AZ: The History of Arizona podcast

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Programming Notice 6 Feb 02, 2026

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January has not been kind for the podcast schedule - and now it’s taken out my voice so I couldn’t release this week’s episode on time.

Episode 244: The Home Front Jan 26, 2026

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As World War II erupted halfway across the world, back in Arizona, thousands were asking the same question - what can I do? From rationing to finding people to pick cotton, it turns out they could do a lot.

Episode 243: Leaving the Camps Jan 12, 2026

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Even as the camps for Japanese Americans were going up, plans were in the works to have them move permanently away from the West Coast. By early 1945, thousands had left for opportunities in education, the workforce, and even the armed services while the slow-moving legal system finally decided that there was no good reason to lock up loyal U.S. citizens.

Episode 242: Shikata Ga Nai Dec 22, 2025

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Life in a concentration camp, even an American one, was never going to be pleasant. But the tens of thousands of imprisoned Japanese Americans found ways to get through the day, embracing the philosophy that the situation just couldn’t be helped.

Episode 241: Roasten, Toasten, Dustin Dec 15, 2025

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Starting in March 1942, 120,000 Japanese Americans were removed from the West Coast and sent to 10 camps where they would ride out the majority of the war. Two of those camps were located in Arizona, introducing tens of thousands of people to the rigors of living in the desert … without the option for leaving.

Episode 240: The Salt River War Dec 08, 2025

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Even in the decades before the 1942 executive order to remove them all from the West Coast of America, life for Japanese Americans in Arizona wasn’t easy. And it only got worse when literal bombs started flying.

Episode 239: The Great Papago Escape, Part II: The Crazy Boatmen Nov 17, 2025

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After their daring breakout on the evening of December 23, 1944, the 25 escaping German POWs tried various methods to get to freedom. They would be hampered by things like rain, cold, patrols, wary citizens, cactus and a dry river bed, ultimately resulting in all 25 being back in custody just over a month after breaking out.

Episode 238: The Great Papago Escape, Part 1: The Tunnel Nov 10, 2025

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Starting in 1943, 3,000 German prisoners of war, mostly naval men, would be held in a POW camp at Papago Park. In 1944, 28 of those deemed to be troublemakers discovered a blindspot in their compound and set upon an audacious plan to break out and make a run for Mexico.

Episode 237: Prisoners of War Nov 03, 2025

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Starting in 1943, thousands of German and Italian POWs were shipped to Arizona. They would leave a mostly honorable legacy while the Sonoran Desert and the mountains of Flagstaff would leave a lasting impression on them.

Episode 236: The Thanksgiving Day Riot Oct 20, 2025

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World War II had the effect of making Fort Huachuca into a a central gathering place for Black men and women serving in the U.S. Army. Their experience ran parallel with their white counterparts, except for a notable undercurrent of segregation, prejudice, and racism. And those same undercurrents would result in a minor war breaking out on the streets of Phoenix on Thanksgiving Day 1942.

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