Voices of Our People World War II
Episode 1: Pearl Harbor
1941 is a dividing year in American history. Two years earlier, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, setting off conflict in Europe. The U.S. stayed neutral. Then, on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese Navy Air Service attacked Pearl Harbor. News that thousands of sailors died in the attack reached the U.S. mainland at noon. Not long later, a surge of Americans began joining the military. The U.S. had entered World War II.
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Wiest of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi discusses the Pearl Attack and why the U.S. was caught off-guard. Also, several Mississippi military veterans who were at Pearl Harbor share memories of the attack.
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Episode 2: Answering the Call
When the U.S. entered World War II, the country’s military had roughly 200,000 enlisted members. During the next four years, that number reached eight million. There was concern that the country’s economy, yet to fully recover from the Great Depression, would suffer as a result. But as the industry workers that remained produced equipment for the war effort, the economy slowly improved. Meanwhile, Americans of Japanese descent were placed in U.S. internment camps because of loyalty concerns.
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Wiest of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi discusses how the U.S. as a whole shifted into a wartime footing. Also, several Mississippians describe their experiences working during the war and more.
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Episode 3: The Pacific Theater 1942-1943
The Japanese military spent the first half of 1942 claiming territories across the Pacific. In April, they captured 75,000 American troops in the Philippines. Days later, the U.S. conducted an air raid on Tokyo. Then, with Japan’s military moving toward Australia, U.S. forces cut them off. What followed was the world’s first aircraft carrier warfare. The U.S. eventually countered Japanese efforts to subjugate Pacific islands, and that counter-effort began with the Battle of Guadalcanal.
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Wiest of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi discusses the Japanese approach in the Pacific during the earliest days of the war. Also, Mississippi military veterans discuss their memories of battles in the Pacific and more.
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Episode 4: North Africa & Europe 1942-1943
In 1942, U.S. military officials knew that a European conflict would be fought differently than in World War I. Fighting would not be waged from trenches. It would be conducted from the air via high-altitude bombers. But the first major battle between Nazi Germany and U.S. forces took place in Tunisia. Afterward, Allied Forces moved toward Sicily and then Italy, which was heavily fortified by both Italian and German militaries.
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Wiest of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi discusses the military campaigns in northern Africa, Sicily and Italy. Also, Mississippi military veterans recall their times on bombers and fighting in northern Africa and more.
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Episode 5: Norms Under Fire, Part 1
While the U.S. military was engaged in the Pacific and Europe, it was undergoing internal changes, too. In 1940, when the first peacetime draft in U.S. history was implemented, it included a clause prohibiting racial discrimination. With African Americans training side-by-side with whites, conflict often arose in the Jim Crow South. Japanese Americans in the military dealt with similar discrimination. The irony is that the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit of Japanese-Americans, fought heroically in the war. In fact, the unit is considered the most decorated in U.S. military history.
In this episode, Dr. Douglas Bristol of the University of Southern Mississippi discusses the history of African-American soldiers and the changes brought upon by World War II. Also, Dr. Kenneth Swope of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi discusses the bravery shown by Japanese Americans in the European Theater. And Mississippi veterans discuss how race played a role in their military experiences.
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Episode 6: Norms Under Fire, Part 2
Another significant change during World War II was the role of women in both U.S. society and military. With so many men fighting overseas, women filled new roles at home, especially in the workplace. Some people welcomed the changes. Others did not. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of women joined the military in non-combatant roles. While both women and military officials embraced the arrangement, public sentiment was initially resistant.
In this episode, Dr. Heather Stur of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi discusses the changes World War II brought to gender roles in the U.S. Several Mississippi women discuss how the war changed their lives, as well.
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Episode 7: Island Fighting 1944-1945
As the war in the Pacific turned in U.S. favor, Japanese forces turned to Kamikaze pilots. U.S. forces had been “island hopping” toward the Japan mainland and, as they drew closer, these Kamikaze pilots became a key defense method used by Japan. The toughest fighting occurred during the Battle of Iwo Jima, where the U.S. military suffered 7,000 casualties. At the Battle of Okinawa, though, the U.S. gained an upper-hand via its reliance on aircraft carriers.
In this episode, Dr. Kenneth Swope of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi discusses how effective the Kamikaze program was, and how Japan’s focuses on cruisers and battleships put the country at a disadvantage. Also, Mississippians whose experiences fighting in the Pacific haunted them for the rest of their lives tell their stories.
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Episode 8: D-Day & Beyond 1944-1945
In 1943, Allied Forces began planning an invasion of the Nazi-guarded French coastline. The element of surprise would be one Ally advantage. The plan involved landing at five different beaches at Normandy, France, and commencing a rapid invasion. The landings, in summer 1944, were successful but the invasion was a weeks-long grind through a tough German line. Allied Forces prevailed, ultimately making it across the Rhine river before winter.
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Wiest of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi explains the extensive planning that went into D-Day, as well as how it played out. We also hear from numerous Mississippians who took part in the historic day.
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Episode 9: Major Battles & Prisoners of War
By late 1944, Allied Forces were pushing into Nazi Germany from the West while the Red Army approached from the East. Adolf Hitler still hoped to turn the tide, while other Germans wanted to surrender. In December, the Nazis commenced the Battle of the Bulge in an attempt to retake the Belgian town of Antwerp. This was some of the war’s most intense fighting. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. Japan surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945.
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Wiest of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society explains how Allies Forces broke Nazi Germany’s hold on Europe. He also details the battles that led Germany to surrender. At the same time, we hear from Mississippians who took part in the fighting.
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Episode 10: The Aftermath
With World War II over, members of the U.S. military who experienced the most destructive war in history then had to rebuild their world. Many had witnessed atrocities, including Nazi concentration camps, and had to deal with what would eventually be called Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Meanwhile, on a global scale, a new ideological battle arose between Communism and Capitalism.
In this episode, Dr. Kevin Greene, the Director of the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage at the University of Southern Mississippi, and a Fellow of the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society, discusses these changes. Dale Center scholars Dr. Kenneth Swope and Dr. Douglas Bristol also share their insights into World War II’s overall impact. We also hear from Mississippians who lived through those postwar years, and they talk about how matters of equality and quality of life came to the forefront.
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