I am one of the 5% females who follow your podcast. I have followed the history of WW2 since a small girl. I grew up on a North Dakota farm near the Canadian border. When I was 6 years old my father bought a winter "survival suit" from the Army-Navy Surplus Store. My 10 year old brother eagerly took me to the car to show me dad's "survival suit". It was a B-17 gunner's suit that was worn in the high altitudes of fighting the war. What amazed me the most was the gunner's glove with the single index finger to pull the trigger on the gun. I was hooked and have been a reader of WW2 literature ever since. To top that, that same brother served in the Navy and I served as a Navy nurse. Thanks for this pod cast and the efforts you make to provide detailed accounts of each subject.
Amazing. This channel needs more female viewers! World War Two content in general does. I’m not totally sure why it’s so difficult to attract female viewership. I get that war history generally is a more male driven/donated field, but I’m quite sure that any women who give it a chance will love it the way all of us do at this channel.
This is the ONLY program that I have ever stayed up past midnight, every Monday, to see the next episode, 'hot off the press', week after week. What an astounding series you've given us. Thank you!
Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I’m always awake and just leaving work when they upload. Makes a great listening companion on the commute home. 😎
Seth, congratulations to your son on his commitment, perseverance and enduring accomplishment. It gives us old timers hope that these American heroes, their sacrifice and what they stood for was not in vain. Well done.
Over 60 Marine Corps tanker here listening!!!! Outstanding work as always gentlemen!! And congratulations to your son for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout!! 🦅🦅🦅 Wear it proudly, young man!!! 👍🏾❤️
This was an incredible episode. I mean every episode is wonderful, but this was really a shining example of a prime episode. Seth’s storytelling abilities, the special guest’s detailed knowledge, and Bill’s insight into the military culture, combines to make a truly great 2 hours of deep immersion into WWII.
I was enthralled by the film "The Spirit of St. Louis", and became a fan of Lindbergh at a very early age. The fact that a most admirable American military man portrayed him in the film probably inspired me to become a pilot. I knew Lindy had some screwy ideas, but I had no idea to what degree. He did two great things in his life; flying to Paris in 1927, and his involvement with the invention of the Heart-Lung machine that allowed surgeons to save many lives. I knew he was a lousy husband, but I had no idea that he was such a hateful human being. Thanks for (once again) setting the record straight.
He was a convinced eugenicist, convinced, of course, that the 'superior genetic material' was him. Naturally wanting justification to sleep with numerous women had absolutely nothing to do with it at all. That was just a sacrifice, on his part, for the betterment of the 'race'. As an eugenicist naturally what Hitler was preaching made perfect sense to him! I've always thought his cult of personality, based simply on one air flight, was very off-putting and rubbish. The material here just confirms my impressions he was pretty much a self-aggrandizing tool, a Legend in his own mind.
I'm 36 years old, so I guess I'm on the younger side for this podcast. But I love it, and I'm so happy you guys put this all together, and it's good we honor these Americans that don't get talked about enough today!
John Bruning is a very sensitive and articulate man. He is a pleasure to listen to. Infantry and recon point men in modern wars often stick their necks out for their unit. But they rarely get acclaim and in many cases they get exactly nothing, no promotion, no medal. They get self respect and they get the respect and brotherhood of the men in their unit. For many, this is enough. There is no "Ace" designation for ground pounders who just happen to be more skilled, more stealthy, better map readers and better/quicker shots than the enemy. There is only sweet life for another precious few minutes and hours.
Wow what a follow up to the first episode!! Such a sad ending for these brave pilots, especially Tommy McGuire. Seth, I think you may be mistaken. I think regular followers of the channel know how hard you and Bill work to create these excellent programs, and that they do not happen by accident. We get to enjoy the fruits of a lot of hard work and research you guys do to present these every week so sincere thank you to you both. Now that we have the USAAF aces covered, it almost begs a program on Navy and Marine Corps aces. Thanks Seth, Bill, and John for an excellent program! And congratulations to your son Seth on the milestone!
Thanks for inviting John back to discuss his book again. I appreciate the way he presents these larger than life personalities in the very much flawed, and human way that we all have in common. I'm just glad they came along when they did. Congratulations to you Seth about your son's achievement. I'm sure he worked very hard to accomplish his Eagle Scout Award.
I am 32 years old and have been listening to this podcast/ youtube series since the summer of 2023. I am a Marine corps veteran 2012-2016. Congratulations to your Eagle scout Seth! Thank you Seth, Bill and John for another good episode. Enjoying this one after work with a nice cup of Haze gray battle ship blend from Old Salt coffee.
5% er here. For years my husband would fall asleep with WWII podcasts on our bedroom TV. Many discussions initiated by me about the conduciveness of listening to explosions and airplane screeching to sleeping. One night I hear this beautiful introductory music and the lull of a southern cat and a soft speaking Commodore. I was hooked. Been a fan since Bill's kitchen (?) Studio with the white shutters. You both have made history approachable and palatable which has informed my undergraduate teaching and my world view. Cannot say enough about your contributions to our thinking. Thank you! 5% listener. 100% woman.
