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Front & Center with John Callaway
"Thank you...and Good Night!"
A Tribute to John Callaway
By Ed Tracy

10.04.07
Ed Tracy interviews John Callaway
In this special edition of Front and Center, the Library’s Executive Producer, Ed Tracy will interview John Callaway on his extraordinary 50 years in television. After five ...

06.04.09
LeMay: The Life & Wars of General Curtis LeMay
General Curtis LeMay was a monster, a belligerent and remorseless murderer. He was a patriot of the first order, a forward-thinking visionary who created the ...

05.07.09
Mexico: The Way Forward
With over 7,000 people killed since the beginning of last year, drug-related violence is spiraling out of control in Mexico, and martial law has been declared in Ciudad ...

04.02.09
The Global Economic Crisis: What Does It Mean for U.S. National Security?
As recent history has shown, economic turmoil can have unexpected consequences. While democracy in the United States narrowly emerged unscathed from ...

03.05.09
Pakistan: Challenges, Threats, & Opportunities
In recent years, Pakistan has assumed a major role in the international scene. But as a relatively new country – albeit one with ancient traditions – how is Pakistan ...

02.05.09
The First 100 Days: What Challenges Face the New Commander-in-Chief?
President Barack Obama has laid out a bold domestic agenda to address the economy and other challenges at home, but what kind of impact is he looking to make ...

12.04.08
An Update on the Guard and Reserve
The last several years have presented unprecedented challenges for the Reserve components of the U.S. Military and the National Guard. How are they ...

11.06.08
Congratulations, You Won... What Now?
U.S. Presidential Election Special

By November 6th, the votes will be cast, and the results will be in – after eight years, the United States will have a new President. But after all of the pomp and ...

10.02.08
Tuskegee Airmen
They were America’s first black military pilots, fighting Nazis in Europe and Jim Crow at home. On this special presentation of Front & Center, John Callaway sits...

09.04.08
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: At Home & Abroad
Their missions range from the deserts of Iraq to the wetlands of the United States, involving construction support in war zones and protection for our water...

06.26.08
SOLDIER'S HEART: Reading Literature Through Peace & War at West Point
In Prof. Elizabeth D. Samet's English class at West Point, cadets discuss the poetry of Wilfred Owen and Randall Jarrell, and read books ranging from the Aeneid and ...

05.29.08
The Politics of Defense & National Security: Where do the U.S. Presidential Candidates Stand?
As the 2008 presidential election nears, all of the major candidates have taken steps to burnish their credentials on national security in the eyes of the electorate. But...

04.24.08
The Two Koreas: What is the Way Forward?
North Korea recently threatened to turn South Korea into a "sea of fire", and reduce its neighbor to "ashes". After the apparent progress of last fall's six-nation ...

03.27.08
Israel: A Strategic Review
With the Iraq war a key focal point in the presidential primaries, Israel garners few headlines. Yet the strategic interests of this long-time American partner are ...

02.28.08
High Schools, Military Academies & JROTC:
On Target, or Off the Mark?

What role should the US military have in over 3200 high schools across the United States?  How does the City of Chicago maintain and support the largest and ...

01.31.08
The War on Terror: Progress or Regression?
As we approach the 5th anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, where do America and her allies stand in the "Long War" in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the ...

11.01.07
Iran: the Next Military Frontier?
The September 2007 visit of Iran's president, Dr. Ahmadinejad, to the United States has brought U.S. relations with Iran into sharp focus.  Iran's ...

09.06.07
Today's National Guard: Ready or Wanting?
Whether it's extended deployment, inadequate equipment or returning veterans with serious medical problems, the National Guard has struggled with ...

07.12.07
Returning Veterans: How Warm A Welcome
The war in Afghanistan and Iraq has put tremendous pressure on America's ability to deal with the health and welfare challenges facing returning veterans ...

06.07.07
Military Contracting - War At What Cost?
The Military has always looked to outside contractors to supply everything from hammers to tanks to airplanes, establishing relationships described by President ...

05.03.07
The War of Law
As American troops battle in Afghanistan and Iraq in the War on Terror, attorneys, judges and politicians engage in what might be called The War of Law as ...

04.05.07
Military Blogs: Independent Voices or Security Risk?
As in politics and for corporate America , the blog is a powerful new communications fact of life in the military. For the soldier in the field, a blog maybe an ...

03.01.07
First Into Nagasaki: A One on One Interview with Anthony Weller
Anthony Weller, author and son of respected Chicago Daily News reporter George Weller, joined John Callaway for an in-depth discussion about his father's career ...

02.01.07
The Turning Point: A New Agenda for Iraq
Following the publication of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group report, the Democratic Party's control of Congress and a revised line-up of military ...

11.30.06
Suicide Bombing: Who, Why and What Can Be Done About It
One of the most challenging weapons used by terrorists is the suicide bomber. Low in cost and highly lethal, suicide bombing has appeared throughout history ...

10.19.06
Captain James A. Lovell
Captain James A. Lovell joined the space program in 1962 following extensive experience as a Naval Aviator and Test Pilot. Lovell executed various commands ...

09.21.06
The Politics of War
With the continued instability in Iraq and the Middle East and the ongoing war on terror, the political implications of war are the dominant theme impacting both ...

07.20.06
The Middle East: Crisis and Conflict
With the establishment of a new government in Iraq offering limited amnesty to insurgents, reports of a US strategy to reduce troop levels, and the continuing ...

