Photo By Sgt. Mariah Aguilar | Soldiers assigned to 10th Mountain Division (LI) line up after the Ski Cooper...... read more read more
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VAIL, Colorado – 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers returned to Colorado to celebrate the legacy of their forebears who served during World War II, Feb. 27 to March 1.
The commemoration began Feb. 27 at Ski Cooper, an Alpine ski resort in nearby Leadville, where descendants of the original 10th Mountain Division gathered for a reunion celebrating the unit’s enduring heritage. Many of those descendants skied the same slopes their fathers and grandfathers helped build and trained on in preparation for World War II, returning to the site that once forged the division’s first mountaineers. Soldiers, veterans, descendants and community members came together to reconnect and reflect on the division’s historic roots.
The day featured a serpentine ski parade at Ski Cooper, composed of skiers riding down the slope in a sharp, zig-zag formation carrying the American, state and unit flags. The formation represented the link between past and present generations of mountaineers.
Following the serpentine descent at Ski Cooper, Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division (LI), challenged Soldiers and attendees to see the celebration as more than a ceremony, but as a responsibility.
“This legacy that we all enjoy, it is our responsibility to carry that burden,” Naumann said. “To link the legacy back to those original 10th mountaineers that trained here in 1943, that went over to Italy in 1944, and 81 years ago, Feb. 18, they climbed up what was unclimbable at Riva Ridge. They broke through what was unbreakable at the top of that German line, and the war was over.”
His words reframed the gathering not simply as a remembrance, but as a commitment to uphold the grit, sacrifice and resolve that defined the division’s assault on Riva Ridge.
Later that afternoon, attendees gathered for a remembrance ceremony at the nearby Tennessee Pass Memorial to honor soldiers who served and made the ultimate sacrifice. The ceremony included a reading of the names of the division’s World War II fallen; a memorial flyover by the Colorado Army National Guard; and an honoring of the 99th Infantry Battalion–a specialized unit of Norwegian nationals and Norwegian-Americans who trained and fought alongside the division. The ceremony concluded with a presentation of arms to “Taps,” the national song of remembrance.
The following day marked the beginning of Vail Legacy Days–a two-day celebration honoring the foundation of the 10th Mountain Division. The first day included performances by the 10th Mountain Division Band; World War II static displays; a ski serpentine down Vail Ski Resort’s Riva Ridge; and other commemorative observances during the evening’s festivities.
“I want you to reflect on the sacrifice and the service of those first mountain soldiers,” Naumann said during the evening celebration. “And the next time you're skiing down Riva Ridge, I want you to think about those first mountaineers and be thankful that such men lived.”
Following Naumann’s remarks, skiers donning historic white uniforms and carrying torches carved down the slopes as fireworks lit up the dark horizon and a 10th Mountain Division powder keg painted a segment of the mountain backdrop known as Pepi’s Face.
The evening concluded with a parade led by a World War II-era Jeep, followed by 10th Mountain Division Soldiers greeting the crowd through Vail Village.
The final day will feature a UH-60 “Black Hawk” helicopter static display and the Ski Cooper Cup, a relay competition that includes a variety of rigorous physical challenges, including an uphill cross-country ski; rappel with skis; downhill ski race; 200-meter uphill ski race; and a glissade down Pepi’s Face.
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2026 15:11 |
| Story ID: | 559174 |
| Location: | VAIL, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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