#14 "The Battle of Midway: A Military and Propaganda Triumph over the Axis Powers"

Media: Episode Recording -- "The Battle of Midway: A Military and Propaganda Triumph over the Axis Powers"; Episode Preview -- "The Battle of Midway: A Military and Propaganda Triumph over the Axis Powers"

Podcast Teaser Trailer: Episode Preview -- "The Battle of Midway: A Military and Propaganda Triumph over the Axis Powers"
Link to Podcast: Episode Recording -- "The Battle of Midway: A Military and Propaganda Triumph over the Axis Powers"
Episode Number: Students Podcasting History Episode #14
Episode Title: #14 "The Battle of Midway: A Military and Propaganda Triumph over the Axis Powers"
Key Words: Midway Island, Japanese Navy, U.S. Navy, Carrier warfare, code-breaking,
American Exceptionalism
Episode Introduction: The Battle of Midway marked a turning point in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, showcasing carrier warfare, strategic foresight, and American Exceptionalism. Located 1,000 miles northwest of Honolulu, Midway Island was claimed by the U.S. in 1859 and later fortified under Theodore Roosevelt. As Japan sought Pacific dominance, the Japanese Navy recognized Midway’s strategic value in threatening Hawaii. However, U.S. Navy code-breaking efforts played a decisive role by intercepting Japan’s plans. From June 4–7, 1942, carrier warfare dominated as planes launched from ships dictated the battle. Though initial U.S. losses were heavy, reinforcements and tactical planning turned the battle. The Japanese Navy suffered losses, including four carriers and hundreds of planes, while the U.S. held its ground. This victory halted Japanese expansion and boosted American morale, reinforcing the idea of American Exceptionalism—portraying the U.S. as a technologically advanced and morally justified power. The battle’s impact shaped future military conflicts and contributed to the strategic momentum that ended in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, Midway symbolizes the way intelligence and strategy reshaped the course of WW2
Hosted By: Hugh Wiley
Host Biography: : My name is Justin Hugh Wiley Jr. I live in Orange, Virginia, on a horse farm with my mother, father, and two sisters. I have had a special connection with history my whole life, loving the stories of my ancestors and what led to this day in age, may it be technical advancements or war. I attend the University of the South and I am currently persuing an American Studies major. Some of my hobbies arre splitting wood, working on the farm, fish and playing my blues harmonica. Music is another one of my passions and you can check me out on spotify under Shakerag Hollow. If I have learned anything in my life so far it is that I am happiest in nature and I am healthier when I am happy so I try to live my life playing in streams rather than lying in bed.
The Show: Students Podcasting History is an educational resource developed by students in Dr. Andrew Maginn’s History of the United States II course to highlight crucial movements in American History through podcasting. The students research and interpret primary and secondary sources to discuss pivotal themes, people, and events in the United States' history from 1865 through the present. Through creatively sharing these narratives and learning digital tools, these students hope to make history more accessible and exciting for the general public.
Source: “Congressional Record | Congress.Gov | Library of Congress.” A True American Hero, March 28,
1996.
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-142/issue-2/extensions-of-remarks-sectio
n/article/E18-1.
● “Racism in Anti-Japanese Propaganda.” Anti-Japanese propaganda. Accessed April 22, 2025.
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/museums/hrnm/Education/EducationWebsiteRebuild/A
ntiJapanesePropaganda/AntiJapanesePropagandaInfoSheet/Anti-Japanese Propaganda info.pdf.
● James Montgomery Flagg, “I Want You.” Ca. 1917, Via Library of Congress (LC-USZC2-564).
● Bell, Danna. “Uncle Sam: American Symbol, American Icon: Teaching with the Library.” The
Library of Congress, July 1, 2014.
https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2014/07/uncle-sam-american-symbol-american-icon/.
● Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Executive Order No. 9066.” The American Yawp Reader, February 19,
1942.
https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/24-world-war-ii/fdr-executive-order-no-9066-1942/.
● John Ford, “The Battle of Midway,” 14 Sept. 1942,
www.amazon.com/Battle-Midway-Henry-Fonda/dp/B004QFSKMA. (April 4, 2025)
● Charles A. Lindbergh, “America First.” The American Yawp Reader, April 23, 1941.
https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/24-world-war-ii/charles-a-lindbergh-america-first-1941/.
● Theodore Roosevelt, “Theodore Roosevelt’s Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1905).” National
Archives and Records Administration, December 6, 1904.
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/roosevelt-corollary.
● Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden.” Stories and Poems, October 8, 2015.
https://doi.org/10.1093/owc/9780198723431.003.0071.
● Craig L. Symonds, “Japanese Strategic Operations.” The Battle of Midway, Oxford University
Press, New York City, NY, 2011, pp. 98–156.
● Fuchida, Mitsuo, and Masatake Okumiya. Midway - the Battle That Doomed Japan: The
Japanese Navy’s Story. 72–80 Ballantine Books, 1987.
● Mark Healy, “The Battle: 4 June.” In Midway 1942: Turning Point in The Pacific, 49–89.
Westport, CT: Osprey Publishing Limited, 1953.
Contact Information: Thanks for listening to my podcast. My email is wileyjh0@sewanee.edu, and my
Instagram is _wileyjuice. Last but not least, here is the link to the homepage of the Students' Podcasting
site:https://www.andrewwyattmaginn.org/Digital_Humanities/s/studentspodcastinghistory/page/home