Why We Fight ~ 1944

In this episode I'm joined by Doug Schmidt, a 10th Mountain Division veteran and curator at the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum Museum. Doug is also the grandson of a WWII 10th Mountain Division veteran. We start the story of the Division by including the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, activated in 1941, and the story of Camp Snelling where these men trained. The next episode will include a bit more 10th Mountain history, with guest Dr. Chris Juergens, whom Doug mentions several times, and both of these guests will be back to continue the story in the 1944 series. Links 10th Mountain Division & Fort Drum Museum (https://history.army.mil/museums/fieldMuseums/fortDrum/index.html) Ninety-Pound Rucksack Podcast (https://christianbeckwith.com/)

Back again is Dr. John McManus to continue the story of the US 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, in Italy 1943. John is the official historian for the 7th Infantry Regiment, aka "The Cottonbalers" but their experience in Italy 1943 is not unique to the unit, many of the American and Allied forces were facing similar challenges fighting their way "up the boot". John's previous episode on the US 7th Infantry Regiment and 3rd Infantry Division in Sicily 1943 is episode 53, and he will be back for the 1944 series to continue this story and possibly add to the Pacific stories as well. Links Dr. John McManus (https://johncmcmanus.com/) The 7th Infantry Regiment - Combat in an Age of Terror: The Korean War Through the Present (https://johncmcmanus.com/books/the-7th-infantry-regiment-combat-in-an-age-of-terror-the-korean-war-through-the-present/) The Deadly Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II (https://johncmcmanus.com/books/the-deadly-brotherhood-the-american-combat-soldier-in-world-war-ii/) Somebody Talked! The Official Podcast of the National D-Day Memorial (https://www.dday.org/someone-talked-podcast/) We Have Ways USA (https://wehavewayspod.com/episodes/)

In this episode, genealogist and historian Dave Gutierrez shares the first part of the story of the only Mexican-American US Army unit that fought in the Second World War, which is the subject of his book "Patriots from the Barrio" (linked below). Dave's research began with a genealogical interest in his cousin's WWII service experience and, as he tells us in this episode, expanded to a very important story that was more or less previously missing from American history and as soon as I heard this story of these brave and accomplished soldiers I knew it was one we needed to include here. Dave will be back to continue the story in the 1944 series. Links Author Dave Gutierrez (https://authordavegutierrez.com/) Patriots from the Barrio: The Story of Company E, 141st Infantry - The Only All Mexican American Army Unit in World War II (https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-Barrio-Company-Infantry-American/dp/1594163286/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1704031977&sr=8-1)

In this episode, Damián Valle joins me to talk about the massacre of the Italian 33d Acqui Division after the Armistice of Cassibile. This is the story that provides the foundation of the novel and movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin. It is sometimes referred to as the first act of Italian resistance, but as Damián notes, there were others all around the same time. Links Acqui Division Massacre at Cephalonia (https://comandosupremo.com/acqui-division-cephalonia/) WW2TV - The Massacre of the Italian Acqui Division, Cephalonia, September 1943 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9ijEnZx1fc) Lost Sons of the Mediterranean Kefalonia, September 1943 (https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Pietro-Giovanni-Liuzzi-ebook/dp/B00G3N94Z0) Corelli's Mandolin: A Novel (https://www.amazon.com/Corellis-Mandolin-Novel-Vintage-International-ebook/dp/B004EPZ6DS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PP7LWA2OYWNP&keywords=captain+corelli%27s+mandolin&qid=1703950461&s=digital-text&sprefix=captain+core%2Cdigital-text%2C182&sr=1-1) Captain Corelli's Mandolin (https://www.amazon.com/Captain-Corellis-Mandolin-Nicolas-Cage/dp/B01CRFNQYM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GQLDGRWD5540&keywords=captain+corelli%27s+mandolin&qid=1703950525&s=instant-video&sprefix=captain+corelli%27s+mandolin%2Cinstant-video%2C164&sr=1-1)

Joining me again is Giulio Poggiaroni, this time to discuss the Armistice of Cassibile, which brought Italy out of the Axis but not quite into the Allies. As Giulio explains, Italy couldn't just "change sides" but instead became known as a Cobelligerent Nation at this time when the Italians began working to recover their honor in the Second World War. Giulio also touches on several of the key events that were taking place all around this time in 1943. The next episode will cover the massacre of the 33d Acqui Division, mentioned in this episode. Links Giulio's articles on Comando Supremo (https://comandosupremo.com/author/giulo-poggiaroni/) Italian Military Archives (YouTube) (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc9PVgaI3Nt7y3u0YFM1Mhg)

Joining me again is Dr. Stephanie Hinnershitz to talk about the Japanese-American camp at Tule Lake, the use of Martial Law on the American Homefront, and civ-mil relations during this time 80 years ago in 1943, going into 1944. Links Dr. Stephanie Hinnershitz (https://www.stephaniehinnershitz.com/) Books by Dr. Hinnershitz (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=stephanie+hinnershitz&crid=3POWWLJMX48KF&sprefix=stephanie+hinn%2Caps%2C271&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_14)

Joining me again is LTC Ben Griffin along with US Army veteran Daniel Kim to talk about the 100th Infantry Battalion or the "One-Puka-Puka" which was comprised of Japanese- American soldiers. Ben helped me start the story of the 442nd Infantry Regiment earlier in the 1943 series and this episode talks about a part of that Regiment which was the first to deploy.

In this episode I'm joined by Dr. Cameron Zinsou to talk about the Cairo (Sextant) and Tehran (Eureka) Conferences in late 1943. We recorded this episode at the beginning of the year so I hadn't quite reached this part of the 1943 research yet so there are a couple of references to things as if they are coming up but they have already passed.

Dr. Grant Harward joins me again, this time to talk about Romania in WWII, up to this point in the war, and the evacuation from the Kuban Bridgehead which took place in October 1943. Link Romania's Holy War: Soldiers, Motivation, and he Holocaust (https://www.amazon.com/Romanias-Holy-War-Motivation-Battlegrounds/dp/1501759965/ref=monarch_sidesheet) Third Axis Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941-1945 (https://www.amazon.com/Third-Axis-Fourth-Ally-1941-1945/dp/1854092677/ref=sr_1_1?crid=104VVT9VE0DAY&keywords=third+axis+fourth+ally&qid=1703522168&s=books&sprefix=third+axis+%2Cstripbooks%2C209&sr=1-1) Cross of Iron (https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Iron-James-Coburn/dp/B0CHG4LKM8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QXWW59BXMRON&keywords=cross+of+iron&qid=1703522231&sprefix=cross+of+iron%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-1)

In this episode, Dr. Waitman Beorn shares his expertise on what he refers to as "the Nazi genocidal project" which includes not only the mass murder of European Jews in the Holocaust but also the systematic murder of other populations with a focus on Eastern Europe. As Dr. Beorn notes, many have suggested that the unimaginably violent fighting in Eastern Europe was the exception, compared to the fighting in Western Europe, but historic evidence suggests the reverse is more accurate. Dr. Beorn's books are linked below. Links Marching Into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674725508) The Holocaust in Eastern Europe: At the Epicenter of the Final Solution (https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-holocaust-in-eastern-europe-9781474232180/) Between the Wires: The Janowska Camp and the Holocaust in Lviv (https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496237590/) Visualizing Janowska: Creating a Digital Architectural Model of a Nazi Concentration Camp (https://www.waitmanwbeorn.com/visualizingjanowska)