How John McCown and his fellow citizen-soldiers overcame traditional military doctrine to prepare for mountain warfare—and in the process, reshaped the Old Army into one of the mightiest forces the world had ever known.
Available only to patrons, the Unabridged episode of Episode 10 features an illustrated version of the entire episode, as well as exclusive interviews that complement our story: www.patreon.com/NinetyPoundRucksack.
Patrons are the heart of Ninety-Pound Rucksack. Their support allows us to pursue the show’s journalistic and educational objectives as we inform and inspire the public about the Division’s living legacy. In return, they receive exclusive access to all Unabridged content.
If you haven’t already, please consider becoming a patron. Our goal with Ninety-Pound Rucksack is to inform and inspire the public about the Division’s living legacy. Patrons make that possible. In return, they receive access to all Unabridged content.
Episode 10 includes interviews with Ninety-Pound Rucksack Advisory Board Members:
- Lance R. Blyth: Command Historian of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM); Adjunct Professor of History at the United States Air Force Academy.
- David Little: “living historian” for the Tenth Mountain Division Foundation.
- Sepp Scanlin: military historian and museum professional; served as the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum Museum’s Museum Director.
Key Points:
- The draft and the enlistment of citizen soldiers changed the US Army from a rigid, authoritarian, all-volunteer institution into one of the mightiest forces the world had ever known.
- The development of Officer Candidate School (OCS) created an industrial-style assembly line that produced junior leaders to lead the citizen army into combat.
- The innovative Junior Officers’ Plan, which was developed to train officers for the mountain troops and then return them to the unit, preserved invaluable institutional knowledge critical to the mountain troops’ ability to fight in cold weather and mountainous terrain.
- The challenges of adapting the Army’s standard flatland, warm-weather military strategies to mountain warfare was but one example faced by a specialized division designed to fight in extreme conditions.
Featured Segments:
- A vivid recreation of a conversation between John McCown and his peers at Ft. Benning, Georgia, highlighting:
- their takeaways from Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union and the impact of winter on his army’s defeat
- their frustrations with traditional Army tactics and its inability to recognize the importance of specialized training
- their resolve to embody the change they knew the mountain troops would need in order to fulfill its mandate
- An overview of the Army’s transformation from an all-volunteer force into one led by citizen-soldiers like John McCown.
- Detailed analyses of Officer Candidate School, the Junior Officers Plan and the need for a purpose-built encampment for the mountain troops.
Partnership Acknowledgments:
- The 10th Mountain Division Foundation: The mission of the Tenth Mountain Division Foundation is to honor and perpetuate the legacy of the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division past, present, and future by doing good works that exemplify the ideals by which they lived.
- American Alpine Club: Supporting climbers and preserving climbing history for over 120 years. Learn more at americanalpineclub.org.
- The Denver Public Library: The Denver Public Library: The Denver Public Library’s 10th Mountain Division Resource Center is the official repository for all records and artifacts related to the World War II-era 10th Mountain Division.
- The 10th Mountain Division Descendants: The 10th Mountain Division Descendants: The 10th Mountain Division Descendants, Inc. exists to preserve and enhance the legacy of the WWII 10th Mountain Division and 10th Mountain Division (LI) for future generations
Sponsorship Acknowledgments:
- CiloGear: Makers of the finest alpine backpacks. Visit cilogear.com and use code “rucksack” for a 5% discount and a matching donation to the American Alpine Club.
- Snake River Brewing: Wyoming’s oldest and America’s most award-winning small craft brewery. Discover their beers at snakeriverbrewing.com.
Patron Support:
- A special thank you to our community of patrons for making this research possible. Join us at www.patreon.com/NinetyPoundRucksack to support the show and access exclusive content.