Military Historians are People, Too! · Brian Feltman and Bill Allison

S4E18 Cody J. Billock - Ohio University

·1 hr 7 min·5 clips

Cody Billock's dream of becoming a Navy SEAL collapsed after a medical denial, triggering a quarter-life crisis.

This episode features an interview with Cody J. Billock, a Ph.D. student at Ohio University specializing in the Vietnam War. Hosts Brian and Bill engage Cody on his academic journey and research. Cody discusses his working-class, military family background and his initial failed attempt to join the Navy SEALs due to medical disqualification. He explains how a personal crisis and the mentorship of Professor Pierre Asselin at San Diego State University redirected him toward academia and Vietnamese history. Asselin personally funded Cody's first language study trip to Vietnam, where he lived with a local professor's family for seven months. Cody's dissertation focuses on the city of Huế, examining the 1968 massacre within the context of local political factions and Buddhist peace movements. He details his extensive archival research in Vietnamese national archives, including being the first foreign researcher to use the archive in Đà Lạt. The conversation covers Cody's immersive experiences in Vietnam, from navigating Hanoi's motorcycle traffic to the surprising cultural similarities he found with his Midwestern upbringing. He shares insights into the complex political landscape of South Vietnam, challenging monolithic perceptions. Cody reveals his ambitious timeline to finish his dissertation by next spring and candidly addresses the daunting academic job market. The tone is informal, collegial, and conversational, filled with personal anecdotes and academic shop talk. Listeners interested in graduate student experiences, immersive historical research, and nuanced perspectives on the Vietnam War will find this engaging. Those seeking a highly structured or debate-focused episode might find the casual digressions less appealing.

As heard by us

A loose interview that keeps scholarship tied to everyday life.

Military Historians Are People, Too! keeps the focus on scholars as ordinary people, which is where it has its best moments. Cody J. Billock handles the range well, moving from dissertation talk to family logistics, reply-all emails, and motorbike travel without sounding forced.

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Why you'd press play

For a grad-school conversation that swings from dissertation talk to reply-all rants, motorbike mishaps, and family life.

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