Eagle Scout here. Also representing the 25 year old demographic. I did my eagle project at Pearl Harbor. History has been a big part of my life ever since I was six years old. You guys do amazing work. Congrats to your son on Eagle welcome to the club.
Almost 53 year old woman here, I look forward to these videos every week, even though I'm a few days late in getting to watch this week. I grew up watching WW2 movies and shows with my dad (The Longest Day, Tora Tora Tora, Midway, 12 O'Clock High, Black Sheep Squadron, Combat!, and--although it's by no means the same kind of show--McHale's Navy 😁 were watched repeatedly in my childhood). Those shows and movies and a love for history in general motivated me to seek out the true stories of those momentous days, so WW2 has always been one of my favorite historical periods. Nowadays, this podcast and the World War II in Real Time channel have become "appointment television" (or what passes for that in the streaming era). Love the deep dives you do--please never change to the TikTok format!
There were squadron personnel ON THE GROUND that were superlative as well… yet unacclaimed. They sent the aces to glory… but also to their death. The greatest generation defeated evil but did have their demons. Thanks for this history gentleman
Thanks Seth and Bill it is always a pleasure to hear your opinions and insights on the breadth and depth of the conflict in the Pacific. It is a treat to hear the thoughts and observations of John Bruning and I really enjoy his writing style. Well done episode.
This podcast has got to be the absolute best WW 2 presentation on the internet! There are many other good You Tube presentations, however, they all fall short of this format. Seth and Bill work perfectly together, as well as having John as a regular guest. I have shared this You Tube channel with over 200 people and have received many thanks for doing so. I've described to people that these presentations are so good, that you could close your eye and actually see what these fine men are talking about! I wish that somehow these podcasts could become mandatory listening as part of ALL High School History Classes! The stories are not only fascinating because of the details, but also because they are fun to listen to! It would also be great if this could become a once a week television show! Thank You Seth, Bill and John for being the best on the internet!
From another eagle scout, congrats to your son on his achievement. Really awesome videos guys. I keep recommending your videos to my history teacher collegues.
Seth, from one parent of an Eagle Scout to another, congrats to you, your spouse and son on this accomplishment as it is truly a team effort. The benefits from this endeavor will grow as time passes. Our oldest son, now in his mid 30's continues to amaze us on his confidence and what he is capable of. My feeling is this points directly to the Eagle Scout experience. Regarding the program, once again, OUTSTANDING! John's expertise and experience add much to this very interesting conversation. My father was 5th AF and I have pictures of him and Bong's P-38. Cheers gentlemen!
Seth and Bill, I love your 2 hour format. It makes popping on the podcast at work much easier and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. If you want to attract the younger crowd an “easy” way to dip into that space is to make shorts from your existing content. Say 1 or 2 shorts per episode. You just take a 30-60 second excerpt from stories like John Basilone, Pappy Boyington, Dick Best at midway, or USS Tang’s fatal torpedo circle run and post those as shorts. You guys are amazing storytellers, and you have no problems captivating an audience. If you dangle those bite-size, climactic moments to the masses you will get a lot of exposure in due time. This has worked really well for C&Rsenal whose format is much like your own. Just my thought. Love the show and keep up the great work.
Thanks for a great episode. John makes an awesome guest. As stated I enjoy the detail love stories. Thank you for making my Tuesday! I look forward to next week!
Congrats on your son's Eagle Scout attainment. Both my sons are Eagles and, like CAPT Toti, life members of NESA. I was a Scoutmaster for ten years, guiding along one of the oldest troops in the nation, Troop 51 of Tecumseh Council in western Ohio. Troop 51 began in 1908, two years before the founding of the BSA. One of the troop's first outings was to go see William Howard Taft campaigning in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1908.
First of all Seth congratulations for your sons accomplishment. Seth, Bill and John thanks for a great episode. Glad you talked about Lindburgh, known as a hero to many who don't study history. Those of us that do know these little known facts about him. You have brought it out to everyone who watches your pod cast that didn't know. As much as I know about WWII history(which is a lot) I always learn a lot of information that I didn't know because your program. Thank you for all your hard work and research for these episodes.
I was always more interested in the ETO,especially the Eastern Front . But I have to admit, since I have stumbled on your podcast, I can't stop watching it. I have learned so much by listening to you and your guests. I'm now reading much more on the Pacific War. I want to thank you for that 😊
Always appreciate the podcast Seth and Bill, found out about you guys from Paul at WWIITV with your episode Seth, and now I have something to look forward to each week. I am an avid WWII enthusiast, but have always studied mostly Europe and North Africa, I am feeling much more informed each episode!
I totally agree! Tuesday mornings are now great I now looked forward to the deep details you all provide! I love it! Thank you! I am a ‘67 Eagle Scout and also a proud member of the national Eagle Scout association! Love your channel!
John Bruning, you're a great guy and author and towards the end I could see you getting emotional when you were talking, I was as well. I shook my head and cried over their deaths. It was measured with admiration and pride in these wonderful Americans who gave so much for their country. Love your guys and this channel.
You had company. Jon's been on three times with Seth and Bill, and all three times John and Bill were pretty emotional at times, and Bill has some Italian moments when speaking about men who he doesn't admire after learning some untruths in their mythology.
