Historic Voices Podcast: Global History And Culture

In this podcast episode, we feature Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense and his speech “Final Address to the West Point Academy Cadets”. In addition to this audio episode, I also provide several PDF documents: first, a transcript of this speech and secondly an overview of his life of service to the nation through the CIA and the Department of Defense. Since this episode is being released on Veterans Day in 2017, I also included a trio of short articles about Veterans Day in the U.S., Armed Forces Day in the U.K., and Memorial Day. This podcast is part of the LifePodcast Network which is a group of family-friendly podcasts bringing a positive message of hope and inspiration. Check out the LifePodcast Network at http://LifePodcast.net These audio recordings provided through the American Rhetoric online database. This website provides more than 5,000 speech transcripts, audio recordings, and videos of public speeches, sermons, lectures, interviews, and more. Checkout the website at http://americanrhetoric.com Thi

In a change of pace with this first podcast episode of the second season, we feature an episode from old time radio, the CBS News Radio Series, You Are There. The docudrama is “Columbus Sailing to the Americas on October 12, 1492”. Created by CBS Radio, it blended history with modern technology, taking an entire network newsroom on a time warp each week reporting the great events of the past. The news reporters were the top national journalists from CBS. The series started in1947 and featured various key events in American and world history, portrayed in dramatic recreations. Additionally, CBS News reporters report on the action and interview the key people from each historical episode. An announcer would give the date and the event, followed by a loud and boldly spoken "You are there!" This radio show was an example of serious attempts during the early days of radio to be educational rather than only entertaining. The beauty of their show was they provided the voices and news commentary while your imaginatio

In this podcast episode, we feature Walter Winchell and his news broadcast that included information about Italy surrendering during World War Two. The imperial ambitions of the Italian Fascist regime aspired to restore the Roman Empire in North Africa and the Mediterranean were partially met with the annexation of Albania, occupation of British Somaliland, and other territories, but ultimately collapsed after defeats in the East and North African campaigns. In July 1943, following the Allied invasion of Sicily, In addition to this audio episode, I also provide two PDF documents. The first is an overview of the military history of Italy during World War II. The second is the armistice agreement of Italy surrendering to the Allies. Let us now tune our radio dial to September 8, 1943 and listen to Walter Winchell share the day’s news including the surrender of Italy during World War Two. This podcast is part of the LifePodcast Network which is a group of family-friendly podcasts bringing a positive message of h

Secretary of State George C. Marshall explains to the American people the need for the U.S. to help rebuild Western Europe after WWII.

In this podcast episode, we feature Elie Wiesel and his speech “The Perils of Indifference”. Mr. Wiesel was a Jewish writer, professor, and Holocaust survivor of the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. He spent his life sharing the story of the concentration camps so people would not forget the Holocaust and advocated for ending of genocides occurring today. Much more information is available in the accompanying PDF document with his life story. The speech you are about to hear had been given many times around the world. This time it was given to President Clinton and other leaders and urged them to take action with today’s genocides. Indifference is not an option. This podcast is part of the LifePodcast Network which is a group of family-friendly podcasts bringing a positive message of hope and inspiration. Check out the LifePodcast Network at http://LifePodcast.net This audio recording comes the American Rhetoric online database. This website provides more than 5,000 speech transcripts, audio reco

In this podcast episode, we feature President Lyndon Johnson and his speech “The Great Society”. President Johnson designed the "Great Society" legislation by expanding civil rights, public broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid, aid to education, the arts, urban and rural development, public services, and his "War on Poverty". Assisted in part by a growing economy, the War on Poverty helped millions of Americans rise above the poverty line during his administration. Civil rights bills he signed into law banned racial discrimination in public facilities, interstate commerce, the workplace, and housing; the Voting Rights Act prohibited certain requirements in southern states used to disenfranchise African Americans. With the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the country's immigration system was reformed, encouraging greater immigration from regions other than Europe. Johnson's presidency marked the peak of modern liberalism after the New Deal era. In addition to this audio episode, I also provi

With this podcast episode, we complete a three-part series on aviation leaders. We will listen to Amelia Earhart as she talks about the future of women in aviation. In addition to this audio episode, I also provide two PDF documents: first, a short overview of her life, and finally, a history of women in aviation. This podcast is part of the LifePodcast Network which is a group of family-friendly podcasts bringing a positive message of hope and inspiration. Check out the LifePodcast Network at http://LifePodcast.net The source for this episode’s audio recording was the Internet Archive online database. It is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, audio recordings, software, music, and more. Its purpose is offering permanent access to historical digital collections. Checkout the website at http://archive.org This podcast is available through the following podcast directories and apps: iTunes, Libsyn, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Overcast, Pocket Casts, iCatcher,

