The 10th Mountain Division
This life-size statue of a World War II ski trooper memorializes the mountaineers of the 10th Mountain Division. Perched on a 50-ton boulder, the rifle-toting, ski-clad scout pays tribute not only to those who saw battle, but to all who trained with the 10th Mountain Division, many of whom went on to become ski industry leaders. Local 10th Mountain veteran Don Carlson and his wife Marietta led the charge to have the piece created; the sculptor, Robert J. Eccleston also served in the U.S. Military.
Volunteers for this elite unit included famous skiers and mountaineers. The division was activated in July 1943, trained as an alpine/ski Light Infantry unit at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado and began fighting in Italy in January 1945. In February, it conducted a difficult but successful assault on Mount Belvedere. By April, the 10th was in the Po Valley, crossing the Po River and making an amphibious crossing of Lake Garda. The division served for a time in German occupation duties, then was deactivated on November 30, 1945. During WWII a total of 19,912 men served in the 10th in Italy - 14,200 who went overseas together, plus 5,712 replacements. Of these, 977 men were killed in action in Italy, 19 men were killed on Kiska Island along the Aleutian chain in the Bering Sea, 3,938 men were wounded in action, and 28 Prisoners of War. For Heroic Actions: 1 Congressional Medal of Honor, 5 Distinquished Service Crosses, 449 Silver Stars and 8,010 Bronze Stars were awarded to the soldiers of the 10th in Italy.
When the German Army in Italy surrendered, The German commander, General Fricks Von Senger und Etterlin, who signed the surrender documents for his country and who had experienced combat on three fronts, wrote in his diaries, "The 10th Mountain Division had been my most dangerous opponent in the past fighting."
The only requirement to log this cache is to post a picture of yourself (face not required) or a personal item with the sculpture. Bonus points if you include mountains in the background. 
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.