Episode 4 takes a deep dive into the US Army’s experimental ski patrols of 1940-1941, and the events that led to the activation of the 1st Battalion (Reinforced), 87th Mountain Infantry at Ft. Lewis, Washington—the unit that would eventually become the 10th Mountain Division.

The episode also explores John McCown’s 1941 expedition to British Columbia’s Coast Range, which he made before enlisting with the mountain troops, and features an interview with writer Will Holland, who has been working on a screenplay about McCown for over two decades.

For those who want more, an unabridged version of Episode 4 is available exclusively to our patrons.

The Unabridged version includes:

• Photos and historic images that illustrate the episode
• Complete chronology of events from the episode, leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into World War II
• Detailed synopsis of the experimental ski patrols, including key dates and links to newspaper articles
• A complete transcription of the episode

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See here for an overview of the characters introduced in this episode.