SNAFUBAR

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt
  • 5.0 (10)
  • History
  • Updated Weekly

SNAFUBAR is a show about strategic and moral military errors and mishaps, and the myths that both lead to and then justify them. The histories they look at will make clear the degree to which the U.S. is a warful nation, contrary to the myth of a peaceful nation regularly compelled, against its will, to go to war. Through every episode, the show uncovers how we romanticize and fetishize the military while not always providing the support it needs to carry out its intended (or stated) goals, or to meet veterans’ needs when they return from combat.

  1. 23h ago

    Private Snafu

    Hi Folks! Welcome back to SNAFUBAR. We’re getting animated today! We are touching on a topic that’s close to home, or rather, close to the name of our podcast. Today, we are getting into the Private SNAFU series, a top secret animated series funded by the military during World War II. Your eyes are not deceiving you, this was a real, top secret project funded by the military. And the strange part is, many famous names in animation like Mel Blanc and Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, were a part of it. Join us as we explore the history behind the comical and strange Private SNAFU series.  SNAFUBAR is hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sara Hart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Chair of the Department of Applied Humanities at Cal Poly Humboldt. We have a guest host today, Liam Salcuni, who teaches history classes at Cal Poly Humboldt.  SNAFUBAR is regularly co-hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Crane ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who is an Environmental Historian and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.  Research and writing for the show is done by Liam Salcuni and Roman Sotomayor  SNAFUBAR is produced by Abigail Smithson and brought to you by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.  Works Cited: Audrey Amidon, “The US Military Goes to Hollywood: Behind the Scenes with the First Motion Picture Unit,” 2013.  CenSoc WWII Army Enlistment Dataset Codebook, 2023.  Classified Cartoons: Private SNAFU Christopher Klein, When Dr. Seuss Went to War,” 2016.  David Vergun, “First Peacetime Draft Enacted Just Before World War II,” 2020. Mark David Kaufman, “Ignorant Armies: Private SNAFU Goes to War,” 2015.    Phillip Knell, “Suess on Film,” 2016.  Peter Zablocki, “Private SNAFU,” 2025.  The National WWII Museum: New Orleans, “Training the American GI.”  US Army Heritage and Education Center, “World War II Core Area.”  Paul Dickson, “OCTOBER 16, 1940—UNCLE SAM’S GOT YOUR NUMBER, GUYS,” 2020.  Susan Thompson, “Communicating and training through film: an Army Signal Corps innovation,” 2022.  Theodor Seuss Geisel & Edward Connery Lathem, The Beginnings of Dr. Seuss: An Informal Reminiscence, 2010. National Parks Service, “The American Homefront and the Buildup to World War II: The Selective Service Act and the Arsenal of Democracy.”

  2. Jul 26

    Braddock's Defeat

    Welcome to SNAFUBAR! A podcast on American military history and national myths. Today we’re exploring the ruinous Battle of the Monongahela, or “Braddock’s Defeat,” which took place in 1755 near modern day Pittsburgh. We know what you’re thinking, the United States wasn’t around in 1755, what does this have to do with American military history and national myths? A lot. Present at the Battle of the Monongahela was the young George Washington, who learned valuable lessons on leadership and tactics as a result of this crushing defeat. What’s more, the Battle of the Monongahela marks the beginning of the Washington mythos.  We hope you enjoy the show.  SNAFUBAR is hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sara Hart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, chair of the Applied Humanities department at Cal Poly Humboldt, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Crane , an Environmental Historian and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.  ⁠Research and writing for the show is done by Liam Salcuni and Roman Sotomayor.  SNAFUBAR is produced by Abigail Smithson and brought to you by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt. Works Cited Armstrong Starkey, European and Native American Warfare: 1675-1815, 1998.  Battle of Fort Necessity and Braddock’s Defeat, Fort Edwards Online Archive David Preston, Braddock’s Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution, 2015.  Emanuel Leutze, Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851.  George Washington, Letter to John Augustine Washington, 1755.  George Washington, Letter to Robert Orme, 1755. George Washington, Letter to William Fairfax, 1754.  Gordon S. Wood, The Radicalism of the American Revolution, 1991.  Paul E. Kopperman, Braddock at the Monongahela, 1977. Ron Chernow, Washington, A Life, 2010.

