Voices of Our People: WWII

The Aftermath

Episode 10: After the surrender of Germany and Japan, people around the world struggled to make sense of the chaos and devastation they had just lived through. Man's inhumanity to Man was on full display as shocked allied forces liberated concentration camps and viewed the unparalleled destruction visited on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. As U. S. Troops struggled to come to grips with the horrors of war they had witnessed, they dealt with a complex mix of emotions that included relief for not having to invade the Japanese mainland and guilt for having survived. Many would suppress these feelings as they developed symptoms of what, in later years, would be labeled Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Today we are joined for the discussion by Dr. Kevin Greene, the Director of the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage, and a Fellow of the Dale Center for the Study of War and Society. To his insights, we will add the stories of Mississippians and others who helped bring order to the chaos of a postwar world as they fought for equality and a better life back home, including: Mona Astin of Gulfport, Bill Barnes of Jackson, Bidwell Barnes of Gulfport, James Bass of Laurel, Doris Barwick of Jackson, C. R. Cadenhead of Greenville, MS, Taylor Howard of Gulfport, Robert Leslie of New Castle, PA, Charlie Odom of Gulfport, Alton Patterson of Biloxi, and Jim Swager of Brookhaven. Finally, Dale Center scholars, Dr. Kenneth Swope and Dr. Douglas Bristol will join Dr. Greene in sharing their final thoughts on the lasting impact of the most destructive war of all time. Special thanks to the Mississippi Humanities Council for their unwavering support of the Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage through the years. The Humanities are for Everyone!

Major Battles & Prisoners of War

Episode 9: With Allied Forces pushing from the west, and the Red Army making huge gains in the east, the Germans grew increasingly desperate to reach a negotiated settlement and keep the front lines out of Germany. As Hitler's hold on power became increasingly tenuous, he looked for new weapons and new tactics to change the trajectory of the war and avoid the total destruction of his country. In today's episode, Dr. Andrew Wiest of the Dale Center for the Study of War and Society, joins us to discuss the final push to break the Nazis strangle-hold on Europe. He will guide us through the major battles that would ultimately end with Germany's surrender. Dr. Wiest will also delve into what it was like to be a Prisoner of War in the hands of the Germans or the Japanese. To his in-depth analysis, we will add the stories of Mississippians and others who fought and survived during those desperate days, including: Mary Allen of Gulfport, Patrick Carr of Paulding, MS, Thurman Clark of Laurel, Frank Forsyth of Foxworth, James Jones of Laurel, Lt. Gen. Troy Middleton of Georgetown, MS, James Mulligan of Detroit, MI, Jim Swager of Brookhaven, and Lt. Gen. Mickey Walker of Abbott, MS. Special thanks to the Mississippi Humanities Council for their unwavering support of the Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage through the years. The Humanities are for Everyone! Subscribe to Voices of Our People: WWII so you don't miss a single episode!

D-Day & Beyond 1944 - 1945

Episode 8: As Allied Forces began planning for an invasion of Europe in 1943, it faced entrenched and highly-fortified German defenses along the French coastline. There would be only one opportunity to gain the element of surprise and somehow skirt the massive army that awaited them onshore. Operation Overload would be a logistical undertaking of a scale never before contemplated, and success would be anything but a certainty. To talk us through the planning and execution of the juggernaut that would simply be known as D-Day, we are joined once again by Dr. Andrew Wiest of the Dale Center for the Study of War and Society. His historical prospective will be added to the stories of ordinary Americans who, together with millions of others, changed the course of history that fateful Summer of 1944, including: Rip Bounds of Hattiesburg, Joseph Clements of Owensboro, KY, Robert Leslie of New Castle, PA, and Jim Swager of Brookhaven. Special thanks to the Mississippi Humanities Council for their unwavering support of the Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage through the years. The Humanities are for Everyone! Subscribe to Voices of Our People: WWII so you don't miss a single episode!

Island Fighting 1944 - 1945

Episode 7: As Allied Forces worked to retake strategically important islands from the Empire of Japan, Japanese military leaders grew increasingly desperate. With the U. S. Navy steadily inching closer to the Japanese mainland, the Imperial Japanese Navy would begin recruiting pilots for suicide missions to crash their planes into U. S. ships, in a nightmarish program known as Kamikaze, or Divine Wind. Joining us for the discussion today is Dr. Kenneth Swope of the Dale Center. He will take us on a deep dive into the strategy behind the Island Hopping campaign, consider the success of the Kamikaze program, and discuss the Japanese Navy's misguided focus on cruisers and battleships. To his insights, we add the stories of those Mississippians who lived through it all and returned home with memories that would haunt them for the rest of their lives, including: James Bass of Laurel, Jerry Clower of East Fork community, A. J. Jones of Hattiesburg, Alvy Ray Pittman of Columbia, and James Smith of Gulfport. Special thanks to the Mississippi Humanities Council for their unwavering support of the Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage through the years. The Humanities are for Everyone! Subscribe to Voices of Our People: WWII so you don't miss a single episode!

Norms Under Fire, Part 2

Episode 6: As the war progressed, manpower shortages forced Americans to reexamine the role of women in the workplace. But even as increased demand for workers created new opportunities women, in both the civilian job market and the military, many viewed such changes as an affront to the American way of life. Dr. Heather Stur of the Dale Center joins host, Bill Ellison, for a discussion of the new opportunities for women that arose during the war, the challenges they faced, and their impact on traditional gender roles in America. To Dr. Stur's insights, we will add the stories of several women whose lives were forever changed by their service to the nation including: Mary Allen of Leland, MS, Mona Astin of Blevins, AR, Ruth Colter of Natchez, Edith Reece of Woodville, Irene Smith of Gulfport, Esther Stanton of Sullivan, IN, and Bonnie Stedman of McComb, MS. Special thanks to the Mississippi Humanities Council for their unwavering support of the Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage through the years. The Humanities are for Everyone! Subscribe to Voices of Our People: WWII so you don't miss a single episode!