Memorial Day is a time to remember those lost during service to the United States. As we honor the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division, Memorial Day is important to the Colorado Snowsports Museum. In keeping their legacy alive, we want to remember the life of Colonel William Orlando Darby and share the connection he had with First Lieutenant Eugene Hames, featured in our museum, and the father of long-time Board member Tom Hames.

This piece was written in collaboration with Tom Hames. Colorado native and son of a World War II 10th Mountain Division combat veteran, Tom is on the Collection Committee at the Museum and has been a board member since 2015. A full-time trial attorney, he is a novice electric longboard rider. Tom was active with the 10th Mountain Division Foundation and the Resource Center at the Denver Public Library.

The following is written by Tom Hames, from his perspective as well as his father’s.

When World War II approached, the United States had no Army troops trained in mountain warfare or how to survive and fight in harsh winter and alpine environments. European countries had many such divisions; Germany alone had three Alpine Divisions at the start of the War and 14 Alpine Divisions by the end of the War. The 10th Mountain Division was formed with the idea of making soldiers out of skiers. The Division was the only U.S. military unit recruited by civilian organizations, the National Ski Patrol and the American Alpine Club.

They trained at Camp Hale, Colorado, named for Irving Hale, a Spanish American U.S. Army officer with one of the highest graduation scores in the history of West Point.

The Division had Ivy League skiers, Scandinavian ski jumpers, outfitters, outdoor guides, and cowboys, anyone who could orient and move safely outdoors in all seasons. My father , Eugene S. Hames, volunteered for the 10th Mountain Division at Butte, Montana, on November 16, 1942. He was born on a cattle and sheep ranch outside of Missoula, Montana. He was also a lumberjack, falling trees year-round. He shipped out to Camp Hale, where he learned how to ski as well as get his basic training as a soldier.

The 10th Mountain Division trained for over two years in the mountains of Colorado. They were the last U.S. Army division committed to the European theatre of war. They had the difficult job of conquering the north of Italy, all after the fall of Rome on June 4, 1944, and the D-Day landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944.

The 10th Mountain Division had to fight through the German Gothic Line in the Apennine Mountains to the Po Valley. When the Division broke through to the Po Valley, a race began to see who would arrive first at Brenner Pass, the entrance to Germany. Once the German troops reached Germany, it was thought their motivation to defend the fatherland would increase to a zealous furor.

William Orlando Darby joined the 10th Mountain Division as Assistant Division Commander. He was a highly trained and combat-seasoned soldier. He was also one of the most experienced amphibious assault-trained officers in the U.S. Army. His background is impressive. Colonel Darby arrived as the Division began a last series of assaults on the lake country of Lake Garda. What Col. Darby brought to the division was battle-tested tactics.

Col. Darby was a 1933 graduate of West Point, and here is where he learned these tactics. He was assigned to the 82nd Field Artillery, one of the few horse-drawn artillery units. For 8.5 years, he had a variety of assignments. He was promoted to captain in October 1940. In 1941, he participated in joint Army/Navy training in Puerto Rico, amphibious landings from ship to shore. He also endured similar training in the New River Area in North Carolina. This type of amphibious training was only provided to a limited number of officers. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was ordered to join the 34th Division in New York.

In January 1942, Darby and the 34th left Brooklyn for Belfast and arrived in May 1942 in Ireland. Col. Darby was ordered to train the British Commandos under Colonel Lucian K. Truscott Jr. General George Marshall wanted combat-experienced officers and thought training with the British Commandos was the next best thing.

The First Ranger Battalion was formed in June 1943 when the 34th Division was in Ireland. All were volunteers. They had specialized training and equipment. The name came from the Rangers led by Major Robert Rogers in the pre-revolutionary American and French and Indian Wars. The First Ranger Battalion was assigned to the British Special Forces.

In Operation Torch in November 1942, Rangers were in support of Allied landings in North Africa. There were three task forces: Western - George Patton, 2nd Armored Division, and 9th Infantry Division. Central Major General L. Fredendall, 1st Infantry Division, and Rangers. East Algeria British Division and Regimental Combat Team.

It was here that the Rangers and British Commandos participated in numerous amphibious landings in North Africa and Italy. The 1st Ranger Battalion participated in the North African landing at Arzew, Algeria, the Tunisian Battles, and the critical Battle of El Guettar.

Col. Darby was always on the front line in his command, not directing operations from afar. The Rangers were the tip of the spear for these operations. This leading element and the attack at Point du Hoc on D-Day are thought to be where the Rangers' motto originated. “Rangers led the way.”

It was late April 1945. The War was finally going well for the Allies. The 10th Mountain Division was pushing north as Task Force Duff. The Assistant Division Commander, Brigadier General Duff was wounded. Col. Darby was his replacement. As the Division moved north, they came upon the Lakes of Northern Italy, Como, and Garda.

