Visiting Normandy and touring the beaches from D-Day, June 6, 1944, is a powerful experience. It is an experience that all American citizens should plan to do. There are incredible stories of American servicemembers that left their homes to serve and sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves. It is important to remember and honor these heroes. Many people do this every year as there are approximately 1.7 million people who visit the Normandy American Cemetery annually.

In this podcast episode, I speak with a tour guide, Yannick Sterke, who gives tours of the Normandy battlefields. In the summer of 2022, I took a three day tour with Yannick. He is a wealth of knowledge. He showed our group significant places including Omaha beach, Utah beach, Point du Hoc, and Saint Lo. At each place, he told us about the history of D-Day and the invasion of Normandy with a lot of powerful stories. Yannick and I kept in touch and he agreed to do an interview to talk about the history of World War II, D-Day, the Battle of Normandy, and his work showing people (including World War II veterans) the battlefields.

• Check out Yannick's comapny: HQ Company Tour
• Visit HQ Company Tour on Facebook, Instagram, or TripAdvisor
• Check out the Normandy American Cemetery where approximately 1.7 million people visit each year.

Additional Books to Read:

• Operation Jubilee: Dieppe, 1941: The Folly and the Sacrifice
• The Dead and Those About to Die: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach by John C. McManus
• Omaha Beach D-Day June 6 1944 by Joseph Balkoski
• The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw

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Check out our Tours: Alexandria History Tours provides guided tours of Old Town Alexandria with a focus on George Washington, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War. Use promo code “PMECOMPLETE” for a 10% discount.  

In the year 1780, South Carolina was in the grip of violence and turmoil. On December 3, 1780, General Nathanael Greene assumed command of the southern department from General Horatio Gates. Gates, the hero of Saratoga, had struggled in the Carolinas most notably at the disastrous battle of Camden. The Continental Congress relented to General Washington’s preferred commander: Nathanael Greene. Thus, Greene left his post at West Point and traveled south.

General Greene had a series of challenging decisions in front of him. How was he going to rebuild a nearly destroyed army? How was he going to recruit and train his forces to eventually challenge General Cornwallis? The task ahead of him was daunting. In the face of overwhelming odds, he made a militarily unorthodox decision: He split his army in half.

In command of the other half of his army was General Daniel Morgan, a brawler from the Virginia backcountry. Morgan was a veteran of the French and Indian War. He was captured and held as a POW after the failed invasion of Quebec. He later distinguished himself as one of the heroes of the Saratoga campaign. In January 1781, Morgan was also faced with improbable odds. As he commanded General Greene’s “flying army”, Cornwallis sent Lt. Col. “Bloody Ban” Tarleton to pursue Morgan.

On January 17, 1781, General Morgan made a stand in a local cow pasture in northwest South Carolina. We know this location as Cowpens. It was here that Morgan achieved one of the most tactically brilliant victories in American military history. We know Morgan as the “Old Wagoner”, but he could just as easily be called the American Hannibal. Check out part three of the series and learn more about what happened at the Battle of Cowpens!

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If you like the show, subscribe in Apple podcasts, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth. Visit the website. E-mail: [email protected] 

Check out our Tours: Alexandria History Tours provides guided tours of Old Town Alexandria with a focus on George Washington, the Revolutionary, and the Civil War. Use promo code “PMECOMPLETE” for a 10% discount.  

Further Reading: 

• A Devil of a Whipping 
• William Washington, American Light Dragoon: A Continental Cavalry Leader in the War of Independence
• The Road to Guilford Courthouse
• Daniel Morgan: A Revolutionary Life
• Kings Mountain and Cowpens
• Nathanael Greene: A Biography of the American Revolution
• South Carolina and the American Revolution
• To the End of the World: Nathanael Greene, Charles Cornwallis, and the Race to the Dan

General Jason Q. Bohm (Maj. Gen., USMC) is the author of a recently published book entitled Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777. In this interview, we discuss why and how the Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775. General Bohm explains that General Washington did not initially support the Marines. However, the Marines played a pivotal role during the “Ten Crucial Days.” This was the period from December 25, 1776, through January 3, 1777. It included key battles at Trenton, Assunpink Creek, and Princeton. The Marines’ heroic actions and fighting spirit helped General Washington during one of the lowest points of the Revolutionary War. Furthermore, it firmly established the Marines’ reputation as America’s premiere fighting force. 

