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Climb to Glory: The Story of the 10th Mountain Division & uniforms vs. Navy


The 2017 Army-Navy Uniform tells the story of the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division and their birth in the winter warfare of World War II. The specialty of the 10th Mountain Division is to conquer the land. They fight on the harshest terrain, in any climate, anywhere in the world, to protect and defend the United States of America. We honor the past by re-telling the story of the “Climb to Glory.”

To view more on the uniform and the inspiration behind it, visit Climbtoglory.football.

"Once again, our friends at Nike and the USMA Department of History allowed us to tell a story of a division of the Army through a uniform,” Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan said. “There are so many stories of our Army. Our ability to tell them through our uniforms and the Army-Navy game has become our duty."

"Our team is honored to represent the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division this Saturday in Philadelphia,” head coach Jeff Monken said. “As a team, we take pride in remembering and honoring those that have come before us. To be aligned with such a great division of the United States Army that has fought on some of the harshest terrain in the world, makes this opportunity special and there is no better way to show our appreciation than to wear their patches for the greatest rivalry in all of sports."


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The Birth of the 10th Mountain Division:

Alpine Origins: After Finnish soldiers on skis annihilated two Soviet tank divisions, the President of the National Ski Patrol, Charles Minot (Minnie) Dole lobbied the War Department to train troops in mountain and winter warfare. On December 8th, 1941 General George C. Marshall activated the Army’s first mountain unit. The 87th Mountain Infantry Battalion formed the foundation of the 10th Mountain Division.

Pando Commandos: The 85th, 86th and 87th Infantry Regiments joined together in Pando, Colorado on July 13, 1943 to form the 10th Light Alpine Division. Soldiers at Camp Hale trained at 9,200 feet, honing their skills to fight and survive in the most brutal mountain conditions.

Climb to Glory: On February 18th, 1945 at 0117, teams of expert climbers began to ascend Riva Ridge, scaling the 1500 meter cliff to overcome German forces who had thought themselves secure. The 10th Mountain Division turned terrain to their advantage, setting up the allies for a decisive victory in Italy.

**To chat with other Army fans about this article and more, please visit The 12th Knight message board**

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