10th Mountain Division Resource Center

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This page is home to the 10th Mountain Division Resource Center, the veteran-designated home of this famed division's WWII archives and artifacts.

The collection is held in partnership by History Colorado and the Denver Public Library in Denver, CO.

07/04/2026

Happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸

05/22/2026

Missed the opportunity to see the Winter Warriors exhibition at the History Colorado Center in 2023–2024? Now’s your chance to experience it in Leadville! ❄️

Opening today at the Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin, this powerful exhibit explores the legacy of the WWII 10th Mountain Division, the U.S. Army’s first winter warfare division, and its deep connection to the Leadville area and nearby Camp Hale. A perfect Memorial Day weekend activity — on view through September 2027!

Visit the Healy House Museum website today to purchase tickets: https://www.historycolorado.org/healy-house-museum-dexter-cabin

Image 1: Skiing in Rough Terrain. 1943-1944. History Colorado. 2023.70.11
Image 2: Six A.M. 1943-1944. History Colorado. 2023.70.10
Image 3: The Jeep and the Mule. 1943-1944. History Colorado. 2023.70.1

05/08/2026

May 8th is Victory in Europe Day, marking the end of the war in Europe.

The 10th Mountain Division worked to secure Lake Garda prior to this day, where they faced intense fights.

A short time after, German forces in Italy surrendered to the Allies.

May 8th was not the end of the war; many 10th men would return to the United States to train for combat in Japan, which would lead to victory and WW2’s true end.

However, V-E Day was and is a celebration of sacrifice and an acknowledgment of a successful climb to glory.

Image 1: General Hays speaking to troops, Torbole, Italy. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-90
Image 2: Gen. Hays VI day, Lake Garda. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-93
Image 3: DUKW crossing Lake Garda. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-142
Image 4: Troops along Lake Garda south of Bardolino, near Verona, Italy. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-384

05/06/2026

Commemorating every legacy, then and now.

The 10th Mountain Division’s WW2 soldiers have been honored in the decades after completing their service, and they also received recognition during and after the war for their contributions and sacrifices.

Soldiers who committed an act of combat or non-combat bravery against an enemy force received these Army awards. Soldiers could also receive these while working with a friendly foreign force, as long as the U.S. did not have an active side in the conflict.

To qualify, the soldier’s acts must also have involved some form of self-sacrifice and risk.

More than 32,000 10th Mountain Division members served during WW2, with ~20,000 engaged in combat during the Italian Campaign.

7,565 of these soldiers received a total of 8,181 awards, not counting their combined 4,160 Purple Hearts.

The 10th received a total of 7,709 Bronze Stars, with an additional 151 going to attached units. President Truman’s decision to award a Bronze Star to any soldier who saw combat during WW2 means ~11,000 can also factor into this total.

446 men received Silver Stars, with an additional 4 going to attached units.
10th men received 20 Soldier’s Medals with an added 1 going to an attached unit, and 5 Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded.

PFC John Magrath received the 10th’s only WW2 Medal of Honor (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BGMLPwhxd/).

Soldiers could also receive Combat Infantry Badges or Combat Medic Badges.

These combined honors show that even the military organizations closest to the division members recognized the impact of their intense climb to glory.

Image 1: Gen. George Hays pinning Silver Star on Lt. Col Ross J. Wilson. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2017-778
Image 2: Purple Heart. 1941-1945. History Colorado. 95.303.3.A
Image 3: Medal (Bronze Star). 1945. History Colorado. 88.708.8
Image 4: Two Bronze Star and Ribbon Box Set. History Colorado. 92.367.10
Image 5: Silver Star Medal. 1939-1945. History Colorado. 95.238.3
Image 6: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 7: Combat Medical Badge. 1939-1945. History Colorado. 88.405.9.B

04/29/2026

Let’s get to know a mentoring medic: PFC Francis “Bud” Lovett.

In September of 1942, Lovett enlisted in the army after seeing a recruitment film for ski troops.

After exploring some non-combat positions, Lovett became a medic with the 85th Infantry Regiment.

In his oral history with the Denver Public Library, Lovett recalled going to a mule-packing school, attending lectures at Fitzsimmons Denver, and participating in hands-on Camp Hale Training. He said he had to learn to treat illnesses, burns, orthopedic issues, and more.

