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.
06
Hugh Evans
Technical Sergeant – 85th Infantry – Company C
Hugh Evans was a decorated veteran and a pivotal figure in the development of the 10th Mountain Division Hut and Trail System, which opened Colorado’s backcountry to the public. After training at Camp Hale, he served 114 days on the front lines in Northern Italy, including at the battles for Riva Ridge and Mt. Gorgolesco. During his service, he earned a Silver Star for gallantry, a Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Combat Infantry Badge.
Following the war, Evans graduated from the School of Mines in 1949 with a degree in mining engineering and built a 57-year career in the mining industry.
Hugh later became president of the 10th Mountain Division National Association. He directed programs and funding through the 10th Mountain Division Foundation for the 10th Mountain Division Hut System.
On his 90th birthday, he skied into all 19 10th Mountain Division Huts! Hugh was a lifelong downhill and hut-to-hut skier.
Hugh is the living spirit of tradition, remembering the old while embracing the new and passing on the spirit and love of the mountains.
07
Fritz Benedict
1st Lieutenant – 126th Engineer Battalion
Fritz received a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin and afterwards apprenticed under legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright for three years. After serving in World War II, he returned to Aspen and became the foremost architect in the town’s revival from an isolated mining town to an international ski destination.
Fritz designed the master plans for three premier Colorado ski areas: Vail in 1962, Snowmass in 1967, and Breckenridge in 1971. He also assisted with design work for ski resorts in Aspen, Steamboat Springs, and Winter Park.
Inspired by similar European trails, as well as his own experience skiing between Vail and Aspen, Fritz led the development of a system of o huts between Aspen and Vail, founding the 10th Mountain Hut & Trail System, now consisting of over 30 huts and more than 350 miles of trails that are enjoyed by thousands of backcountry skiers annually.
He was inducted into the Aspen Hall of Fame in 1988 as a skiing pioneer, the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 1995, and received the Greg Mace Award in 1987 for “epitomizing the spirit of Aspen community.”
08
George “Bub” Nelson
PFC – 85th Infantry – Company C
George volunteered for the 10th Mountain Division at age 18. After training at Camp Hale, he was sent to Italy, where he fought 110 days of combat in the treacherous Apennine Campaign.
Upon returning from the war, George and his father, George Sr., developed the hill behind their family resort in Minnesota, opening the Lutsen Ski Area in 1948. George and his wife, Patti, grew the resort over four decades from a single-run hill into the Midwest’s largest resort with 95 runs.
George’s connection to Colorado is his daughter, Cindy Nelson. A Vail, Colorado local and four-time Olympian (1976, 1980, 1984), Cindy was the first American woman to win a World Cup downhill (1974) and was a 7-time US National Champion. February 8th marks the 50th anniversary of Cindy’s Olympic bronze medal at the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics, an accomplishment that made her the second American woman to ever medal in the Downhill.
Cindy Nelson was inducted into the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 1976 and the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 2002.
09
Joseph G. McNealus
PFC – 87th Infantry – Company F
Joe McNealus trained at Camp Hale and was deployed to the Italian Apennine Mountains in 1945, where the 87th fought in the assault on Riva Ridge, Mt. Belvedere, and the crossing of the Po River. Joe was awarded a Bronze Star during his time in Italy for rescuing a wounded soldier while under heavy fire.
After the war, Joe retained his passion for skiing. In 1946, he became an original member of Aspen’s first Ski Patrol. Joe later returned to Vermont and became a key figure in the development of the Killington Ski Club as well as a founding father of the Vermont Alpine Racing Association.
Joe’s lasting connection to Colorado lives on through his grandson, River Radamus—a local, two-time Olympian. Before joining the U.S. Ski Team in 2016, River, the son of two ski coaches, trained at Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, where he earned impressive accolades from a young age. The legacy of Joe McNealus lives on this February as River competes for gold in the mountains of Italy, where his grandfather so bravely fought.
10
Leon C. Wilmot
Captain – HQ – 87th Infantry
Leon Wilmot, better known as Wil, was a key figure in developing Ski Broadmoor, advancing snow-making, and creating a children’s ski program. Born in Massachusetts, Wil grew up in Vermont, where he learned to ski. He headed west for the Colorado School of Mines but was sidetracked to Columbia University.
While in New York, Wil joined an Army Reserve unit and was called on for military service in 1942. He achieved the rank of Captain and was Company Commander of I Company at Camp Hale. Wil experienced combat in northern Italy, where he was promoted to Headquarters 87th Regiment.
