And other 10th Mountain Division Memorials
The first major military operation of the 10th Mountain Division began on February 18, 1945, 81 years ago. Their overall mission was to break the Nazi’s Gothic Line, Hitler’s last stronghold in Italy. On the night of February 18, their specific task was to climb Riva Ridge and Mt. Belvedere. The men of the 10th were to scale 1,700 to 2,200 feet of vertical cliff in darkness, carrying no guns or packs. This effort reflected the rigorous training skiers and alpinists underwent at Camp Hale in Colorado. Previous attempts by others to climb this ridge had failed, but the 10th succeeded, surprising the Nazi defenders so thoroughly that the 40-50 soldiers stationed atop the ridge had already retired for the night. This climb is now referred to as the “Climb to Glory” and the “Climb to Conquer.”
On February 19, after the climb, guns and packs were delivered to the 700-1,000 men who had scaled Riva Ridge, among them Art Delaney and my uncle, Don Macdonald, from Melrose. Building on that momentum, the 10th advanced to take Mt. Della Torracia and Mt. Gorgolesco. Many, including Art Delaney, lost their lives in that battle, while others, like my uncle, fought through to the campaign’s end in the Po River Valley. The Gothic Line was ultimately broken there, and the Nazis holding the Apennines surrendered to the commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division on May 2, 1945—five days before Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945.
During some of the heaviest fighting, on April 14 and 15, William Callahan, Jr., and John Kasabuski were killed. Then, on April 27, John’s older brother, Walter, also died. In the aftermath, William Callahan, Sr., successfully campaigned to have the Callahan Tunnel (officially the Lieutenant William F. Callahan Jr. Tunnel) named for his son. Similarly, the Kasabuski brothers are memorialized in a display in the lobby of the Kasabuski rink in Saugus, viewable to the left of the entry.
To commemorate the climb of Riva Ridge, the NPR (Ninety-Pound Rucksack) Challenge will take place at ski areas across the country, including five in New England. These will be at Otis Ridge in Otis, Massachusetts; at Sugarbush, Killington, and Bromley Mountain in Vermont; and at the Dartmouth Skiway in New Hampshire. To learn more about the NPR Challenge and how to participate, visit https://christianbeckwith.com/npr-challenge/. Ski Cooper, in Colorado, is also participating. This was the ski training area of the 10th Mountain Division during their training in Colorado. It is now a public ski area that my uncle, Don Macdonald, managed for a time.
In addition to these events, museums with permanent exhibits about the 10th Mountain Division include the New England Ski Museum in North Conway and Franconia, NH, the Colorado Snowsports Museum in Vail, CO, and the 10th Mountain Division & Ft. Drum Museum at Ft. Drum, NY.
The 68th Annual 10th Mountain Division Memorial Day Ceremony will be held on Monday, 25 May 2026, at the 10th Mountain Division Memorial at Tennessee Pass, CO, to honor veterans of the 10th Mountain Division and the 99th Infantry Battalion who lost their lives in combat. This memorial is located just outside Leadville, CO, near the wartime site of Camp Hale, at the Cooper Hill ski training area (now Ski Cooper).
View Resources about the 10th and Memorials related to the 10th Mountain Division – https://aemacdonald.com/memorials
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