Preble Hall

Craig Symonds, Professor Emeritus of History at the U.S. Naval Academy, discusses his latest book, Annapolis Goes to War: The Naval Academy Class of 1940 and its Trial by Fire in World War II.

In this, our 250th episode of Preble Hall, the United States Naval Academy Museum's own Education Specialist Sondra Duplantis interviews Mike Fink, author of Intrepid's Fighting Squadron 18 Flying High With Harris' Hellcats.  Join us for an exciting journey as Fink takes us into the ready rooms, cockpits and battle spaces of the "Two-a-Day 18" and the USS Intrepid. This experience navigates the incredible human experiences and unsurmounted heroism of Harris' Hellcats.

In this episode of Preble Hall, Dr. Stephen Phillips interviews Will Wright, USNA Class of 1995, and a member of the offshore sailing team. They discuss the U. S. Postal Service stamp issued for the  U.S. Naval Academy's 150th Anniversary that depicted Swift, one of the Academy's offshore sailing boats with Will and other midshipmen in Swift's crew.

In this episode, Marc Leepson discusses his book The Unlikely War Hero, A Vietnam War POW's Story of Courage and Resilience in the Hanoi Hilton. This book is a biography of Doug Hegdahl, a Sailor that fell off of USS Canberra (CA 2) into the Gulf of Tonkin. Hegdahl was captured by the North Vietnamese and landed in the Hanoi Hilton with other American prisoners of war (POW). While in captivity, he memorized 254 names of his fellow prisoners. Hegdahl was ordered to accept early release. Once back in the United States, he provided the list of names to his debriefers. As a result, 65 American servicemen who were listed as missing in action (MIA), had their status changed to POW. 

Retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis shares insights from his collection in The Admiral's Bookshelf. He discusses influential maritime literature, emphasizing how books like Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea shape resilience and leadership. Stavridis highlights the connection between fiction and decision-making, exploring how novels can enhance understanding of history. He also reflects on the clarity of communication in leadership, drawing lessons from iconic military figures. This engaging conversation marries literature with real-life leadership challenges.

John Quarstein and Robert Worden join Dr. Stephen Phillips to discuss their book, From Ironclads to Admiral: John Lorimer Worden and Naval Leadership. This important work is a detailed biography with emphasis on Worden's service on USS Monitor and other ironclads during the Civil War. Equally interesting is Worden's time as Superintendent at the U.S. Naval Academy and as a founding member, with membership number 1, of the U.S. Naval Institute.

Brian Dickinson joins Dr. Stephen Phillips on Preble Hall to discuss Brian's book, Calm in the Chaos, True Tales from Elite U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers and the Navy’s SAR Swimmer community to include the history of its development and some historical examples of this important mission. Listeners can follow Brian at:Https://briandickinson.netHttps://calminthechaospodcast.com@briancdickinson on all socials

On the 20th anniversary of the Boxing Day Tsunami, Dr. Stephen Phillips discusses the U.S. Navy's humanitarian response, Operation Unified Assistance, with Dr. John Sherwood. This and other humanitarian responses are discussed in great detail in Sherwood's book, A Global Force for Good: Sea Services Humanitarian Operations in the Twenty-First Century.

To start Army-Navy week of 2024, Dr. Stephen Phillips discusses the Army-Navy Game with Christopher Havern, a historian at the Naval History and Heritage Command, but also an Army veteran and fan. 

Dr. Stephen Phillips interviews David Gendell to discuss his book, The Last Days of the Schooner America. Gendell's book tells the story of the racing yacht for which the America's Cup is named, its service as a Confederate blockade runner, Naval Academy training vessel, and the plans to restore it at the Annapolis Yacht Yard during World War II as the yard built motor torpedo boats and submarine chasers for the Lend-Lease program.