Key Battles of American History
Salem Radio
War has played a key role in the history of the United States from the nation’s founding right down to the present. Wars made the U. S. independent, kept it together, increased its size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America’s wars is essential for understanding American history. In the Key Battles of American History, host James Early discusses American history through the lens of the most important battles of America’s wars. James is an Adjunct Professor of History at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, TX. He has published one book and two scholarly articles. He is also the cohost (with Scott Rank) of the Presidential Fight Club, Key Battles of the Civil War, Key Battles of the Revolutionary War, and Key Battles of World War I podcasts.
Location:
United States
Genres:
History Podcasts
Description:
War has played a key role in the history of the United States from the nation’s founding right down to the present. Wars made the U. S. independent, kept it together, increased its size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America’s wars is essential for understanding American history. In the Key Battles of American History, host James Early discusses American history through the lens of the most important battles of America’s wars. James is an Adjunct Professor of History at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, TX. He has published one book and two scholarly articles. He is also the cohost (with Scott Rank) of the Presidential Fight Club, Key Battles of the Civil War, Key Battles of the Revolutionary War, and Key Battles of World War I podcasts.
Language:
English
Episodes
Hamburger Hill
8/2/2025
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 young American soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division as they endure brutal combat, physical exhaustion, and emotional trauma while attempting to seize a heavily fortified hill (Hill 937) from entrenched North Vietnamese forces. Known for its gritty realism, the movie emphasizes the chaos, futility, and psychological toll of war, highlighting the soldiers' camaraderie and the controversy surrounding the high casualties and strategic value of the hill.
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Duration:00:43:16
VW9: Nixon and Vietnamization
7/30/2025
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 Vietnamese forces while withdrawing U.S. troops. It examines the fractured 1968 presidential election, Nixon’s political maneuvering, and key military developments like the failed Communist Tet ’69 Offensive and the controversial Battle of Hamburger Hill. Nixon’s strategy included a shift to pacification under General Creighton Abrams, secret bombing in Cambodia (Operation Menu), and the CIA-led Phoenix Program targeting Viet Cong leadership. Despite early American successes, the war continued with no clear end in sight, even as Communist forces began to weaken by late 1969.
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Duration:00:55:15
Full Metal Jacket
7/26/2025
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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Duration:01:11:59
VW8: The Tet Offensive
7/23/2025
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 off the attacks and inflicted thousands of casualties on the attackers, the offensive showed the American public that the war was far from over, and it ultimately led to the end of the Johnson presidency. Join Sean and James as they discuss this pivotal turning point of the war.
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Duration:01:04:15
Platoon
7/19/2025
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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Duration:00:56:48
VW7: Failing Strategies and False Optimism
7/16/2025
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 casualty count and the economic cost of the war rapidly increased, opposition to the war within the U. S. also grew. Meanwhile, in late 1967, the North Vietnamese Army began planning a major offensive that would consist of attacks all over South Vietnam and would hopefully deal a knockout blow to the ARVN and the government of South Vietnam.
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Duration:00:55:43
We Were Soldiers
7/12/2025
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 Once… and Young (1992) by Lieutenant General Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L. Galloway, We Were Soldiers dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965.
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Duration:01:21:47
VW6: The Americanization of the War
7/9/2025
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 made the fateful decision to greatly expand American involvement in the war, ordering 150,000 new soldiers and Marines to Vietnam right away and another 150,000 to follow them soon afterward.
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Duration:00:57:26
Rescue Dawn
7/5/2025
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 camp before escaping and returning to his unit. As always, your lovable hosts will tell you what the filmmakers got right and what they got wrong.
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Duration:00:58:42
VW5: The Gulf of Tonkin Incident and the Entry of American Ground Forces
7/2/2025
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 to the US Congress passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized the president to take “all necessary measures to repel armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” Johnson then authorized Operation Rolling Thunder, a massive and ongoing bombing of North Vietnam. He also decided to send the first American ground troops to South Vietnam.
