World War II Daily Podcast

In Episode 28 of The World War II Daily Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Katie S. Sanders, an award-winning journalist, podcast producer, and co-author of the remarkable new book, Ortiz’s War.

Katie has built an impressive career telling compelling stories for some of the world’s most respected publications, including National Geographic, The New York Times, TIME, Smithsonian, Vanity Fair, and The Washington Post Magazine.

Her reporting has taken her into places few journalists ever get to see, from the CIA and the White House to the homes of World War II veterans and Holocaust survivors.

But her connection to the Second World War is also deeply personal.

Katie discovered that her late grandfather, a Jewish-American pilot who was shot down over France before D-Day, had been rescued by one of the most extraordinary figures of the war: OSS Marine Colonel Peter Ortiz.

That discovery set Katie on a remarkable journey. Together with historian and retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Nicholas Reynolds, she set out to uncover and chronicle the story of the man who had saved her grandfather.

The result is Ortiz’s War, an extraordinary account of a warrior whose life seems almost too incredible to be true.

Peter Ortiz parachuted into Nazi-occupied France, worked alongside the French Resistance, helped rescue Allied airmen, evaded the Gestapo, and endured horrific imprisonment. His wartime story is one of courage, survival, and an extraordinary commitment to the fight against Nazi Germany.

In this episode, Katie and I discuss her fascinating career, the deeply personal discovery that connected her family to Peter Ortiz, the research behind Ortiz’s War, and the incredible life and legacy of the man they describe as one of America’s most remarkable warriors.

It was a fascinating conversation, and I’m very excited for you to hear it.
Click here and buy now Ortiz's War Book

Follow: @katiessander and @ortizswarbook

For daily WW2 content: @worldwarii_daily and @samuel.dekorte

In Episode 27 of The World War II Daily Podcast, we are joined by Captain Isaac Lamberth, an active-duty United State Marine Corps officer, military communications professional, and author. Coming from a family with eight generations of military service, Isaac has served in the Marine Corps since 2008, including a deployment to Afghanistan, while also building a reputation as a military historian and educator.

Our conversation centers on his book, Overshadowed, which explores one of the least discussed aspects of Marine Corps history during the Second World War: the service of U.S. Marines outside the Pacific Theater. While the Marines are almost universally associated with iconic battles such as Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, thousands also served in Europe, the Mediterranean, China, Iceland, and other theaters where their contributions have largely faded from public memory.

Together, we examine the origins of this overlooked story, the diverse roles Marines played beyond the island campaigns, and why these men have remained in the shadow of the Corps' more famous Pacific legacy. Isaac also discusses the extensive research behind Overshadowed and why preserving these forgotten stories remains important today.

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Samuel de Korte

If you enjoy conversations that uncover the lesser-known stories of the Second World War, be sure to subscribe to The World War II Daily Podcast and share this episode with fellow history enthusiasts.

Thank you and see you next time!

In Episode 26 of the WW2 Daily Podcast, Samuel sits down with journalist, photographer, and author Linda Hervieux to discuss one of the most overlooked stories of the Second World War, the men of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion.

Together, they explore what first led Linda to uncover the battalion's remarkable history, the vital role barrage balloons played during and after D-Day, and what June 6, 1944, looked like for the soldiers of the 320th. The conversation also examines how racial segregation shaped the unit's experience, why their contributions remained largely unrecognized for decades, and how their story enriches our understanding of Black military service during World War II.

Whether you're discovering the 320th for the first time or looking to deepen your knowledge of D-Day, this episode offers an insightful conversation about remembrance, historical research, and the importance of bringing forgotten stories to light.

📖 Linda Hervieux's book: Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War

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On Episode 25 we welcome back our friend Jenny Chan for her second round here in the show. Jenny is the co-founder of Pacific Atrocities Education, a nonprofit she helped establish in 2014 to research and preserve WWII history in the Pacific. Growing up in the United States, Jenny became interested in this work after hearing her grandmother’s experiences living under Japanese occupation in Hong Kong, stories that were largely absent from what she learned in school.