In one of the previous episodes, it was mentioned that sadly, Tommy McGuire's mother died in a motel room a desperate alcoholic. It sounds like Tommy Maguire had his share of hard knocks. But what a hero he became!🇺🇲⚓️💯☕️
35 year old guy from eastern europe here and i love this podcast, been watching since almost the first episode. I really hope you guys will do some stuff about the Atlantic or Mediterranean, i know Cpt. Totti would love some of those battles against the U boats
One of your 5% under 30 here. Wanna say love the show, one of the few shows I had to go back and listen to the whole back log once I found it. You guys do a great job, informative and always great guest. keep up the good work and congrats to your son Seth!
Thankyou for Setting the record straight with Linburge at least with me. I heard about the whole extending the P-38's range myth but itwas reported as fact. I kinda suspected the guy went to the Pacific to kill Japanese over Germans I had heard about his Nazi Beliefs. But the fact that he wasn't even an able combat pilot yet still got away with it honestly. Thankyou for bring it up.
Lindberg was a test pilot of the F4U; the US didn't operate this aircraft in Europe. Many isolationists and isolationist supporters fought in WWII. America First Committee member Gerald Ford served in the Pacific with the navy. Sargent Shriver, JFK's future brother-in-law, also served with the navy in the Pacific. JFK was not an America First Committee member but donated $100 ($2,230.78 in today's money) to it; he served in the navy too. The AFC began as student movement at Yale, though University of Chicago became the centre of it because the uni's chancellor was an AFC member and Robert McCormick, whose family founded the company we know as International Harvester, owned the _Chicago Tribune_ newspaper. AFC included congressmen from both parties, the leader of the American Socialist Party and six-time presidential candidate, religious leaders, and business people. Was Lindberg a hero? No. Did he fight in combat though not a service member? Yes. Somehow he rose to the rank of colonel in the reserves, promoted directly from second lieutenant. Though he was a reservist, the administration blocked his re-activation to active duty. Despite this, somehow the navy approved his overseas's trip and then allowed him to fly in combat missions. People listened to his views on many topics despite him being an authority of one: flying solo once across the Atlantic. His is the cautionary tale of many people being over awed by celebrity. Few have learned this lesson.
What a marvelous story and what a tremendous grievance story all in the same story. Thank you ever so much, gentlemen. A RUclipsr from Fairbanks, Alaska.
I'm one of those gray haired listeners, I look forward to new episodes to listen to on my commute in to work every Tuesday. While I appreciate most everything you discuss, I have to admit that the aircraft/pilot episodes are my favorite. I'll definitely pick up the "Ace Race" book. If you ever want to do another fighter pilot episode, there are lots of other stories that weren't quite as flamboyant as Bong and Magurie and Keaerby. One of my favorites is George Welch, whose first kills came at Pearl Harbor; if not sidelined by malaria he may well have been in the hunt for "Ace of Aces", and then there is my hometown hero - Bill Shomo - who spent most of the war flying photo recon until one fateful day when he shot down 7 planes in a single mission (and earned a MH). I'm sure many more stories like these. Thanks for all your hard work - much appreciated!
We had a friend whose father, Major Roy Blount flew the P-47 over Europe out of France. I never knew the man, but when we stayed at Roy's beautiful little cottage in Seaside Oregon, I was able to look through his photos, and all of his medals which included a silver star and a bronze star, I found it amazing what this hero had done. We never knew Roy, but his daughter Deanne told us that he was a very humble man and never spoke of the war. He was originally from Oklahoma City but apparently loved it down at Seaside Oregon! Thanks for another brilliant episode!🇺🇲⚓️💯🙏💖
Scouts , awesome ! My wifes brother and son have gone far in the scouts for years and are Sea Scouts in Houston Texas. My wife's nephew Captained one of the tugs the moved Battleship Texas to get her face lift . Really cool thing he was honored to do.
Congrats to Seth's son. I wasn't a Scout, but I have served on several Eagle BoRs and my son is an Eagle Scout (I was not on his BoR, of course). Earning Eagle rank requires a lot of work!
Thank you, Mr. Bruning. Thanks again to Seth and Bill. You tell me truth about my heroes, even when that truth includes showing their flaws. I may appreciate that the MOST. I'm sad that "The Race" ended up consuming most of these great men. RIP Major George Preddy,
Outstanding podcast. I read "Race of Aces" after Seth and Bill mentioned it sometime back. Excellent book and now you've provided a wonderful chance to hear John Bruning to join your discussion about these amazing WW2 pilots. Thank you!
Wow. What a superb episode. Each episode is great but this one really stands. Your guest was great. I think what spoke to me on this episode was it involved a few key individuals. American heroes. Unfortunately the heroes almost all die. That made it sobering. This war killing off a lot of talented young men. Again thank you.
Thank you for the background information on the pilots. I thought myself a well informed retired sailor but there is so much I have learned from this podcast. ❤
Seth, HUGE shout out to your son! I'm an Eagle Scout, my oldest son is an Eagle Scout and in the USN right now and my younger son is Life ATM and working towards wrapping up his. I am the COR for their troop and we listen to your episodes as we drive to various troop events.