In this interview, we discuss the following:

• The Marines were supposed to be used for a naval campaign against the British in Halifax, Nova Scotia. General Bohm tells us why it never happened.  
• Samuel Nicholas. We know him as our first commandant. Was he really commandant though? Who was this Philadelphia Quaker?
• Recruiting and retention. Who were the young men that came to Tun Tavern? And why Tun Tavern?
• The first Marine Corps deployment was to the Bahamas. Sounds like a nice deployment! But did the Marines know anything about amphibious operations in March 1776?
• The New York campaign and the events that led to the Continental Armies’ low point in December 1776.
• The “Ten Crucial Days” included the Battles of Trenton, Assunpink Creek, and Princeton. The Marines played a critical role in helping Washington’s army snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. 
• Implications for the current Marine Corps. What lessons can we learn from our Marine forefathers?

Washington's Marines can be purchased through  Savas Beatie or Amazon

About the Author: General Jason Q. Bohm (Mag. Gen., USMC) is a Marine Corps infantryman with over 30 years of experience. General Bohm has served at every level from platoon commander to commanding general. His past assignments include strategic planner with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of the Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfighting School (EWS). He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing as well as master’s degrees in military studies and in national security studies. General Bohm has written award-winning articles for the Marine Corps Gazette. He is also the author of From the Cold War to ISIL: One Marine’s Journey (Naval Institute Press, 2019). 

General Bohm’s first book is available on Amazon.

Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com

Revolutionary War and George Washington Tours in Alexandria, VA: www.alexandriahistorytours.com use promo code "pmecomplete" to get a 10% discount. 

If you like the podcast, please rate and review on iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. Don't forget to subscribe and be on the lookout for Part Three of the American Guerillas series. 

The American Guerillas series continues with part two: “The Sword of the Lord and Gideon”. After the British invasion of South Carolina, American forces had their backs to the wall. But many Patriot militia units refused to give up. They fought valiantly using guerilla style tactics. In this episode, we discuss those tactics in depth.  This episode will cover the following: 

• The Battle of Musgrove’s Mill
• The Battle of Kings Mountain and the legend of the Over Mountain Men
• The Swamp Fox, Francis Marion’s campaign in the low country
• The Battle of Blackstock’s Plantation
• Key leaders on the American side: Colonel Isaac Shelby, Colonel William Campbell as well as Thomas Sumter and Francis Marion 
• Key leaders on the British side: Major Patrick Ferguson

After listening to this episode, subscribe and stay tuned for American Guerillas Part Three. 

Business update: My company, Alexandria History Tours, provides history tours in Old Town Alexandria, VA. We have a George Washington tour, a Revolutionary War tour, plus Civil War stops on our tours! Check out the website and learn more.  

Podcast website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com to see maps and pictures. 

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To request additional shows or guests, e-mail me: [email protected] 

This is the first episode in a series on the Revolutionary War in the Carolinas. The series is called “American Guerillas” and part one is titled “War in the Carolinas”. This episode will cover a lot of ground and begin with an overview of the American Revolution up until the British invasion of Charleston in 1780. After a summary of the major milestones of the Revolution, the episode will cover the following: 

• Why the British shifted their strategy to the Carolinas
• Key leaders on the British side: Cornwallis and Tarleton
• Key leaders on the American side: William Moultrie and Horatio Gates
• Siege warfare tactics that the British used to take Charleston
• The massacre at the Waxhaws
• The Battle of Camden
• Battlefield tactics during the Revolutionary War

After listening to this episode, check out “American Guerillas Part Two: The Sword of the Lord and Gideon”.

Business Update: Alexandria History Tours is open for business, providing history tours in Alexandria, VA. We have a George Washington tour, a Revolutionary War tour, and Civil War history stops on our tours! Check out the website and learn more. 

Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com to see maps and pictures. 

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If you like the show and want to hear others, subscribe in iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth. 

Check out the show on Twitter and Facebook

To request additional shows or guests, e-mail me: [email protected] 

Col. Grant Newsham (USMC-Ret.), has a warning for America: China is at war with us. It is time for Americans to understand that China does not believe war starts with the deployment of missiles, tanks, and infantry. From the perspective of the People's Republic of China (PRC), war has already begun. Furthermore, over the last several decades, China has used influence operations, economic policies, political warfare, and lawfare to cripple America. The results have left American communities jobless with rampant drug use, deaths of despair, and social disfunction. As one example, fentanyl related drug overdoses caused 70,000 American deaths in 2021. This number is higher than the number of Americans killed during the Vietnam War. The chemical components of fentanyl are manufactured in China.    

