The Downrange Podcast

FIRST OVER THERE: The Attack on Cantigny; America's First Battle of World War I

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:21:44 GMT

Matthew J. Davenport is the author of First Over There, which grippingly chronicles America's first major battle on foreign soil during the Great War. Join us as Davenport brings to life the strategy, tactics, courage, and human drama of this crucial moment in American history. Discover how the U.S. troops' resilience and determination at Cantigny became a defining moment in establishing America as a formidable force on the world stage. Whether you're a history enthusiast or new to the subject, this conversation promises to enlighten, engage, and leave you with a deeper understanding of this pivotal moment and the soldiers who shaped it.

WHY WE LOST: A General's Inside Account of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 14:46:46 GMT

Lieutenant General (Retired) Daniel Bolger is the author of Why We Lost, a hard-hitting postmortem on the United States' wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. General Bolger held several key positions at the operational and strategic levels of the United States Army during these wars. In this episode, we discuss many impactful accounts from his book. Written uniquely, the book looks from the strategic to the tactical and from the tactical to the strategic to determine that elusive question: "Who...was...the enemy?"

HANOI SPECIAL: LT Dave Waldrop and the Air War over North Vietnam

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 17:31:08 GMT

In 1967, Dave Waldrop was a Lieutenant flying the infamous F-105 Thunderchief, affectionately known to their community as the "Thud," on bombing missions over North Vietnam. Daily, he faced anti-aircraft fire and the vaunted SA-2 "SAM" missiles funneled to Hanoi by Russia. On some occasions, the North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) sortied MiGs against the large, lumbering "Thuds."

Flying over North Vietnam as part of OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER was a daily gamble, a routine of life and death. The skies were heavily defended, the North Vietnamese knew which targets were going to be bombed, and there were only certain routes in and out. With no discernable strategy for the air war, young tactical fighter pilots such as LT Waldrop found themselves in a daily routine of intense combat with no clear purpose.

In his words, "We were unable to win the war." Regardless, the F-105 fighter pilots adapted their tactics and employed the jet to carry out their missions despite the aircraft being designed for a different mission set altogether. Listen to Dave as we weave history, tactics, and strategy together in the skies over Hanoi.