Home to the largest 10th Mountain Division exhibit in the nation, the Colorado Snowsports Museum is proud to have deep ties to the heroic soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division and to honor their indelible impact on history and snow sports. In honor of our 50th Anniversary this snow sports season, the Museum will honor 50 soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division who have made a lasting and meaningful impact in Colorado. Each week throughout the season, we’ll add more 10th Mountain Division stories here until we reach 50.
This project has been made possible with the generous support of 50 for 50 Presenting Sponsors, Jamie & Meg Duke. We are also grateful to the 10th Mountain Division Foundation for generously supporting this program through their annual grant.
To learn more about the 10th Mountain Division’s incredible legacy, visit the Colorado Snowsports Museum, located in Vail Village. We’re open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Free admission, with a suggested donation at the door.
01
Benjamin Duke Jr.
3rd Platoon Sgt – Company L – 86th Regiment
Ben Duke (1922–1996), born in Iowa, enlisted in the Army in 1942 and served with the 10th Mountain Division’s 86th Infantry Regiment, Company L. During combat in Italy, Ben was wounded in action and awarded the Bronze Star Medal. Following the war, he became a driving force in the ski industry, serving on the Board of Directors of Vail Associates for nearly 20 years, and as Chairman from 1983 to 1985. He was one of the first to prompt Vail to go for the 1989 World Alpine Ski Championship. Ben’s greatest contribution to Vail was in making sure that Vail became family-oriented, providing something for everyone.
Ben also conceptualized and funded the 10th Mountain Room at the Denver Public Library and was one of the founders of the 10th Mountain Division Resource Center, which has become one of the largest collections in the nation that is devoted to a single American military unit.
Few have given of themselves so completely to the world of skiing, the ski industry, and the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division as Benjamin Duke Jr.
02
Gordon “Gordy” Wren
Staff Sergeant – 87th Regiment – Company E
A Steamboat Springs native and pioneering ski jumper, Wren qualified for the 1940 Olympics, but when the games were interrupted by World War II, he joined the Army, serving in the 10th Mountain Division as a Tech Sergeant at Camp Hale and in Italy.
Following the War, he returned to competition and the US Olympic team. He became one of the only Americans to be known as a four-event skier, achieving the best Olympic ski jumping finish for an American-born skier (5th in 1948). He was the first American to jump over 300 ft.
After retiring from competition, Wren devoted over two decades to developing young skiers, serving as an instructor, coach, and area director at Steamboat Springs, Loveland Basin, Jackson Hole, & Mt. Werner, and launched what became the nation’s largest junior ski training program.
Wren was a member of the National Ski Hall of Fame (‘58) and the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame (’78). He coached several skiing greats, including Buddy Werner, Marvin Crawford, and Jim “Moose” Barrows.
03
Wilfred “Slim” Davis
Captain – HQ
After serving in the 10th Mountain Division, Davis, a lifelong skier, served for 40 years with the US Forest Service, where he was instrumental in developing the special use permits that allowed for private ski developments on public lands.
Slim Davis conducted a landmark 1948 survey of potential ski sites in Colorado and, as Director of Recreation until 1953, helped establish and shape major resorts including Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, and Aspen, influencing dozens of ski areas across the West.
Davis became an early innovator of ski area design, slope layout, avalanche control, and ski area safety. In 1973, he became the Vice President of the US Ski Association, and in 1983, Davis was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame as a Sport Builder.
04
Percy Adams Rideout
Captain – 86th Regiment, Company F
Photo credit: Aspen Historical Society – Knowlton Collection
Percy Rideout was a key, but often forgotten figure in the early development of skiing in Aspen. A 1940 Dartmouth College graduate and captain of its ski team, Rideout later worked as a ski instructor in Sun Valley before being selected for service in the 10th Mountain Division in 1942.
After training in California and Camp Hale, he was sent to the front in the Italian Alps, where he was wounded during the assault on Riva Ridge. He rose to the rank of captain during his service and was awarded a Bronze Star, a Silver Star, and a Purple Heart.
Following WWII, Rideout was recruited by fellow soldier and Sun Valley colleague, Friedl Pfeifer, to help transform Aspen Mountain into a legitimate ski area. Pfeifer appointed Rideout as director of the original Aspen Ski School, and he later played a major role in the physical development of the mountain, cutting runs and clearing lift lines that added 22 miles of trails.
05
Earl Ervin Clark
1st Lieutenant – 87th Regiment – HQ Instructor
Earl Ervin Clark, of Londberry, Vermont, served in the 10th Mountain Division from its inception.
In 1941, he joined the Army, volunteering for the newly formed 87th Mountain Infantry and attending Officer Candidate School. As a lieutenant, he led training exercises at Camp Hale and often told the story that, at 118 pounds, he had to lead marches carrying a 90-pound pack. Clark commanded troops in the Aleutians and Italy, notably at Riva Ridge.
Following the War, Clark graduated from the University of Denver and later joined the National Ski Patrol and supervised ski patrol work at Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Berthoud Pass, and Winter Park. He also joined the Colorado National Guard, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
In 1971, Clark was elected the founding president of the 10th Mountain Division National Association, and in 1979 helped organize the International Federation of Mountain Soldiers, which incorporated former mountain troops from Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. Earl Clark was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 2001 in the ‘Inspiration’ category.
More veteran stories coming soon…
Each week throughout the season, we’ll add more 10th Mountain Division stories here until we reach 50.