  3. Jul 14

    Sara Hart on Family, War and Trash Talk

    Today's episode is hosted by Jeff Crane. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sara Hart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Chair of the Applied Humanities Department at Cal Poly Humboldt, usual co-host of the show, is in the hot seat! She discusses her personal relationship to war and her personal work which is informed by it. This episode is great context for the reason why SNAFUBAR came to be!  Works Cited: Paul Fussell The Good Soldiers by David Finkel Achilles in Vietnam by Jonathan Shay What It’s Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes Redeployment by Phil Klay Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Operation Never Mind: James Mcmurtry War Games episode Admiral Zumwalt

  4. Jun 30

    Agincourt

    Once more unto the breach, dear listeners of SNAFUBAR, once more. This week on SNAFUBAR, we are going way back in time to the Battle of Agincourt. We know what you’re thinking, “What the heck does the Battle of Agincourt have to do with US military history?” Well Agincourt serves as a cautionary tale, a story of what happens when a military fails to adapt to innovative technologies and strategies on the battlefield. Are the billion dollar battleships setting the United States up like the French at Agincourt, who failed to adapt to more cost effective and efficient weaponry? Find out on this week's episode. We hope you enjoy the show!  Today's episode is hosted by  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sara Hart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Chair of the Applied Humanities Department at Cal Poly Humboldt. We’re joined by our guest host Liam Salcuni, lecturer with the History Department at Cal Poly Humboldt and usually our writer and researcher for the show. Works Cited: Brose, Christian, “The New Revolution in Military Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 2019.  Cancian, Mark F., “The Golden Fleet’s Battleship Will Never Sail,” Center For Strategic and International Studies, 2025.  Curry, Anne, Agincourt: A New History, 2006.  Curry, Anne, Agincourt : Great Battles Series, 2015.  Keegan, John, The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme, 1976.  Shakespeare, William, Henry V, 1623.  Stephens, Bret, “The US Military Like the French at Agincourt,” New York Times, 2019.  Warner, Michael P.,The Agincourt Campaign of 1415: The Retinues of the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, 2023.  Williams, Holly et al., Ukraine Uses Drone Innovation to Help Level Battlefield in War with Russia,” CBS, 2026.  SNAFUBAR is regularly hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Crane⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, an Environmental Historian and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt. Research and writing for the show is done by Liam Salcuni and Roman Sotomayor.  SNAFUBAR is produced by Abigail Smithson and brought to you by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.

