Send us a text

A day late and a dollar short, only we’re neither since the Battle of the Bulge officially ended on 25 January 1945. Join Joe and special guest, Reg Jans, as they examine the opening phase of the battle and some of the key fights that fueled the German offensive and the Americans’ response. They look at factors influencing the battle such as fuel and manpower shortages, as well as key personalities both sides and German planning. It’s a great overview with one of the battle’s foremost historians and battlefield guides, and it sets us up nicely with some follow-on shows with Reg. Check it out!   

If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter of The "We're Not Lost, Private" Podcast, check us out here: https://patreon.com/WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

You can check us out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

If you like the pod, please hit like, subscribe and share!

You can listen to us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a host of other podcatchers.

We're also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/werenotlostprivate1944   

and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WereNotLostPrivate   

Reg’s Battlefield Experience page: https://www.regjans.com/ 

His World War Media site: https://www.worldwarmedia.com/ 

Support the show

Send us a text

Donald Hoobler, Easy Company stalwart, heavily featured in the miniseries Band of Brothers. There’s so much incorrect information out there about how he died. Between Wikipedia, guesswork, and the miniseries, it all contributes to the inaccuracy. Sit down with Joe for a quick hit episode that busts the myths surrounding the death of this extremely popular soldier. From his interviews with Company members, and the written accounts of others, Joe has assembled the most accurate description of the incident that felled one of 1st Platoon’s most reliable soldiers, one who David Webster said of, “He was the only person I ever met that thoroughly enjoyed war.”  

If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter of The "We're Not Lost, Private" Podcast, check us out here: https://patreon.com/WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

You can check us out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

If you like the pod, please hit like, subscribe and share!

You can listen to us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a host of other podcatchers.

We're also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/werenotlostprivate1944   

and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WereNotLostPrivate   

Support the show

Send us a text

During World War II, Elzbieta Zawacka was the only woman to reach London as an emissary of the Polish Home Army command. In Britain, she became the only woman to join the Polish elite Special Forces, known as the "Silent Unseen.” She was secretly trained in the British countryside, and then she was the only female member of these forces to be parachuted back behind enemy lines to Nazi-occupied Poland. There, while being hunted by the Gestapo (who arrested her entire family), she took a leading role in the Warsaw Uprising and the liberation of Poland. Join Joe and acclaimed historian and author Clare Mulley as they discuss the unconventional warrior known as “Agent Zo.”

If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter of The "We're Not Lost, Private" Podcast, check us out here: https://patreon.com/WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

You can check us out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

If you like the pod, please hit like, subscribe and share!

You can listen to us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a host of other podcatchers.

We're also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/werenotlostprivate1944   

and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WereNotLostPrivate   

If you’d like to check out Clare’s website, you can find it here: https://claremulley.com/ 

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Agent Zo, you can do so at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Agent-Zo-Fearless-Resistance-Fighter/dp/1639367624/

Support the show

Send us a text

Many of you have probably read about the Duplex Drive Shermans, one of “Hobart’s Funnies.” The myths and urban legends about their launching and deployment on D-Day have persisted for decades. Author and historian Charles Herrick joins the pod again, this time to lift the shroud from the mystery about how the orders and decisions made by almost every level of leadership led to the uneven performance and sadly, the deaths of many DD crews off Omaha Beach on D-Day. Check in to hear how.    

If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter of The "We're Not Lost, Private" Podcast, check us out here: https://patreon.com/WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

You can check us out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

If you like the pod, please hit like, subscribe and share!

You can listen to us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a host of other podcatchers.

We're also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/werenotlostprivate1944   

and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WereNotLostPrivate   

If you’d like to read about Chuck’s research in detail, check out his blog: https://www.charlesherrickbooks.com/blog-1-1/the-duplex-drive-tanks-of-omaha-beach-a-the-ad-hoc-solution 

And if you’d like to pick up a copy of his book on Robert Capa on D-Day, Back into Focus, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Back-into-Focus-Story-Robert/dp/1636244734/ 

Support the show

Send us a text

Patreon supporter Andrew sent me a question about what happens to a paratrooper’s extra gear and dress uniforms when they are training or deployed on a combat operation. Check out this short to find out! 

Support the show

Send us a text

Noncommissioned Officers, or NCOs, have long been considered the backbone of the Marine Corps. But the crucible of combat in World War II tested the NCO corps like no other event. They acted as the continuity, institutional knowledge and experience, and many times, the moral compass for the young Leathernecks in their charge. Steven McCloud returns to the pod to discuss with Joe the immense value of these men and their contributions to the overall success of the Marine Corps in WWII, as seen through the eyes of veterans of several Marine units. 

