World War II Skiers-- Part 3: A Surprise for the Germans

The 10th Mountain Division never used their skiing ability in actual fighting.  However, their other winter skills paid off.  In February 1945, members scaled a 1,500-foot vertical cliff in the dark to clear the way for a drive through northern Italy which helped liberate the country.

Richard Calvert remembers:  "The Germans had their guns pointed one way, and we came in the back door.  So that worked out pretty neat."

When they returned home, members of the division became some of the founding fathers of the new U.S. skiing industry and established resorts throughout the West.  Before the war, skiing had been essentially a northeastern thing.

The current division no longer specializes in winter warfare, but its members are invited to Cranmore for the annual race which raises money for the ski museum.

--GreSkiGen