Phantoms in the Snow (17 page)

The Phantoms, or Tenth Mountain Division, were an actual skiing division that made the assault on Riva Ridge and Mount Belvedere in February 1945. By capturing these mountains, they turned the tide of the war in Italy. Many in the military considered their purpose frivolous, but in Italy, the Phantoms proved those skeptics wrong. The attack on Riva and Belvedere and the subsequent push into the Po Valley proved not only their incredible mountaineering skills, but also their courage and their willingness to give their lives for their country.

Many of the Phantoms, like Olaf, came from northern Europe: Finland, Norway, and Sweden. They were already great skiers and resistance fighters, and they helped train their American counterparts at Camp Hale.

Before they left for Europe, the Phantoms were known for their wild exploits in Colorado. Two Phantoms actually did challenge each other to the hike James Shelley made, seventy-five miles with only one candy bar for provisions. They also did radio to a pilot who was flying below them as they skied at a higher altitude. Once, just for fun, they scaled the sides of Leadville’s Vendome Hotel, giving the guests a terrible fright. They escaped without getting caught.

The maneuvers on Ptarmigan Peak and the training for all recruits were real and as vigorous as described in this book. During World War II, kids could sign up as early as fifteen (although in this book, I made the age sixteen) with their parents’ permission, and many did. Everyone was excited to go and “beat those Germans,” but few understood the dangers and misery of battle.

Many were also unaware of the horrors of extermination that were occurring daily under the Nazi regime. Although the atrocities had been reported in newspapers as early as 1942, the articles were usually only a sentence or two, buried deep in the back pages of the paper. It wasn’t until September 1944, when a picture of the shoes of the exterminated victims was printed, that most people in the United States became aware of what was actually happening in Europe. (In my story, I had the story appear earlier in the year to help aid Noah in his decision to go to Italy.)

After the war, many Phantoms found that they missed the excitement of being in the mountains. Skiing, as we know it today, was not a popular pastime in the United States yet. But because of the Phantoms and their love of the sport, there are now ski schools in New England, the Sierra Club, and two famous resorts in the Rockies: Aspen and Vail. All were started by Phantoms.

In Colorado today, there exists a backcountry trail system from Vail to Aspen. The trail was made in honor of the Tenth Mountain Division. Skiing enthusiasts can actually trace the footsteps of these brave soldiers by skiing their paths, staying in a series of huts that have been built along the trail.

This story came to me, as most of my stories do, in such a way that I could not ignore the call to write it. My husband first made me aware of the Tenth Mountain Division when he saw an article in
Sports Illustrated
about the cross-country skiing trail that had been created in their honor. Rather than being interested in
doing
the actual skiing, I was fascinated by the
story
of the skiing Phantoms. I began to do research. And I began to write the book.

The following summer, I was at a tennis match at my husband’s summer cabin, which is on a mountain in the Berkshires. This place is very secluded, and on the lake, there are only seven camps. As I was talking that day to one of the camp owners, Peter Binzen, a man of many talents, I happened to mention the subject matter of my book. He turned to me and began to laugh. Peter Binzen was a Phantom! Not only had
he
built a camp on the lake, but there were
three others
on the lake as well, and I had not even known it!

Now these men are no longer Phantoms to me but actual flesh and blood, men who were true heroes during World War II. I am honored to have told a small part of their story.

Casewit, Curtis W.
The Saga of the Mountain Soldiers: The Story of the 10th Mountain Division
. New York: Julian Messner, 1981.

Chamberlain, Tony. “Tenth Is Called.”
Boston Globe
, February 25, 1999.

Dawidoff, Nicholas. “Atten-hut, You Skiers!”
Sports Illustrated
, December 18, 1989.

Jenkins, McKay.
The Last Ridge: The Epic Story of America’s First Mountain Soldiers and the Assault on Hitler’s Europe.
New York: Random House, 2003.

