Our guests today are Jack Mortenson and Jon Aperans, the creators and hosts of Armchair Commanders, a podcast dedicated to war movies! They met at the University of South Dakota (Jon even had a history class with Friend-of-the-Pod Kurt Hackemer!), staying up too late watching movies and occasionally showing up to class not fully prepared - hey, we've all been there. Since starting Armchair Commanders with the animated film Picadon, they've released over 125 episodes discussing films familiar and less so with actors, gamers, and other war film fans. Jack grew up on a ranch, while John was a military brat, but both came to enjoy history and movies in roundabout ways. So saddle up - we'll talk watching movies with your grandad, Chuck Norris (RIP), The Horse Soldiers, Nirvana, losing a couple of toes, Princess Yum-Yum, being an addiction counselor, "cooking oil," gaming, and the generosity of the history community. Enjoy this quirky episode of Military Historians are People, Too!

Shoutout to Denver Beer Company!

Rec.: 03/20/2026