The Legendary 10th Mountain Division: The Soldiers Who Built American Skiing

A few years ago in Vail, Colorado, I was lucky enough to be there during their annual event called The Legacy of Vail, which honors the historic 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army. Torch-bearing skiers wearing 10th Mountain Division uniforms ski down the mountain after dark with the division’s logo illuminated on the side of Vail Mountain. A parade of military veterans then marches through parts of Vail, ending at the 10th Mountain Division statue.

I’m embarrassed to say I had never heard of this impressive Army division which was formed during WWII for battles in the challenging terrain of the Italian Alps and elsewhere.

In 1942 Camp Hale was built about 30 miles south of what is now Vail to train soldiers to navigate and endure mountainous and arctic conditions. The disciplines included rock-climbing, snowshoeing, cold-weather survival and rappelling, in addition to ways to deal with working at altitude. Ski instructors from around the country taught soldiers how to navigate all kinds of terrain.

After grueling training over the winter, the soldiers received their first mission in August of 1943: an allied assault on the Aleutian Island of Kiska. However, Japanese forces had abandoned the island before the 10th Division arrived and they ultimately trained for another year before their next deployment in 1944. Their assignment was to break through the German defensive line that spanned across the seemingly impenetrable Italian Apennine Mountains.

During nearly five months of intense ground combat in Italy, the division was opposed by 100,000 German troops but managed to destroy five German Divisions. On February 18, 1945, soldiers silently ascended the 2,000 foot cliff face of Riva Ridge at night with heavy packs full of ammunition and equipment, obviously an extremely difficult task. Surprising the Germans, they successfully captured Riva Ridge on February 19, 1945, which allowed them to push farther into Europe. The 10th Mountain Division suffered nearly 5,000 casualties, with 999 soldiers killed in action. 

This hard-won victory brought the 10th Mountain Division international fame and helped lead to the end of the war. 

After returning from the war, members of the 10th began forming ski clubs all over the country. Vail founder Pete Seibert Sr. was a veteran of the division and was wounded in Italy. His co-founder Earl Eaton was also a division veteran and Army engineer who helped build Camp Hale, which is where the division originally trained. 

Eaton wanted to show Seibert a mountain he loved. They climbed seven hours to the top of what is now called Vail Mountain and determined then and there that they wanted to build “the most beautiful ski resort in the world.” In 1960 Seibert brought together a group of nine men to form the first board of directors meeting for what would become America’s largest ski company, Vail Resorts Inc. And the rest, as they say, is history.

After WWII the division worked in Europe in the 1950s, then in Operation Desert Storm and other conflicts and peacekeeping operations. The 10th Mountain Division is now activated at Fort Drum, New York.

If you’re ever in Vail I encourage you to go to the Colorado Snow sports Museum and Hall of Fame. It’s a fascinating history of snow sports as well as the Army’s impressive 10th Mountain Division.