The Aftermath

Episode 10: After the surrender of Germany and Japan, people around the world struggled to make sense of the chaos and devastation they had just lived through. Man's inhumanity to Man was on full display as shocked allied forces liberated concentration camps and viewed the unparalleled destruction visited on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.   As U. S. Troops struggled to come to grips with the horrors of war they had witnessed, they dealt with a complex mix of emotions that included relief for not having to invade the Japanese mainland and guilt for having survived. Many would suppress these feelings as they developed symptoms of what, in later years, would be labeled Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.    Today we are joined for the discussion by Dr. Kevin Greene, the Director of the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage, and a Fellow of the Dale Center for the Study of War and Society.   To his insights, we will add the stories of Mississippians and others who helped bring order to the chaos of a postwar world as they fought for equality and a better life back home, including: Mona Astin of Gulfport, Bill Barnes of Jackson, Bidwell Barnes of Gulfport, James Bass of Laurel, Doris Barwick of Jackson, C. R. Cadenhead of Greenville, MS, Taylor Howard of Gulfport, Robert Leslie of New Castle, PA, Charlie Odom of Gulfport, Alton Patterson of Biloxi, and Jim Swager of Brookhaven.   Finally, Dale Center scholars, Dr. Kenneth Swope and Dr. Douglas Bristol will join Dr. Greene in sharing their final thoughts on the lasting impact of the most destructive war of all time.   Special thanks to the Mississippi Humanities Council for their unwavering support of the Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage through the years. The Humanities are for Everyone!