Usahec Military History Podcast

November 28, 2018 - Dr. Mark Bowden On the morning of January 31, 1968, the North Vietnamese launched an ambitious series of attacks across South Vietnam in what would become known as the infamous Tet Offensive. One crucial goal of the attack was to capture the ancient city of Hue, resulting in one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the Vietnam war. As the battle approached conclusion, the American goal shifted from victory to an evacuation policy. In this lecture, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center hosts best-selling author Dr. Mark Bowden as he speaks about his latest book, Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam. Dr. Bowden discusses what he so vividly describes as the all-encompassing "storm of war" and the brutal reality that doing everything right was no guarantee of survival. For video of the USHAEC's podcasts, or to learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website

October 17, 2018 - Sir Max Hastings The Vietnam War remains one of the world’s most contentious conflicts, with the reverberations of its blood-soaked defiance against American interventionism echoing to the present day. On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) hosted Sir Max Hastings, author of The Secret War, to present the General of the Army Omar Nelson Bradley Memorial Lecture. In this lecture, based on his new book, Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, Sir Max Hastings critiques the methods, mistakes, and devastation caused by both sides during the war. For video of the USHAEC's podcasts, or to learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.  

September 19, 2018 - Dr. Erik Villard On January 30, 1968, North Vietnamese attacks across fronts spanning from the North/South Vietnam Boarder to Saigon started a country-wide campaign that became known as the Tet Offensive. Less well known is the "Mini Tet" offensive in May of 1968 in which American and Allied counterattacks knocked the North Vietnamese off balance. In this lecture, Dr. Erik Villard of the Center of Military History will focus on additional research he completed based off his work for the book, Combat Operations: Staying the Course, October 1967-September 1968. Dr. Villard will explore the May Offensive through the experience of three units and how their actions led to the success of allied counteroffensives following Tet, forcing the Communists to change and scale back their plans for the May Offensive. Dr. Villard incorporated numerous interviews he conducted with Veterans from all three units, as well as the leadership of their higher headquarters, into his books and presentation. For vi

August 2, 2018 - Dr. Douglas Mastriano In the early hours of September 26, 1918, determined American Soldiers rushed into ‘No Man’s Land’ to play their part in the last great offensive of World War I. Experienced German Soldiers manned the formidable Hindenburg Defenses and battled the American Doughboys in the Argonne Forest. On Thursday, August 2, 2018, at 7:15 PM, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, PA hosted Dr. Douglas Mastriano as he spoke about the Argonne Offensive of World War I, the topic his recent book Thunder in the Argonne: A New History of America’s Greatest Battle. Mastriano’s book offers an extensive walkthrough of a pivotal moment in American military history. The battle, waged from September 26, 1918 to the November 11 armistice, saw American forces suffer around 20,000 casualties per week. Despite the losses, the U.S. Army used the lessons learned in the muddy, bloody combat to reshape itself into a modern fighting force. For video of the USHAEC's podcasts, or to learn

March 17, 2018 - Colonel Gregory Fontenot, U.S. Army Retired When the dust settled after Desert Storm in 1991, the First Infantry Division had engaged and defeated at least twelve Iraqi divisions, taken over 14,000 prisoners of war, and destroyed over 1,000 enemy tanks and armored vehicles. As they rolled into Safwan, Iraq to secure the air strip as a base for later surrender talks, the unit's leaders looked back at a rocky, but ultimately successful, evolution stretching back to Vietnam. Desert Storm proved that the 1st ID was indeed prepared for modern war. On Saturday, March 17, 2018, at 2:00 PM, Colonel (Retired) Gregory Fontenot was joined by scholars to lead a roundtable lecture at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania to discuss how the First Infantry Division underwent rapid and dramatic change between Vietnam and Desert Storm. For video of the USHAEC's podcasts, or to learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to fin

