The Battle of Okinawa was the largest land-sea-air battle in history and the final major traditional military engagement before the dawn of the atomic age. Okinawa was strategically vital to the American forces because it would provide naval anchorage, troop staging areas, and airfields for the planned invasion of Japan. It was the first battle in which kamikaze attacks were a primary defensive tactic, because the Imperial armed forces of Japan were so badly diminished. The battle started on April 1, 1945 and ended 82 days later on June 22, 1945. The horror and brutality of the fight for Okinawa is hard to imagine. More than 110,000 Japanese soldiers and conscripted civilians were killed, and 140,000 native Okinawans were killed, died from suicide, or went missing. There were 48,000 American casualties, including 12,000 deaths. Fireside Chats host Paul Sparrow will explain why this battle was so important, and how the two sides planned and waged the most decisive battle in the Pacific Theater.  

Paul M. Sparrow is a writer, historical consultant, and the former Director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Before moving to the FDR Library, he was the Deputy Director and Senior Vice President at the Newseum in Washington, DC. He is the author of the book, Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR's War of Words With Charles Lindbergh—and the Battle to Save Democracy.

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President Franklin Roosevelt broadcast his first Fireside Chat on March 12th, 1933, just eight days after his inauguration. During his 12 years in office he delivered dozens of Fireside Chats, guiding America through the Great Depression, and guiding a global audience through the horrors of World War Two. FDR’s Fireside Chats were a new form of political communication, using radio to connect with Americans in an intimate setting – right in their living rooms. His compelling and persuasive broadcasts encouraged Americans to believe in democracy and its future. Paul Sparrow hosts this series of programs that build on the foundation laid by FDR’s Fireside Chats, and find their relevance to our world today.

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