If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter of The "We're Not Lost, Private" Podcast, check us out here: https://patreon.com/WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

You can check us out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

If you like the pod, please hit like, subscribe and share!

You can listen to us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a host of other podcatchers.

We're also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/werenotlostprivate1944   

and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WereNotLostPrivate   

To learn more about Steven’s Trident Leadership project, head over to this link:  https://www.tridentleadership.com/ 

Support the show

Send us a text

The 101st Airborne left behind a legacy with their service in World War II and their actions gained them a fame that has continued to this day. Much attention has been focused on their storied combat actions like Normandy and Bastogne, while their time spent in England in 1943/44 is less well known. Through a wealth of sources, testimonies and period photographs, Matthew Pellett has brought that lesser-known period in the Division’s history to the fore. Join Joe and Matthew as they discuss that year of rich history of the 101st Airborne and shed light on the Division’s activities in ‘Ole Blighty’ prior to D-Day.  

If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter of The "We're Not Lost, Private" Podcast, check us out here: https://patreon.com/WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

You can check us out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

If you like the pod, please hit like, subscribe and share!

You can listen to us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a host of other podcatchers.

We're also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/werenotlostprivate1944   

and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WereNotLostPrivate   

Here’s Matthew’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/101stAirborneInEngland/  

Support the show

Send us a text

For years the United States Marine Corps has had a recruiting tool called the ‘Buddy Program.’ Using the program, you could join with a friend and essentially be guaranteed to go through recruit training together. During World War II, eight young men from Weslaco, Texas took that theory to the extreme, joining the Marine Corps to serve their nation. One of those young men was Iwo Jima flag raiser, Harlan Block. In a continuation of our Pacific Theater programming, Andrew Booher joins the show to discuss the fascinating topic of the Weslaco Eight, their enlistment, and their service in the Marine Corps during World War II.

If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter of The "We're Not Lost, Private" Podcast, check us out here: https://patreon.com/WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

You can check us out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

If you like the pod, please hit like, subscribe and share!

You can listen to us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a host of other podcatchers.

We're also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/werenotlostprivate1944   

and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WereNotLostPrivate    

Support the show

Send us a text

Due to the popularity of John Basilone and the Battle of Alligator Creek, the Battle for Guadalcanal looms large in the public eye regarding World War II in the Pacific. The Pacific miniseries reinforced those popular images. But like most battles in the war, much more information is required to get a complete understanding of what happened. Dave Holland, through his popular “Guadalcanal – Walking a Battlefield” Facebook page, has begun lifting the shroud from the Battle of Guadalcanal, and in his upcoming book, Guadalcanal’s Longest Fight, he examines a series of critical battles centered around the Matanikau River. Join Joe and Dave as they discuss those battles as well as the upcoming release of Dave’s book. 

If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter of The "We're Not Lost, Private" Podcast, check us out here: https://patreon.com/WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

You can check us out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@WereNotLostPrivatePodcast 

If you like the pod, please hit like, subscribe and share!

You can listen to us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a host of other podcatchers.

We're also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/werenotlostprivate1944   

and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WereNotLostPrivate   

You can visit Dave's Facebook page @ Guadalcanal - Walking a Battlefield and check out his book, Guadalcanal's Longest Fight, on Amazon!  https://www.amazon.com/Guadalcanals.../dp/1636245846/

Support the show

Send us a text

The 29th Infantry Division was one of the earliest National Guard units to be federalized after the attack on Pearl Harbor. They would soon ship to England where they would train until D-Day. After landing on France that fateful day, they would essentially remain ‘one the line’ until V-E Day. Joe is joined by esteemed author and historian, Joe Balkoski to help explore the combat mindset of the men of the division as they activate, ship out, take part in one of the most famous amphibious assaults in history, and then slog across western Europe. The ‘two Joe’s’ discuss how exposure to relentless combat, and its associated attritional rate, led to an almost fatalistic outlook on the part of the 29’ers regarding their chances for survival. Don’t miss out on this fascinating discussion!

If you'd like to become a Patreon supporter of The "We're Not Lost, Private" Podcast, check us out here: https://patreon.com/WereNotLostPrivatePodcast

You can check us out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@WereNotLostPrivatePodcast

If you like the pod, please hit like, subscribe and share!

You can listen to us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a host of other podcatchers.

We're also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/werenotlostprivate1944

and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WereNotLostPrivate

Support the show