As a PADI MSDT, it was my honor to teach Scouts working on their Eagle Scout once SCUBA was available as an option for Scouts. Heartfelt congratulations to your son and all the young men and women who make the effort to make themselves exceptional with benefits to us all.
I especially liked this episode bc of the timeless lessons about balancing personal ambition with responsibilities to the group. Plus it was about cool ww2 planes in combat (my favorite😎)
First one i watched you mentioned pilot friend Chris Fahey, grew up in my neighborhood, glad to hear the respect guys. He knows aircraft and history. Enjoy your episodes
Yet another great episode gentlemen, and it was great to see John Bruning back with you. John is a great guy and a great person. I'm lucky to be able to call him a friend. There are few people as genuine and caring. He does outstanding research and gives us all amazing looks into the lives of our WW II heroes. And he is 1000% correct about Chris Fahey, who I comment back and forth with on Facebook on several aviation pages. He is the resident debunker of false and misleading information and always has the right answer.
I had read/heard about it only. And the portion(s) I heard were ONLY the good stuff about his "Whiz Bang" genius regarding extending the P-38's range via fuel leaning. I had no idea about all of the rest of his shenanigans in the Pacific. Sounds kinda "nutty" as well.
@John since your last appearance I have purchased and read “53 Days on Starvation Island”. It’s a fantastic book! I feel like the early days of the cactus Air Force normally gets lost in the context of the broader story of Guadalcanal just because so much happened in such a short span of time. You’ve remedied that and given me a new perspective on the campaign.
My wife and I held our wedding reception at McGuire AFB on February 25, 1984. They have a replica of Pudgy V on display at one of the base traffic circles. Sadly, there is no record of the fate of the original Pudgy V and it's believed to have been scraped. Major McGuire's remains were recovered and hidden from the Japanese by Filipinos who helped the Army recover them in 1947. Small pieces of the destroyed P38 along with .50 calibre and 20 mm ammunition were eventually recovered from the crash site and are on display at Clark AFB. A monument marks the location.
Absolutely sterling, thank you for such a magnificent podcast. I'm a big fan of John Burning"s books. I hope some day for a book on Charles MacDonald. A true leader and American hero.
These two shows they have done on the race of aces bong to McDonald's and McGuire,Lynch and Kirby is probably the best show I've ever seen them do good job guys!
Another excellent episode. I always learn something from these podcasts but this one more so. I was aware of some but not any of the details. The biggest was about Lindbergh. I knew some the superficial popular myths about him. From what I learned today, my impression of him has turned 180°. A person could never learn this in one or two minute shorts. To really learn, one needs to go into deepth, know the biaes of your sources and use critical thinking, something that i sorely missing today, especially in younger people.
Outstanding episode--as usual! Had no idea Mr. Lindbergh was such a turd. As for the other men you discussed, "Where do we find such great people?" You guys are great at bringing out the myths of the Pacific War! THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!!!
I am one of the 5% females who follow your podcast. I have followed the history of WW2 since a small girl. I grew up on a North Dakota farm near the Canadian border. When I was 6 years old my father bought a winter "survival suit" from the Army-Navy Surplus Store. My 10 year old brother eagerly took me to the car to show me dad's "survival suit". It was a B-17 gunner's suit that was worn in the high altitudes of fighting the war. What amazed me the most was the gunner's glove with the single index finger to pull the trigger on the gun. I was hooked and have been a reader of WW2 literature ever since. To top that, that same brother served in the Navy and I served as a Navy nurse. Thanks for this pod cast and the efforts you make to provide detailed accounts of each subject.
*Salutes* to you and your brother.
Amazing. This channel needs more female viewers! World War Two content in general does. I’m not totally sure why it’s so difficult to attract female viewership. I get that war history generally is a more male driven/donated field, but I’m quite sure that any women who give it a chance will love it the way all of us do at this channel.
This is the ONLY program that I have ever stayed up past midnight, every Monday, to see the next episode, 'hot off the press', week after week. What an astounding series you've given us. Thank you!
Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I’m always awake and just leaving work when they upload. Makes a great listening companion on the commute home. 😎
So true!
It’s truly magnificent.
Every Tuesday morning before driving to work I make sure I download the episode for the drive in.
Seth, congratulations to your son on his commitment, perseverance and enduring accomplishment. It gives us old timers hope that these American heroes, their sacrifice and what they stood for was not in vain. Well done.
Over 60 Marine Corps tanker here listening!!!! Outstanding work as always gentlemen!! And congratulations to your son for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout!! 🦅🦅🦅 Wear it proudly, young man!!! 👍🏾❤️
This was an incredible episode. I mean every episode is wonderful, but this was really a shining example of a prime episode. Seth’s storytelling abilities, the special guest’s detailed knowledge, and Bill’s insight into the military culture, combines to make a truly great 2 hours of deep immersion into WWII.