  5. Jun 17

    Press F: Video Games and the Military 

    Chat, are we cooked? Not quite, we just have a couple of guest hosts today! Welcome to SNAFUBAR, a podcast on American militarism and national myths. Today’s episode explores the action packed history of video games, specifically military themed video games. We’ll chart the history of early war games, from the classic boardgame Kriegspiel, used in Prussian military officers training, to major blockbuster video games like Battlefield I. Military themed war games brings up an important question: If we spend our free time immersed in online war games, does that shape our perceptions of or responses to news of international conflict? Do war games diminish the degree to which we’re able to approach war as trauma? Or are we overthinking here and it really is “just a game”? We’ll discuss on this episode of SNAFUBAR Today's episode is hosted by Liam Salcuni, lecturer with the History Department at Cal Poly Humboldt, and our writer/researcher Roman Sotomayor, an alum of Cal Poly Humboldt who has worked on different research projects and on engaging with the local veterans community here in Humboldt County.  SNAFUBAR is regularly hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sara Hart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, who Chair of the Applied Humanities Department at Cal Poly Humboldt, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Crane ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who is an Environmental Historian and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.Research and writing for the show is done by Liam Salcuni and Roman Sotomayor (who also hosted today's episode) SNAFUBAR is produced by Abigail Smithson and brought to you by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.  Works Cited: Activision, Call of Duty Endowment AMRDEC Public Affairs, “America’s Army: Proving Grounds launches on Steam” Bajza, Wargame Spotlight: Kriegspiel Cox, “Army Using Xbox, PS4 Technology to Build New Virtual Trainers” Dunnigan, The Complete Wargames Handbook Entertainment Software Association, “US Veterans Say Video Games Support Their Mental Health and Well-Being” Espinosa, “From Military Tools to Toys: A History of Video Games” Good, “America’s Army going dark after 20 years” Goodpastor, “How the Military Uses Call of Duty As A Recruitment Tool” Gottfriend and Sidoti, “Teens and Video Games Today” Greenwalt, “George Washington’s Integrated Army” Keller, “The US military will fight the next big war with Xbox-style video game controllers” Kennedy, “Uncle Sam Wants You (To Play This Game)” Maas, “How ‘Call of Duty’ Says It Is Getting More Veterans Jobs Than the US Government” Mezoff, “Army Game’s Medic Training Helps Save Two Lives” National Museum of Play, “Spacewar!” O’Dell, “Where in the world are US military deplyed?” Schaeffer, “The changing face of America’s veteran population” Sinclair, “America’s Army bill: $32.8 million” Stack Up USAFacts, “Is military enlistment down?” YouTube, “America’s Army 3 - Training Medic 1/3"

  6. Jun 1

    Atomic Veterans: Delay, Deny, until they Die

    Welcome back to SNAFUBAR, the show about American military history and our country's national myths. Today’s episode is from our “Canary in the Coalmine series,” only today we won’t be talking about birds, but about the Atomic Era in the United States. We’ll be focusing on the Nevada Test Site and the servicemen that worked at this facility. World War II was over, but the Cold War was just getting started, and in turn, the arms race.  Between 1946 to 1962, the United States conducted hundreds of  nuclear detonation tests. Four hundred thousand servicemen served and worked at these facilities, sometimes at ground zero of the testing sites, with limited protective equipment. At the time, nuclear testing was projected as an endeavor necessary for keeping democracy and liberty alive across the free world. Servicemen who participated in nuclear testing during this atomic age were an instrumental part of this. However, after their service, veterans exposed to harmful levels of radiation faced many obstacles securing health benefits from the VA, an issue that persists today among the military community for a variety of different health related issues.  SNAFUBAR is hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sara Hart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  Chair of the Applied Humanties department at Cal Poly Humboldt, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Crane ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who is an Environmental Historian and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt. Research and writing for the show is done by Liam Salcuni, lecturer with the history department at Cal Poly Humboldt, and Roman Sotomayor.  SNAFUBAR is produced by Abigail Smithson and brought to you by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt. Works Cited:  ACHRE Report: Chapter 10: Human Research at the Bomb Tests Andrew Bacevich, Ballpark Liturgy: America’s New Civic Religion: Cheap Grace at Fenway Atomic Veterans Were Silenced for 50 Years. Now, They're Talking. Clyde Haberman, Veterans of Atomic Test Blasts: No Warning, and Late Amends, 2016 Edward Abbey Desert Solitaire  Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb Department of Defense: Atomic Veterans Commemorative Service Medal. History of the Nevada Test Site and Nuclear Testing Background Hidden History: America’s Atomic Veterans Jesus Hits Like An Atom Bomb  National Association of Atomic Veterans: Newsletter National Association of Atomic Veterans, Minnesota’s Atomic Veterans Day, 2021 Nuclear Tourism: When Atomic Tests Were a Tourist Attraction in Las Vegas, 1950s - Rare Historical Photos New York State Department of Health, Radiation and Health Operation Buster Jangle, 1951 Operation Plumbbob, 1957 Operation UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE, 1953 Pamela Engle, America Came To A Standstill During The O.J. Verdict — Here's Everything That Stopped, 2014. Shot Hood Nuclear Test, Plumbbob series, 1957 Smedley Butler, War is a Racket, 1935 Tales from the Atomic Age - Pigs in Uniform | Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity These Atomic Bomb Tests Used U.S. Troops as Guinea Pigs The Atomic Soldiers: U.S. Veterans, Used as Guinea Pigs, Break the Silence - The Atlantic"The Clan of One-Breasted Women" by Terry Tempest Williams, 1991

