US History Repeated

President Dwight D. Eisenhower Part 2

We continue our coverage of General & eventually President Dwight D. Eisenhower. 
This is episode is the second of three parts. This episode begins with the story of the election of 1952, how he came to be the nominee, and the 8 years of his presidency, along with the impact that President Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie.
Take a look at the fudge recipe we promised from Mamie!
Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge Recipe
We are joined by Dr Todd Arrington, Director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Museum & Library. If you would like to take a look at their website and take a visit, here is the link!
Home | Eisenhower Presidential Library
 
There is always more to learn, talk to you soon!
Jimmy & Jean

President Dwight D. Eisenhower Part 1

We begin our coverage of General & eventually President Dwight D. Eisenhower. 
We will be braking these up into three parts. This first part will cover Eisenhower's earlier years at West Point, his military appointments, and all the way up to, but not including the election of 1952.
 
We are joined by Dr Todd Arrington, Director of the Dwight D Eisenhower Museum & Library. If you would like to take a look at their website and take a visit, here is the link!
Home | Eisenhower Presidential Library
 
There is always more to learn, talk to you soon!
Jimmy & Jean

The United States in The 1950s

Our 1950's podcast has a bit of everything. The 1950s can be called the decade of conformity. There is tremendous growth. Population is BOOMING, hence the term "Baby Boomers" came into vogue. 
The roles of women changed, going from aspirations of Rosie the Riviter in the work force to stay at home mother and homemaker. Television, movies, and other media, all showcased the idealized images of what family life should be. 
Pop culture gave us rock n roll, "The King", Chuck Berry, and others. 
Toys like The Barbie Doll, Mr Potato Head, and PlayDoh became very popular. 
 
President Eisenhower championed projects related to infrastructure. The suburbs were born, and roads, highways, bridges, and tunnel projects were all undertaken. 
This episode has it all, along with a little fun at the end. 
 
There is always more to learn!
-Jimmy & Jean

McCarthyism & The Second Red Scare

So in order to recap how we got to what became known as the "McCarthy era", we need to take a look at recent events. 
Many events occurred before Senator Joseph McCarthy's rise to national fame.
There was first the breakdown of the wartime alliance with the Soviet Union, and President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order in 1947 to screen federal employees for possible association with organizations deemed "totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive", or potentially advocating "to alter the form of Government of the United States by unconstitutional means."
Then, you had Czechoslovak coup by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia which heightened concern in the West about Communist parties seizing power and the possibility of subversion.
In 1949, a high-level State Department official was convicted of perjury in a case of espionage, and the Soviet Union tested a nuclear bomb.
The Korean War started the next year, significantly raising tensions and fears of impending communist upheavals in the United States.
In a speech in February 1950, McCarthy claimed to have a list of members of the Communist Party USA working in the State Department, which attracted substantial press attention, and the term McCarthyism was published for the first time in late March of that year in The Christian Science Monitor, along with a political cartoon by Herblock in The Washington Post.
 
So there is the quick intro, and Jeananne will pick up all of the details of McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare.
 
there is always more to learn!
Jimmy & Jean

The Korean War

Welcome to episode number 102. This one is on the Korean War. 
 
Jean and I discuss the events leading up to the war. The Korean War is a byproduct of post WWII events and how land was divided up after the war. 
We dig into the 38th parallel, communist influences vs US influence, and the beginnings of war yet again. 
We delve into what becomes the first of many proxy wars between the US and Russia, as well as the conclusion of the war, which believe it or not, is still not technically over.
 
Take a listen, and let us know what you think. 
There is always more to learn!
-Jimmy & Jean

The Creation of (NATO) North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) serves as a fundamental institution in shaping international relations, particularly between NATO and the West. Established in the aftermath of World War II, NATO was formed to ensure collective defense and maintain peace among its member states. Its creation responded to the urgent need for a stable and secure geopolitical environment in a world recovering from the devastation of war.
 Its member countries agreed to mutual defense commitments, meaning an attack against one would be considered an attack against all. This principle aimed to deter aggression and promote a united front against any adversary. As the alliance grew, NATO adapted its objectives to address new global challenges beyond traditional military threats, such as terrorism and cyber warfare.
 
Take a listen to what Jimmy and Jean have to say about the formation and evolution of NATO.
There is always more to learn!
 
-Jimmy & Jean

The Truman Doctrine & The Marshall Plan

Thank you for checking in to our podcast on The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.
While both the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine were US policies aimed at containing the spread of communism during the Cold War, there are a number of key differences. 
The main difference is that the Truman Doctrine focused on providing military and political support to countries threatened by communist takeover, while the Marshall Plan offered large-scale economic aid to rebuild war-torn Western Europe after World War II, aiming to prevent communist influence by stabilizing their economies.
 
For all the details, take a listen and know that there is always more to learn!
 
-Jimmy & Jean
 

US Troop Entertainment History and Evolution

In our podcast on the history of US Troop Entertainment we take a deep dive into the launching of the USO, celebrity visits to the troops, the mobilization of US mail to get the letters to our troops as well as Jeep Shows. 
 
Our Special guest in this podcast is author Robert B. O'Connor, who wrote Jeep Show: A Trouper at the Battle of the Bulge
To take a peek at Robert's book, please visit this link to his book on Amazon. 
 
There is always more to learn!
-Jimmy & Jean