While he didn’t carry a weapon as a medic, Lovett wore a medic armband (pictured below) that protected him from enemy fire. He received two Bronze stars and a combat badge (pictured below).

After completing his service, Lovett worked as a teacher and school principal. He also spent summers teaching technical climbing and wrestling.
When Camp Hale was designated as a national monument in 2022, Lovett attended the ceremony.

He may have passed in 2023, but his legacy as a 10th Mountain medic and his contributions to the world of climbing education live on.

Image 1: Francis W. “Bud” Lovett (85-Med). 1943. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2018-462
Image 2: Francis W. “Bud” Lovett (85-Med). 1943-1944. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2018-463
- Written on back of this photograph: "I just found this in my [writing list?]. Taken the day before my first furlough. I suppose every soldier feels morally obliged to assume the "pose" and have it recorded for a gaping posterity. At least my head is large enough to wear a helmet and still see."
Image 3: Armband. 1945. History Colorado. 88.405.1
Image 4: Badge. 1941-1945. History Colorado. 88.405.9.B
Image 5: Francis W. “Bud” Lovett (85-Med). 1944. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2018-3895
Image 6: US Army Khaki Shirt. 1939-1945. History Colorado. 88.405.8
Image 7: Chris Dillman. Vail Daily

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day!

When the 10th Mountain Division’s men made great sacrifices in the thick of WW2, they were carrying out their objectives in a range of noteworthy outdoor environments.

From their intense, mountainous Camp Hale training in the winter to a rippling ocean voyage back to the U.S. from Italy, nature was part of every phase of their climb to glory.

Image 1: Camp Hale in Winter. 1943-1944. History Colorado. 2023.70.26
Image 2: A rock formation used for 10th training. 1940-1950. History Colorado. 93.298.22.
Image 3: Riva Ridge from vicinity of Querciola on approach to Belvedere. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-653
Image 4: Belvedere. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-470
Image 5: Aerial view of the Apennine Mountains (Objective: Mt. Belvedere, Mt. Castello). 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2019-25
Image 6: Apple Blossoms filled the air -- death waits. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-281
Image 7: Arial view of Rocca di Roffeno. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-133
Image 8: Grapes and olives. Denver Public Library. 1945. TMD-529
Image 9: Lake Garda, Italy. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2019-327
Image 10: Au riva diece, Italy!. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-569

04/16/2026

Many battles, one legacy.

Lieutenant Robert “Bob” Dole joined the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps in 1942 and became a replacement officer with the 85th Infantry Regiment in Italy.

He was tasked with leading troops up Hill 913 during the Spring Offensive, where indirect fire and snipers were a constant threat. While trying to reach a fallen platoon radio operator, he was severely wounded by enemy fire.

Dole was paralyzed from the neck down by a shell that struck his upper back. This caused damage to his collarbone, right arm, and spine. He was found after 10 hours, surviving even though he was deemed a lost cause.

These injuries affected him for the rest of his life, but they also led him to establish the Dole Foundation and lobby for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

He played a part in reactivating the 10th in 1985 and adding the “Mountain” tab above the division patch to honor its WW2 ties.

Dole also sought to make a national impact beyond the front lines. He won the Republican nomination for Senate in 1968 and was reelected four times. He also ran for Vice President with Gerald Ford and for President against Bill Clinton in 1996.

He lost both those races, but he gained significant military honors in his lifetime. Dole received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for his WW2 Service.

Image 1: Harris & Ewing, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 2: Jack Curtis (US Army), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 3: Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 4: United States Senate Historical Office, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

04/15/2026

Meet Private First-Class John Magrath, a standout in a division of honorable men who made great sacrifices during the Spring Offensive.

Connecticut-born Magrath was a Boy Scout with a passion for skiing, which came in handy when he became a U.S. Army military volunteer.

He joined the 10th Mountain Division’s 85th Infantry Regiment, where he served as a radio operator with Company G during the Italy Campaign.

The Spring Offensive carries most of Magrath’s contributions to the 10th’s legacy.
On April 14, 1945, he and his company were working to take Hill 909.

