Key Battles of American History

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the air war over Vietnam and Laos from 1964-1973, including an overview of the major US aircraft used in the war, the major bombing campaigns over North Vietna…

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the crucial but often overlooked role that the U.S. and Allied navies and the U.S. Coast Guard played in the Vietnam War. Your lovable hosts show how naval pow…

In this episode, James interviews Fred Apgar, who served as a pilot during the Vietnam War and participated in several missions over Laos. Fred discusses his book Return to the War, in which he narra…

This week, Sean and James review the classic 1978 film The Deer Hunter, a powerful war drama that explores the impact of the Vietnam War on a group of working-class friends from a small steel town in…

In the 1972 presidential election, Richard Nixon defeated antiwar Democrat George McGovern in a landslide, aided by the announcement of a tentative peace deal. However, South Vietnamese President Thi…

In this episode Sean and James review the classic 1979 film Apocalypse Now, a surreal and haunting war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, inspired by Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness. Se…

In 1971 and 1972, American troop withdrawals accelerated under President Nixon’s Vietnamization policy. The South Vietnamese Army faced its first major test during Operation Lam Son 719 in Laos, whic…

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 1987 film Gardens of Stone, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Gardens of Stone is a Vietnam War-era drama set far from the battlefield, focusing on the cer…

In this episode, Sean and James explore President Nixon’s escalating struggle to achieve “peace with honor” through further Vietnamization, secret diplomacy, and expanded military operations. Key top…

In this episode, James interviews Dr. Craig Symonds, one of the world's leading naval historians and a Professor Emeritus of History at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Symonds…

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 1987 film Hamburger Hill, a war drama based on the real-life Battle of Hamburger Hill during the Vietnam War in May 1969. The film follows a platoon of you…

In this episode, Sean and James discuss President Richard Nixon’s early approach to the Vietnam War, highlighting his policy of Vietnamization—gradually shifting combat responsibility to South Vietna…

In this episode, James and Sean review the classic 1987 Vietnam War film Full Metal Jacket, directed by Stanley Kubrick, and featuring an iconic performance by the late, great, R. Lee Ermey.

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In late January 1968, the NVA and the Viet Cong launched a massive campaign of well-planned and coordinated attacks, hitting targets all up and down South Vietnam. Although the Allied forces fought o…

In this episode, James and Sean review the classic, multiple Oscar-winning 1986 film Platoon, directed by Oliver Stone and based on Stone’s own experience as a soldier in the Vietnam War.

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In 1966 and 1967, the U. S. forces in Vietnam increased their activity, launching many search and destroy missions, including Operation Masher/Whitewing and Operation Junction City. But as the US cas…

In this episode, James, Sean and special guest Steve Guerra review the 2002 film We Were Soldiers, written and directed by Randall Wallace and starring Mel Gibson. Based on the book We Were Soldiers …

In 1965, the ground war in South Vietnam intensified. In June, the ARVN suffered a disaster at the hands of the Viet Cong in the Battle of Dong Xoai. That same year, U. S. President Lyndon Johnson ma…

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 2006 film Rescue Dawn, based on the true story of American pilot Dieter Dengler, who was shot down over Laos in 1966 and spent several months in a prison c…

In August, 1964, three North Vietnamese gunboats attacked an American destroyer. This incident was followed by a perceived (but imaginary) second attack. These attacks, although one was not real, led…