The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War

My dad, was an 18 year Marine PFC assigned to the 2nd platoon, B Company, 1st Battalion, 8 regiment of the 2nd Division that assaulted Red Beach 2 on Betio. His platoon lieutenant was Dean Ladd who retired as a colonel and wrote a memoir of his unit’s experiences in the Pacific titled “Faithful Warriors “. If you would like a first hand personal account of this horrific battle this is one.

Hi guys, just listened to the Wake Island episodes and really liked it. Nice details! I would ask for a wrap up to say what happens to some of the main characters in these episodes. Like what happened to the POWs after Wake fell. Where were they interned? When were they released? How many survived the battle and then survived internment? What was the fate of the Japanese admiral? Did he later participate in key campaigns? Any notable post-war careers or event for the senior leadership? You included the really cool detail about the PBY pilot who was later involved in Midway. The Pacific campaign has a lot of isolated incidents or battles and you don’t necessarily see the same recurring cast of characters like in the European theater. So a little post-battle info-for me- really completes the story. Thanks for the episode!

Fantastic show but one star is to get attention. For the love of God stop interrupting each other. Edit. Parshall is the prime suspect here. He can’t seem to help himself from interrupting or even saying yes uh huh…. It ruins the episodes. Never, not once is the interruption essential. Nobody wants to hear that. Let the other person talk and during a pause address your comment. Jesus. This is not rocket science.

This podcast reveals the complexities of the Pacific War in a way that is absolutely fascinating and entertaining. You are getting graduate school depth delivered for free every Tuesday into your podcast app. The quality of the guests and level of analysis is world-class. Highly recommended! “Hammer down!”