Colorado Experience: Camp Hale

[@raywalters6141]

This was great to see. My father came from Ft Carson to Camp Hale and the 10th with the Artillery Battalion in early '42. I was fortunate enough to go back there with my father when I was in high school and hear him talk about the camp and training that he went through there. Being from the farmlands of Nebraska to the mountains of CO was quite the contrast. He loved the outdoors and talked every now and then about that time in his life. Then in 2014 and 2018 I took the time to revisit Tennessee Pass memorial and the camp's site again and capture those memories. Have not been back since and would hope that the conservation and preservation spoken of in the program has come to pass. Thanks to PBS for posting this great program on one the the US' most significant military's units, the 10th Mountain Division.

[@glenjo0]

We just got back from a family reunion in Leadville. My wife and I spent our last night in Colorado camping up the Dead End road at Camp Hale after visiting the memorial at Cooper Mountain (where my wife learned to ski). A special place. Thanks for this.

[@sunseekerrs3087]

My husband and I were just at Camp Hale today. It’s amazing what those brave soldiers did during that time in this area. For those of you wondering, there is no river going through the old grounds other than what was shown in the video. I hope there never is. I hope they preserve this area just the way it is now.

[@davidmalo7509]

My father was in the 10th at Camp Hale. I remember he still had all of his equipment. Because of his experience our family became a ski family quite early.

[@harrymills2770]

Dad did ski training at Camp Hale. He knew what he was about when it came to cross-country skiing and survival, but to him, it seemed like an awful lot of work, when he could be perfectly comfortable in his easy chair, reading a book. I always loved the outdoors, and wished he were more inclined that way, because he had so much to share in that regard.

[@wilburcase3766]

I am a former Colorado native left Colorado in the fall of 1954 to join the Navy and settled in Salt Lake after I was released from active duty in 1958. I knew about Camp Hale and the 10 th Mountain Division and saw the remains of it several times but didn't know any of it's history. The Army would open it up temporarily in the winter to train troops, they lived in tents then this was in the early 50 s. I skied with a group of them one Sunday at a small ski course on Tennessee Pass during this time period. My first skis were Army surplus skis my dad bought for me and my older brother, they didn't have bindings so were difficult to control. I greatly enjoyed your video and hope the memories of Camp Hale can be kept alive and the site preserved.

[@dianekb2745]

My dad served as a quartermaster at Cape Hale. He wasn't a skier then, but his love of the Colorado mountains took him and my mom to Fort Collins to live for his 30 years of retirement. He and my mom took up downhill skiing in their 50s and skied into their 80s.

[@harrymills2770]

Fort Collins isn't exactly mountain country, but it's a short drive to the mountains, all right.

[@dianekb2745]

They chose Fort Collins because they grew up in Minnesota so they wanted the best of both, mountains and prairies. They lived east of 25 before Fort Collins sprawled everywhere like it has now.

[@staceyhensley9255]

Hello. I was born in Leadville Colorado 1967. I spent many moons at my grandparents house there, in Leadville. I remember 2 handfuls of going to camp hale just browsing around looking for interesting things. We found arrowheads and all kinds of interesting rocks. I was just a child, now realizing that the history was surrounding me.💞

[@harrymills2770]

History and geology.

[@vikingwoman1988]

I am from Massachusetts binge watching this series! Love it 😊!

[@bethbartlett5692]

Moving History, 1st I've heard of this Division. Most impressive men. It is most worthy that it is now a Recreational Area. That should be our goal for Every Camp. Focusing on Harmony rather than reacting and conflict. We create our reality, we can do it desirable. 💛

[@cylentstoner]

I wish more natives and locals alike had greater interest in our magnificent history rich state

[@BurntTransGarage]

Completely agree. This Colorado Experience series from Rocky Mountain PBS is absolutely invaluable. So glad to see that COVID hasn't slowed PBS down. So proud of my state.

[@lsnows]

Agreed...

[@insertnamehere6348]

I live in minturn, dad grew up in gilman im as local as it gets. Camp hale will always be one of my most favorite places to just be knowing that thousands of men trained here to go fight the war against nazis who ended up not only losing but being apart of the decommissioning of the camp. Loads of magnificent and mind boggling history

[@karenshroyer7417]

I was honored to know "Nick". whom trained at Camp Hale.Was sent to the Aleutians.Then,came back to Colorado where he was with the ski patrol.

[@whogoes]

My dad went to the Aleutian Islands & trained at Camp Hale, too.

[@hellrazer4565t]

Awesome story proud i got to snowmobile there it was something if never forget

[@darreljohnson5416]

Amazing what these men did and the legacy.

[@wantew4666]

This is an epic story, beautifully put together...

[@pilotguy40]

My Dad was in the 86th F Company. Also did Korea. Was hit about 1951. Carried that bullet in his back till he died in 1973. Its been almost 50 years since he passed. A Grandson and Great grandson are named after him. Robert P Caron. I Believe Camp Hale was used to train Tibetans to fight Communist Chinese about 1950???