With this podcast episode, we are in the middle of a three-part series on aviation leaders. We will listen to the conversation between NASA and Neil Armstrong in the lunar lander as he prepares to be the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. In addition to this audio episode, I also provide two PDF documents: first, a short overview of his life, and finally, the story of Apollo 11 mission to place Armstrong on the moon’s surface. This podcast is part of the LifePodcast Network which is a group of family-friendly podcasts bringing a positive message of hope and inspiration. Check out the LifePodcast Network at http://LifePodcast.net The source for this episode’s audio recording was the Internet Archive online database. It is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, audio recordings, software, music, and more. Its purpose is offering permanent access to historical digital collections. Checkout the website at http://archive.org This podcast is available through the following podcast dire

With this podcast episode, we begin a three-part series on aviation leaders. John Glenn shares remarks as the first American to travel into space. They follow his ticker tape parade in New York City after his return. In addition to this audio episode, I also provide two PDF documents: first, a short overview of his life, and finally, the story of the Mercury Seven pioneer astronauts of which John Glenn was a member. This podcast is part of the LifePodcast Network which is a group of family-friendly podcasts bringing a positive message of hope and inspiration. Check out the LifePodcast Network at http://LifePodcast.net The source for this episode’s audio recording was the Internet Archive online database. It is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, audio recordings, software, music, and more. Its purpose is offering permanent access to historical digital collections. Checkout the website at http://archive.org This podcast is available through the following podcast directories and apps: iTunes

In this podcast episode, we feature President Jimmy Carter and his “Energy and the National Goals” speech. It is often called the “Crisis of Confidence” speech. A major priority of President Carter was the U.S. policy of energy consumption. The nation was suffering from rising oil costs due to OPEC which resulted in gas rationing, long gas lines, and energy shortages just to name a few. Before the formal part of this energy policy speech, President Carter explored reasons for lack of action by Congress with energy issues. He saw the threat as a “crisis of confidence” in our ability to forge a national priority to work together to deal with this and other issues. That section of the speech is why some call this the “Crisis of Confidence” speech. In addition to this audio recording, I also provide three PDF documents: first, a transcript of this speech, second, a short overview of his personal and political life, and finally a summary of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act which was part of President’s C

In this podcast episode, we provide a speech by Paul Harvey which is called “The pledge of America’s first citizens.” Mr. Harvey gave this speech annually about the price paid by many of the Founding Fathers for their involvement in the American Revolutionary War. As Mr. Harvey states, some people go to war since they have nothing to lose, in this case, the Founding Fathers had everything to lose since they were already men of influence, power, and wealth. They risked it all for the rest of the soon-to-be Americans and us as their descendants. Some lost it all in the process. On Independence Day, it is good to remember their sacrifices for us. In addition to this audio episode, I also provide three PDF documents: first, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, second, an article about the Founding Fathers, and finally the backstory about composing the Declaration of Independence. This podcast is part of the LifePodcast Network which is a group of family-friendly podcasts bringing a positive message of hope

In this podcast episode, we take a change of pace and feature a famous American movie actor performing on a 1950s weekly radio show named “The Six Shooter”. The main character is Jimmy Stewart as Britt Ponset, a drifting cowboy in the final years of the wild American west. In addition to this audio episode, I also provide two PDF documents: first, a short life story of Mr. Stewart, and finally, the backstory on this NBC radio show, The Six Shooter. Let us now tune our radio dial to November 8, 1953 for episode eight of the Six Shooter episode named “The Capture of Stacy Gault”. This podcast is part of the LifePodcast Network which is a group of family-friendly podcasts bringing a positive message of hope and inspiration. Check out the LifePodcast Network at http://LifePodcast.net These audio recordings come from a variety of sources. Some may have been provided through the American Rhetoric online database. This website provides more than 5,000 speech transcripts, audio recordings, and videos of public speech

The President’s speech is typical for many of the recent U.S. presidents. He began with a quick review of the past and especially the world wars the U.S. has been engaged and the role of the country as peacemaker to help build a better future. Then, he turns to the new challenges which are domestic rather than international. Eisenhower expresses his worry that the U.S. has embraced a permanent armaments industry with the export of weapons around the world. This was a radical change in the U.S. which previously only turned to building of weapons when the country faced immediate aggression. He introduces a new world to the U.S. vocabulary, “industrial-military complex”. Building weapons has become as important as building cars and appliances for the average American. Eisenhower worried that American universities seemed more interested in attracting huge government military contracts that engaged in scientific discovery. He also was concerned about Congress and how they were being influenced by the industrial-mi

In this podcast episode, we feature a short speech by General Dwight D. Eisenhower to the allied troops who were to land on the Normandy beaches during D-Day in just a few hours.  Nearly 10,000 of these brave troops will lose their lives during the invasion against fierce German resistance. Separately, I provide several PDF documents: first, a transcript of this speech, secondly an overview of the D-Day invasion, and finally, the diversion plan headed by General Patton to shift German attention away from the Normandy beaches. Next week, I provide the farewell speech of President Eisenhower to the American people.

