From Mail to Mountain is a detailed portrayal of the daily life of an Army private who served in World War II. Chuck Jackson enlisted in 1944, began his tour in Italy sorting mail, and quickly became an integral part of A Company, 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division. Despite having little mountain training, he scaled the side of Riva Ridge at night and went on to distinguish himself as an ammo bearer during the Apennine Mountains and Po River campaigns, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. The author, John A. Jackson, uses documented activities gleaned from A Company morning reports along with experiences Chuck described, to envision and develop dialogue between Private Jackson and the soldiers around him.
Includes more than two dozen photos from the Tenth Mountain Division archives!!
"...a great honor to every 10th Mountain Division soldier..."
"From Mail to Mountain is a great story, actually a great set of stories. It’s a story of one soldier, Chuck Jackson, the author’s father. A story of “just doing his job” under the most difficult of circumstances—being wet, cold, tired, hungry, often uninformed, in danger, and missing his family and his wife. And it’s a story of combat buddies looking out for one another, forming friendships that will last a lifetime, and grieving losses that ended in the immediacy and randomness of death on a battlefield. It’s a story of grit, determination, humor, excitement, routine, and longing to be home. In sum, it’s the story of every soldier who has gone to war. John Jackson has done a great honor to his Dad, and in the process a great honor to every 10th Mountain Division soldier, past and present. Read From Mail to Mountain; you’ll be very glad you did."
- Lieutenant General (U.S. Army, Retired) James M. Dubik, PhD. Former Commander, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division during Operation Uphold Democracy, 1994-95 in Haiti; Commanding General, Multinational Security and Transition Command, Iraq during the Surge of 2007-2008; and author of Just War Reconsidered: Strategy, Ethics, and Theory.
