This week Seth and Bill welcome good buddy Jon Parshall to discuss the planning and setup for the last great invasion of World War II, the invasion of Okinawa. In this episode the guys get deep into the weeds discussing the origins of the campaign, the American plans for invasion, and the Japanese plans for defense. Japanese General Ushijima, General Cho, and Colonel Yahara are discussed in depth as the team breaks down the intricate Japanese defensive network that starts at Kakazu Ridge. The trio then gets into a passionate discussion on the Okinawan civilians, their treatment at the hands of the Japanese Empire, and the results of that treatment today. The episode wraps as the Americans land on Love Day-Easter Sunday 1945- to discover the beaches undefended. All of these topics set up next week's discussion of the first few weeks of combat as we dive headlong into Operation ICEBERG and the campaign for Okinawa ashore.
The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War