USM’s Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage (COHCH) and the Dale Center for the Study of War and Society released a new podcast series that combines veteran oral histories with expert analysis to tell the story of World War II. The 10-week series, titled “Voices of Our People: WWII,” debuted September 30.
Each hour-long episode draws from COHCH’s extensive archive of interviews with World War II veterans and home front workers, complemented by insights from Dale Center military historians. Topics range from Pearl Harbor and D-Day to the experiences of Black GIs returning to a segregated America.
“It’s going to give a spotlight on the voices of Mississippians who have done important and big things. The next one is on the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi. Along with Military Histories, the history of civil rights is one of the strengths of our collections in the Oral History Center,” says Dr. Kevin Greene, Director of the COHCH and a Dale Center Fellow as well as the project’s executive director. “We have a few interviews that really don’t exist anywhere else, so we are able to highlight the incredible legacy and story of the activists who participated and some of the folks who resisted their activism and to really tell the story about the struggle for human rights that went on here, particularly following the second world war.”
Ross Walton, the project’s writer and producer, spent months combing through oral history recordings to select compelling narratives. “With the voices of our people series, we hope to add scholarly input into the thing to basically make history the centerpiece of each podcast episode. In Season 1 we’re focused on World War Two. Season 2 is likely going to be about civil rights.,” Walton explains. “The center has been collecting all history since 1971 and we’ve collected pretty broadly. We have, I think close to about 5000 interviews and we’re adding more all the time now that we are working with the Dale Center.”
The series explores various aspects of the war, including the Battle of the Bulge, the Navy Seabees at Guadalcanal, and the occupation of Germany and Japan. It also addresses often-overlooked topics such as PTSD among veterans and women’s contributions both in uniform and on the home front.
The project features expertise from multiple Southern Miss faculty members, including Dr. Andrew Wiest, a Southern Miss Distinguished Professor of History and founding director of the Dale Center, along with historians Dr. Heather Stur, Dr. Kenneth Swope, and Dr. Douglas Bristol. Graduate students Bearington Curtis and William Browning also contributed to the development.
Supported by the Mississippi Humanities Council, the podcast is narrated by Bill Ellison, known for his work on Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s “Mississippi Moments.” Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council, emphasizes the podcast’s significance in preserving and sharing state history.
The series represents a new direction for both centers involved. By making their resources and expertise available in podcast form, they aim to reach a broader audience while maintaining academic rigor. The format allows listeners to engage with both personal narratives and scholarly interpretations of World War II events.
“Voices of Our People: WWII” will be available on all major podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
