Ernie Pyle WWII Museum Podcast

And with Host James Lott Jr and Doug Hess, we celebrate 100 episode of the podcast and talk about why Ernie Pyle is important! Thank you to our guests and the Ernie Pyle World War 2 Museum in Dana Indiana! 

In this episode, I spoke with Jonathan W. Jordan about his "Ike and Winston: World War, Cold War, and An Extraordinary Friendship". One was the soldier-statesman who would become America’s thirty-fourth president. The other was the British icon who refused to surrender in democracy’s darkest hour. 

In this episode I spoke with Paul Dickson about his book "G.I. Jive: A Dictionary of Words at War". The language of American World War II military service began to evolve with the first draftees of 1940.  Their emerging vocabulary was irreverent, creative, and often obscene, influenced by the worlds of music, jazz, swing, jive, and the nation's fascination with occupational slang.

In this episode I spoke with author Jeff Weiss about his book "Fighting Back: Stan Andrews and the Birth of the Israeli Air Force". Fighting Back  is the story of Stan Andrews, an assimilated American Jew and World War II veteran who became one of the first fighter pilots in the history of the Israeli Air Force. The Ernie Pyle WWII Museum is located in Dana, Indiana! 

In this episode I spoke with Ron May about his book "World War II Indiana Landmarks". World War II Indiana Landmarks features places throughout the state that played significant roles during World War II. Many of these locations memorialize those who fought as well as those who contributed to the war effort.

In this episode I spoke with Margie Bucheit about her book "We Chose Resistance". We Chose Resistance  takes readers into the heart of rural France during wartime, where a courageous and poorly armed volunteer "army" stubbornly defies the occupying enemy each day to win back France

In this episode, I spoke with author Christopher C. Gorham about his book "The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win WWII and shaped A Modern America". For readers of  A Woman of No Importance  and  Eleanor: A Life,  the first-ever biography of Anna Marie Rosenberg, the Hungarian Jewish immigrant who became FDR’s closest advisor during World War II and whose influence on America...

In this episode I spoke with David Chrisinger (author of The Soldier's Truth) about Ernie special drink simple called "44".  David explains the story behind the drink. Ernie Pyle Museum is located in Dana, IN!

In this episode I spoke with Steve Snyder regarding his book "Shot Down: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth". SHOT DOWN is set within the framework of World War II in Europe and recounts the dramatic experiences of each member of a ten man B-17 bomber crew after their plane, piloted by the author's father, was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over th...

In this episode, I spoke with Tobias Straumann regarding his book "Out of Hitler's Shadow: Debt, Guilt and The Economic Miracle". Why were the United States and its Western Allies so lenient after the most atrocious war of all times?  Out of Hitler's Shadow  answers this question, and considers why the Allies concluded that imposing unrealistic financial conditions on a defeated country would do m...

In this episode I spoke with Jan Cress Dondi about her book "The Navigator's Letter: The True Story of Two WWII Airmen, a Doomed Mission, and the Woman Who Bound Them Together". The Navigator’s Letter  brings to light one of the best untold and dangerous stories of World War II, chronicling a moving and heroic story of patriotic duty, familial bonds, brotherhood, and love.

Guest Host James Lott Jr talks about the Museum. Ernie Pyle World War II Museum 📍 Address: 120 Briarwood Ave, Dana, IN 47847, USA 🌐 Website: https://erniepyle.org/

In this episode, I spoke with Mark Stille, about his book "Pearl Harbor Japan's Greatest Disaster". In this the first comprehensive treatment of Pearl Harbor since the early 1990s, respected Pacific War naval historian Mark E. Stille traces the road to war and the Japanese attack itself. He examines the role of the man behind the operation, Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, as well as the strengths and w...

For the Last episode of 2025, James Lott Jr is the host and talks about what Ernie yle and other War Correspondents when through during World War II. Thank you Doug Hess, and the Friends of Ernie Pyle for a great year of shows! See you in 2026!

Guest Host James Lott Jr talks about the life of the World War 2 War correspondents like Ernie Pyle. They are all heroes! The Ernie Pyle Museum is in Dana Indiana. 

In this episode I spoke with author Christopher Allen Gordon about his latest book "Letters Home from WWII St. Louis".  Letters Home from World War II: St. Louis captures the experiences of St. Louisans who served in World War II, sharing their struggles, fears, and hopes through letters sent home. Scattered across battlefields, remote bases, and ships at sea, these men and women endured the hards...

In this episode I spoke with author Stephen L. Moore about his book "Fighting Fifteen: The Navy's Top Ace and the Deadliest Hellcat Squadron of the Pacific War". The inspiring, action-packed tale of VF-15, the elite group of U.S. Navy “top gun” pilots that destroyed more enemy planes than any other Pacific War squadron. Out on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Doug Hess is the hos and producer. 

Steve Key is the President of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Ernie Pyle which oversees the Ernie Pyle WWII Museum. James Lott Jr has a fun chat with him and they talk about his involvement plus Steve's own professional history! erniepyle.org 

James Lott Jr talks about the museum! 

In this episode, we discuss Rona Simmons book "No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944". On Tuesday, October 24, 1944, nearly three years after the United States entered World War II, over 2,600 Americans perished—more than on any other single day of the conflict—yet the day remains overshadowed by more widely remembered dates in WWII history. Drawing from the accounts of men from diverse...

Guest Host James Lott Jr wishes he could have interviewed one on one Mr Ernie Pyle. SO he imagines if Ernie lived longer and James got to ionterview him, what would the questions be? James tells you 10 Questions he would ask Ernie Pyle. Ernie Pyle WWII Museum is in Dana, Indiana.

In this episode, I spoke with author William Nester on his book "General George S. Patton and the Art of Leadership: One of America’s Greatest Ever Generals". For General George S. Patton, “Leadership is the thing that wins battles. I have it—but I’ll be damned if I can define it. Probably it consists in knowing what you want to do and then doing it and getting mad if anyone steps in the way. Self...

Co Hosting for the 1st time, JLJ and Doug Hess speak with Actor/Writer/Producer and Ernie Pyle Legacy Foundation Board Member Michael Brainard. He has a Substack which is compiling and archiving and releasing to the public, the Complete Works of Ernie Pyle. goto michaelbrainard.substack.com

Doug Hess is the host! Ernie Pyle WWII Museum is in Dana Indiana!