The History of the Stolen 10th Mountain Division

Around 1:30 a.m. on April 13, a trailer containing approximately $25,000 worth of historical items from the 10th Mountain Division was stolen.

Lost artifacts are things that are simply difficult to find today. There is, however, a glimmer of hope for the living history group that owned it.

From its birthplace of Camp Hale, Colorado, to its current hometown of Fort Drum, the 10th Mountain Division is forever connected to these two communities.

“When the division was established in 1985, we began working with division personnel to tell this story,” said David Little, co-founder of the 10th Mountain Division’s Living History Display Group.

Few lives in Colorado. In 1985, when the 10th Mountain Division was officially reactivated at Fort Drum, he wanted to make sure the division’s history, its legacy, would survive.

“These guys were doing something completely different. You had 8 million conventional military personnel and 15,000 military mountaineers and skiers,” he said of the original 10th. “In fact, a more exclusive unit than the Rangers were during World War II.”

To ensure this story will be told forever, about 40 years ago Little helped found the 10th Mountain Division Living History Exhibit Group.

“Rather than running around in the weeds and shooting blanks at each other, we would have exhibitions ranging from single soldiers to small group campsites,” he said.

The group holds exhibitions and sets up locations across the country, including Fort Drum for its annual Mountainfest celebration.

“This is basically a camp of the 10th Mountain Division. It’s a museum without a window,” Little said.

The group sets up from a caravan. This is a trailer filled with real and historical artifacts from the 10th Mountain Division, from uniforms and weapons to tents and nets, and even kitchens.

“Just like a military operation, you know, 10 guys and we can be set up in an hour, an hour and a half,” Little added.

However, its story may be gone, at least partially, forever.

In April, someone stole this trailer and everything in it from outside one of the group’s members’ homes in Colorado.

“We lost about $20,000 to $25,000 worth of artifacts, if I can even find replacements at any price,” Little said.

Even though the band won’t be able to set up at this year’s Mountainfest, this story nevertheless ends with good news.

Police in Colorado recently found the trailer and some of the artifacts still inside, meaning a bleak future is giving way to hope.

“Because it’s important to preserve history in this day and age and it’s history that’s disappearing,” Little said.

Maybe even a stop at Fort Drum next year.

Because there’s still a lot to lose, the group launched a Go Fund Me initiative in hopes of raising money to make some purchases.

He is also asking anyone with artifacts they would be willing to donate to contact them through his website.