Following the war, Wil was transferred to Mountain and Cold Weather Training Command at Fort Carson, Colorado, where he taught skiing, rock climbing, and mountain winter survival to Army units from around the nation.
Wil later became Sports Director at Broadmoor and remained there for 33 years. Wil also became the President of the Rocky Mountain Ski Area Operations Association and a Vice President of the US Ski Association, among many other leadership roles. Wil was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 1997.
11
Friedl Pfeifer
Sergeant – Company A – 87th Infantry
Born in Austria, Friedl skied to and from school in his hometown of St. Anton am Arlberg. At 14, he joined the staff of Hannes Schneider’s famed ski school. By 18, he earned his climbing guide certification, and at 22, he was named to Austria’s FIS World Championships team.
Friedl arrived in the United States in 1938, became a U.S. citizen, captured the National Ski Championship, and went on to serve as director of the Sun Valley Ski School.
While training at Camp Hale, he was introduced to Aspen, where he took note of the area’s potential to become a one-of-a-kind recreational resort.
Freidl returned to Aspen in 1945, after being seriously injured in combat in Italy. In 1946, he formed Aspen Ski Corporation, the Aspen Ski School, and began to develop both Ajax and Buttermilk Mountains.
12
William R. “Sarge” Brown
1st Sergeant – Company L – 86th Infantry
In 1941, Sarge began attending the University of Idaho on a full skiing scholarship, where he became a member of the College All-American Ski Team. In 1942, Sarge entered military service and served with the famed 10th Mountain Division. During his service, Sarge earned five Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, and two Silver Stars.
After the war, Sarge became the mountain manager of Vail Mountain from 1970-1989 and created an international reputation for his mountain management skills. He helped develop Vail into one of the nation’s top ski resorts. His advancements in snowmaking, grooming, and trail-cutting were considered cutting-edge. Sarge also helped Vail and Beaver Creek secure and stage the World Alpine Skiing Championships in 1989.
13
Walter Neuron
Private First Class – HQ 3rd – 86th Infantry
Born in Austria, Walter became a ski instructor by age 20 and competed in the 1935 Maccabiah Games, where Austria won the title. Walter fled the Nazis, making his way to Ohio.
When America entered World War II, Walter was one of 13 Cranmore (NH) instructors who joined the newly formed 10th Mountain Division. They trained at Camp Hale, and by late December 1944, Walter was in Italy.
He saw combat in the brutal fighting at Mt. Belvedere. Because he was fluent in four languages, Walter spent the remainder of the war interrogating prisoners.
In 1961, Walter became the ski school director at Snow Trails in Mansfield, Ohio, a role he held for 21 years. After retiring in 1986, he lived and skied daily in Keystone and Vail until his death in 2000.
14
Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole
Founder, National Ski Patrol – 10th Mountain Division Visionary
Minnie Dole learned to ski as a Boy Scout. A 1923 Yale graduate, he was an avid skier who realized the need for a first aid and rescue organization for ski races and ski areas. Minnie is credited as the founder of the National Ski Patrol and served as Director from its creation in 1938 until 1950.
Minnie first led a study on ski safety—an initiative that was initially met with skepticism. In 1938, he established a national leadership framework for ski patrol, and in 1940, his committee formally became the National Ski Patrol System.
During World War II, Minnie conceived the idea that a trained ski and mountaineering division would be advantageous for America’s defense. Dole successfully lobbied the U.S. War Department, and on November 15, 1941, the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment was activated. Minnie recruited 25,000 men over 60 days and created the 10th Mountain Division. His leadership not only shaped modern ski patrol standards but also helped form one of the most storied divisions in U.S. military history.
15
Larry Jump
1st Lieutenant – HQ 2nd – 87th Infantry
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Larry started skiing at age 11. He skied in the Alps and joined the French Army. This experience prepared him for commissioned service with the 87th Regiment.
After his service, he became a statewide surveyor for potential ski areas. Larry helped form Arapahoe Basin and pioneered many new programs, including the Wedeln technique, the famous Willy Schaeffler Ski School, the first amputee program in the state, the Junior Courtesy Patrol, and many other innovative programs, such as Colorado Ski Country USA, to improve skiing in Colorado and throughout the country.
According to Larry, A-Basin’s first single chairlifts incorporated some military surplus ‘tinker toy’ tows along with steel structures. These were the first post-war lifts ordered in Colorado.
