Visit the old training facility of the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale

Camp Hale is where the 10th Mountain Division was created and trained to become an elite US ski force. Without them, WWII might have ended a whole lot differently. Not only did they beat battle-hardened German soldiers but they also pushed the fleeing German army into the alps until they were ready to surrender. Even though there is not a whole lot left of the camp to see, it’s impressive to imagine thousands of soldiers training here in some of the harshest conditions. In the hope that Camp Hale will become the nation’s first National Historic Landscape, Colorado lawmen are laying the groundwork for this preservation.

Why Camp Hale was created

When Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole head of the National Ski Patrol system heard how ski-mounted Finnish troops repelled a larger Soviet army in 1939, he realized that the United States was unprepared for mountain or winter combat. So in 1941, he pressured the War department into forming an elite ski force trained in skiing, mountain climbing as well as cold weather survival. With the National Ski Patrol as the official recruiting agency, everyone was recruited as a volunteer. In order to create interest in the ski corps, the movie Sun Valley Serenade was released but it didn’t attract enough people. So Mountain Fighters (1943) and I Love a Soldier (1944) featuring the elite troops, were later released.

Obviously, they couldn’t accept anyone as part of this elite force. So in order to get accepted, applicants needed three letters of recommendation and they had to be either expert skiers or mountain climbers. As well as possess the skills to survive in the harsh mountain environment. As a result, many of the first to join were collegiate, Olympic caliber and foreign-born skiers. First, they trained at Mt. Rainier in Washington until their permanent facility was built here. Not to mention, conditions here were harsh. Since the elevation required acclimation and the shallow valley created polluted inversion layers from the primary source of energy, coal. Besides skiing, the trainees had no source of recreation. Nonetheless, at it’s prime, it had 15,000 soldiers and 5000 horses and pack mules.

What did the 10th Mountain Division do?

In early 1945, fifteen months after they started training at Camp Hale, the 10th Mountain Division took part in the “D-Series”. Which were grueling maneuvers held during one of the harshest winters in memory. Afterward, the division went to train at Camp Swift in Texas. Then in January 1945, they arrived in Naples, Italy. As they were going to be deployed to the Apennines Mountains north of Florence where battle-hardened German forces had stopped all previous attacks. On February 18, 1945, five companies climbed the supposedly “un-climbable” Riva ridge and captured the Germans in a surprise attack.

Then the following night, the rest of the division attacked the adjacent Monte Belvedere hill mass. After a few days of fighting, they managed to punch through enemy lines. As a result, Italy’s Po River Valley was now exposed to the Allies. In spring the 10th Mountain Division played a vital role in the offensive. Even though they had many casualties in the Po Valley, the 10th Mountain Division was the first to cross the wide Po River. Also, the 10th pushed the fleeing German army into the Alps until they surrendered to Italy on May 2, 1945.

How they changed American life

Surprisingly, the 10th Mountain Division is the military unit that has the most impact on American life. After their accomplishments in WWII, many of its veterans were involved in business and sports. Notably, Vail, Aspen, and Arapahoe Basin were all started by 10th veterans. And just about every major ski resort had a 10th involved in some aspect of its operations. In addition, other veterans pioneered the manufacture of ski equipment and clothing. Best of all, the 10th Mountain Division created the Hut-to-hut systems and they were instrumental in developing skiing for the disabled.

The new 10th Mountain Division

In 1985, the 10th was reactivated as the 10th Mountain Division (light infantry) headquartered at Fort Drum in New York . Since then, they have been the Army’s most-deployed division. As they were deployed in Somalia, (1992-1994) Haiti, (1994-1995) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (1999-2000) Afghanistan, (2001-2014) and Iraq (2002-2012). When they are at home, they perform humanitarian relief efforts during natural disasters. By far, this is one of the army’s best divisions.

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