Annapolis Goes to War: The Naval Academy Class of 1940 and its Trial by Fire in World War II Artwork

For the Ages: A History Podcast

Explore the rich and complex history of the United States and beyond. Produced by The New York Historical, host David M. Rubenstein engages the nation’s foremost historians and creative thinkers on a wide range of topics, including presidential biography, the nation’s founding, and the people who have shaped the American story. Learn more at nyhistory.org.

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For the Ages: A History Podcast

Annapolis Goes to War: The Naval Academy Class of 1940 and its Trial by Fire in World War II

January 19, 2026 • The New York Historical • Season 5 • Episode 10

The teenagers who made up the US Naval Academy class of 1940 arrived in Annapolis as boys on the eve of Hitler’s aggression and graduated as Europe collapsed, only to find themselves thrust into every major front of World War II, from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay and Normandy. Renowned military historian Craig Symonds joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the young men’s sacrifice, loss, and extraordinary coming-of-age in history’s deadliest conflict.

Recorded on November 24, 2025