http://bit.ly/ajDVbv FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN, a documentary film by Beth and George Gage, celebrates the United States' indomitable snowmen, World War II's 10th Mountain Division, in war and peace. The film is an emotional portrait of the creation, grueling training, and daring war exploits of America's only mountain and winter warfare division and then focuses on their next 50 years. United by their love of the mountains, the Division lured championship skiers, mountain climbers and European outdoorsmen fleeing Hitler to its ranks. Then for three long years they trained, waited and wondered if they would ever see action. In the fall of 1944, the Germans were firmly entrenched in Italy's Apennines. Because of their observation post, atop 2,300 feet of vertical shale, three Allied attempts to dislodge them had failed. General Mark Clark decided to give the untested mountain troops a chance. On Christmas Day, 1944, the Division landed in Naples, Italy and on February 18, 1945, members of the Division made a spectacular night climb of Italy's "Riva Ridge" and ambushed the heavily entrenched Germans on top. During the next two months, the "10th" pursued the Germans all the way to the Alps before Germany finally surrendered. After the war, the men of the 10th Mountain Division returned to America to become the pioneers of its infant ski industry and the backbone of its outdoor education and conservation movements. http://bit.ly/ajDVbv
