MacArthur Memorial Podcast
The MacArthur Memorial Podcast covers a variety of topics related to the life and times of General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964). From the triumphs and controversies of MacArthur's career to the latest scholarship on the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, the World Wars, the Occupation of Japan, and the Korean War, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast is constantly exploring fascinating history. The MacArthur Memorial is located in Norfolk, VA and is dedicated to preserving and presenting the legacy of General MacArthur and the millions of men and women who served with him.
Episodes
177 episodes
Relieved of Duty: MacArthur Reacts + Bonus Q&A
On April 11, 1951, at 1:00AM ET, President Harry S. Truman announced General Douglas MacArthur was relieved of command. Millions of people heard the news on the radio before MacArthur himself heard. How did he find out? MacArthur Memorial histo...
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29:21
MacArthur's Heroes + Bonus Q & A
Douglas MacArthur drew inspiration from mentors, role models, and a personal "pantheon" of historical figures throughout his life. On March 7, 2025, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discussed who was included in this ...
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45:37
General MacArthur's Iconic Cap
General Douglas MacArthur’s iconic cap, one of the most amazing artifacts in our museum, is a finalist for a conservation prize from VAM – the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM). Currently the cap is on VAM’s Virginia Top 10 Endangered...
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17:18
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The 1945 Battle of Manila + Bonus Q&A
To date, the 1945 Battle of Manila remains the US military's largest and most intense experience of urban warfare. It resulted in 6500 American military casualties, 16000 Japanese military KIA, and a staggering number of civilians were killed a...
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38:59
MacArthur's Birthplace: The Little Rock Barracks
The MacArthur Memorial is in Norfolk, VA, the hometown of General MacArthur’s mother, but General MacArthur was not born in Norfolk. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the Little Rock Barracks. Today that building houses the MacArthur Mus...
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23:56
Hellship: The Oryoku Maru
By 1944, as the Americans got closer to the Philippines, the Japanese accelerated their efforts to ship POWs held in the Philippines to other parts of their empire to work as forced laborers. POWs would be packed by the hundreds in the dark hol...
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25:40
The Land Battle on Leyte
On October 26, 2024, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf with a series of presentations. Dr. Peter Mansoor, a retired US Army officer and the Genera...
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28:32
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The Naval Battle of Leyte Gulf
On October 26, 2024, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf with a series of presentations. Thomas Cutler, a retired USN officer and a preeminent naval...
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33:01
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The 1944 Leyte Invasion
General Douglas MacArthur’s forces began landing at Leyte on October 20, 1944. That’s the day MacArthur took the famous picture wading ashore at Leyte, but there was a lot more to the operation than that. Why was Leyte chosen over Mindanao...
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28:22
Undefeated: Army's 1944 Basketball Team
During World War II, as many young men joined the military, many college basketball programs in the United States were suspended. The US Military Academy at West Point was one of the schools that continued its basketball program. Army’s 1943 se...
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28:36
Battle of Morotai
When most people think about the battles in the Pacific during World War II, they probably think of Guadalcanal, Okinawa, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Leyte Gulf, Midway, etc. It was a very long and difficult war though, and there were dozens of ...
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20:48
MacArthur and the CCC
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was one of the most popular and successful relief programs during the Great Depression. Between 1933-1942, it put 3 million men to work throughout the United States. These young men worked on conservation a...
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21:28
Jack Downey's Cold War
On November 29, 1952, a 22-year-old CIA operative named Jack Downey was shot down over China while taking part in an air drop. Four successive Administrations refused to acknowledge his connection to the CIA. Without this acknowledgement, Downe...
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31:22
The Pearl Harbor Conference
In late July 1944, President Roosevelt met with General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The future of the war in the Pacific was discussed at this Pearl Harbor Conference, or Pacific Strategy Conference as ...
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28:50
MacArthur Q&A: Part III
In this latest episode, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams answer some of the more popular and/or unique questions about General MacArthur we have received from MacArthur Memorial Podcast listeners and on social media.
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27:59
Tenth Army Commander
On June 18, 1945, one month shy of his 59th birthday, Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. became the most senior US military officer to be killed by enemy fire in World War II. At the time, he was leading the Tenth Army on Okinawa. Buc...
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36:41
PT Boat Commander John D. Bulkeley and D-Day
In 1942, John D. Bulkeley, commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 and skipper of PT-41, spirited MacArthur and his family off Corregidor. Bulkeley received a Silver Star for his role in MacArthur's escape and was later awarded the Medal of ...
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26:04
Beate Sirota Gordon and the Japanese Constitution
The Occupation of Japan after World War II is often considered a masterclass in civil affairs. It was not perfect, but it was successful. General Douglas MacArthur’s primary mission was to demilitarize Japan. Before he even arrived in Japan how...
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29:48
The SS Quanza
On September 11, 1940, the SS Quanza arrived in Norfolk, VA. She was carrying a number of Jewish refugees who were fleeing the Nazi war machine. While they would ultimately find safety through the efforts of the Jewish community in Ham...
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27:32
The Hollandia-Aitape Invasions
In April 1944, General Douglas MacArthur’s forces made a 580-mile amphibious leap to seize airfields at Hollandia and Aitape in New Guinea. It was a bold plan that meant making two simultaneous amphibious landings deep in enemy territory and it...
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20:56
Ernie Pyle: Part II
Part II of a two part interview.From 1942-1945, Ernie Pyle was the most famous American war correspondent. In 1942, his columns were featured in 42 newspapers. By 1945, they were featured in 400 daily and 300 weekly newspapers. He cover...
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37:35
General MacArthur's Funeral in Norfolk, VA
General MacArthur's multi-city state funeral concluded in Norfolk, VA on April 11, 1964. Join MacArthur Memorial historians Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel for a discussion of the events and logistics associated with this final salute to General ...
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19:06
Ernie Pyle: Part I
From 1942-1945, Ernie Pyle was the most famous American war correspondent. In 1942, his columns were featured in 42 newspapers. By 1945, they were featured in 400 daily and 300 weekly newspapers. He covered the war from the Blitz to North Afric...
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30:49
The Capture of Emilio Aguinaldo
In February 2024, the MacArthur Memorial hosted an event to mark the 125th anniversary of the Philippine American War. This event was in partnership with the Hampton Roads chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society and the Cou...
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21:55
The Philippine-American War from the Filipino Perspective
In February 2024, the MacArthur Memorial hosted an event to mark the 125th anniversary of the Philippine American War. This event was in partnership with the Hampton Roads chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society and the Cou...
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14:12
