MacArthur Memorial Podcast

On the MacArthur Memorial's WWI History Podcast, Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discussed the relationship between Douglas MacArthur and George Marshall during WWI. While both men were certainly aware of each other during that war, contrary to what some MacArthur biographers suggest, there were no seeds of antagonism between them during that war. By WWII and the Korean War, both were still serving in positions of great importance and their relationship was very consequential and increasingly complicated. By all accounts, both men worked well together - even if they didn't always understand each other. That being said, by the end of his life MacArthur was firmly convinced that Marshall ultimately betrayed him. Why? To unravel this question, Jim and Amanda sat down for a second discussion to dissect the relationship of these men during World War II and the Korean War.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

In January 1944, a small group of sixteen enlisted men gathered at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois to begin an accelerated course that would turn them into the US Navy's first African American officers on active duty. They all knew that if they failed, their failure would continue to justify US Navy policy that prohibited African American officers. Against all odds, all the men passed the course. Twelve were commissioned as ensigns and a thirteenth was made a warrant officer. Today we know these men as the “Golden Thirteen.” To discuss the Golden Thirteen and US USN policy towards African Americans during WWII, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast sat down with Paul Stillwell, author of The Golden Thirteen: Recollections of the First Black Naval Officers and more recently: Battleship Commander: the Life of Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee. 

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

Similar to World War I, World War II had a profound effect on the European wine industry.  From labor shortages to Nazi looting, it was a very difficult time for the industry - but it was also a period that produced some standout war year vintages. To discuss  wine and World War II, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast recently hosted Walter Wolf III—a lawyer, military historian, and wine expert. The conversation focused on French and Italian wine, the ties between resistance movements and the wine industry, Nazi wine looting, and an evaluation of the Nazi palate. 

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

Douglas MacArthur was born on January 26, 1880 in Little Rock, Arkansas. While little is known of his birthdays prior to World War II, as a senior leader during World War II and the occupation of Japan, his birthday took on more diplomatic significance. Following his return to the United States, an annual birthday dinner/SWPA reunion was held in the dining room of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel where he lived. This stag dinner ranged from 25-140 participants depending on the year, and included General Walter Krueger, Major General Leif Sverdrup, Admiral Thomas Kinkaid, General George Kenney, and many more. In addition to the distinguished guests, presidents and other world leaders would send birthday messages to be read at the dinner. As part of the MacArthur Memorial's 2022 commemoration of General MacArthur's birthday, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams sat down to discuss these birthday parties.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

During WWII, Allied POWs in the Pacific Theatre – whether combatant or civilian – faced physical and psychological hardships. Captivity is difficult. It is particularly difficult when access to food is irregular or insufficient because food is often associated with a sense of security, comfort, health, and memory.  For many of the civilian POWs held at Santo Tomas internment camp in Manila, recipe sharing was one way to cope with the POW experience. Thinking about food helped some stay tethered to pre-captivity life, while remaining hopeful about a future life out of captivity. To discuss recipe collection and "food fantasies" at Santo Tomas, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Jennifer Cottle, a graduate student and the recipient of a grant to study the Santo Tomas recipe books preserved in the MacArthur Memorial Archives. 

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

During World War II, about 16 million people from all walks of life served in the U.S. military. This number included many of the top celebrities of the day – so much so that historians often refer to the period as a time when “Hollywood went to war.” Stars like Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart famously joined the military – as did many others in the entertainment industry. Some fought on the front lines, while others were placed in positions to use their industry talents to help the U.S. military with training, propaganda, morale, and public relations. The great big band leader Glenn Miller was part of this later group. To discuss Miller’s military service and the latest research on his disappearance, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Dennis M. Spragg, author of Glenn Miller Declassified and Senior Consultant for the Glenn Miller Archives at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked American military installations at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and propelled the United States into the Second World War. To mark the 80th anniversary of the attack, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum partnered to host a special commemorative lecture by historian Walter Borneman about his book Brothers Down, the story of 38 sets of brothers who served on the USS Arizona.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Bilibid Prison served as a POW and a civilian internment camp. Prior to liberation in February 1945, thousands of POWs were processed through Bilibid before boarding the infamous "hellships" that would take them to forced labor camps throughout the Pacific. The camp also held hundreds of Allied civilians in deteriorating conditions. 

Join Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams of the MacArthur Memorial for a discussion of Bilibid – it’s function during World War II, the conditions in which prisoners lived, and the eventual liberation of the prison in 1945.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

Mexico was one of the Allies in World War II – but it didn’t just help secure the US border or provide raw materials in support of the war – it contributed a fighter squadron that saw combat in the Pacific Theatre. Few people in the United States are aware of this history, and many Pacific War historians tend to overlook Mexico’s contribution to the war. Nevertheless, the participation of that squadron marked a very significant moment in Mexican military history, in Mexican foreign policy, and in US/Mexico relations. To discuss the Mexican Expeditionary Force, 201st Fighter Squadron and the combat role it played in the Pacific War, we interviewed Walter Zapotoczny, author of The Aztec Eagles: The Forgotten Allies of World War II.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