My Father, Eugene Hames, and his platoon were on the east side of Lake Guarda. They could see Germans across the lake on the west side, trucks, motorcycles, and troops. There were several large villas. The intelligence officer for the regiment ordered my father and 10 men from his platoon to cross the lake in a small boat to capture one of the villas.

I’ll let my father tell the rest of the story. The following information comes from an article Eugene Hames wrote in 1998.

Our mission: to capture and occupy a villa where Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, had been living toward the end of the war. After being deposed by the Italian Fascist Grand Council in July 1943, he had set up a puppet government, at Hitler’s urging, in northern Italy. After that, the Italian government surrendered and declared the country’s neutrality.

After I made my way back to my platoon, I asked for volunteers, and we were in the process of deciding which men would go and what firepower we would take, when a jeep drove up. A full Colonel [Darby] was seated in the front passenger seat, an officer I had never seen before.

When I saw the “chicken” on his shoulder and the 10th Mountain Division patch, I saluted him. He asked me what we were doing and, after I explained our mission, he said, “I don’t like this, Lieutenant.”

I said, “I don’t either, sir.” He then cancelled the mission. Darby changed the orders, and a special task force consisting of all of K Company and some additional platoons was created with orders to cross the lake at night in order to occupy Mussolini’s villa. We were supplied with large amphibious DUKWs to make the crossing.

The trip over was uneventful. Not a shot fired. We found that the villa was a very unique two-story building and bore evidence that Mussolini had been living there. One room was filled with medicine and pills and looked like a pharmacy. It bore silent testimony to the fact that Mussolini had been a very ill man toward the end of the war. I promptly took over a large second-floor bedroom ( which I assume was the bedroom used by the dictator) for platoon headquarters.

TMD-142, DUKW crossing Lake Garda. Photo Credit: Denver Public Library

I have never been able to determine exactly when Mussolini left the Villa, but one article I read stated he left the area on April 19 and went to Milan. He was killed by partisans on April 28, two days before Hitler committed suicide.

Although the war was winding down, there was time for one more tragedy. On April 30, the same day we occupied Mussolini’s villa, Col. Darby was killed by a random German artillery round in the town of Torbole, at the north end of Lake Garda. It may have been the last German artillery round fired in Italy.

The 1st platoon was proud to have made some real contribution to shortening the War in the Italian theater. We will always remember the night we crossed the lake and occupied the villa. And I will always be indebted to Col. Darby, as I believe he saved our lives by cancelling the planned smaller daylight excursion across the Lake Garda and delayed the crossing until after dark.

That ends my father’s account of taking Mussolini’s Villa.

In closing, the randomness of War brought Col. Darby and my father together on the shore of Lake Garda. Lucky for my father Col. Darby was one of the most experienced amphibious assault officers in the U.S. Army. He brought that experience to the 10th Mountain Division and the shores of Lake Garda, saving my father’s life, just before Col. Darby lost his own life. By hearing Col. Darby’s story and his interaction with my father, we acknowledge their hardship and sacrifice, and we honor them and all veterans.

In recent months, this important story of the 10th Mountain Division has come to light as filmmakers Ben Appleby and Antonella Previdi, with the Association Benach, work on their second documentary about Colonel Darby. Debuting their first project, the award-winning documentary “The Lost Mountaineers”, in 2024, this second project, “With Love, Billy,” tells the story of William O. Darby. To learn more about this project and share your support, click here: https://gofund.me/b4b0b3a1.

For those of you in the Vail area, we invite you to stop by the Colorado Snowsports Museum this summer to see our 10th Mountain Division exhibit, “Climb to Glory.” This exhibit touches on the formation and recruitment of the 10th and follows them through Italy and the taking of Mussolini’s villa. Here you’ll see real equipment used by the mountain troops, items from Mussolini’s villa, and more. Visit snowsportsmuseum.org to plan your trip.

About the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame:

Founded in 1975 and located in Vail, Colorado, our mission is to celebrate Colorado snow sports by telling stories that educate and inspire others to seek adventure. The priceless artifacts we collect and display tell the story of the birth, rise and explosion of skiing and snowboarding in Colorado. The Museum features displays including Climb to Glory about the 10th Mountain Division, Vail’s DNA, The Colorado Snowboard Archive, and The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame, among many others. Learn more and consider supporting the Museum by becoming a member: www.snowsportsmuseum.org.

Media Contacts:

Colorado Snowsports Museum:

Jen Mason | Dana Mathios

jen@snowsportsmuseum.org | dana@snowsportsmuseum.org

(970) 476-1876

Remembering Colonel Darby & First Lieutenant Eugene Hames