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History with Mark Bielski

Dec 12, 2019

Mark looks at some examples of how Christmas was observed during wartime over the last three centuries. From merciful nurses making wounded and sick soldiers more comfortable with what limited means they had, to ersatz reindeer in the Civil War, and how a grant for leave could be the greatest Christmas gift a soldier...


Nov 7, 2019

What was the environmental impact of the Civil War? Considering that a battle was a major man-made disaster, someone had to take care of the biological mess that resulted. Countless dead bodies of men, horses and mules and amputated limbs were left behind. Whole armies encamped and left spills of gunpowder, lead and...


Oct 3, 2019

We return to a discussion of the Cold War and the origins of the conflict between superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Mark pays special attention to the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. This was the two-week confrontation that kept the world on edge and in fear of escalating tensions that could lead to...


Sep 5, 2019

In continuing the Cold War Series, Steve Bourque joins Mark to discuss his experiences in the U.S. Army during those years. We get the perspectives of a young enlisted man stationed in western Europe during the Cold War. We also get to look at the situation from another vantage point—when he returned later as...


Aug 22, 2019

We return to the Cold War with Part II of the Soviet Naval challenge. This time we cover surface operations and Mark speaks with Reid Senter who served in the Mediterranean. They discuss various aspects of serving in an Amphibious Ready Group, facing the Soviet Navy whose main interest was protecting the...