The Ultimate Sacrifice

The Mighty Eighth Podcast

In this episode, we pay tribute to the thousands of Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War Two while fighting for freedom.

We do so by visiting Cambridge American Cemetery in eastern England, which commemorates almost 9,000 American personnel.

We tell the stories of some of those men and women who are buried here – and those listed on the Wall of the Missing.

We also tell the story of the cemetery itself.

Are the headstones really laid out in the shape of a baseball field, with the 72ft flagpole flying the Stars & Stripes representing the home plate?

People featured in this episode include Thomas “Tommy” Hitchcock Jr, Peter G Lehman, Emily Harper Rea, Leon R Vance Jr, Catharine Price, and Porter M. Pile.

Planes featured in this episode include the B-17 Flying Fortress; B-24 Liberator; P-47 Thunderbolt; P-51 Mustang and Douglas C-54 Skymaster.

Places featured include Omaha Beach, Brookwood American Cemetery, Duxford airfield, Boscombe Down and Madingley Hall.

Bomb Groups and Fighter Groups include the 398th BG (Nuthampstead); the 4th FG (Debden); the 489th BG (Halesworth); and the 445th BG (Tibenham).

With our thanks and gratitude to our very special guests: 'Mighty Eighth” historian Malcolm Osborn and ABMC cemetery associate Tracey Haylock.

Co-hosted, researched and written by Johann Tasker and military historian Mike Peters. Recorded and produced by Johann Tasker.

To contact Johann and Mike, please email [e-mail].

Instagram: instagram.com/mighty8thpod

Twitter: @Mighty8thPod

Website: mighty8thpodcast.com

Recorded with the kind permission of the American Battle Monuments Commission on location at Cambridge American Cemetery, Madingley Road, Cambridge, UK.

The introduction to this episode includes audio from:

United States Army Eighth Air Force, Wyler, W., Paramount Pictures, I. & Kern, E. (1944) The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division.

Excerpt from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat Following the Declaration of War on Japan (December 9, 1941).

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