Podcast Summary: Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

Episode: The Iranian Airstrikes and America First Foreign Policy
Date: November 14, 2025
Host: Scott Bertram
Guests: Dr. Mark Moyer, Dr. Jason Gerke, Dr. Tom Connor

Episode Overview

This special episode, timed with Veterans Day, explores pivotal moments and questions in U.S. military history and foreign policy. Three segments address:

• The legacy and lessons of the Vietnam War
• America First foreign policy in the context of the Iranian airstrikes
• The significance of the Luxembourg American Cemetery

Conversations hinge on how America defines and carries out its military and strategic roles in the world, the implications for allies and adversaries, and the values that guide remembrance and sacrifice.

Segment 1: The Vietnam War at 50 – Causes and Consequences

Guest: Dr. Mark Moyer (William P. Harris Chair of Military History, Hillsdale College)
Key Segment: [01:42]–[13:50]

Key Discussion Points

• Responsibility for the Fall of South Vietnam

  • Dr. Moyer attributes primary responsibility to Congress for withdrawing funding, though notes Nixon and Kissinger's roles, particularly Kissinger's eagerness to make diplomatic concessions ([02:10]).
  • "Primary responsibility goes to Congress because they are the ones who were consistently cutting funding... At the end, we were at a place where it looked like South Vietnam could persist with continued funding and they decided to cut it off." — Mark Moyer [02:10]
  • The Watergate scandal undermined political support and trust, compounding these decisions.

• The 1973 Peace Deal and US Withdrawal

  • Dr. Moyer argues Kissinger’s compromises went further than necessary given America’s negotiating position.
  • "Oftentimes [diplomats are] just so desperate for some sort of great deal, and you end up giving away too much." — Mark Moyer [03:32]

• Military Performance and the Role of Aid

  • South Vietnamese forces were capable but dependent on American supplies. The lack of fuel, ammunition, and bombs was decisive ([04:39]).

• Politics and Motivations

  • While opposition to the war predated Watergate, partisan motivations and trust issues after Cambodia bombings added to the withdrawal's momentum ([05:27]).

• Revisionist Perspectives

  • Dr. Moyer references a recent conference at Hillsdale featuring revisionist historians who consider the war a "noble cause" but mishandled. Videos are available via the Hillsdale College Freedom Library ([07:02]).

• Cultural Misunderstandings

  • Dr. Moyer critiques the American removal of South Vietnam’s first president, driven by misunderstanding both local context and enemy manipulation.
  • "This was actually being supported by the Communists...but they're trying to make it look like this is some kind of grassroots opposition." — Mark Moyer [08:40]

• Misjudging Friends and Enemies

  • American policymakers have repeatedly erred by assuming foreigners share U.S. values, with cautionary parallels drawn to Iraq and Afghanistan ([10:09]).

• Aftereffects of Abandonment

  • U.S. withdrawal in Vietnam encouraged communist expansion elsewhere, enabled by Soviet and Cuban support ([11:04]).

• Foreign Policy Durability

  • Moyer notes that policy achievements are vulnerable to the vagaries of domestic American politics, using Afghanistan as a recent parallel.
  • He suggests finding ways to create situations or provide assets that cannot easily be undone by subsequent administrations—such as arming allies sufficiently to ensure their autonomy ([12:20]).
  • "When you think about these deals, you do have to factor in what might happen if the other party comes in, is this sustainable?" — Mark Moyer [12:20]

Segment 2: America First, The Iran Strike, and Current U.S. Strategy

Guest: Dr. Jason Gerke (Assistant Professor of History, Associate Director of the Center for Military History and Strategy, Hillsdale College)
Key Segment: [16:24]–[34:22]

Key Discussion Points

• Myth of America First as Isolationism

  • Dr. Gerke stresses that "America First" is often mischaracterized as isolationist, but in practice, it signals selective engagement focused on concrete national interests ([16:55]):
    • “There can be the idea that America first means that the United States should simply withdraw from its role in the world...I don’t actually think a lot of people hold that view.” — Jason Gerke [16:55]

• Principled Interest-Based Policy

  • Vice President Vance’s Naval Academy speech outlines a doctrine where the U.S. military is used for limited, tangible goals, avoiding open-ended nation-building. This reflects lessons many draw from the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan.
    • "Current administration...will use American military power towards military combat-oriented ends. They'll use them to defend tangible, identifiable, and...limited military interests rather than...for some kind of transformative work." — Jason Gerke [18:09]

• Reassertion of the Nation-State

  • America First emphasizes bilateral relationships and state sovereignty over global coalitions, moving away from a leadership role based on idealistic value exportation.
  • Raises questions for traditional NATO allies about U.S. reliability and predicts a more realist approach ([19:53]).

