Source: Author’s photo.
I am a terrible skier, but I love my snowshoe. A gift from soldiers I served with, the snowshoe connects me to both a specific period—my deployment—and to a history that extends far beyond me. The pins, coin, plaque, and writing tell a story specific to me and my unit, a story far removed from the experiences of most Americans; but the snowshoe itself tells a story that touches tens of millions of Americans every year. That story, the snowshoe story, is about the 10th Mountain Division and downhill sports in America.
More than 10 million Americans went skiing or snowboarding in the U.S. last year. Skiing is not baseball and America is not Switzerland, but downhill winter sports are a huge part of our culture and economy. Athletes such as Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White have enormous followings and the sports continue to grow in popularity.1 And all this shares a lineage where the U.S. Army, and specifically the 10th Mountain Division (“Climb to Glory”), features prominently.
Prior to World War II, America did not have a dedicated ski unit like those found in Finland, Germany, or Italy.2 As the war in Europe unfolded, National Ski Patrol—a civilian organization—director Charles Dole raised concerns about America’s lack of alpine readiness and ultimately received approval from Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall to form a unit. Recruits were sought from Americans with skiing and mountaineering experience and standards were high—applicants needed three letters of recommendation to vouch for their worthiness, including with respect to skiing. The 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment (“1-87 IN”) was activated in November 1941, but in 1942, after America entered the war, the Army decided it needed a full division and established Camp Hale in the Colorado Rockies, 9,000 feet above sea level.
In 1943, the 10th Light Division (Alpine) was activated. In 1944 it was re-designated as the 10th Mountain Division and deployed to fight in the Italian theater. The division fought heroically through numerous difficult campaigns, including an operation to seize Riva Ridge and Mount Belvedere where 10th Mountain soldiers scaled a cliff left unguarded by the Germans in the mistaken belief that it was impossible to climb. By the time the war ended in 1945, the division had secured numerous victories and suffered 5,000 casualties, with close to 1,000 soldiers killed in action.
Following the war, the division poured its energy and lessons learned into getting Americans up to the mountains. In the words of one 10th Mountain veteran, “We wanted to teach the country to ski. And we did.” The impact these veterans had on skiing and mountain sports in general across America was massive.
10th Mountain veterans such as Friedl Pfeifer, Percy Rideout, and Johnny Litchfield were integral to the growth of Aspen, Vail, and dozens of other ski locations. Today a nonprofit continues to manage a network of 38 huts in the Rocky Mountains known as the 10th Mountain Division Huts. It’s fair to say that skiing, snowboarding, and all mountain sports would not be what they are today in America were it not for the Army’s experiment in warriors who could ski.
10th Mountain Division imagery that speaks to its mountain warfare roots. Source: DVIDS.
The legend of America’s alpine soldiers lives on in many ways. When I was in the 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, for example, 1-87 IN soldiers carried skis during unit runs to honor their mountain lineage. Similarly, last year 10th Mountain soldiers ran a 160-mile relay to Whiteface Mountain, where a plaque—carved in granite from Mount Belvedere (a gift from the Italian government)—honors the division’s history. And whenever an American heads down a mountain or pushes out into the snow-covered woods on snowshoes, they too honor, however subtly, this same history.
Have a 10th Mountain Story? Share it in the comments!
Additional Resources:
The Army has continued its involvement with winter sports and now regularly sends athletes to compete in the Olympics.
There is a 1996 documentary film, Fire on the Mountain, that covers the 10th Mountain Division’s exploits in World War II. The DVD is available here.
You can visit the 10th Mountain Division Museum near Fort Drum, New York. Admission is free. You can learn more here.
As is the case with many Army divisions, the current 10th Mountain Division is comprised of units whose histories span many different conflicts. The battalion I was honored to serve with, 2-22 IN, traces its history and lineage to the War of 1812, for example.
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Skiing in America started mostly with immigrants from Europe in the last 19th century. New Hampshire, where I grew up, features a bit in this history when in 1909, Fred Harris formed the Dartmouth Outing Club. But even as it grew a bit in popularity in the early 20th century, it remained a fairly niche hobby.