Amid these operations, his company was pinned by heavy artillery, mortar, and small arms fire near Castel d’ Aiano.

Magrath volunteered to be a scout against the Germans, working with only a rifle. He captured a machine-gun nest, then took out two more.

He later volunteered again, this time to assess casualties while mortar and artillery fire increased in intensity on the front lines, and was killed in action.

Magrath was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1946 for his brave actions. He is the only division member to receive this recognition.

Today, two monuments exist to honor his valor, created in 1955 and 2009. One sits at Camp Funston on Fort Riley, Kansas, and the other is in Castel d’Aiano.

Image 1: PFC John David McGrath, ASN 31 326 858, Born July 4, 1924, KIA April 14, 1945. 1944-1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-639
Image 2: John D. Magrath (85-G) and his Boy Scout troop. 1938. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2018-4127
Image 3: John D. Magrath (85-G). 1943-1944. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2018-4121
Image 4: John D. Magrath in whites @ Camp Hale. Denver Public Library. TMD-439

04/14/2026

Today in 1945, the Spring Offensive began.

More than a million Allied soldiers launched the attack across the Italian peninsula that pushed them into Po Valley, their long-standing objective.

To reach this point, the 10th Mountain Division was to clear the mountainous area between Bologna and Modena. The 86th and 87th Infantry Regiments were assigned to the clearing, while the 85th was to take Hills 909 and 913.

Poor weather conditions caused a two-day halt on the initial attacks, which gave German forces time to prepare.

24 hours before the rest of the Allied forces, the 10th broke the delay with an attack on German forces north of Mount Della Spe.

The first day was the most intense of the offensive.

Hill 909 held artillery fire from lines in direct contact with the enemy.

While trying to secure Hill 913, 85th companies faced indirect fire and snipers. Snipers, landmines, and mortars stayed continuous as small groups alternated between holding their desired positions and retreating.

The 87th got pinned near Torre Iussi. They were ordered to bypass the town and prepare to take the massif of Rocca di Roffeno while the 86th took a region near Mount Della Spe.

The 10th gained a foothold on April 17, when advanced forces took positions in Po Valley. The 87th and 86th attacked near the Samoggia River, while the 85th attacked down Route 64 on the 10th’s right.

By 8:30 a.m. on April 20, Fifth Army troops broke into Po Valley.

Their success came at a cost. The Spring Offensive resulted in 3 men taken prisoner, 1,047 wounded, and 286 KIA.

Throughout this week and beyond, we will recognize the immense sacrifices made by the 10th Mountain Division.

Image 1: Bologna. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-468
Image 2: Infantry of 85-I march along a dirt road edged by leafy trees. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2019-266
Image 3: Explosive hits Germans near Monte della Spe. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-130
Image 4: Loading a 37mm pack gun to a pack mule. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-379
Image 5: Shells hit Rocca di Roffeno. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-134

04/09/2026

So much to do in so little time…

After the March Offensive, the 10th Mountain Division had five weeks to plan, recover, and fortify for the Spring Offensive.

The goal for the Allies was to clear the area from Modena to Bologna, then push into Po Valley.

The 10th Mountain Division would seize a mountain region, including the Rocca Rofferno Massif, and a series of nearby towns, all north of Pra del Bianco.

This region included Hill 909, which was in direct contact with enemy forces, and Hill 913, which had indirect fire and snipers. Major General George Price Hays instructed the 85th Infantry Regiment to capture these hills, which would prevent counterattacks.

These steps would help the Allies secure a northbound highway into Bologna, another step in their climb to glory.

Image 1: Gen. Clark and Gen. Hays planning offensive. April 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-86
Image 2: Returning to battle. April 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD391-2023-922
Image 3: Map No. 2 M. Grande - Castel D'Aiano - M Della. Spe. Armand Casini. 1950. Library of Congress
Image 4: Map No. 3 Initial Attack. Armand Casini. 1950. Library of Congress
Image 5: Map No. 4 Exploitation. Armand Casini. 1950. Library of Congress

Address

Denver, CO

Website

https://history.denverlibrary.org/research/western-history/10th-mountain-division, https://5008.sydneyplus.com/HistoryCo

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