010 | U.S. Army Special Observer Group (WWII) | Rick Anderson, PhD
Release Date: 09/21/2021
016 | Uncommon Journey (Part II) | Mohamed Massaquoi
Camp Iron Mountain
Guest - LTC Mohamed Massaquoi Lieutenant Colonel Mo Massaquoi has had an atypical military career to say the least. He started off as an enlisted sailor in the U.S. Navy, before moving up to become a naval officer, and then eventually, transitioning to the U.S. Army where he continues to serve on active duty. Over his ongoing 22 years of service, Mo has been through a number of great challenges and great successes, some of which he’ll share with us during our interview. Part 2 covers his time in the U.S. Army. Disclaimer: The views expressed by LTC Massaquoi on this podcast are...
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015 | Uncommon Journey (Part I) | Mohamed Massaquoi
Camp Iron Mountain
Guest - LTC Mohamed Massaquoi Lieutenant Colonel Mo Massaquoi has had an atypical military career to say the least. He started off as an enlisted sailor in the U.S. Navy, before moving up to become a naval officer, and then eventually, transitioning to the U.S. Army where he continues to serve on active duty. Over his ongoing 22 years of service, Mo has been through a number of great challenges and great successes, some of which he’ll share with us during our interview. Part 1 will cover his time in the U.S. Navy. Disclaimer: The views expressed by LTC Massaquoi on this podcast...
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014 | The Significance of November 11th
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What You’ll Get From Today’s Show On November 11th, 1918 the guns finally fell silent on the Western Front with the signing of a cessation of hostilities by the belligerents fighting in World War I. The significance of that event started a worldwide adoption of the day for remembrance and celebration that continues today over 100 years later. Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode The British Imperial War Museum. The Canadian War Museum. Arlington National Cemetery. A short history of the poem In...
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013 | Marine Corps Combat Engineer | John Bruzza
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Guest - John Bruzza John Bruzza is a 20-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, John was selected for service as a combat engineer following completion of the Marine Corps Officer Basic School. Over his career he served in a variety of leadership positions and locations both on active duty and as a reserve officer before retiring in 2017 as a Major. In his post-military life John lives in Arizona where he works in the solar energy industry. Instagram: @31_maxx_31 What You’ll Get From Today’s Show John discusses his experience...
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012 | From Friends to Brothers: Operation Urgent Fury
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Part two of our interview with the three friends who joined the Army together out of high school. This episode focuses on their experiences participating in the invasion of Grenada as members of the 82nd Airborne Division’s Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon (LRRP). Guests - Kenneth Williams, Joe Paez, and Dale Comstock Kenneth Williams served 24 years in the U.S. Army. First, as an infantryman for a little over four years with the 82nd Airborne division before changing over to the Air Defense Artillery career branch. Before retiring as a senior instructor for the Air...
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011 | From Friends to Brothers: Service with the 82nd Airborne Division
Camp Iron Mountain
Guests - Kenneth Williams, Joe Paez, and Dale Comstock Kenneth Williams served 24 years in the U.S. Army. First, as an infantryman for a little over four years with the 82nd Airborne division before changing over to the Air Defense Artillery career branch. Before retiring as a senior instructor for the Air Defense Center (Patriot) Missile and Master Gunner Course, Kenneth served as First Sergeant for Echo Battery, 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery in Ansbach, Germany. In addition to his deployment to Operation Urgent Fury, Kenneth deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi...
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010 | U.S. Army Special Observer Group (WWII) | Rick Anderson, PhD
Camp Iron Mountain
Guest - LTC Rick Anderson Lieutenant Colonel Rick Anderson is an active duty Army officer who currently serves as a History Instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served six years in the U.S. Army Reserves before earning an officer’s commission from the University of Iowa Army ROTC program in 2002. After entering the Active Duty force as an Aviation Officer, Rick’s held leadership positions in various aviation units stateside and while deployed to combat operations overseas. Following completion of graduate school in 2012 he taught history at West Point. While...
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009 | Creating the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
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What You’ll Get From Today’s Show You’ll hear the story of the challenges and triumphs in building the most visited monument in Washington D.C. Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode . Since the dedication of The Wall, VVMF has pursued a mission of preserving the legacy of The Wall, promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War. They run an incredible website that serves as a launching pad for their various education initiatives. The 4/9 Infantry Manchu (Vietnam) Association started a website that provides a number of detailed...
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008 | Guiding The Next Generation | Wendy Tokach
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Lieutenant Colonel Wendy Tokach is an active duty Army officer who earned her commission in the Military Police Branch following graduation from the University of Hawaii Army ROTC program. Entering active duty service in 2002, she’s held leadership positions in various military police units, including multiple deployments throughout her career. LTC Tokach is currently the Battalion Commander for the 787th Military Police Battalion (OSUT) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. What You’ll Get From Today’s Show Wendy shares the story of how she was influenced to join the military as part...
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007 | Team Assassin On Point | Stu James
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COL Stu James tells the story of his experience as a junior officer leading his company-level combined arms team from Kuwait to Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 20 March to 7 April 2003. Key battles explored during this episode are the engagements at An Nasiriyah, Al Kifl, An Najaf, Karbala, and Baghdad. Colonel Stu James is an active duty Army officer who earned his commission as an Armor officer following graduation from West Virginia University ROTC. He entered active duty service in 1996 and has held numerous leadership positions in armored and mechanized formations...
info_outlineGuest - LTC Rick Anderson
Lieutenant Colonel Rick Anderson is an active duty Army officer who currently serves as a History Instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served six years in the U.S. Army Reserves before earning an officer’s commission from the University of Iowa Army ROTC program in 2002. After entering the Active Duty force as an Aviation Officer, Rick’s held leadership positions in various aviation units stateside and while deployed to combat operations overseas. Following completion of graduate school in 2012 he taught history at West Point. While at West Point, Rick transitioned career fields and became a Functional Area 59 Army Strategic Plans and Policy Officer. In this role he served in Korea and most recently in the Future Operations Branch at U.S. Army South. LTC Anderson holds a PhD in History from the University of Kansas.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by LTC Anderson on this podcast are from his own research as an academic and do not represent the views of the United States Military Academy, nor do they represent the views of the Department of Defense.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-anderson-1494a5193/
What You’ll Get From Today’s Show
You’ll learn about the mission, accomplishments, and legacy of the United States Army Special Observer Group from World War II including…
What was the U.S. Army Special Observer Group.
What major planning initiatives activities they were involved in.
How they laid the foundation for the creation of the European Theater of Operations, U.S. Army (ETOUSA) and the Allied invasion of Europe.
Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode
Special Observers: A History of SPOBS and USAFBI, 1941-1942. Rick Anderson’s PhD dissertation gives an in-depth narrative and analysis of the Army Special Observer Group mission from their creation in 1941 until the establishment of the ETOUSA headquarters. You can download a copy of this work for free on the University of Kansas KU ScholarWorks website.
The Origins of the Grand Alliance: Anglo-American Military Collaboration from the Panay Incident to Pearl Harbor (William T. Johnsen). This book, published in 2016 by the University of Kentucky Press, provides the first comprehensive analysis of military collaboration between the United States and Great Britain before the Second World War, which includes discussion of the SPOBS mission.
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