Green Hell: A Vietnam War Podcast

Stephen Comstock

A military history podcast of the War in Vietnam from 1945 to 1975, as told by Airborne Ranger Stephen Comstock.

  1. 2d ago

    18 Dienbienphu Pt. 1 (Into the Valley)

    Join me in discussing the epic story of the battle of Dien Bien Phu, one of the craziest battles of all time and the final showdown of the French Indochina War. In part one, we dig into why General Navarre chose a remote valley near the Laotian border for his air-land fortress, meet the men who would answer for it, and jump in with the paratroopers who seized the valley in November 1953. Recommended reading: Hell in a Very Small Place by Bernard B. Fall Chapters: 00:00 Intro and welcome back 01:45 A "Train Wreck" cold open: Navarre, the evening news, and the lacquered box 04:44 Who's to blame? The French inquiry (declassified in 1994) 06:38 How bad did it get? Accounts from the hospital, the trenches, and both sides 09:53 The siege by the numbers: dates and casualties 13:50 Why Dien Bien Phu? The political case: the Thai Federation and Laos 16:23 A quick catch-up: Giap's 1953 invasion of Laos 19:11 The strategic case: supply routes, rice, and poppy 21:16 The Na San precedent 23:11 The tactical case: the valley, the hills, and the airstrip 25:04 The fatal assumption: "They're not going to bring in enough artillery" 27:23 Navarre's grand strategy and Giap's countermove 30:00 Navarre vs. Cogny: the start of a feud 31:38 The valley and the nine strong points 35:51 The rumor: strong points named after de Castries' lovers 36:35 Key leaders: Colonel Christian de Castries 38:59 Key leaders: General Henri Navarre 41:32 Responsibility, the objections, and Bernard B. Fall's Hell in a Very Small Place 43:31 Housekeeping: what's next for the series and the show 45:07 November 20, 1953: the paratroopers drop into the valley 48:30 Day three: Brigitte Friang jumps, and the hedgehog takes shape 50:24 Giap marches on Dien Bien Phu, and the Viet Minh consolidate power 52:43 Wrap-up and next episode

  2. Apr 2

    17 Operation Lorraine

    In this episode we dive into the ambitous Operation Lorraine, aimed at diverting General Giap's forces in Northwestern Vietnam, and luring him into a set-piece battle.

  3. Feb 20

    Special Episode w/ The Talking Ass

    My buddy and host of The Talking Ass podcast joins me as my first ever guest to discuss modern parallels to Vietnam, plus Russia, Israel, and his experiences in both Finnish and Israeli military. Green Hell: Lessons from Vietnam and Afghanistan | Stephen Comstock - The Talking Ass | Podcast on Spotify www.youtube.com/@TalkingAssPodcast open.spotify.com/show/4aAgHqDg0Z1kTOpWjezyUt podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-ass/id1795311770

  4. 12/06/2025

    16 Breakout from Tu-Le (French Indochina Pt. 8)

    A crazy tale of overwhelming odds and human endurance for the French 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion tasked with holding the line against 3 divisions of Viet Minh.

  5. 09/10/2025

    15 The "Meat Grinder" Battle of Hoa Binh (French Indochina Pt. 7)

    Join me in learning the history of the so-called "Meat Grinder" Battle of Hoa Binh as the French attempt to draw the Viet Minh into the grinder and the Viet Minh play the reverse Uno card.

  6. 07/04/2025

    American REVOLUTION Special

    On this July 4th join me in a special American Revolution episode dedicated to recounting the founding of this great country! USA USA USA!

  7. 06/27/2025

    14 Battle for Mao Khe (French Indochina Pt. 6)

    This episode dives into the second attempt by General Giap to engage with and destory the French in conventional battle.

  8. 05/27/2025

    Special Episode - Remembering the Fallen

    Join me in remembering several fallen Airborne Rangers on this special Memorial Day episode.

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A military history podcast of the War in Vietnam from 1945 to 1975, as told by Airborne Ranger Stephen Comstock.

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