After decades of economic growth and political warfare, China has undergone one of the most significant military build-ups during a period of "peace." What are their next moves? As China has trained, mobilized, and built up its army and navy, the obvious question is for what purpose? 

In this interview, we discuss these questions and much more. 

Interview topics include:

• China’s current military capabilities: Key strengths and weaknesses
• China has a mission: To defeat the United States and they believe that war is already taking place.
• Does China believe they can successfully invade Taiwan?
• If China does attack Taiwan, what would the attack look like? How would the United States respond? Is nuclear war possible?
• What is military-civilian fusion?
• How does China think of Comprehensive National Power (CNP)
• How have American elites both in business and politics helped to facilitate China's rise to power.
• On the American business class and Wall Street, Grant says, "You can't expect to win if you're funding your enemies." 

Check out the book: When China Attacks A Warning to America 

Biography: Grant Newsham is a Senior Fellow with the Center for Security Policy. He is also a Research Fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies focusing on Asia-Pacific defense, political, and economic matters. Grant is a retired U.S. Marine Colonel and was the first U.S. Marine Liaison Officer to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. He also served as reserve head of intelligence for Marine Forces Pacific, and was the U.S. Marine Attaché, US Embassy Tokyo on two occasions.

Check out Grant's work at the Center for Security Policy. Find Grant on Twitter: @NewshamGrant

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Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com

On December 19, 1777, George Washington led the Continental Army onto a high plateau twenty miles northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After fighting the British at the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown, Washington entered camp with a little over 12,000 soldiers. By mid-February, that number had dropped in half. Disease ravaged camp. Soldiers starved. Many of them were down to their last shirt. Some walked into camp barefoot. As if the problems couldn’t get worse, most soldiers didn’t know if or when they would get paid for their service. 

Despite the many difficulties, General Washington was determined to pull the army through the winter. He faced multiple threats to his command both from within the army and from Congress. Although Valley Forge did not involve any large battle, the army faced one of its toughest challenges of the Revolutionary War. If it could survive and hold together, then the American fight for independence would continue.  

Through a combination of leadership and determination, Washington and his army were able to persevere. By the summer of 1778, the soldiers that survived the winter emerged hardened and ready for a fight.

In this podcast episode, we will study what happened at Valley Forge with a focus on Washington’s leadership and the many decisions that he had to make. 

We will begin the episode by imagining what order Washington might have given prior to occupying camp. Then we will focus on the following topics:

• How did Washington prevent a mutiny? 
• What was the Conway Cabal and how did Washington overcome it?
• Who was the odd Prussian Captain that arrived at Valley Forge in February?
• How did the experience at Valley Forge shape Washington’s political mindset?
• What personnel decisions did Washington make? 
• How was morale maintained?
• What caused death and desertion?

Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com to see maps and pictures. The website will also have a list of sources and additional information to study what happened at Valley Forge. 

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Wake Island was the site of a famous battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II. By December 7, 1941, it was a small (but growing) naval air station (NAS). The construction and development of the island began in January 1941. As Pacific Fleet Commander, Admiral Kimmel, recognized the vulnerability of the island, Marines were brought in to defend it in August 1941. On December 8, 1941, the Japanese attacked Wake Island with a series of aerial bombardments. On December 11, the Japanese attempted their first invasion of the island. But they were soundly defeated. The Marine defenders bloodied a much larger Japanese task force. Additionally, the fighting men of Wake won the first tactical victory of the Pacific and gave America hope that it could fight back and win. This was a much-needed morale boost only a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It would take the Japanese task force another 12 days with two aircraft carriers and 1,000 more landing forces to overwhelm the Marines defending the island and finally take it. 

In this solo podcast, I cover the battle from the point of view of the Marine Corps Commanding Officer, Major James P.S. Devereux. I also integrate the writing of Private First Class (PFC) John R. Himelrick. This is the story of how Marines, sailors, soldiers, and even civilians were able to defend the island for 16 days against nearly impossible odds. Without reinforcements, it was only a matter of time before the island fell. 

The primary defenders of the island were Marines from First Defense Battalion and VMF 211. This episode explores how the Marines fought and what lessons can still be learned today. With a strong focus on Major Devereux’s decision making, this episode tries to challenge the listener to think about “What would you do?” “How would you react amidst the ‘fog of war’”?

Wake Island’s American defenders did surrender on December 23, 1941. But the deck was stacked against them from day one. There are a lot of “what ifs” that surround its defenses? I cover these counterfactuals in the episode. Furthermore, this battle is good considering what the Marine Corps is hoping to accomplish with Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). Wake Island was meant to be an EABO. Therefore, it can provide relevant lessons for today’s operating environment.   

