10th Mountain Division WWII history
The U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division
New Book, Film Document Unit's World War II Exploits
John B. Woodward (foreground) and Peter Gabriel practice ice-climbing techniques on Nisquali Glacier, Mt. Ranier, Washington, June 1942. Photo: Courtesy Denver Public Library, Western History Collection Copyright: 1942
The First Battalion of the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, Paradise Valley, Washington, May 1942
The summit of Mt. Belvedere, after the first day of fighting, February 1945.
Returning from the front along the supply route for Mt. Belvedere, February 1945.Nov. 8, 2003 -- Among the most storied units in American military history, the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division was formed during the early years of World War II. A unique collection of champion skiers fleeing occupied Europe and American ski bums from New England and the Colorado Rockies were joined together as a foul weather fighting force.
A new book, The Last Ridge: The Epic Story the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division and the Assault on Hitler's Europe, and accompanying 90-minute documentary, tell the story of the Division's early days of preparing for battle under harsh conditions and ultimately engaging and defeating a fierce enemy near the war's end.
NPR's Scott Simon spoke with Last Ridge author McKay Jenkins and World War II 10th Mountain Divison veteran Dan Kennerly. The director of the documentary, Abbie Kealy, provided additional audio of other Division veterans remembering their assault on Italy's Mt. Belvedere range, heavily fortified by German troops.
hooah to those guys... i went up to Ft Drum (10th Mtn's home in New York) a month or so ago. cool stuff, they got alot of new equipment after their first deployment to Afghanistan for operation Anaconda. it was kind of funny, one of the troopers who was supervising the table with some of the new weapons, picked one up, smelled it and said 'see? even smells new!' i hope to get stationed there, theyre a pretty hardcore unit from what i hear...
I grew up in Colorado, just for the record, the 10th Mountain was pretty righteously cool in WWII.
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