General Military History
Learn about the American Armed Forces and discover history spanning several wars. To see information about a specific conflict, visit vawarmemorial.org/learn/resources.
Learn about the American Armed Forces and discover history spanning several wars. To see information about a specific conflict, visit vawarmemorial.org/learn/resources.
If you are interested in scheduling a future lesson with the Virginia War Memorial Education Department (in person or via distance learning/outreach), please reach out to education@vawarmemorial.org.
Take a closer look at some of the Virginia War Memorial’s materials and stories!
Aired September 15, 2020. Join Archivist Heidi Sheldon as she explores the Virginia War Memorial’s materials related to Prisoners of War.
Aired November 25, 2020. Join Archivist Heidi Sheldon as she explores the Virginia War Memorial’s materials related to Thanksgiving.
Aired March 2, 2021. Join Archivist Heidi Sheldon as she explores the Virginia War Memorial’s materials related to women in service.
Have you ever wondered what it is like to serve in the military? Hear first-hand accounts from those who took the oath of enlistment!
Aired January 13, 2021. In this special program in our Salute to Service series, we will be focusing on the Navy’s elite special operations force known as the SEALs. Their training in unconventional warfare has led to many covert operations and successful peacekeeping missions. Join us as we speak with former Navy SEAL, Ryan Croley, to gain insight on what it was like to be a part of such a close-knit community of warriors.
Aired April 13, 2021. In this special edition of Salute to Service, hear from Martha Martin and Brandy Disbennett-Albrecht as they discuss growing up in military families.
Aired February 18, 2021. Join retired Army Nurse Connie Davis as she discusses her experiences in the Army Nurse Corps.
Aired February 24, 2021. Join Vietnam veteran Rick Curtin and Blackhawk pilot Neal Edmonds as they discuss their service and experiences as helicopter pilots.
Aired March 30, 2021. The Judge Advocate General’s Corps was established by General George Washington in 1775 and serves as one of the pillars of justice in the United States Army. Join JAG Officer Kelli Petersen as she discusses her time in the nation’s oldest law firm.
Aired May 19, 2022. Join us as we speak with Krystina Diman about her service in the Army’s Mortuary Affairs. Learn how the military honors the remains of our fallen soldiers with dignity and respect.
Presentations by Virginia War Memorial staff members.
Aired November 23, 2020. Join VWM Director Clay Mountcastle as he discusses three pivotal military disasters: Operation Eagle Claw, the Green Ramp Accident, and the 1994 Black Hawk Shootdown Incident. He will present the what and the why of each event, and how each shaped the US military going forward.
Aired February 12, 2021. Join Archivist Heidi Sheldon and Education Director Jim Triesler as they celebrate Valentine’s Day by sharing stories of love, longing, and loss between service members and their sweethearts.
Programs from authors, historians, and other special guest speakers.
Aired October 13, 2021. Hear digital artist and US Army veteran Diana de Avila as she describes her journey to becoming an artist, and how she creates her captivating, totally unique images.
Aired October 20, 2020. This program examines the creative process, research, and production that goes into producing informative and entertaining military history documentaries at the Army University Press and Virginia War Memorial.
Aired December 8, 2020. If military history were a medical patient, how healthy would it be these days? A panel of esteemed historians offer their diagnosis.
Aired January 6, 2021. Researching and writing the stories of our military ancestors may provide awareness of family patterns, inherited trauma, our ancestors’ experiences, secrets, and can take us on a journey we never expected. Journey with Jennifer Holik into the past through story.
Aired February 3, 2021. A panel of esteemed military historians just how well our military leaders know, or fail to know, the history of their profession. Does the study of military history truly produce better leaders in wartime? Has it shaped the outcome of conflict?
Aired March 16, 2021. Virginian women have long played a role in service, behind the scenes and in uniform. Celebrate Women’s History Month by hearing the voices and stories of women who have served and are currently serving our country during this amazing panel discussion.
Aired April 14, 2021. Military history is essential for understanding our nation’s past, but what happens when this history is misused? This program examines the many ways that military history has been misused, distorted, or otherwise abused in our society and to what ends. An expert panel of military historians include Dr. Peter Mansoor, Dr. Jacqueline Whitt, and Dr. Chuck Steele.
Aired November 30, 2021. Join us in commemorating Native American Heritage Month with Dr. Herman Viola, as he shares his journey to create the amazing new education initiative, the Warrior Spirit Project.
Aired January 14, 2025. Edgar Allan Poe’s name evokes images of ravens, tell-tale hearts, and all things eerie; but before he became the master of the macabre, he was a private in the U. S. Army and a West Point cadet. In this talk, the Poe Museum’s curator Chris Semtner will explore Poe’s brief military career and the ways it inspired some of his classic tales and poems.
Aired April 3, 2025. The story of the 23rd United States Colored Troops (USCT) began on November 23, 1863, when it was organized at Camp Casey, Virginia. Today, the living history organization educates the public on the contributions made by the 23rd USCT and African Americans during the Civil War. Join representatives of the 23rd USCT, as they explore the history and legacy of the United States Colored Troops and discuss the importance of living history.
Learn about history from those who have experienced it and take this chance to view events through a unique lens.
Aired June 7, 2023. On the evening of June 25, 1996, over 5,000 pounds of explosives were detonated next to the Khobar Towers apartment building #131, killing 19 U.S. Air Force personnel and wounding 500 Americans and Saudis. Join VWM Director, Clay Mountcastle, as he interviews Virginia Delegate and Air Force veteran Mike Cherry on his first-hand accounts of that fateful day.
