even cowardly. More recent scholarship provides a more balanced picture of the CEP. To further explore Portugal and the CEP in WWI the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. Jesse Pyles, an expert on the CEP. History Nerds UnitedLet's make history fun again! Come listen to interviews with award winning authors,...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.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 WWI began in 1914, Catholic priests were virtual pariahs in France. This was the result of a trend towards anti-clericalism that began with the French Revolution and continued in fits and starts into the 20th century. Prior to WWI, to further eliminate perceived privilege, France's Third Republic made priests eligible for military service. Ironically though, this attempt to erase them as a distinct social class provided French priests the opportunity to be seen as patriots. Tens of thousands of priests served in the French Army during WWI – alongside nearly 2/3's of France's male population. To explore this novel chapter in WWI history, the World War I podcast was joined by Dr. Anita Rasi May, author of Patriot Priests: French Catholic Clergy and National Identity in World War I.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

On October 8, 1918, seventeen American soldiers of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 328th Infantry, 82nd Division flanked a German machine gun nest, surprising and capturing dozens of German soldiers. Acting Corporal Alvin York – a conscientious objector turned warrior – was credited with leading the squad and singlehandedly killing 20 Germans, knocking out 35 machine guns, and capturing 132. York later received the Medal of Honor for this action, and his exploits were forever immortalized in the 1941 movie Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper. The World War I Podcast covered the story of York in an episode in 2017, but since then, there has been additional scholarship. What about the other sixteen members of the patrol? What role did they play in the action? Why is so little known about them? Is there more to the story? To answer these questions, the World War I Podcast welcomed James P. Gregory Jr. to the podcast. Gregory is a PhD candidate and the author of Unraveling the Myth of Sgt. York: The Other Sixteen.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.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

In 1925, the court-martial of Billy Mitchell captured national attention. At the center of the controversy was Billy Mitchell, a man who is today recognized as the father of the United States Air Force.Then Major General Douglas MacArthur, who later described the order to sit on Mitchell's court-martial as "one of the most distasteful orders” he ever received, was the youngest judge on the court. He was also a longtime friend of Mitchell – and one of the only judges who did not have a negative view of Mitchell. However, as an ambitious officer who was said to be on the path to becoming chief of staff of the U.S. Army, how did MacArthur navigate the politics of the trial? Did he vote to convict Mitchell?In this episode, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discuss these questions and more!  Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClarkFacebook: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

In his autobiography, General MacArthur summed up the WWII island hopping strategy with a quote from baseball legend Willie Keeler: “hit ‘em where they ain't.” It wasn't just a convenient, pithy quote. Football may have been MacArthur's favorite sport, but baseball was a close runner-up. From playing in the first Army/Navy baseball game as a young cadet to holding special American and National League passes in the 1950s that allowed him a fantastic seat at any MLB game, baseball was a consistent part of his life. Join MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams for a discussion of MacArthur and baseball. Follow us on:Twitter: @MacArthur1880Facebook: @MacArthurMemorialInstagram: @MacArthurMemorialwww.macarthurmemorial.org

The MacArthur Memorial has a collection of 31 works of art by John Cullen Murphy as well as an additional 2 works on loan to the museum. Why? While Murphy is famous for his work as the illustrator for the comics Big Ben Bolt and Prince Valiant, he was also a veteran of the Pacific War and an aide to one of MacArthur's generals. People often refer to MacArthur's staff as his “court.” We've talked about why that's true (and not true) on other podcast episodes, but in this case, it's an interesting way to think about the connection between Murphy and MacArthur. Every court has a court painter/artist. MacArthur had signal corps photographer Gaetano Faillace who captured many of the iconic MacArthur images of the war, but Murphy was clearly the artist of MacArthur's HQ. To discuss Murphy, WWII, and the MacArthurs, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast interviewed Andrew Woelflein, presiding trustee of the Anne SK Brown Military Collection at Brown University - one of the largest military art collections in the US. 

Just after midnight on March 10, 1945, nearly three hundred American B-29s rained incendiary bombs down on the Japanese capital of Tokyo. The bombs created a nearly 2,800-degree inferno that killed more than 100,000 people and left a part of the city about the size of Manhattan nothing but ash. The attack was so horrifyingly effective that Major General Curtis LeMay, who directed the mission, said, “If we lose, we'll be tried as war criminals.” On September 22, 2022, the MacArthur Memorial hosted celebrated historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott for a presentation and book signing for his latest book: BLACK SNOW: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb. BLACK SNOW tells the complete story of the 1945 Tokyo firebombing. Drawing extensively on first-person interviews in the United States and with survivors in Japan, air force archives, and oral histories never before published in English (including the 5,000-page Japanese collection known as the Tokyo Air Raid Damage Records), Scott re-creates the bombing and what led to it, bringing to life the military, political, and moral debates that convinced American forces to shift from a policy of daylight precision bombing to low-altitude incendiary raids – a process that helped create the moral and strategic framework for the eventual use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Someone Talked! is the official podcast of the National D-Day Memorial.   Chris Kolakowski returns to discuss all things MacArthur. Kolakowski, who served as director of the MacArthur Memorial from 2013-2019, authored Last Stand on Bataan, which studies the Philippine Campaign.   In our “We Salute You” segment we introduce you to Lt. Col. John Minary, whose service in the Psychological Warfare Division hastened the end of the war and earned Minary the Bronze Star.   Email our team at podcast@dday.org. Explore the National D-Day Memorial, plan your visit, and learn about upcoming events at dday.org. This program was supported by a grant from Virginia Humanities. To learn more visit VirginiaHumanities.org.

At the turn of the 20th Century, many in the West were quite confident that they were living in the most civilized era in history. Progress had at last won out over barbarism – or so it seemed. Then the battlefields of World War I quickly proved a charnel house – challenging not just the belief in man's progress, but the limits of modern medicine. And yet, the horrors of the battlefield prompted a wave of medical innovations that form the basis of modern medicine today. To discuss this evolution in medicine, the World War I podcast interviewed Dr. Thomas Helling, a Professor of Surgery and head of General Surgery at the University of Mississippi in Jackson. He is an expert on military medicine, trauma and critical care, and the author of The Great War and the Birth of Modern Medicine. 

On September 2, 1945, General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan's surrender in a carefully choreographed ceremony aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Many people think that MacArthur landed in Japan after the ceremony and then began the Occupation. In fact, MacArthur had already been living in Japan for several days prior to the surrender. What was he doing during that time? How did it influence his thoughts on the surrender and Japan's future? MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discussed these questions and more on the 77th anniversary of the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri.

George Kenney has been described as a “complete airman” and as one of Hap Arnold's “best-kept secrets.” He wasn't well known outside of aviation circles in the pre-WWII period and never made a name for himself like Jimmy Doolittle or Carl Spaatz, but he was one of MacArthur's greatest assets during World War II. Without Kenney, it's arguable that MacArthur's vision of Island Hopping would never have come to fruition. What is Kenney's story and how did he shape MacArthur's understanding of airpower? MacArthur Memorial Historians Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel discuss these questions in the latest MacArthur Memorial Podcast.