16
Merrill Hastings
Sergeant – Company H – 86th Infantry
A Massachusetts native, Merrill attended Bowdoin College, where he was a member of the men’s ski team. During World War II, he left college to join the US Air Force before transferring to the 10th Mountain Division.
Following the war, he returned a decorated veteran and joined fellow 10th Mountain Division members in developing Arapahoe Basin ski area, helping clear trails and build the mountain’s early infrastructure. Merrill went on to serve as the director of Berthoud Pass Ski School, and as a member of the National Ski Patrol. He later played a key role in creating the organization that later became the Rocky Mountain Division of the PSIA.
In 1948, along with his wife, Priscilla launched Rocky Mountain Skiing, a newspaper that evolved into Skiing Magazine, which he led successfully for 16 years. Merrill also founded several publications, including Winter Sports, Colorado Magazine, and Colorado Business.
He was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 2008 as a Sport Builder.
17
Crosby Perry-Smith
Sergeant – HQ 2nd Company – 86th Infantry
Born in Cape May, New Jersey, Crosby began ski jumping at age 5 and, by 14, won the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships in the 18-year-old class. He enlisted in the Reserve Corps while attending Syracuse University and served with the 10th Mountain Division from 1943 to 1945.
A demolitions specialist, Crosby served in Italy at Riva Ridge, Mount Belvedere, and at Lake Garda. He was awarded the Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star, and the Chaplain’s Medal.
After the war, he competed with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club while attending Western State, where he was a founding member of the College’s ski team. In 1952, Crosby was a member of the US Olympic Ski Jumping Team in Oslo, Norway.
From 1951-1957, he served as a civilian advisor in mountaineering at Fort Carson, CO. He later served as chief of jumping at the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics and coached junior jumpers at Winter Park. Crosby received the Halstead Trophy for his contributions to skiing in Colorado and is a member of the Colorado Snowsports & National Ski Jumping Hall of Fame.
18
Curt Chase
Staff Sergeant – G Company – 87th Infantry
Originally from the Northeast, Curt enlisted in the 10th Mountain Division while attending the University of New Hampshire. He became a survival training instructor in 1943, and as a Staff Sergeant, he fought in the Battle of Mount Belvedere in Italy and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal.
Following the war, he moved to Aspen and organized, trained, and directed the first Aspen Ski Patrol. He also became a ski instructor, beginning a career that led to him becoming the director of Aspen Mountain Ski School and chief examiner for ski instructors. In 1962, he helped found the PSIA, and one year later, he took on the leadership of the Aspen Ski School, a position he held for 17 years.
As an instructor, he helped in the development of the “basic turn” approach to ski instruction, now known as the American Teaching Technique. His methods have a huge impact on ski instruction nationally and internationally. It has been said that he had direct contact with more than 1,000 instructors and likely influenced more than 100,000 more.
Curt was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 1989 and the US Ski Hall of Fame in 2014.
19
Bill Mason
Private First Class – F Company – 86th Infantry
Originally from Watertown, New York, Bill was the first Watertown resident to be accepted into the “Army Ski Service.”
He trained at Camp Hale, serving in the 86th Regiment, which played a critical role in the 1945 Italian Campaign that captured Riva Ridge at Mount Belvedere.
After visiting Aspen while on leave at Camp Hale, Bill decided to move there following the war in 1953. He became the first director of the Aspen Ski School, later passing the title along to fellow 10th Mountain Division soldier, Curt Chase, to pursue a career in real estate.
In 1961, Bill co-founded Mason Morse, Aspen’s first and oldest real estate firm. He was deeply committed to the early development of Aspen and remained involved with the 10th Mountain Division, participating in annual reunions, and recreating winter tours between Vail & Aspen along with other former 10th Mountain soldiers.
20
George Anthony Loudis
Corporal – H Company – 86th Infantry
Born in Schenectady, NY, George lived there until joining the Army in 1943, training at Camp Hale and at Fort Swift in Texas. He arrived in Italy on Christmas Eve in 1944.
It was George’s passion for skiing that drew him to the 10th Mountain Division. He served with the 86th Infantry in Italy and was a recipient of the Purple Heart as well as several citations for bravery.
After the war, he attended the University of Colorado and obtained his degree in civil engineering. He pursued his love of skiing as a member of the ski patrol and racing team in Sun Valley, Idaho.
George settled in Denver, CO, and remained an avid skier and was involved in the 10th Mountain Division Association throughout his life, serving as the Rocky Mountain Chapter President.
More veteran stories coming soon…
Each week throughout the season, we’ll add more 10th Mountain Division stories here until we reach 50.
