After having founded the U.S. National Ski Patrol in 1938, Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole lobbied the War Department to create a division with specialized training for operating in mountainous terrain in winter. The 10th Mountain Division was first activated in 1943 and fought in the mountains of Italy and Austria during the Second World War, helping bring an end to the occupation of those countries. Since 2002, brigades of the fabled Division have been deployed more than 20 times, making them the most deployed regular unit in the U.S. Army.

The Whiteface Mountain Ski Center has been dedicated to veterans of the 10th Mountain Division since the day it first opened January 25, 1958. Though previously the rededication of the mountain was an annual event, it had not happened since 2019 due to the pandemic.