At approximately 1:30 a.m. on April 13, a trailer loaded with approximately $25,000 worth of historical artifacts from the 10th Mountain Division was stolen.
The lost artifact is not easily found today, but for the historical re-enactment group that owned it, there is a ray of hope.
What You Need to Know The 10th Mountain Division Living History Exhibit Group is based in Colorado, home of the 10th Mountain Division.
The group will travel across the country and set up camps with historical artifacts related to the history of the 10th Division.
A trailer owned by the group was stolen with $25,000 worth of goods inside – the trailer was later recovered, but only about a third of the goods were inside.
The 10th Mountain Division is forever linked to these two communities, from its birthplace at Camp Hale, Colorado, to its current home at Fort Drum.
“When the division was activated in 1985, we started working with division personnel to tell that story,” said David Little, co-founder of the 10th Mountain Division Living History Exhibit Group.
Little, a Colorado resident, wanted to ensure that the 10th Mountain Division’s history and legacy would continue when it was officially reactivated at Fort Drum in 1985.
“They were doing something completely different. They had eight million regular Army soldiers and 15,000 mountaineers and military skiers,” he said of the original 10th Regiment. “In fact, they were more special than the Rangers in World War II.”
To ensure that story would be perpetuated, Little helped start the 10th Mountain Division’s Living History Display Group about 40 years ago.
“Instead of running around in the weeds firing blanks at each other, they set up anywhere from a one-soldier exhibition area to a small group campsite,” he said.
The group holds trade shows and sets up shop across the country, including Fort Drum for its annual Mountain Fest celebration.
“It’s basically a recreation of the 10th Mountain Division camp site. It’s a museum without the glass cases,” Little said.
The group takes up residence in a trailer, which is packed with actual historical artifacts from the 10th Mountain Division, from uniforms and weapons to tents, nets and a kitchen.
“Just like a military operation, with 10 people, you can get it ready in an hour to an hour and a half,” Little added.
But that history, at least in part, may be lost forever.
In April, someone stole a trailer and everything inside the trailer that was in front of a group member’s home in Colorado.
“Assuming we can find a replacement at whatever price, we’ve lost an estimated $20,000 to $25,000 worth of artifacts,” Little said.
Although the group won’t be able to attend Mountain Fest this year, the story ends on a good news note.
Police in Colorado recently discovered the trailer and some of the artifacts still inside, meaning a bleak future is giving way to hope.
“It’s important to preserve history right now because it’s history that’s disappearing,” Little said.
There may even be a stop at Fort Drum next year.
With so much still missing, the group has set up a Go Fund Me to raise funds to purchase the items.
The museum is also inviting anyone with artefacts they would like to donate to contact them via their website.