Through Pacific Atrocities Education, she and her team have worked to recover survivor testimonies and digitize over a million fragile war crimes documents from the U.S. National Archives. With extensive expertise on Unit 731, Jenny has dedicated years to researching Japanese wartime atrocities and preserving historical evidence that is very often forgotten. 

In this episode, we focus entirely on Unit 731, examining its origins, operations, human experimentation, the evidence left behind, and how complicated the after war was.

Learn more about the Pacific Atrocities Education:

https://www.pacificatrocities.org/

Follow on instagram:

- @pacificatrocities.edu

- @samuel.dekorte

- @worldwarii_daily

Episode 24 brings you a conversation that challenges conventional narratives about the final phase of the Second World War.

In this episode, we’re joined by Bastiaan Willems, a researcher of modern European history whose work examines the conduct of the German army as the war turned decisively against them. Drawing from his book Violence in Defeat, Willems shifts the lens away from the widely studied brutality of the Eastern Front and redirects it inward, into Germany itself during its final collapse.

We explore how years of exposure to extreme violence shaped a “barbarized” mindset within the Wehrmacht, one that did not remain confined to distant battlefields. As German forces retreated, these patterns of behavior followed them home, contributing to a surge of violence within Germany in 1944–45. The episode examines how the boundaries between front line and home front eroded, how civilians became entangled in the logic of total war, and how these dynamics influenced the chaotic disintegration of the Third Reich.

This discussion offers a deeper understanding of how war transforms not only outcomes, but societies and how its consequences can reverberate far beyond the battlefield.

— Check out Bastiaan Willems’ book here: https://www.amazon.com.br/Violence-Defeat-Wehrmacht-1944-1945-Cambridge-ebook/dp/B08TRL3BHJ

Follow and stay connected: Instagram: @worldwarii_daily and @samuel.dekorte

In this episode, we’re joined by Henning Pieper, historian and educator. He studied atthe Universities of Freiburg, Nottingham and Sheffield, and has previously worked as a visitor guide at the Belsen Memorial as well as a school consultant for the German War Graves Commission. Since 2017, he has been teaching History and English at the high school level.

Henning is the author of Fegelein’s Horsemen and Genocidal Warfare: The SS Cavalry Brigade in the Soviet Union and has published several articles on the SS and German counterinsurgency during World War II.

In our conversation, we explore the role of the SS Cavalry Brigade on the Eastern Front, the nature of anti-partisan warfare, and how these operations were connected to broader patterns of violence during the war.

Dr. Pieper's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Fegeleins-Horsemen-Genocidal-Warfare-Holocaust-ebook/dp/B00PG00X4CInstagram:@worldwarii_daily and @samuel.dekorte

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A new year, a new season! The World War II Daily Podcast returns today for its 3rd year.

Episode 22 features Jenny Chan, co-founder of Pacific Atrocities Education, a nonprofit she helped establish in 2014 to research and preserve World War II history in the Asia-Pacific. Growing up in the United States, Jenny became interested in this work after hearing her grandmother’s experiences living under Japanese occupation in Hong Kong, stories that were largely absent from what shelearned in school.

Through Pacific Atrocities Education, she and her team have worked to recover survivor testimonies and digitize over a million fragile war crimes documents from the U.S. National Archives. Her work focuses on documenting Japanese wartime atrocities, preserving historical evidence, and bringing greater attention to parts of the war that remain less discussed in mainstream narratives.

In this episode, we discuss Japanese wartime atrocities in general and take a closer look at Unit 731 — exploring the historical context, the available evidence, and the importance of preserving these histories for future generations.

For daily WW2 content check out our Instagram: @worldwarii_daily and @samuel.dekorte
Pacific Atrocities Education: @pacificatrocitiesedu
Learn more about Pacific Atrocities Education: https://www.pacificatrocities.org/

Thank you for watching!

