This week Seth and Bill discuss the legendary Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal.  In this episode the team breaks down some of the legendary men who flew from Henderson Field in the struggle for Guadalcanal, digging into the combat history of men like Joe Foss and John L Smith to name a couple.  Tune in and see what the guys have to say.

The Cactus Air Force

The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War Podcast is the creation of Seth Paridon and Bill Toti.  Seth is a World War II historian with over 20 years experience who's many roles also was serving as a chief historian for The National WWII Museum for 15 years.   Bill is not a historian, but is a retired submarine commodore and military planner with a special interest in the Pacific War.  Bill has a unique perspective to offer as one who spent more than a decade sailing those same waters where the action in “The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War” took place.


Each week, Bill and Seth dive deep into topics pertaining to the Pacific War during World War II.  We dissect the battles, tactics, strategies, and personalities that drove the United States' victory on the largest battlefront in human history.

Seth and Bill bring out the hard facts about the war that resonates deeply today, some 80 years after the war was fought.  

New episodes are released on this channel every Tuesday, and the audio versions of each episode are released at the same time everywhere you receive your podcasts.  Make sure you subscribe to get notifications of every fresh upload and new show!

If you prefer an audio-only version of “The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War,” it can be heard here:  

And for those of you interested in the transition from active duty to industry, Bill’s book “From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership” is available in hardback at Amazon and other resellers, in eBook format on Kindle and Apple, and in audiobook format on Audible.

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This week Seth and Bill answer your questions in this first part of our Q&A session.  The team welcomes new guest retired Army Major Shawn Betgstrom to the crew to moderate the questions and lead the team as we go through the many fantastic questions sent in by our audience.  We hope you guys enjoy this episode, and we will definitely do this again.

We answer your questions about the Pacific War-Episode 334

From Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, Mims, Florida.

Captain Toti's Memorial Day Remarks, May 27, 2024

This week Seth and Bill wrap up 1944 in the Pacific as we near the end of Season 3.  The guys go through the reasons why 1944 was the tipping point in the war in the Pacific with Bill's Top 4 List.  We discuss leadership, training, logistics, industrial base and much more. Tune in as we wrap up the most pivotal year in World War II in the Pacific.


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Wrapping up 1944 in the Pacific-Episode 333

Seth joins Bill at his alma mater, the US Naval Academy, on April 24, 2024, along with Captain Stan Fisher, USN and Lt. Col Pete Owen, USMC (Ret), at the Legacy oof Valor event.  Hosted by the US Naval Academy Alumni Association. Copyright US Naval Academy Alumni Association.

US Naval Academy World War II Legacy of Valor event

This week Seth, Bill and John McManus wrap up the liberation of Leyte by talking about the fights at Breakneck Ridge, the Japanese landings and the subsequent US counter landings at Ormoc Bay.  The guys get into the stories of the 11th Airborne Division, 77th Infantry Division and the bravery and actions of one General Douglas MacArthur.  Tacked into the overall narrative is the almost unbelievable story of Medal of Honor recipient Robert Nett.  Check it out as we wrap Leyte.

#wwii #wwiihistory #ww2 #usnavy #usa #usarmy #medalofhonor #enterprise #aircraft #aircraftcarrier #cv6 #midway #wwii #wwiihistory #ww2 #worldwar2 #usnavy #usnavyseals #usmc #usmarines #saipan #usa #usarmy #aircraft #aircraftcarrier #battleship #battleships  #ussenterprise #aircraftcarriers #museum #essex #halsey #taskforce38 #wwii #wwiihistory #ww2 #usnavy #usa #usarmy #medalofhonor #enterprise #aircraft #aircraftcarrier #cv6 #midway #wwii #wwiihistory #ww2 #worldwar2 #usnavy #usnavyseals #usmc #usmarines #saipan #usa #usarmy #aircraft #aircraftcarrier #battleship #battleships  #ussenterprise #aircraftcarriers #museum #hollywood #movie #movies #books #mastersoftheair  #8thairforce #mightyeighth #100thbombgroup #bloodyhundredth #b17 #boeing #airforce wwii #wwiihistory #ww2 #usnavy #usa #usarmy #medalofhonor #enterprise #aircraft #aircraftcarrier #cv6 #midway #wwii #wwiihistory #ww2 #worldwar2 #usnavy #usnavyseals #usmc #usmarines #saipan #usa #usarmy #aircraft #aircraftcarrier #battleship #battleships  #ussenterprise #aircraftcarriers #museum #hollywood #movie #movies #books #oldbreed #1stMarineDivision #thepacific #Peleliu #army #marines #marinecorps #worldwar2 #worldwar #worldwarii #leytegulf #battleofleytegulf #liberation #macarthur

The Cactus Air Force

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