The ranks of the 10th Mountain Division during World War Two were filled by men who in civilian life were already proficient in skiing and mountaineering.
They were shipped to the Italian front and their actions in the Apennine Mountains and the Alps led to the German surrender in Italy on May 2, 1945. The division was disbanded in late 1945, but reestablished in the 1980s, and is based today at Fort Drum, in Watertown, New York.
Hamilton College History Professor Maurice Isserman is set to give an illustrated talk on his new book, The Winter Army: The 10th Mountain Division in World War II, on Saturday, December 7th, at the Oneida County History Center in Utica.
Maurice Isserman is the Publius Virgilius Rogers Professor of History at Hamilton College. He holds a Ph.D. from University of Rochester and is a former Fulbright grant-winner. He has written numerous prize-winning books including The Other American: The Life of Michael Harrington, and his co-authored book Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes.
This program takes place in the History Center’s main gallery, starting at 1 pm. Copies of The Winter Army will be available for purchase at the program.
The Oneida County History Center is located at 1608 Genesee Street, Utica. More information is available on their website, or by calling (315) 735-3642.
Photo of a 10th Mountain Division soldier in February 1945 standing below Riva Ridge in Italy’s Northern Apennine Mountains, courtesy Denver Public Library.
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