  7. Apr 13

    The CIA Backed Overthrow of Mossadegh 

    In 1953 the CIA conducted a covert operation to overthrow Muhammad Mossadegh, the democratically elected leader of Iran. This was the CIA’s very first mission dedicated to regime change and done in collaboration with British intelligence in order to install a government that was sympathetic to western business interests.   The consequences of this action were severe and lasting, casting a long shadow. Join us as we unpack the details that led up to the overthrow, the people who played a role in this operation, and the suffering and death that followed.  SNAFUBAR is hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sara Hart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Chair of the Department of Applied Humanities at Cal Poly Humboldt, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Crane ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who is an Environmental Historian and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.  Research and writing for the show is done by Liam Salcuni and Roman Sotomayor  SNAFUBAR is produced by Abigail Smithson and brought to you by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.  Works Cited: Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952-1954, Iran, 1951-1954 Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Central Intelligence Agency (Declassified 1999): Analysis of Iranian Political Situation, 1951 Harry S. Truman Presidential Library: The Creation of the CIA Office of the Historian: National Security Document 68 Office of the Historian: National Security Act of 1947 Office of the Director of National Intelligence: National Security Act of 1947   Steven Kinzer, All the Shah’s Men, 2003 Teaching American History: The Long Telegram The Mossadegh Project: Biography  The Mossadegh Project: Mossadegh and Truman Winston Churchill, “The Sinews of Peace Speech, 1947, International Churchill Society

  8. 08/09/2025

    Truman’s Faith, Niebuhr’s Doubt

    Welcome back to SNAFUBAR. In this week's episode, we’re going to focus our attention on President Harry Truman: we’re going to look a little bit at his pre-presidential life of military service, and then we’re going to turn to his presidency, highlighting the moral urgency that he brought to questions of global responsibility and interventionism. We’ll introduce the Truman Doctrine and then we’ll spend some time digging into his State of the Union addresses. We'll also look at the work of American Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and how his philosophy provides alternative approaches and ways of thinking to Truman's own thoughts on America's role in the world. Today's episode is co-hosted by Sara and our writer/researcher Roman Sotomayor, an alum of Cal Poly Humboldt who has worked closely with Sara on different research projects and on engaging with the local veterans community here in Humboldt. SNAFUBAR is regularly hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sara Hart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, who teaches Religious Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Crane ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who is an Environmental Historian and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt. Research and writing for the show is done by Liam Salcuni and Roman Sotomayor (who also hosted today's episode) SNAFUBAR is produced by Abigail Smithson and brought to you by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.  Works Cited: National Parks Service, Harry S Truman and the Influences of his Service in World War I Harry S. Truman Library & Museum, Biographical Sketch: Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States National Security Archive, President Harry S. Truman, Handwritten Remarks for Gridiron Dinner, circa 15 December 1945[78] National Archives, Truman Doctrine (1947) Allierten Museum, “Cold War” - The (Pre)History of a Term Linen for Project Gutenberg, State of the Union Addresses of Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman Library & Museum, President Truman’s Remarks, Syracuse, NY The American Presidency Project, Harry S. Truman Public Approval Daily News, Daily News from New York 217 Reinhold Niebuhr, The Irony of American History Reinhold Niebuhr, The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

SNAFUBAR is a show about strategic and moral military errors and mishaps, and the myths that both lead to and then justify them. The histories they look at will make clear the degree to which the U.S. is a warful nation, contrary to the myth of a peaceful nation regularly compelled, against its will, to go to war. Through every episode, the show uncovers how we romanticize and fetishize the military while not always providing the support it needs to carry out its intended (or stated) goals, or to meet veterans’ needs when they return from combat.

Information

  • Creator
    College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt
  • Show Website
    SNAFUBAR