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Duration:00:53:21
VW4: South Vietnam in Crisis
6/25/2025
In early 1963, the Viet Cong decisively defeated an attacking ARVN force at the Battle of Ap Bac, proving that the guerrillas were a force to be reckoned with. During that same year, much of South Vietnam fell under Viet Cong control, while most of the rest of the country descended into chaos. South Vietnamese cities saw an increasing number of protests, many of which were brutally put down by the Diem regime. Ultimately, Diem was assassinated, and a junta of generals took control. In November, U. S. president John F. Kennedy also fell victim to an assassin’s bullet and was replaced by Lyndon Johnson. What effect on the war would the changes in leadership have? Listen, and Sean and James will let you know.
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Duration:00:58:12
VW3: The Rise of the Viet Cong
6/18/2025
In 1959, the government of North Vietnam, now under the direction of Communist Party Chairman Le Duan, decided to initiate a war with the South Vietnamese government led by Ngo Dinh Diem. To help fight Diem’s regime, the North Vietnamese facilitated the formation of a National Liberation Front (later dubbed the Viet Cong by the South Vietnamese government). The NLF/VC began a campaign of terror and assassinations that threatened to bring down the South Vietnamese government. Meanwhile, new U. S. President John F. Kennedy began increasing the number of American military advisors in South Vietnam. Join Sean and James as they discuss this key turning point of the war.
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Duration:00:44:00
VW2: Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Agreements
6/11/2025
After the Second World War, France decided to reassert control over French Indochina. This policy met strong resistance from both Communist and right-wing political and military organizations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Resistance grew, leading to the First Indochina War (1946-1954). This conflict ended with the Geneva Agreements, in which the French agreed to depart, the country would be temporarily divided between a Communist North and a non-Commuist south, and elections would be held in 1956…or would they? Join Sean and James as they discuss this “war before the war” that is little known to westerners but is a crucial prelude to the more well-known Vietnam War.
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Duration:00:41:18
VW1: Introduction to the Vietnam War
6/4/2025
In this episode, Evan Muxen returns to join James and to help kick off a new series on the Vietnam War. Evan and James give an overview of Vietnamese history from its beginning down through the period of French domination, the Japanese conquest during WW2, and the fight for control of Vietnam after WW2.
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Duration:00:59:31
The 10 Best Allied Fighters of World War II (with Sean McIver) - Part 2
5/31/2025
In this episode, Sean and James complete their discussion of the top 10 Allied fighters of World War II.
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Duration:00:41:25
The 10 Best Allied Fighters of World War II (with Sean McIver) - Part 1
5/28/2025
In this episode, James and frequent guest Sean McIver count down the ten best Allied fighter planes of World War II.
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Duration:00:45:23
KW13: Prisoners of War in the Korean War
5/21/2025
In any war, being taken prisoner is a traumatic experience, and the Korean War was no exception. In this episode, James discusses the experiences of Korean War POWs on both sides.
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Duration:00:41:38
KW12: The Naval War in Korea
5/14/2025
In this episode, James gives a summary of the crucial role played by the U.S. and allied navies, including transport, supply, naval air operations, special forces operations, and naval support of ground operations.
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Duration:00:39:19
KW11: The Air War in Korea
5/7/2025
In this episode, James presents an overview of the air war over Korea, including the transition from propeller-driven planes to jets, the strategic bombing campaign, the experience of individual pilots, and the key role of helicopters.
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Duration:00:46:58
Gettysburg in Literature, Film, and History: Day 3
4/30/2025
In this episode, Sean, Steve, and James continue their discussion of the real events and background of the Battle of Gettysburg as portrayed through the 1993 film Gettysburg. One last massive infantry charge just might be the answer to break the gridlock of this battle! Your lovable hosts also discuss the aftermath of Gettysburg and its place in the Civil War.
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Duration:00:53:05