• The Iran Strike’s Consistency

  • Dr. Gerke argues the recent strike against Iran’s nuclear program fits the administration’s pattern: precise, goal-defined interventions, not blanket disengagement or limitless involvement.
    • "This president...has shown a willingness to use combat power in specific situations to bring about specific or stated ends...there's a clear limitation to the extension of American power." — Jason Gerke [22:20]

• Capable vs. Cultural Allies

  • The administration seeks alliances that tangibly enhance U.S. military power, pressing Europe to meet defense spending and readiness targets.
    • “If you have alliances that can't contribute tangible military, economic and personnel resources...you don't have alliances so much as you have obligations.” — Jason Gerke [24:14]

• Strategic Unpredictability

  • Unpredictability is a double-edged sword, deterring opponents but unsettling friends ([26:20]):
    • "Unpredictability can force a global community to pay more attention...it can also scare your friends." — Jason Gerke [26:20]

• Iran, China, and Regional Strategy

  • Weakening Iran's strategic capabilities may free U.S. resources for the Indo-Pacific and encourage regional partners to shoulder more responsibility.
  • "Arguably, decisively handling...the enduring Iranian threat...creates a context in which the U.S. is free to focus on what is the more decisive long term situation [China]." — Jason Gerke [27:37]

• Measuring Success Post-Strike

  • Key benchmarks: lasting reduction in Iran's nuclear threat, no major destabilization or regime collapse, ensuring U.S. and ally commercial interests remain unthreatened ([30:04]).

• Defining Success for America First

  • Dr. Gerke envisions a future with no major wars with China, continued safe global commerce, a secure and sober U.S. military posture, and avoidance of both overextension and retreat ([32:11]):
    • "It looks like a world in which U.S. Forces are properly funded, trained, disciplined and prepared...and does not involve the kind of permanent efforts that ultimately undermine the unity of the country." — Jason Gerke [32:11]

Segment 3: Luxembourg American Cemetery – Remembrance and Meaning

Guest: Dr. Tom Connor (Professor Emeritus, Hillsdale College; author of "War and the Story of the American Battle Monuments Commission")
Key Segment: [36:29]–[46:57]

Key Discussion Points

• Setting the Scene: Luxembourg

  • Luxembourg is a small, affluent country between Belgium, France, and Germany, and a founding NATO and EU member ([37:24]).

• Significance of the Cemetery

  • The American cemetery is dominated by a chapel and contains over 5,000 burials, many from the Battle of the Bulge.
  • "When one comes in from the parking area, that is the first thing...the chapel...is the centerpiece...one can take in that entire panorama." — Tom Connor [38:07]

• Battle of the Bulge

  • A surprise German offensive in December 1944, leading to severe American and German losses, remembered as one of the most brutal U.S. battles ([41:25]).

• Eisenhower’s Dedication

  • Highlighting the collaborative legacy of these cemeteries, Dr. Connor reads Eisenhower’s words:
    • “These died that people might live in freedom and peace. Now they rest forever in the soil of the friendly country which so many of them helped to free from the invader.” [42:30]

• General Patton’s Resting Place

  • Patton is buried in Luxembourg, honoring his wish to lie with his troops whom he helped liberate Luxembourg ([44:01]).

• Commemorative Responsibilities

  • The land for the cemetery was granted by Luxembourg for this purpose but remains Luxembourgish soil, with security and management shared between the U.S. and host country, reflecting ongoing gratitude and cooperation ([45:20]).

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "Primary responsibility goes to Congress because they are the ones who were consistently cutting funding..." — Mark Moyer [02:10]
• "I’m inclined to agree...he gave too much...we were in a position of strength...he was just so desperate." — Mark Moyer on Kissinger [03:32]
• "We thought that these people would embrace democracy and would fight for it. And we invest very heavily in these countries...and turned out not to work as we had hoped." — Mark Moyer [10:21]
• “There are very few people who say, hello, I'm an interventionist…” — Jason Gerke [16:55]
• "The current administration...will use American military power towards military combat-oriented ends....for limited military interests rather than...for some kind of transformative work." — Jason Gerke [18:09]
• "If you have alliances that...can't contribute tangible...resources...you don't have alliances so much as...obligations." — Jason Gerke [24:14]
• "Unpredictability can force a global community to pay more attention...it can also scare your friends." — Jason Gerke [26:20]
• “I join you in paying proud tribute to the men who sleep in the Luxembourg cemetery...These died that people might live in freedom and peace.” — Dwight Eisenhower (read by Tom Connor) [42:30]
• "Because Patton's Third Army had a lot to do with the liberation of Luxembourg...he wanted to rest forever with his troops." — Tom Connor [44:01]

Episode Takeaways

• The episode offers a connected view of American military history, from the lesson-laden legacy of Vietnam, through the doctrinal debates shaping current foreign policy, to the solemn practice of remembrance.
• Both Dr. Moyer and Dr. Gerke advocate for realistic appraisals of both allies and adversaries, lessons learned painfully in Vietnam and Afghanistan and now guiding America First strategies.
• Commemoration, as discussed by Dr. Connor, underscores the ongoing bonds between liberator and liberated, and the enduring meaning of military sacrifice.

For further research or to view referenced essays and events:

• Dr. Mark Moyer’s essay: Washington Examiner
• Dr. Jason Gerke’s essay: Real Clear Defense Article
• Hillsdale College Freedom Library: Search for videos and events on Vietnam War revisionism.

(This summary omits ad breaks, intros, and outros per instructions.)