The 10th Mountain Division was unique in American military history as being the only US infantry division ever trained specifically for mountain and cold weather warfare.

Recruited for in large part by the National Ski Patrol, its volunteer ranks included many of the nation’s foremost skiers, notable mountain climbers, survival experts and others, with extensive outdoor experience.

In 1958, Governor Harriman and the State of New York honored the 10th Mountain Division in dedicating the ski center at Whiteface Mountain in honor of its deeds during World War Two and as a tribute to the Division’s fallen soldiers.

Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division, along with members of the NSP’s Eastern Division, completed the Hewitt Relay, a 24-hour and 130-mile relay run starting on Fort Drum, N.Y. and finishing at the summit of Whiteface Mountain. The baton used throughout the relay is the same that Sgt. Maj. Southern “Buddy” Hewitt, the former senior enlisted advisor of the 10th Mountain Division, previously used in similar relays during his time with the unit dating back to 1986.

To learn more about the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division, click this link: https://history.army.mil/museums/fieldMuseums/fortDrum/index.html