This Week in History March 17th, 2026 – March 23rd, 2026

This Week in U.S. Military History: March 17th, 2026–March 23rd, 2026 brings together moments when words, weapons, and technology steered the United States armed forces onto new paths. Listeners move from Patrick Henry’s fiery “liberty or death” plea and the British evacuation of Boston, through the desperate stand at Bentonville, MacArthur’s “I shall return” vow, and the inferno aboard the carrier Franklin off Japan. Along the way, the crossing of the Rhine at Oppenheim and the airborne drop of Operation Tomahawk show how ground and air forces reshaped campaigns at the war’s sharpest edge.

The story then widens into orbit and deep into the Cold War and beyond, with the Vanguard 1 satellite, the secret bombing of Cambodia under Operation Menu, an ambitious vision for missile defense, and the opening strikes of the Iraq War. Across these seven days, listeners hear how leadership, risk, and innovation link colonial assemblies, riverbanks, carrier decks, and desert highways. This Week in U.S. Military History is a Tuesday feature of Dispatch: U.S. Military History Magazine, developed by Trackpads.com, offering a weekly walk through the dates that continue to shape American arms and service.