MacArthur Memorial Podcast

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 , t...

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.  Joi...

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 squ...

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 mas...

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 d...

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....

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 Mani...

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...

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 pa...

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??  Have a com...

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 contributi...

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. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't rep...

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 Purs...

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...

Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discuss MacArthur’s romantic side – from his early courtships and heartbreak, to the deep bond he shared with his second wife, Jean Faircloth MacArthur. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't reply) Support the show Follow us on: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 ; @AEWilliamsClark Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial...

From 1919 to 1941, Clark Field in the Philippines was home to American air power in the western part of the Pacific. Attacked by the Japanese at the start of the war and then abandoned in the retreat to Bataan, the airfield was taken over by Japanese troops before being recaptured in 1945. To explore the development and history of Clark Field, we sat down with Dr. Richard Meixsel, author of Clark...

On February 13, 2020, the MacArthur Memorial hosted bestselling author Hampton Sides for a discussion of his book On Desperate Ground: The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean Wars’ Greatest Battle. On Desperate Ground explores the Korean War and a controversial chapter of MacArthur’s career. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts, we can't...

Victory Mail - more commonly referred to as V-Mail - was a mail process used by the United States during World War II. It was designed to reduce the weight and fuel costs of mail, while helping citizens correspond with service members stationed overseas. To learn more about V-Mail, we sat down with Lynn Heidelbaugh, curator at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. Have a comment about thi...

General Arthur MacArthur, the father of Douglas MacArthur, traveled to the Philippines in the summer of 1898 and took part in one of the most interesting battles of the Spanish-American War – the land Battle of Manila. The American victory there began the transition of the Philippines from a Spanish colony to an American territory, and ultimately set the stage for the Philippine-American War. Have...

History has always been a regular and dependable muse for Hollywood. However, there is always tension between "real" history and "reel" history. The Battle of Midway is an excellent example of this tension and how Hollywood's take on history is influenced by contemporary events and social issues. Recently, we sat down with Dr. Tim Orr to discuss the Battle of Midway and ho...

Who was Vicente Lim? Dr. Richard Meixsel, author of the book Frustrated Ambition: General Vicente Lim and the Philippine Military Experience, 1910–1944, answers this question with a brief exploration of Lim's life and times. The first Filipino to graduate from West Point, Lim’s military career spanned more than three decades. Although disappointed when World War I ended before he could get to...

At 2:22 p.m. EST on December 7, 1941, Franklin Roosevelt’s Press Secretary, Stephen Early, announced to the press pool: "The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor from the air and all naval and military activities on the island of Oahu, principal American base in the Hawaiian islands." Within minutes, millions of Americans were informed of the attack. However, it would take days, months, a...

The American Civil War was an immediate and formative experience for General MacArthur’s parents and their families. General MacArthur even referred to himself as the “reunion of blue and gray personified.” In this special lecture, historian Chris Mackowski tells the story of the Battle of the Wilderness. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can only read the texts,...

The American Civil War was an immediate and formative experience for General MacArthur’s parents and their families. General MacArthur even referred to himself as the “reunion of blue and gray personified.” In this special lecture, historian Dan Welch tells the story of a MacArthur relative, William J. Hardy, who fought with the 1st Richmond Howitzers at the Battle of Gettysburg. Have a comment ab...

General MacArthur was a voracious reader. Prior to World War II, he owned thousands of books. He had to leave this library behind when he escaped to Corregidor during the Japanese conquest of the Philippines. Sadly, most of the library was destroyed or looted by the end of World War II. Despite this loss, through gifts and purchases, he was able to amass a second library. Today, this post-1941 lib...