Visiting Normandy and touring the beaches from D-Day, June 6, 1944, is a powerful experience. It is an experience that all American citizens should plan to do. There are incredible stories of American servicemembers that left their homes to serve and sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves. It is important to remember and honor these heroes. Many people do this every year as there are approximately 1.7 million people who visit the Normandy American Cemetery annually.

In this podcast episode, I speak with a tour guide, Yannick Sterke, who gives tours of the Normandy battlefields. In the summer of 2022, I took a three day tour with Yannick. He is a wealth of knowledge. He showed our group significant places including Omaha beach, Utah beach, Point du Hoc, and Saint Lo. At each place, he told us about the history of D-Day and the invasion of Normandy with a lot of powerful stories. Yannick and I kept in touch and he agreed to do an interview to talk about the history of World War II, D-Day, the Battle of Normandy, and his work showing people (including World War II veterans) the battlefields.

• Check out Yannick's comapny: HQ Company Tour
• Visit HQ Company Tour on Facebook, Instagram, or TripAdvisor
• Check out the Normandy American Cemetery where approximately 1.7 million people visit each year.

Additional Books to Read:

• Operation Jubilee: Dieppe, 1941: The Folly and the Sacrifice
• The Dead and Those About to Die: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach by John C. McManus
• Omaha Beach D-Day June 6 1944 by Joseph Balkoski
• The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw

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If you like the show, subscribe in Apple podcasts, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth. Visit the website. E-mail: tim@professionalmilitaryeducation.com 

Check out our Tours: Alexandria History Tours provides guided tours of Old Town Alexandria with a focus on George Washington, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War. Use promo code “PMECOMPLETE” for a 10% discount.  

General Jason Q. Bohm (Maj. Gen., USMC) is the author of a recently published book entitled Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777. In this interview, we discuss why and how the Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775. General Bohm explains that General Washington did not initially support the Marines. However, the Marines played a pivotal role during the “Ten Crucial Days.” This was the period from December 25, 1776, through January 3, 1777. It included key battles at Trenton, Assunpink Creek, and Princeton. The Marines’ heroic actions and fighting spirit helped General Washington during one of the lowest points of the Revolutionary War. Furthermore, it firmly established the Marines’ reputation as America’s premiere fighting force. 

In this interview, we discuss the following:

• The Marines were supposed to be used for a naval campaign against the British in Halifax, Nova Scotia. General Bohm tells us why it never happened.  
• Samuel Nicholas. We know him as our first commandant. Was he really commandant though? Who was this Philadelphia Quaker?
• Recruiting and retention. Who were the young men that came to Tun Tavern? And why Tun Tavern?
• The first Marine Corps deployment was to the Bahamas. Sounds like a nice deployment! But did the Marines know anything about amphibious operations in March 1776?
• The New York campaign and the events that led to the Continental Armies’ low point in December 1776.
• The “Ten Crucial Days” included the Battles of Trenton, Assunpink Creek, and Princeton. The Marines played a critical role in helping Washington’s army snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. 
• Implications for the current Marine Corps. What lessons can we learn from our Marine forefathers?

Washington's Marines can be purchased through  Savas Beatie or Amazon

About the Author: General Jason Q. Bohm (Mag. Gen., USMC) is a Marine Corps infantryman with over 30 years of experience. General Bohm has served at every level from platoon commander to commanding general. His past assignments include strategic planner with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of the Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfighting School (EWS). He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing as well as master’s degrees in military studies and in national security studies. General Bohm has written award-winning articles for the Marine Corps Gazette. He is also the author of From the Cold War to ISIL: One Marine’s Journey (Naval Institute Press, 2019). 

General Bohm’s first book is available on Amazon.

Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com

Revolutionary War and George Washington Tours in Alexandria, VA: www.alexandriahistorytours.com use promo code "pmecomplete" to get a 10% discount. 

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