I was enthralled by the film "The Spirit of St. Louis", and became a fan of Lindbergh at a very early age. The fact that a most admirable American military man portrayed him in the film probably inspired me to become a pilot. I knew Lindy had some screwy ideas, but I had no idea to what degree. He did two great things in his life; flying to Paris in 1927, and his involvement with the invention of the Heart-Lung machine that allowed surgeons to save many lives. I knew he was a lousy husband, but I had no idea that he was such a hateful human being. Thanks for (once again) setting the record straight.
Agree. It's beneficial to know such things even when you don't want to know it.
Along with General Macarthur, another despicable character.
He was a convinced eugenicist, convinced, of course, that the 'superior genetic material' was him. Naturally wanting justification to sleep with numerous women had absolutely nothing to do with it at all. That was just a sacrifice, on his part, for the betterment of the 'race'. As an eugenicist naturally what Hitler was preaching made perfect sense to him! I've always thought his cult of personality, based simply on one air flight, was very off-putting and rubbish. The material here just confirms my impressions he was pretty much a self-aggrandizing tool, a Legend in his own mind.
Seth and Bill,
I am 27 and have never served, but I really enjoy history. Thank you for the podcast!
Wow I didn’t realize there were so little young viewers, I’m 20 and I’ve been listening since I was 18/19.
Your podcast makes me want to get up every Tuesday. Men who need to be remembered and stories that need to be told.
I'm 36 years old, so I guess I'm on the younger side for this podcast. But I love it, and I'm so happy you guys put this all together, and it's good we honor these Americans that don't get talked about enough today!
John Bruning is a very sensitive and articulate man. He is a pleasure to listen to. Infantry and recon point men in modern wars often stick their necks out for their unit. But they rarely get acclaim and in many cases they get exactly nothing, no promotion, no medal. They get self respect and they get the respect and brotherhood of the men in their unit. For many, this is enough. There is no "Ace" designation for ground pounders who just happen to be more skilled, more stealthy, better map readers and better/quicker shots than the enemy. There is only sweet life for another precious few minutes and hours.
Well said sir.
Thanks for making Tuesday mornings great again.
As a gen Z-er never change a damn thing. I look forward to each new episode all week.
Wow what a follow up to the first episode!! Such a sad ending for these brave pilots, especially Tommy McGuire. Seth, I think you may be mistaken. I think regular followers of the channel know how hard you and Bill work to create these excellent programs, and that they do not happen by accident. We get to enjoy the fruits of a lot of hard work and research you guys do to present these every week so sincere thank you to you both. Now that we have the USAAF aces covered, it almost begs a program on Navy and Marine Corps aces. Thanks Seth, Bill, and John for an excellent program! And congratulations to your son Seth on the milestone!
Thanks for inviting John back to discuss his book again. I appreciate the way he presents these larger than life personalities in the very much flawed, and human way that we all have in common. I'm just glad they came along when they did. Congratulations to you Seth about your son's achievement. I'm sure he worked very hard to accomplish his Eagle Scout Award.
I am 32 years old and have been listening to this podcast/ youtube series since the summer of 2023. I am a Marine corps veteran 2012-2016. Congratulations to your Eagle scout Seth! Thank you Seth, Bill and John for another good episode. Enjoying this one after work with a nice cup of Haze gray battle ship blend from Old Salt coffee.
5% er here. For years my husband would fall asleep with WWII podcasts on our bedroom TV. Many discussions initiated by me about the conduciveness of listening to explosions and airplane screeching to sleeping. One night I hear this beautiful introductory music and the lull of a southern cat and a soft speaking Commodore. I was hooked. Been a fan since Bill's kitchen (?) Studio with the white shutters.
You both have made history approachable and palatable which has informed my undergraduate teaching and my world view. Cannot say enough about your contributions to our thinking. Thank you! 5% listener. 100% woman.
Eagle Scout here. Also representing the 25 year old demographic. I did my eagle project at Pearl Harbor. History has been a big part of my life ever since I was six years old. You guys do amazing work. Congrats to your son on Eagle welcome to the club.
Congratulations to your son, Seth! Eagle Scout is a remarkable accomplishment. He deserves accolades for it.
Almost 53 year old woman here, I look forward to these videos every week, even though I'm a few days late in getting to watch this week. I grew up watching WW2 movies and shows with my dad (The Longest Day, Tora Tora Tora, Midway, 12 O'Clock High, Black Sheep Squadron, Combat!, and--although it's by no means the same kind of show--McHale's Navy 😁 were watched repeatedly in my childhood). Those shows and movies and a love for history in general motivated me to seek out the true stories of those momentous days, so WW2 has always been one of my favorite historical periods. Nowadays, this podcast and the World War II in Real Time channel have become "appointment television" (or what passes for that in the streaming era). Love the deep dives you do--please never change to the TikTok format!
Thank you for shedding light on Lindbergh.
There were squadron personnel ON THE GROUND that were superlative as well… yet unacclaimed. They sent the aces to glory… but also to their death. The greatest generation defeated evil but did have their demons. Thanks for this history gentleman
Thanks Seth and Bill it is always a pleasure to hear your opinions and insights on the breadth and depth of the conflict in the Pacific. It is a treat to hear the thoughts and observations of John Bruning and I really enjoy his writing style. Well done episode.