In Episode 21 of The World War II Daily Podcast, we are joined by Bianca Fiori, a Brazilian educator and historian whose work brings Holocaust memory into a space that is vital, necessary, and too often overlooked.Bianca was born in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, and holds degrees in Pedagogy and History, with postgraduate studies in Afro-Brazilian Culture and History, as well as an MBA in Museology, Curatorship, and Exhibition Management. For more than twelve years, she has dedicated herself to studying the Holocaust, and for the past three and a half years she has worked as an educator at the Holocaust Memorial in São Paulo, guiding school groups through one of the most important sites of remembrance in Latin America.

In this episode, we deliberately move beyond the traditional centers of Holocaust discourse — Europe, the United States, and Israel — to explore how memory, education, and responsibility take shape in Brazil. Together with Bianca, we discuss why a Holocaust memorial matters in a Latin American country, how these histories resonate far beyond their geographic origins, and what it means to teach the Holocaust to new generations in a Brazilian context.

This conversation offers fresh perspectives on global remembrance, the role of education in preserving historical truth, and the enduring impact of the Holocaust across borders.

As this is our final episode of 2025, we want to thank every listener for being part of another year of The World War II Daily. Your support, engagement, and commitment to historical reflection make this project possible. We wish you all a peaceful holiday season and look forward to continuing this journey together in the year ahead.Follow and support us!

 The World War II Daily - https://www.instagram.com/worldwarii_daily?igsh=NjRmZTZ1c3pzYW9u

Samuel de Korte - https://www.instagram.com/samuel.dekorte?igsh=MXZoOGtsdzJhZTV3Yw==

Holocaust Memorial in São Paulo — Official Website: https://www.memorialdoholocausto.org.br/

Holocaust Memorial in São Paulo — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memorialdoholocausto?igsh=aWlweXd4NmF6cm11

See you next year!

 Pietro Deserti
The World War II Daily Podcast

In this milestone 20ᵗʰ episode of The World War IIDaily Podcast, we sit down with Paweł Sawicki — press officer and educator at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, and editor-in-chief of the online magazine Memoria, dedicated to Holocaust history and remembrance.

Together, we discuss a growing and troubling challenge for historical memory: how artificial intelligence and digital technologies when misused, can distort, decontextualize, or even erase critical aspects of the Holocaust and the legacyof Auschwitz. We explore why preserving authenticity matters more than ever and reflect on how institutions like the Auschwitz Memorial and committed individuals can help safeguard historical truth.

📷 Follow us on Instagram: @worldwarii_daily & @samuel.dekorte

Auschwitz Memorial on Instagram: @auschwitzmemorial
🌐 Learn more about the Auschwitz Memorial & support their work: https://www.auschwitz.org/en/

🎙️ Explore Paweł’s podcsst - “On Auschwitz”: https://open.spotify.com/show/7I18XVJrba2sGNXwI1l00r?si=769a9f14d4034d07

Thank you for being part of our community and for helping keep history alive.

— The WorldWar II Daily Podcast

In this episode, Samuel de Korte welcomes Quin Cho, historian, researcher, and author with Pacific Atrocities Education, whose work brings much-needed attention to the overlooked narratives of East Asia during World War II. Quin’s recent book, “The Kwantung Army: Manchukuo and Imperial Japan’s Expansion in Asia,” offers an in-depth look at one of Imperial Japan’s most influential and controversial military institutions. Together, they discuss the Kwantung Army’s origins, its central role in Japan’s expansion across China and Manchuria, and the lasting consequences of its actions on regional history. Quin also shares insights into her research process, the significance of highlighting Asian perspectives in World War II studies, and how confronting this history helps us understand the broader legacy of imperialism and war.

Follow The World War II Daily for daily World War II content: @worldwarii_daily

Follow Samuel de Korte: @samuel.dekorte

Learn more about Quin Cho’s work and books:

-           https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Kwantung-Army-Japans-Manchuria-ebook/dp/B0FK5F787Q?ref_=ast_author_mpb

-           https://www.pacificatrocities.org/quin-cho.html

Discover Pacific Atrocities Education, the organization that made this interview possible and continues to do outstanding work in promoting education and awareness of the Pacific War: https://www.pacificatrocities.org/