10th Mountain Division Descendant's partnership
The first time we met some veterans and descendants of the 10th mountain division was in 1996.
It was with a certain curiosity and respect that we observed and reflected on why, after 51 years, one should still feel the urge to return to a land where today’s veterans turned from young men, with their lives in front of them to adults, thrown into the field of battle, in a foreign land, and had to see their companions die, often horribly, and stare death in the face every minute of every day.
There are also, of course, those who have tried, and often in vain, to block out those memories of blood and pain. We believe a respect for these men should and must be passed down to future generations who are alive today because of the sacrifices, broadly speaking, made by our “fathers”.
This is why we think the best way to convey our respect is to continue paying tribute to those who fought and died in our country, with memories whose natural home is a museum, the one at Iola di Montese in particular.
The halls dedicated to the 10th mountain division, featuring daily and personal objects, uniforms, weapons and equipment, are in keeping with this strong theme of the partnership between the museum of Iola di Montese and the association of the descendents of the 10th mountain division.
We would like to thank Val Rios, the President of the association of the descendents of the 10th mountain division, and all the veterans for their kind and valuable contribution to the museum.