This podcast has got to be the absolute best WW 2 presentation on the internet!
There are many other good You Tube presentations, however, they all fall short of this format.
Seth and Bill work perfectly together, as well as having John as a regular guest.
I have shared this You Tube channel with over 200 people and have received many thanks for doing so.
I've described to people that these presentations are so good, that you could close your eye and actually see what these fine men are talking about!
I wish that somehow these podcasts could become mandatory listening as part of ALL High School History Classes!
The stories are not only fascinating because of the details, but also because they are fun to listen to!
It would also be great if this could become a once a week television show!
Thank You Seth, Bill and John for being the best on the internet!
From another eagle scout, congrats to your son on his achievement. Really awesome videos guys. I keep recommending your videos to my history teacher collegues.
This should be another fine episode. Thanks for all your efforts to educate us!!
Seth, from one parent of an Eagle Scout to another, congrats to you, your spouse and son on this accomplishment as it is truly a team effort. The benefits from this endeavor will grow as time passes. Our oldest son, now in his mid 30's continues to amaze us on his confidence and what he is capable of. My feeling is this points directly to the Eagle Scout experience. Regarding the program, once again, OUTSTANDING! John's expertise and experience add much to this very interesting conversation. My father was 5th AF and I have pictures of him and Bong's P-38. Cheers gentlemen!
Seth and Bill, I love your 2 hour format. It makes popping on the podcast at work much easier and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
If you want to attract the younger crowd an “easy” way to dip into that space is to make shorts from your existing content. Say 1 or 2 shorts per episode.
You just take a 30-60 second excerpt from stories like John Basilone, Pappy Boyington, Dick Best at midway, or USS Tang’s fatal torpedo circle run and post those as shorts.
You guys are amazing storytellers, and you have no problems captivating an audience. If you dangle those bite-size, climactic moments to the masses you will get a lot of exposure in due time. This has worked really well for C&Rsenal whose format is much like your own.
Just my thought. Love the show and keep up the great work.
Thanks for a great episode. John makes an awesome guest. As stated I enjoy the detail love stories. Thank you for making my Tuesday! I look forward to next week!
I always appreciate you guys having the commitment to seek the unvarnished truth.
Congrats on your son's Eagle Scout attainment. Both my sons are Eagles and, like CAPT Toti, life members of NESA. I was a Scoutmaster for ten years, guiding along one of the oldest troops in the nation, Troop 51 of Tecumseh Council in western Ohio. Troop 51 began in 1908, two years before the founding of the BSA. One of the troop's first outings was to go see William Howard Taft campaigning in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1908.
First of all Seth congratulations for your sons accomplishment. Seth, Bill and John thanks for a great episode. Glad you talked about Lindburgh, known as a hero to many who don't study history. Those of us that do know these little known facts about him. You have brought it out to everyone who watches your pod cast that didn't know. As much as I know about WWII history(which is a lot) I always learn a lot of information that I didn't know because your program. Thank you for all your hard work and research for these episodes.
Excellent job on telling the truth about Lindberg. thank you.
Congratulations to your son!
John's books are essential reading!
54 years old here, avid WW2 history nut....love this channel. I watch every week
I was always more interested in the ETO,especially the Eastern Front . But I have to admit, since I have stumbled on your podcast, I can't stop watching it. I have learned so much by listening to you and your guests. I'm now reading much more on the Pacific War. I want to thank you for that 😊
Always appreciate the podcast Seth and Bill, found out about you guys from Paul at WWIITV with your episode Seth, and now I have something to look forward to each week. I am an avid WWII enthusiast, but have always studied mostly Europe and North Africa, I am feeling much more informed each episode!
I totally agree! Tuesday mornings are now great I now looked forward to the deep details you all provide! I love it! Thank you!
I am a ‘67 Eagle Scout and also a proud member of the national Eagle Scout association! Love your channel!
wow ! what an episode. quite sobering. thx so much for all of your research !
Always great to listen in on a John Bruning conversation, and to read his prose about these Greatest Americans.
You guys are absolutely awesome! I have learned so much from watching your podcast!! Thank You!
John Bruning, you're a great guy and author and towards the end I could see you getting emotional when you were talking, I was as well. I shook my head and cried over their deaths. It was measured with admiration and pride in these wonderful Americans who gave so much for their country. Love your guys and this channel.
You had company. Jon's been on three times with Seth and Bill, and all three times John and Bill were pretty emotional at times, and Bill has some Italian moments when speaking about men who he doesn't admire after learning some untruths in their mythology.
Congratulations to your son, Seth!
Thanks!
In one of the previous episodes, it was mentioned that sadly, Tommy McGuire's mother died in a motel room a desperate alcoholic. It sounds like Tommy Maguire had his share of hard knocks. But what a hero he became!🇺🇲⚓️💯☕️
35 year old guy from eastern europe here and i love this podcast, been watching since almost the first episode. I really hope you guys will do some stuff about the Atlantic or Mediterranean, i know Cpt. Totti would love some of those battles against the U boats
Greetings from Poland 👍
I have read Race of Aces and now I can listen to Mr Bruning!
Great book, great podcast!
