By Bill Hoffland
Every year for the past 37 years the veterans and families of the 10th Mountain Division from World War II have been gathering for a week of skiing in the high peaks of Colorado for an event dubbed “Ski Week.” The 10th Mountain Division, along with the 99th Infantry Battalion Separate were the only ski troops of the U.S. Army, and played an important role in the liberation of northern Italy during WWII. Many ski resorts in Colorado were formed by former 10th Mountain vets, including Aspen, Vail and Breckenridge, and a large number of 10th Mountain vets worked in the ski industry after the war – managing and founding ski areas, developing ski equipment, and working for the Olympics.