Check out the website to see maps, which are helpful to view while listening to the podcast. 

Primary Sources:

• Major Devereux’s Book:  The Story of Wake Island
• PFC Himelrick’s diary entries. Available through the Marine Corps History Division upon request. 
• The Defense of Wake by Lt. Col. R.D. Heinl, Jr. published in 1947
• “The Battle of Wake Island” article by Gregory J.W. Urwin

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If you like the interview and want to hear others, subscribe in iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth. Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com  

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To request additional shows or guests, e-mail me: [email protected] 

Is the United States Military weak? The Heritage Foundation has fired a shot across the bow with its “2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength.” The Index concludes that the U.S. military in its current posture is “weak.” The Pentagon might not like the report. But, my guest, Dakota Wood, is calling things as they are rather than the way people would like them to be. 

“Nobody likes their baby being called ugly. But the facts are what they are.” -Dakota Wood

The 2023 Index starts with an assessment of the operating environment from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. Dakota explains that the Index is looking at American military power within a two major-regional conflict (MRC) framework. The Index analyses enemy threats through the lens of “intent and capability.” The focus is on Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and terrorist groups like ISIS. The Index then shifts to a detailed overview of each U.S. military branch in terms of capacity, capability, and readiness. After grading each branch individually, the Index comes up with an aggregate grade of “weak.” This is not an indictment on any individual service member or unit. Dakota explains that this is a combination of years of underfunding, misuse of resources, and a “profound lack of seriousness.” 

Topics of discussion:

• The purpose behind the Index and its target audience
• How two major-regional conflicts (MRCs) was developed as the framework for the Index
• Why the Index assesses the overall operating environment as “favorable”
• We dive into two specific “competitors”: Russia and China
• Breaking down U.S. service branches: The Army is “marginal”; the U.S. Navy is “weak”; the Air Force is “very weak”; the Marine Corps is “strong”; the Space Force is “weak”; and nuclear capabilities are “strong” but trending toward “marginal”

Find the “2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength” at www.Heritage.org/military 

Connect with Dakota on LinkedIn and follow him at The Heritage Foundation

About the guest: Dakota Wood is a Senior Research Fellow, Defense Programs, Center for National Defense at The Heritage Foundation. He served America for two decades in the U.S. Marine Corps. His research and writing focuses on programs, capabilities, operational concepts, and strategies of the U.S. Department of Defense and military services to assess their utility in ensuring the United States has the ability to protect and promote its critical national security interests. Mr. Wood originated and currently serves as the editor for Heritage’s “Index of U.S. Military Strength.”

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How did the U.S. recover from the devastation of Pearl Harbor and win one of the most epic battles in naval history? Was war in the Pacific inevitable or were there diplomatic off ramps? Why did Japan attack America on December 7, 1941? Did America really know in advance that an attack was coming?

My guest Dale Jenkins helps answer these questions in his book, Diplomats and Admirals. We speak at length about these topics in our interview. I thought our deep dive into the Battle of Midway was especially fun. Additional topics include:

• Diplomatic breakdowns that led to war between the U.S. and Japan
• How the Japanese were able to carry out the Pearl Harbor attack with “total surprise”
• U.S. intelligence that broke Japanese codes and learned about the Japanese plans at Midway
• How the U.S. won the Battle of Midway and nearly lost it all
• U.S. heroism at the Battle of Midway
• Lessons on leadership to include Admiral Nimitz’s battle plan 
• The principles of carrier tactics and how carrier battles were fought and won

Dale Jenkins spent five years reading and researching. This book is a culmination of his efforts. I am glad to release this interview as we mark the anniversary of Pearl Harbor and remember the day that will live in infamy on December 7, 1941. 

Listen to the interview and then check out Dale’s book here and his website. 

About the Author: Dale Jenkins is a former US Navy officer who served on a destroyer in the Pacific and for a time was home-ported in Yokosuka, Japan. Pacific Fleet commitments took him to the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore. While on active duty, he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal. His business career was primarily in international banking, and he was also a staff director at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Dale currently serves on the Samuel Eliot Morison Committee of the Naval Order of the United Sates, New York, and as a Regional Director of the Naval War College Foundation. As a result of his active-duty experience and new revelations, Dale provides insight into the diplomacy and strategies of the Pacific region. He has degrees in history and business from Harvard and Columbia.

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If you like the interview and want to hear others, subscribe in iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth. Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com  

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