God bless Poland. Cheers from the USA.
Congratulations Seth and your son on achievement of Eagle Scout!
Extremely interesting episode , love to hear about the lives of our WWII heroes ! Thanks again for a super series !
Uncommon podcast value is a common virtue with you guys. Thanks.
One of your 5% under 30 here. Wanna say love the show, one of the few shows I had to go back and listen to the whole back log once I found it. You guys do a great job, informative and always great guest. keep up the good work and congrats to your son Seth!
明日の仕事の準備をしつつ愉しんでます。パネラーさんたちの英語のやりとりはあまり分かりませんけれど、タオルにアイロンをかけたりしながら淡々と仕事準備を行う上で良いBGM代わりになってます。不思議とパネラーさんたちの淡々としたやりとりが日頃の嫌な事や疲れを忘れさせてリラックスさせてくれる良いBGMになってるんですよ。
Thankyou for Setting the record straight with Linburge at least with me. I heard about the whole extending the P-38's range myth but itwas reported as fact. I kinda suspected the guy went to the Pacific to kill Japanese over Germans I had heard about his Nazi Beliefs. But the fact that he wasn't even an able combat pilot yet still got away with it honestly. Thankyou for bring it up.
Lindberg was a test pilot of the F4U; the US didn't operate this aircraft in Europe.
Many isolationists and isolationist supporters fought in WWII. America First Committee member Gerald Ford served in the Pacific with the navy. Sargent Shriver, JFK's future brother-in-law, also served with the navy in the Pacific. JFK was not an America First Committee member but donated $100 ($2,230.78 in today's money) to it; he served in the navy too.
The AFC began as student movement at Yale, though University of Chicago became the centre of it because the uni's chancellor was an AFC member and Robert McCormick, whose family founded the company we know as International Harvester, owned the _Chicago Tribune_ newspaper. AFC included congressmen from both parties, the leader of the American Socialist Party and six-time presidential candidate, religious leaders, and business people.
Was Lindberg a hero? No. Did he fight in combat though not a service member? Yes. Somehow he rose to the rank of colonel in the reserves, promoted directly from second lieutenant. Though he was a reservist, the administration blocked his re-activation to active duty. Despite this, somehow the navy approved his overseas's trip and then allowed him to fly in combat missions. People listened to his views on many topics despite him being an authority of one: flying solo once across the Atlantic. His is the cautionary tale of many people being over awed by celebrity. Few have learned this lesson.
What a marvelous story and what a tremendous grievance story all in the same story. Thank you ever so much, gentlemen. A RUclipsr from Fairbanks, Alaska.
Yaaaas the ace race…. Thanks guys.
Congrats on the Eagle Rank from one eagle to another.
I'm one of those gray haired listeners, I look forward to new episodes to listen to on my commute in to work every Tuesday. While I appreciate most everything you discuss, I have to admit that the aircraft/pilot episodes are my favorite. I'll definitely pick up the "Ace Race" book. If you ever want to do another fighter pilot episode, there are lots of other stories that weren't quite as flamboyant as Bong and Magurie and Keaerby. One of my favorites is George Welch, whose first kills came at Pearl Harbor; if not sidelined by malaria he may well have been in the hunt for "Ace of Aces", and then there is my hometown hero - Bill Shomo - who spent most of the war flying photo recon until one fateful day when he shot down 7 planes in a single mission (and earned a MH). I'm sure many more stories like these.
Thanks for all your hard work - much appreciated!
We had a friend whose father, Major Roy Blount flew the P-47 over Europe out of France. I never knew the man, but when we stayed at Roy's beautiful little cottage in Seaside Oregon, I was able to look through his photos, and all of his medals which included a silver star and a bronze star, I found it amazing what this hero had done. We never knew Roy, but his daughter Deanne told us that he was a very humble man and never spoke of the war. He was originally from Oklahoma City but apparently loved it down at Seaside Oregon! Thanks for another brilliant episode!🇺🇲⚓️💯🙏💖
Scouts , awesome ! My wifes brother and son have gone far in the scouts for years and are Sea Scouts in Houston Texas. My wife's nephew Captained one of the tugs the moved Battleship Texas to get her face lift . Really cool thing he was honored to do.
Have read all 3 of John's main books, including 53 Days on Starvation Island...........EXCELLENT!!
Best show ! great book John !
Congrats to Seth's son. I wasn't a Scout, but I have served on several Eagle BoRs and my son is an Eagle Scout (I was not on his BoR, of course). Earning Eagle rank requires a lot of work!
I just read John's book 53 Days on Starvation Island and loved it. I also have read Race of Aces. Top notch.
Congratulations to the new eagle!
Thank you, Mr. Bruning. Thanks again to Seth and Bill. You tell me truth about my heroes, even when that truth includes showing their flaws. I may appreciate that the MOST. I'm sad that "The Race" ended up consuming most of these great men.
RIP Major George Preddy,
Outstanding podcast. I read "Race of Aces" after Seth and Bill mentioned it sometime back. Excellent book and now you've provided a wonderful chance to hear John Bruning to join your discussion about these amazing WW2 pilots. Thank you!
