Found in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the peaks and valleys that surrounded Camp Hale forged the elite soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division—the Army’s first and only mountain infantry division.
During World War II, the soldiers at Camp Hale trained in mountain warfare techniques including mountain climbing, alpine skiing, cold-weather survival as well as various weapons and ordnance deployment. Here in the Still Picture Branch, we have many photographs related to Camp Hale and the Mountain Troops.
The series 337-TNG: Photographs Related to the 10th Mountain Division Training Activities at Camp Hale, Colorado, 1943–1944 contains images taken by the Mountain and Winter Warfare Board and show the various training activities that took place at Camp Hale, such as maneuvering through rough terrain, firing weapons, and using equipment adapted for mobility.
More photographs of the Mountain Troops and Camp Hale can also be found in our Army Signal Corps series, 111-SC.
Left Image: Mountain Climbers call this “repelling”. To the uninitiated, he’s coming down the mountain. 1943. (Local ID: 111-SC-179931)
Right Image: Hands and legs are timing – that’s what counts here. The 50 pound rucksack and rifle don’t make things any easier. 1943. (Local ID: 111-SC-179925)
Camp Hale: Then and Now
Right: Top of the Rockies – Mountain Backdrop at Camp Hale Memorial. ca. 1995 – ca. 2013 (Local ID: 406-NSB-135-CampHale4. NAID: 7722422)
Interested in seeing more from the Still Picture Branch’s holdings? Check out the National Archives Catalog for more digitized photographs of Camp Hale.
The photographs included within this post are can be found in the series 111-SC and 337-TNG, and have no known copyright restrictions. If you have any questions about the images in this post or the holdings of the Still Picture Branch, please contact us at stillpix@nara.gov.
PUBLICATION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FURNISHED BY THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES STILL PICTURE BRANCH-RRSS
Generally, copies of photographic records held by the National Archives may be published without special permission or additional fees. The National Archives does not grant exclusive or non-exclusive publication privileges. Copies of Federal records, as part of the public domain, are equally available to all. A small percentage of photographs in our holdings are or may be subject to copyright restrictions. The National Archives does not confirm the copyright status of photographs but will provide any information known about said status. It is the user’s responsibility to obtain all necessary clearances. Any use of these items is made at the researcher’s or purchaser’s own risk.
Proper credit lines are encouraged in the interest of good documentation. They also help inform the public about government photographic resources that are available.
*Because so many of our requests for information cite credits and captions that appear in published works, the inclusion of a photo number in hard copy and electronic publications is of great assistance to both us and the public.
Examples of preferred credit lines are as follows:
- National Archives photo no. 210-G-C241
- Credit National Archives (photo no. 83-G-41368)
- Courtesy National Archives, photo no. 83-G-41430
- National Archives (210-G-A14)
If using a large number of our images, the National Archives will appreciate receiving copies of publications that contain our photographs. Such copies can be sent to the Still Picture Branch or the Library, National Archives and Records Administration.
An absolutely wonderful post to honor the 10th Mountain Division and the significant contribution during WWII. Excellent job!
Book: “TheWinter Army” by Maurice Isserman, 2019, World War II odyssey of the 10th Mountain Division, America’s elite alpine warriors.
This one, along with the many other books on the 10th, adds details of these heroes.
Camp Hale was designated by POTUS as a National Monument in October 2022. It is the first monument Biden selected during his administration.