The German Wehrmacht had many well-trained and battle-hardened mountain divisions, some of whom by 1943 blocked the Allied advance in the Italian campaign. Starting from scratch, the US Army developed a unique military fighting force, the 10th Mountain Division, drawn from the ranks of civilian skiers, mountaineers, and others with outdoor experience. The resulting mix of Ivy League students, park rangers, Olympic skiers, and European refugees formed the first specialized alpine fighting force in US history. Deploying to Italy in 1945, they had coalesced into a tight-knit unit. In the months that followed, at a terrible cost, they spearheaded the Allied drive in Italy to final victory. -- adapted from jacket.

"Always Forward" -- Origins, 1940-41 : "Soldiers Out of Skiers" -- Training, 1942 : "Ninety Pounds of Rucksack" -- Camp Hale, 1943 : "Heaven and Hell" -- Kiska, 1943 : "This Little Expedition" -- Camp Hale and Camp Swift, 1944 : "We'll Be Playing for Keeps before Long" -- Italy, December 23, 1944-February 18, 1945 : "Still Green" -- Italy, February 19-April 13, 1945 : "Front Line Soldiers" -- Italy, April 14-May 3, 1945: "All Those Fine Young Men" -- Epilogue : "Among My Souvenirs".