A group of soldiers trained to become ski mountaineers first of their kind in the history of the United States armed with specialized training to fight a unique military conflict.
A Black felt hat with an orange double cord and gold eagle ordaining front sits on a table inside a research area at History Colorado.
The hat is connected to the 10th Mountain Division, a World War II unit that trained in Colorado for mountain warfare in the U.S. Army, the first division of its kind. They are specialty trained in both skiing and mountain climbing to prepare them for any kind of mountain warfare scenario. 10th Mountain Division soldiers were recruited from all over, with most having outdoor skills such as hiking and gold panning.
The U.S. Army produced literature like the one shown to train soldiers how to ski in the 50s and 60s. Some soldiers were exceptional athletes, such as Ralph Hulbert, an archer, and Ralph was part of the 86th Infantry unit, where the U.S. Army made a custom take down bow for him to sling on his back. He trained at Camp Hale, right outside of Leadville.
Training up at 10,000 feet helped the soldiers get prepared to fight in the Italian mountains. Camp Hale constructed not very far from Leadville, mountedaineering and skiing, a U.S. military history first. The Healy House was a museum at that time or in the very beginning days of being a museum, said Hannah Cary, the director of the Healy House Museum and Dexter Cabin, a space telling the story of Leadville and its place in Colorado history.
The Red Cross met during World War II and thankfully the sewing circles repairing clothing for soldiers and conducting clothing drives. The 10th Mountain Divisions story is a unique chapter in Lake County and Colorado history. The training paid off during the Battle of Riva Ridge in the Northern Apennine Mountains of Italy.
They were able to surprise the Germans stationed on top of Ridge X, and the division was able to break through the Gothic Line, turning the war in Northern Italy in1945
10Th Mountain Division World War II Skiing Mountain Climbing Camp Hale Leadville Colorado History Military History Unique Chapter In History
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