Film tells 10th Mountain Division story
Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 10 years, 11 months AGO
A special showing of the documentary film “Fire on the Mountains” on the history of the 10th Mountain Division and its impact on the development of the U.S. ski industry will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Museum at Central School in Kalispell. The presentation is free to the public and no reservations are needed.
The legendary and unique light infantry fighting force of World War II, the 10th Mountain Division, did not stop its legacy after the war.
Collectively, the members of the 10th had a substantial effect in the postwar development of skiing as a vacation industry and major sport. Ex-soldiers laid out ski hills, designed ski lifts, became ski coaches, racers, instructors, patrollers, shop owners and filmmakers.
They wrote and published ski magazines, opened ski schools, improved ski equipment and developed ski resorts. Up to 2,000 of the division’s troops were involved in skiing-related professions after the war, and at least 60 ski resorts, including Big Mountain in Whitefish, were founded by men of the division.
The museum is located at 124 Second Ave. E. Th event is hosted by the Northwest Montana Posse of Westerners. For more information, call Ron at 756-8791 or visit northwestmontanaposseofwesterners.wordpress.com.