I just finished the book "The Boys of Winter" by Charles J. Sanders. My wife gave it to me for my birthday. It is about members, friends, and family of the 10th Mtn. Division in WW II, and also during the years before the war, with a quick survey of their accomplishments after the war. Such accomplishments include founding many ski areas, outdoor organizations and notable outdoor pursuits. It is about people who love skiing, climbing and the mountains and who formed an organization of mountain troops after the war dedicated to world peace and with with the motto, "if everyone skied there would be no war."<br><br>The 87th Regiment took over Paradise Lodge in 1942 to train, test prototype mechanized equipment, and learn winter techniques. The 87th later joined with other Regiments to become the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale CO.<br><br>"The Boys of Winter" focuses on three individuals- one from Seattle, one from Wisconsin, one from Massachusetts. It also enlarges on their friends and families, and of course the interactions, training and combat in Italy of the 10th. In the 1930s the main characters of the book usually earned their turns using skins before getting a downhill run.<br><br>Members of the 10th are well known to many of us. In the book many famous outdoorsman and skiers are mentioned including Ralph Bromighan from Seattle and one of the original Ptarmigans, Fred Beckey, Paul Petzoldt; David Brower, Founder of the Sierra Club; Freidl Pfeifer, Percy Rideout, John Litchfield who developed Vail along with others; Duke Watson and Ed Link of Crystal Mountain, Nelson Bennett of White Pass and many others of notable accomplishment. 10th Mtn. trooper Torger Tokle, the World Champion ski jumper from Norway, jumped here in Leavenworth in the 1930s.<br><br>My old log cutter acquaintance here in Leavenworth joined the 10th at Camp Hale and survived the campaign. He tut-tuts all of the glory of war described in the books. He said that he went through the entire Italian Campaign with the 10th and never fired his rifle. He said that there would be shooting up or down the line, but never where he was. But he said there was the ever present threat of incoming artillery.<br><br>Reading WW II history is one of my main hobbies. I found "The Boys of Winter" to be very enjoyable in large part because of the inclusion of details of families and friends outside of the 10th and because of the focus on the absolute passion for skiing and the mountains held by many of the 10th soldiers.<br><br>Sempre Avanti.
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