July 18, 2018 - Mr. Frank Lavin Carl Lavin was a high school senior in Canton, Ohio when 4,500 miles away Japanese Zeros screamed over Pearl Harbor. Along with thousands of young men and women, Lavin responded by joining the U.S. Army as soon as he turned 18. His decision led him from Ohio to Europe with the 84th Infantry Division, through battle at the front lines, and finally to victory and Occupation. On Wednesday, July 18, 2018, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania hosted Carl Lavin’s son, Mr. Frank Lavin, as he gave a lecture based on his book, Home Front to Battlefront: An Ohio Teenager in World War II. Mr. Lavin told his father’s story, garnered from personal letters and recollections, interviews with Carl Lavin’s brothers in arms, and formal histories. For video of the USHAEC's podcasts, or to learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

May 16, 2018 - Mr. Patrick O'Donnell In late August 1776, General George Washington commanded a panicked, trapped army of green Continental Soldiers on Long Island. Outflanked, Washington was desperate to save his men before the British could wipe out the hope of an American nation, just a short month after declaring independence. The nascent rebellion was saved, however, by just 400 Soldiers from Maryland. The "Immortal 400" guarded Washington’s rear so the majority of his army could retreat to defenses on Brooklyn Heights, and eventually to Manhattan, ready to fight another day. The U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center hosted Mr. Patrick O’Donnell as he gave a lecture based on his book, Washington’s Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution. Mr. O’Donnell tells the tale of the 400 Marylanders, a band of brothers, who not only fell in New York, but also at Trenton, Princeton, Cowpens, Camden, and Yorktown. For video of the USHAEC's podcasts, or to learn more

May 3, 2018 - Dr. Michael Neiberg On November 11, 1918, the American people released a collective sigh of relief. News of an armistice with the German-led Central Powers led Americans to believe their war was over. In 1919, the Allies and the Central Powers concluded the Treaty of Versailles, a document whose impact still influences world affairs today. In this lecture, Dr. Michael Neiberg of the U.S. Army War College, speaks about the subject of his recent book, Dr. Neiberg tells the story of the enormous challenges the men in Paris faced as they attempted to piece swaths of ruin back together after the terrible impact of World War I. He also describes the consequences the treaty negotiations had on the immediate post-war years and the legacy the war left for the American people. For video of the USHAEC's podcasts, or to learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

April 18, 2018 - Mr. David Wood "War is a morally treacherous enterprise." So says Pulitzer-prize winning war correspondent and author, David Wood. Through years of experience embedded with U.S. military units in Somalia, Southwest Asia and the Persian Gulf, Panama, Haiti, and the Balkans, Wood found the nature of war often overcomes a Soldier’s reliance on their leaders, training, equipment, and their own internal sense of "what’s right." This can lead to a sometimes devastating result: Moral Injury. On Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 7:15pm, David Wood presented a lecture at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania based on his new book, What Have We Done? The Moral Injury of Our Longest Wars. He explored the sometimes impossible choices our Soldiers are presented with, the moral injury that often results, and the impact such injury has on our military and our society in America. NOTE:  Please be aware that this recording contains some in-context strong language. For video of the

February 21, 2018 - Mr. Patrick Gregory, Editor and Author With the entrance of America into World War I, young Arthur Clifford Kimber put down his books at Stanford University and enlisted in the Allied cause on the Western Front. Joining the American Field Service as an ambulance volunteer, Kimber was tasked with carrying the first official U.S. Government flag to France. In this lecture, Mr. Patrick Gregory about Kimber, the subject of his recent book An American on the Western Front, co-authored with Elizabeth Nurser. The remarkable story of Kimber is a microcosm of the patriotism and fervor felt by the young men and women called to serve their country. Kimber tirelessly worked his way from ambulance volunteer in the front-line trenches in an American unit serving with the French army to joining the fledgling U.S. Air Service. He trained with French instructors and worked his way from ferrying aircraft to the front lines to piloting a fighter in combat with both the French and American Air Services. Mr. G