Archives West Finding Aid

"A Short History of the 85th Mountain Infantry Regiment" (1945) is a photocopy of a booklet describing the experiences of this army unit from its activation in August 1943 to its inactivation in November 1945--both in Colorado. The regiment trained for survival and combat in winter mountain conditions in Colorado, Texas, and Virginia, then shipped overseas at the end of 1944, arriving in Naples, Italy, on January 13, 1945. The unit joined the forces assembled to attack the German strongholds in the Apennines Mountains. In three major offensive attacks, with heavy casualties, these forces crossed the Apennines from south to north, entered and crossed the Po River valley, and effectively ended the war in Italy. This history is told in terms of battle tactics at the company and battalion level with occasional notes of individual heroism. It is dedicated to "Our comrades in the 85th Mountain Infantry who made the supreme sacrifice that we might live as free men." The name of the author is not disclosed.