06.29.06
Battlefield Ministry: The Chaplains Challenge
The military chaplain faces extraordinary challenges. Soldiers face life and death situations on a daily basis, yet are often spiritually unprepared for the stress ...

05.25.06
The Military Impact on the Frontlines of Medicine
Throughout history, the medical profession has literally been in the trenches on the battlefield. This necessary relationship between the military and the medics has ...

04.27.06
The Battle For Peace: A Frontline Vision of America's Power and Purpose
Why are a growing number of high ranking retired officers speaking out for a sweeping change in administration strategy and leadership? How effective ...

03.23.06
The Economics of National Security: The Cost Today, the Price Tomorrow
The cost of the war in Iraq, homeland security in the US, and deployment of American troops around the globe are both taxing the U.S. treasury and generating ...

02.23.06
36 Days on Iwo Jima
It was the largest battle ever for the United State's Marine Corps, and, in total, nearly 50,000 killed in action or wounded on both sides in the 36-day battle ...

01.26.06
A New Year Ahead in Iraq
With Iraq's first parliamentary election now history, the U.S. policy in Iraq continues to evolve. President Bush has acknowledged the challenges America faces as ...

11.17.05
The Journalist's Challenge
A journalist on the U.S. military beat has unique challenges: evaluating military briefings, developing one's own sources, and dealing with classified ...

10.20.05
One on One with Charles Moskos
Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Northwestern University, Charles Moskos is one of today’s leading thinkers on military issues. The author of the “Don’t ...

10.08.05
We Were Soldiers Once... and Young
A journalist on the U.S. military beat has unique challenges: evaluating military briefings, developing one's own sources, and dealing with classified information ...

09.15.05
The U.S. Military in Iraq: Who is Winning?
As the debate intensifies over the success of the U.S. policy in Iraq, public support for maintaining a military presence in Iraq is diminishing. Can the U.S. ...

07.28.05
Women in the U.S. Military: A Changing Role?
As the war in Iraq continues, death and casualty figures include increasing numbers of women. Although women are technically not assigned to combat, the lack of a ...

06.20.05
Gays in the Military: A Policy Review
As the Pentagon announces a three year decline in discharges of personnel found to be gay, the Government Accounting Office reports that the ...

05.26.05
Sun-Times Wounded Warriors Series Prompts Actions
The invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq has focused new attention on veterans and the help they get.or don't get.when they come home. Here in Illinois, the ...

04.28.05
The Recruiting Office: The New Front Line?
The Army and the Army Reserves missed their March recruiting goals, as they had in February for the first time since May 2000. While the Navy and Marines ...

03.23.05
The Cost of War: The Family Perspective
While American troops are serving overseas, their families here at home must deal with both the anxiety of loved ones in combat as well as the day to day ...

02.09.05
Special Edition with Alex Kershaw
Alex Kershaw is the author of the widely acclaimed book, The Bedford Boys, and two biographies: Jack London, and more recently, Blood and Champagne: The Life ...

01.20.05
Soldiers' Best Friends: Animals in the Military
From Hannibal's elephants to Patton's passenger pigeons, animals have been an important component of military operations. Today, many animals both on ...

11.16.04
Full Reckoning: Life After Combat
Over 8,000 US military personnel have been injured in Iraq. While many have received excellent medical care, others, particularly those in the Reserves and the ...

10.28.04
Coming Home: The Veterans Story
Service in Iraq is offering American military personnel new challenges in the field and at home. What are our soldiers experiencing in Iraq and what are they ...

09.29.04
The Shape and Mission of the U.S. Military: What's Ahead for America?
From Iraq to Korea , the US military makes daily headlines.  Our presidential candidates both speak of a strong American military, but what does that ...

07.20.04
What Really Happened at No Gun Ri?
In July of 1950, during the first month of the Korean War, near the village of No Gun Ri, U. S. soldiers reportedly opened fire on a group of civilians ...

06.30.04
Iraq in Transition: What Next?
With the United States transferring power to an interim government, what will be the ongoing role of the United States in Iraq? How effective can the United Nations ...

05.24.04
USA Patriot Act: Security or Suppression
Ever since President George W. Bush signed the Patriot Act into law in October of 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, a national debate has raged on whether the ...

04.28.04
The U-505 Submarine Story
Gordon F. Hohne, Zenon B. Lukosius, Wayne M. Pickels and Phillip N. Trusheim veterans of USS Pillsbury and members the USS Guadalcanal 's U-505 Boarding ...

03.29.04
Homeland Security: Is Chicago Prepared?
What state and city agencies have developed strategies for dealing with the post 9/11 reality?  How is our metropolitan area coordinating with the federal ...

02.25.04
The Future of U.S. Intelligence in the War on Terror
Should we mount a national initiative to expand language and cultural studies to upgrade our understanding of the world?  How can we improve military intelligence ...

01.29.04
First Line of Defense?
Emmy Award winning broadcast veteran John Callaway moderates a new public affairs forum focusing on critical issues related to the military and our society ...
Welcome
John Callaway: 1936 - 2009
John Callaway, host of our flagship program, Front & Center, suffered a fatal heart attack on Tuesday, June 23 in Racine, Wisconsin. We are deeply saddened by his passing, and our condolences go to his family, friends and colleagues. Our June 30 Front & Center program is cancelled. We plan a fitting tribute to John and what he meant to us; updates will be posted/released as appropriate.
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