[@stefan3225]

Been waiting all week for this! So excited!

[@vcom2327]

I've been there. Only a few foundations left.

[@landonstainbrook1183]

I live right by it! So cool

[@shannonemilyborders]

Being born and raised in Colorado honestly put up informational plaques and a map; then restore the land. We have imagination and can use our imagination to see a base.

[@zacharybowen4247]

Great documentary. why not build replicas of the infrastructure of the camp such as barricks, rife ranges ect

[@nmelkhunter1]

That's a great idea since it would give a better appreciation for living conditions such as the potential use of wood stoves for heat, the stables used for mules and horses, the logistical facilities needed to run a US Army post, etc.

[@jensherman2771]

My son learned to ski at Cooper Hill (yes, it will always be Cooper Hill to me). I wish they would just leave Camp Hale alone.

[@StanleyLevinson]

Camp Hale was a beautiful place to be stationed. Thanks U.S. government.

[@jamesbingham4538]

Leave it alone as it exists, as war memorial!!!

[@SteveWright-oy8ky]

I think a compromising plan would work ! Excavate for the original river to go back in place, allowing for the flood plain re-establish and the vegetation to take hold. Next would be to build a few of the type buildings representing what stood in those specific areas, or as best as can be afforded . Hard line borders could be set in the ground marking the size and perimeters of each specific area also,.... barracks, offices, chow hall, roadways, etc. it could be done at far less expense , bring back the natural ecosystem and still preserve the camps major assets with a minimal impact and creating a lifelong historical site. As for the diverted river, a concrete or stone culvert could be placed with limited water usage showing what job it had performed in a limited way but still being a physical representation of the important job it held. Even dried out, you could see the function it performed in the design of the camp ! Yes, a compromise plane can work, if we want it to !

[@EbersoleMedia]

Beautiful piece and great story! Nice job! And that fly fisherman looked really familiar :-)

[@wantew4666]

Great work 🧐

[@friedmac7146]

Ft. Lewis Washington would be proud..

[@AlternityGM]

During the Cold War Camp Hale was used to covertly train Tibetan guerrillas to fight the Communist Chinese occupation of Tibet. Many of these Tibetans fought bravely against overwhelming Chicom forces. One raid resulted in a treasure trove of secret CCP documents revealing the mass starvation in China caused my Mao’s Great Leap Forward. Although the armed rebellion ended in the 1970s, we Tibetans still struggle for freedom and human rights and are grateful for US help for Tibetans then and now.

[@lsnows]

12:13 Wait JUST A SEC!!! They surrendered to Brazilians too. The 148th German division surrendered AS SUCH to the Brazilian Expeditionary Force. As a child of Brazil, and a resident of Colorado, I'm proud of both the FEB and the 10th Mtn.!!!

[@DougGrinbergs]

Jazzed about new national monument designation

[@m.k.7199]

I have a lot of respect for the 10th Mountain Division of WWII. When they reconstituted the 10th Mtn Div in the 1980's, the idiot commander wanted to drop the mountain designation for mechanize configuration. Fortunately, veterans of the WWII 10th Mtn Div fought the Army to keep it a mountain unit. This foresight was rewarded in Afghanistan, where the current 10th Mtn Div fought with honor. After WWII these skills were kept alive in the 10th Special Force Group, the 1st Bde 11th Airborne Division, the US Army Ranger School, and the Vermont National Guard. Today, (it is my understanding) that only one brigade is designated as a mountain operations unit and the Army considers the 10th Mountain Division as a light infantry unit. The stupidity of the US Army today (Sept 2024) may affect our ability to execute operations in mountainous environments. They are more concerned with pronouns and woke issues than the readiness of the US Army. Thank you PBS for this video.

[@mikejf4377]

Where is this at in Colorado? Near what city is it.

[@jacobcurtis]

It's between Minturn and Leadville

[@jacobcurtis]

The Tennessee Pass area

[@mikejf4377]

@@jacobcurtis thanks very much.

[@mikejf4377]

@@jacobcurtis thanks very much.

[@StanleyLevinson]

I spent 17 months in camp hale. It couldn’t be better.

[@pauladams7344]

We owe them a debt we can never repay !

[@NunYa953]

Basically this was an infomercial for the CORE act. 👎

[@lsnows]

Explain to us what the CORE act is...

[@NunYa953]

@@lsnows Part of the liberal agenda of "protecting" public land by limiting their use.

[@DillardDenton-qu4winds]

You want to restore the floodplain to take the history away, why would you really want nature to erase a 2 year military mission? The same year Adolph created last Mis Denver, this video shows no major concrete building of a city, building above ground is not Camp Hale as the foundations are all still there, 2 missions as 1 saved the Brown, the military patches representative of what country? Where's all the snow of war in this video

[@DillardDenton-qu4winds]

There is gold you never mentioned as the real reason you want to dig and be the eraser, natural restoration is to leave it alone

[@MikeJohnson-nj1ry]

Every American mountaineer looks up to the tenth.