Expanding on a story first featured by the CSM last Memorial Day, Tom reflects on a recent visit to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where the life and leadership of General William O. Darby, founder of the U.S. Army Rangers and assistant division commander of the 10th Mountain Division, were commemorated through Darby Days 2026.
Tom Hames wrote the following.
As a representative of the Colorado Snowsports Museum, I was invited to the General Darby Challenge and Darby Days in Fort Smith, Arkansas, by Caroline Speir. She is the director of the Fort Smith History Museum. Darby Days celebrates and honors General William O. Darby, a native of Fort Smith. Fort Smith is a diverse city of 100,000 with a rich and deep sense of history. On April 24-27, 2026, Darby Days and the Challenge, a road challenge, were held, including a ruck race with weighted packs.
Reenactors from every conflict were present in character, down to what was in their pockets. 
The photograph is of three Revolutionary War citizen patriots. The US Forest Service put on a presentation on the various guns used in the different conflicts, with live fire demonstrations. Fort Smith was active during the westward expansion, the Civil War, and is the home of the US Marshall’s Museum.
US Rangers veterans gathered in Fort Smith to honor General Darby and celebrate their history and service. Darby was the father of the Rangers, serving as their commanding officer from formation through combat. He was also assistant division commander of the 10th Mountain Division.
It was at the Rangers veterans’ morning breakfast that I relayed the story of my father, Eugene S. Hames, and his interaction with then Col. Darby a few days before the end of the war. Eugene was with K Company, 85th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division. The 20-minute PowerPoint was well received.
To summarize my presentation, my father had been ordered to cross Lake Garda in a small boat in daylight. The mission to capture Mussolini’s villa. Darby, being aware of the orders, changed them as he thought the orders were ill-advised. By switching to a larger attack force at night, Darby likely saved my father’s life.
Even though the war was almost over, there was time for more loss of life and tragedy. April 30, 1945, twenty-three 10th Mountain Division soldiers drowned when the DUKW floundered in bad weather on Lake Garda. On that same day, Col. Darby and Sgt. Major Tim Evans were killed by a random artillery shell in Torbole, Italy, at the north end of Lake Garda. The war in Italy ended on May 1, 1945.
The celebration of General Darby’s life was heartfelt and in keeping with Fort Smith’s attention to historical details. The Rangers have a strong esprit de corps, like the 10th Mountain Division. The best way to honor our veterans and those lost in combat is to recall their acts and honor their accomplishments. The Fort Smith History Museum allowed me to share Gen. Darby and my father’s story from Italy in late April 1945.
About the Author
Tom Hames is a Colorado native and the son of a World War II 10th Mountain Division combat veteran. Tom is on the Museum’s Collection Committee and has been a board member since 2015. A full-time trial attorney, he is a novice electric longboard rider. Tom was active with the 10th Mountain Division Foundation and the Resource Center at the Denver Public Library.
The Colorado Snowsports Museum looks forward to welcoming Tom to share his presentation about his father and Col. Darby soon. Follow us and sign up for our email list to stay in the know with upcoming events and other ways in which we can honor soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division and beyond.
About the Colorado Snowsports Museum
Located in Vail, Colorado, the Colorado Snowsports Museum celebrates the rich history of skiing and snowboarding in Colorado and beyond. Through engaging exhibits, educational programming, and special events, the museum preserves and shares the stories of the athletes, innovators, and visionaries who shaped the snow sports industry.