Congratulations to your son for achieving a wonderful, significant award Eagle Scout!!😊
I was very proud when my son, Eric, achieved his Eagle Scout.
Wow. What a superb episode. Each episode is great but this one really stands. Your guest was great. I think what spoke to me on this episode was it involved a few key individuals. American heroes. Unfortunately the heroes almost all die. That made it sobering. This war killing off a lot of talented young men. Again thank you.
I like Mr. Bruning hope y'all bring him back.... Seth tell your son, congratulations on his achievement, way to go!
Congratulations to the Eagle Scout!!
Thank you for the background information on the pilots. I thought myself a well informed retired sailor but there is so much I have learned from this podcast. ❤
Seth, HUGE shout out to your son! I'm an Eagle Scout, my oldest son is an Eagle Scout and in the USN right now and my younger son is Life ATM and working towards wrapping up his. I am the COR for their troop and we listen to your episodes as we drive to various troop events.
Many thanks and congrats to your boys as well.
This is an excellent book. John is an amazing writer and the way he told the story.
Great show
As a PADI MSDT, it was my honor to teach Scouts working on their Eagle Scout once SCUBA was available as an option for Scouts. Heartfelt congratulations to your son and all the young men and women who make the effort to make themselves exceptional with benefits to us all.
Guess I'm a 1%-er! Congratulations to Seth's son, and as always, keep up the great content, gentlemen.
I especially liked this episode bc of the timeless lessons about balancing personal ambition with responsibilities to the group. Plus it was about cool ww2 planes in combat (my favorite😎)
First one i watched you mentioned pilot friend Chris Fahey, grew up in my neighborhood, glad to hear the respect guys. He knows aircraft and history. Enjoy your episodes
Yet another great episode gentlemen, and it was great to see John Bruning back with you. John is a great guy and a great person. I'm lucky to be able to call him a friend. There are few people as genuine and caring. He does outstanding research and gives us all amazing looks into the lives of our WW II heroes. And he is 1000% correct about Chris Fahey, who I comment back and forth with on Facebook on several aviation pages. He is the resident debunker of false and misleading information and always has the right answer.
Thank you. It has been most educational and stirring.
I'd never heard about Charles Lindbergh in the Pacific. It's crazy they indulged him.
I had read/heard about it only. And the portion(s) I heard were ONLY the good stuff about his "Whiz Bang" genius regarding extending the P-38's range via fuel leaning. I had no idea about all of the rest of his shenanigans in the Pacific. Sounds kinda "nutty" as well.
Another excellent episode, thanks.
@John since your last appearance I have purchased and read “53 Days on Starvation Island”. It’s a fantastic book! I feel like the early days of the cactus Air Force normally gets lost in the context of the broader story of Guadalcanal just because so much happened in such a short span of time. You’ve remedied that and given me a new perspective on the campaign.
Thank you my brothers .much respect
My wife and I held our wedding reception at McGuire AFB on February 25, 1984. They have a replica of Pudgy V on display at one of the base traffic circles. Sadly, there is no record of the fate of the original Pudgy V and it's believed to have been scraped.
Major McGuire's remains were recovered and hidden from the Japanese by Filipinos who helped the Army recover them in 1947. Small pieces of the destroyed P38 along with .50 calibre and 20 mm ammunition were eventually recovered from the crash site and are on display at Clark AFB. A monument marks the location.
Wow! that was great. Learned things I never considered. History buff and 80 year old pilot.
Another Tuesday class in the books. Excellent as always. TY
I watch all of your episodes, really enjoy them all. But, as a lifetime pilot, it is nice to see one focused of air ops once again. 👍🏻
I had no idea about this, thanks guys, the ending is just heartbreaking
Absolutely sterling, thank you for such a magnificent podcast. I'm a big fan of John Burning"s books. I hope some day for a book on Charles MacDonald. A true leader and American hero.
These two shows they have done on the race of aces bong to McDonald's and McGuire,Lynch and Kirby is probably the best show I've ever seen them do good job guys!
Congratulations to your son, Seth. That's quite an honor for the young man. You must be so proud, and deservedly so. ✊
Congratulations to Seth's son on earning his Eagle Scout rank. That is quite an accomplisment.
Another excellent episode. I always learn something from these podcasts but this one more so. I was aware of some but not any of the details. The biggest was about Lindbergh. I knew some the superficial popular myths about him. From what I learned today, my impression of him has turned 180°.
A person could never learn this in one or two minute shorts. To really learn, one needs to go into deepth, know the biaes of your sources and use critical thinking, something that i sorely missing today, especially in younger people.
Thank you Bill Seth and John.
Oh and John! Thanks for the shout out!😂. Day drinking sounds GREAT! - Chris..."Zippo"
My respect. Seth captain Bill. And John Bruning. Especially for your research great episode. Destroying myths and speaking history truth.sirs
Awesome 👏 Show guys 👍🏼
Excellent program
Outstanding episode--as usual! Had no idea Mr. Lindbergh was such a turd. As for the other men you discussed, "Where do we find such great people?" You guys are great at bringing out the myths of the Pacific War! THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!!!
Congratulations on the Eagle -- my son did it...