Even historians who loathe General MacArthur tend to agree that the administration of the Occupation of Japan was MacArthur at his best. However, many people don’t realize how much was happening in just the first month of the Occupation, how much could have gone wrong, and how deftly MacArthur was managing a very fluid situation. September 1945 was a tour de force of organizational ability,  a masterclass in leadership, and of course, as always, there was controversy. Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams recently sat down to discuss September 1945 - MacArthur's very busy, very consequential month.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

On September 5, 1912, Arthur MacArthur, Jr., a career army officer and the father of Douglas MacArthur, collapsed and died as he was giving a speech. His sudden death shook the entire MacArthur family. Decades later, Douglas MacArthur wrote: “My whole world changed that night. Never have I been able to heal the wound in my heart.” To  discuss  Arthur MacArthur's legacy and his death, we sat down with Charlie Knight, former Curator of the MacArthur Memorial, and author of Valley Thunder: The Battle of New Market and From Arlington to Appomattox: Robert E. Lee’s Civil War, Day by Day, 1861-1865. 

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

In 1904 a young Second Lieutenant Douglas MacArthur and recent law school graduate Manuel Quezon met for the first time at a dinner in Manila. Over the next several decades, both men developed a strong but complicated relationship. This relationship would have a major impact on the Second World War’s Philippine Campaign of 1941-1942 and the future of the Philippines after liberation in 1944-1945.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

In July 1961, an 81-year-old General MacArthur made a ten-day farewell trip to the Philippines to mark the fifteenth anniversary of Philippine independence. President John F. Kennedy was delighted to see MacArthur honored in this way and helped facilitate the trip by putting a Boeing 707 from the Military Air Transport Service at MacArthur’s disposal. It was a particularly moving visit and in Manila alone, millions of people turned out to greet MacArthur. Only papal visits have exceeded the welcome MacArthur received. To mark the 60th anniversary of this trip, Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel sat down to discuss MacArthur's itinerary and the Cold War context of the trip.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

On March 11, 1942 General Douglas MacArthur, his family, and select members of his staff boarded several PT Boats and began a dangerous escape attempt that would take them from the doomed Philippines to the relative safety of Australia, where MacArthur would make the "I Shall Return" promise. Through the years, there have been a number of questions about MacArthur's escape. Why did he leave? What were his orders? And did he smuggle out a mattress stuffed with gold?  To answer these questions, the MacArthur Memorial's historians sat down to discuss the rumors and the evidence.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

During World War II, while weapons, ammunition, ships, planes, tanks, etc, were always a big focus, theatre commanders also understood the value of troop morale and went to great lengths to secure things like Coca-Cola, or ice cream, or beer, movies, or music for their troops – even in the most far flung areas of the war. Music was a particularly satisfying treat – and military bands were a big part of this. Many of these bands played shows for the troops very close to the front lines. The 746th FEAF Band was one such band and an album they recorded in 1945 is up for a 2021 Grammy.  To discuss the 746th FEAF Band, we sat down with Jason Burt, a historian and history teacher, and the man behind the effort to see a group of World War II veterans honored with one of music’s biggest awards. 

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

Douglas MacArthur biographer D. Clayton James, credited General MacArthur’s mother, Mary “Pinky” Hardy, with instilling in her son “an almost mystical” sense of heritage, duty, and a burning desire to carry on and surpass the achievements of his predecessors. Every MacArthur biographer has analyzed their relationship to try to better understand or explain the general. But who was she?? 

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

During World War II, Army personnel nicknamed US Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, and Major General James A. Ulio the “heavenly trinity.” Why? Because the names of these three men appeared on all Army orders from Washington. Marshall and Stimson are well known today, but Ulio’s role in World War II is less known. To explore Ulio's many contributions, we sat down with Alan E. Mesches, author of the book Major General James A. Ulio: How the Adjutant General of the U.S. Army Enabled Allied Victory.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

President Truman and General MacArthur had serious disagreements over Korean War policy. MacArthur is often characterized as wanting to use nuclear weapons during that war. Did MacArthur want to use these weapons??? Join Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams as they discuss the archival evidence.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

Dr. William H. Bartsch is one of the great historians of the Pacific War. He holds a PhD in Economics and Middle Eastern Studies, and he worked for the UN for a number of years, all over the world. As he worked, he also indulged his passion for Pacific War history and spent years gathering source materials that form the basis of several seminal works including: Doomed from the Start: American Pursuit Pilots in the Philippines, 1941-1942, Every Day a Nightmare: American Pursuit Pilots in the Defense of Java, 1941-1942, Victory Fever on Guadalcanal: Japan's First Land Defeat of World War II, and Dec. 8, 1941: MacArthur’s Pearl Harbor. In late 2019, Jim Zobel of the MacArthur Memorial sat down with Dr. Bartsch to discuss his work as a historian and the process by which he amassed an incredible collection of source material.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org

It’s been called the textbook operation of World War II. It was the greatest prison rescue ever; over 2000 prisoners of war liberated and not one them or their liberators killed. Unbelievably, the liberation of Los Baños prison camp by the 511th Parachute Regiment and Hunter’s Philippine Guerrillas went largely unheralded. To share the story of this amazing operation, the MacArthur Memorial hosted Jeremy Holm, author of When Angels Fall: From Toccoa to Tokyo, the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II.

Follow us on:

Twitter: @MacArthur1880; @AEWilliamsClark
Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial


www.macarthurmemorial.org