In this podcast episode, we feature a speech by President Ronald Reagan on the 40th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on D-Day during World War Two. The speech was given on the cliffs above the Normandy beach where the U.S. Rangers successfully scaled the wall despite heavy German fire. More than half the Rangers lost their lives during the assault. This short speech is considered by many historians as one of Reagan’s best. Separately, I provide two PDF documents: first a transcript of this speech, and secondly a short history of Ronald Reagan. Next week, I will provide the short speech given by General Eisenhower to the troops in preparation for their landing on the beaches.

In this podcast episode, we feature a speech by General Douglass MacArthur to Congress and the American people. The date was April 19, 1951. The dramatic timing of the speech was that President Harry Truman had relieved General MacArthur of military command of the United Nations forces during the Korean War the previous week. MacArthur explained in the speech his concerns about the Chinese and a retrospective of a lifetime of service to the nation as a member of the military. This seemed to me an appropriate speech to post of Memorial Day as we remember the sacrifices made by the U.S. military on behalf of the nation There are many comparisons and contrasts between two of America’s greatest generals: George Patton and Douglass MacArthur. Those were extraordinary military commanders who are credited with helping to end World War Two more quickly. Both were deeply devoted to the defense of America and its people. And both were frustrated with political leaders who they perceived as stopping a war prematurely be

In this episode we feature Barbara Bush, Former First Lady of the U.S., deliver the commencement address at Wesley College on June 1, 1990. Accompanying this podcast are PDF transcripts of the speech and also a short life story.

In this podcast episode, we feature a rebroadcast of a radio speech by Sir Winston Churchill on March 5, 1946. The dramatic timing of the speech was that the Soviet Union was increasing its control of Eastern Europe following World War Two. It was also the first public speech that used the expression, “The Iron Curtain”. This speech is part two of a two-part series featuring Mr. Churchill speaking about the beginning of war. The last episode featured him speaking of the beginning of World War Two and the crisis for England. This speech, officially named the Sinews of Peace or more often referred to as the Iron Curtain speech, announced that the Cold War had already begun with the aggressions by the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe. Churchill sought to alert leaders in the U.S. and the world that war had resumed in Europe even before the end of World War Two. He called upon the nations to confront the Soviet Union before it expanded its conquests to include more nations in Europe or elsewhere in the world. Unlik

In this podcast episode, we feature a rebroadcast of a radio speech by Sir Winston Churchill on May 13, 1940. The dramatic timing of the speech was that it was Churchill’s first speech to the British people since being named Prime Minister during early World War II. This speech is part one of a two-part series featuring Mr. Churchill. The next episode will be his famous “Iron Curtain” speech that announced that the Cold War had already begun with the aggressions by the Soviet Union. Germany had been rampaging throughout Europe during early World War Two, conquering one nation another another. The United States would not enter the war for another 18 months and were not providing sufficient support for the British due to their isolationist feelings and wanting to avoid entanglement in European wars. The British morale was at a low-point at this moment as they felt it was their tiny nation was the only one that had not fallen to German occupation and that invasion from the Nazis was ready to begin. Prime Ministe

In this final episode in this two-part series, we feature Mr. Walter Winchell, an American broadcast journalist who focused on often exploitive celebrity news and his interpretation of the day’s news. His rapid-fire delivery of the news was mesmerizing. He separated the short news stories from each other by pressing a telegraph key to create urgency and importance as if to communicate he was reading breaking news stories coming across the news wires. Winchell is recognized as the first successful gossip columnist that drew fifty million readers for his news stories and radio broadcasts each week. He enjoyed reporting exciting or embarrassing information about people and especially entertainers. He was highly feared in Hollywood where scandals could wreck an aspiring movie or theatre actor. In the 1950s, Winchell joined forces with Senator McCarthy’s quest to identify Communists in the entertainment field. When Senator McCarthy was exposed for having little or no information on supposed Communist infiltration,