During WWII, Allied POWs in the Pacific Theatre – whether combatant or civilian – faced physical and psychological hardships. Captivity is difficult. It is particularly difficult when access to food is irregular or insufficient because food is often associated with a sense of security, comfort, health, and memory.  For many of the civilian POWs held at Santo Tomas internment camp in Manila, recipe sharing was one way to cope with the POW experience. Thinking about food helped some stay tethered to pre-captivity life, while remaining hopeful about a future life out of captivity. To discuss recipe collection and "food fantasies" at Santo Tomas, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Jennifer Cottle, a graduate student and the recipient of a grant to study the Santo Tomas recipe books preserved in the MacArthur Memorial Archives. 

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During World War II, about 16 million people from all walks of life served in the U.S. military. This number included many of the top celebrities of the day – so much so that historians often refer to the period as a time when “Hollywood went to war.” Stars like Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart famously joined the military – as did many others in the entertainment industry. Some fought on the front lines, while others were placed in positions to use their industry talents to help the U.S. military with training, propaganda, morale, and public relations. The great big band leader Glenn Miller was part of this later group. To discuss Miller’s military service and the latest research on his disappearance, the MacArthur Memorial Podcast hosted Dennis M. Spragg, author of Glenn Miller Declassified and Senior Consultant for the Glenn Miller Archives at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

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On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked American military installations at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and propelled the United States into the Second World War. To mark the 80th anniversary of the attack, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum partnered to host a special commemorative lecture by historian Walter Borneman about his book Brothers Down, the story of 38 sets of brothers who served on the USS Arizona.

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During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Bilibid Prison served as a POW and a civilian internment camp. Prior to liberation in February 1945, thousands of POWs were processed through Bilibid before boarding the infamous "hellships" that would take them to forced labor camps throughout the Pacific. The camp also held hundreds of Allied civilians in deteriorating conditions. 

Join Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams of the MacArthur Memorial for a discussion of Bilibid – it’s function during World War II, the conditions in which prisoners lived, and the eventual liberation of the prison in 1945.

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Mexico was one of the Allies in World War II – but it didn’t just help secure the US border or provide raw materials in support of the war – it contributed a fighter squadron that saw combat in the Pacific Theatre. Few people in the United States are aware of this history, and many Pacific War historians tend to overlook Mexico’s contribution to the war. Nevertheless, the participation of that squadron marked a very significant moment in Mexican military history, in Mexican foreign policy, and in US/Mexico relations. To discuss the Mexican Expeditionary Force, 201st Fighter Squadron and the combat role it played in the Pacific War, we interviewed Walter Zapotoczny, author of The Aztec Eagles: The Forgotten Allies of World War II.

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Even historians who loathe General MacArthur tend to agree that the administration of the Occupation of Japan was MacArthur at his best. However, many people don’t realize how much was happening in just the first month of the Occupation, how much could have gone wrong, and how deftly MacArthur was managing a very fluid situation. September 1945 was a tour de force of organizational ability,  a masterclass in leadership, and of course, as always, there was controversy. Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams recently sat down to discuss September 1945 - MacArthur's very busy, very consequential month.

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On September 5, 1912, Arthur MacArthur, Jr., a career army officer and the father of Douglas MacArthur, collapsed and died as he was giving a speech. His sudden death shook the entire MacArthur family. Decades later, Douglas MacArthur wrote: “My whole world changed that night. Never have I been able to heal the wound in my heart.” To  discuss  Arthur MacArthur's legacy and his death, we sat down with Charlie Knight, former Curator of the MacArthur Memorial, and author of Valley Thunder: The Battle of New Market and From Arlington to Appomattox: Robert E. Lee’s Civil War, Day by Day, 1861-1865. 

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In 1904 a young Second Lieutenant Douglas MacArthur and recent law school graduate Manuel Quezon met for the first time at a dinner in Manila. Over the next several decades, both men developed a strong but complicated relationship. This relationship would have a major impact on the Second World War’s Philippine Campaign of 1941-1942 and the future of the Philippines after liberation in 1944-1945.

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In July 1961, an 81-year-old General MacArthur made a ten-day farewell trip to the Philippines to mark the fifteenth anniversary of Philippine independence. President John F. Kennedy was delighted to see MacArthur honored in this way and helped facilitate the trip by putting a Boeing 707 from the Military Air Transport Service at MacArthur’s disposal. It was a particularly moving visit and in Manila alone, millions of people turned out to greet MacArthur. Only papal visits have exceeded the welcome MacArthur received. To mark the 60th anniversary of this trip, Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel sat down to discuss MacArthur's itinerary and the Cold War context of the trip.

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On March 11, 1942 General Douglas MacArthur, his family, and select members of his staff boarded several PT Boats and began a dangerous escape attempt that would take them from the doomed Philippines to the relative safety of Australia, where MacArthur would make the "I Shall Return" promise. Through the years, there have been a number of questions about MacArthur's escape. Why did he leave? What were his orders? And did he smuggle out a mattress stuffed with gold?  To answer these questions, the MacArthur Memorial's historians sat down to discuss the rumors and the evidence.

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