Johnson, Norma Tadlock.
Soldiers of the Mountain: The Story of the 10th Mountain Division of World War II.
Baltimore: PublishAmerica, 2005.

Shelton, Peter.
Climb to Conquer: The Untold Story of World War II’s 10th Mountain Division Ski Troops.
New York: Scribner, 2003.

Tenth Mountain Trail Association Newsletter.
Aspen, CO: Vol. 2, No. 4, December 1989.

Whitlock, Flint, and Bob Bishop.
Soldiers on Skis: A Pictorial Memoir of the 10th Mountain Division
. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 1992.

In attacking the story of the Tenth Mountain Division, I had many compatriots who soldiered along beside me to produce this book.

To my agent, Bill Contardi: Thanks for your amazing scouting expedition for this manuscript. You led the charge and mapped the absolute best route for its publication. Here’s hoping we have many more successful assaults together!

To my editor, Jody Corbett: You are the greatest of drill sergeants, whipping this manuscript into shape and ensuring that it was the best it could be before shipping it out. I am so thankful for your insight and your dedication to your craft.

To my copy editor, Lindsey Alexander: Thank you for ensuring that all my “equipment” was free of flaws. You wielded a strong pen with a light touch, and I am grateful to you for lending me your knowledge and skills.

To Shane Rebenschied, who created the cover art; Lillie Howard, who designed the cover; and Kristina Iulo, who designed the interiors: Thank you for rescuing Noah from the confines of my pages and giving life to him in such an intriguing and mysterious fashion. He truly looks a Phantom!

To the sales staff at Scholastic: It is your battle now, and I thank you in advance and from the bottom of my heart for all your hard work in helping
Phantoms in the Snow
to victory.

To Peter Binzen: Thank you for providing me cover as I headed out up the mountain, taking the time to read and check my facts as I told the Phantoms’ story. I have always admired you so very, very much.

To my writing group, Anne Broyles, Donna McArdle, and Marcia Strykowski: Thanks for steadying me on those dangerous spots as I tried to balance my way along the slippery slopes of early drafts.

To my husband, Chris: For questioning my facts, correcting my grammar, and ignoring me when I was ready to settle for less than my best, I thank you for supporting me as I continue to struggle to make the climb toward writing excellence.

As always, to my daughters, Tobey and Liza: In the process of writing this book, I have seen you grow from girls to women. What a journey it has been. You are both the light of my life. May you always remember to be grateful to those who have given their lives to grant you the freedom to follow your dreams. I am so proud of you both.

And finally, to those men and women who serve this country, I am eternally grateful!

Kathleen Benner Duble is the acclaimed author of many children’s novels, including
The Sacrifice
;
Bravo Zulu
,
Samantha!
;
Quest
; and
The Story of the Samson
, among others. She first heard of the Phantoms when her sports-crazed husband tried to convince her to ski the hut-and-trail system built on the soldiers’ old training grounds. The trail covers 79 miles and rises over 11,500 feet into the mountains. Kathleen politely declined the invitation to sweat that much, but she did take up the challenge to write a small part of the Phantoms’ story — discovering to her delight (after finishing the story) that she actually
knew
a few of these brave men!

Kathleen lives with her husband and their two daughters in Massachusetts. Visit her at her website: www.kathleenduble.com.

This book was edited by Jody Corbett and
art directed by Elizabeth B. Parisi.

The jacket was designed by Lillie Howard,
and the art was created by Shane Rebenschied.

The interiors were designed by Kristina Iulo.

The text was set in Minion Pro, with
display type in Dead Kansas.

The book was typeset by NK Graphics, and
production was overseen by Stephanie Anderson.

It was printed and bound at R. R. Donnelly
in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

The manufacturing was supervised by Adam Cruz.

Copyright © 2011 by Kathleen Benner Duble

Cover art © 2011 by Shane Rebenschied

Cover design by Lillie Howard

All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.,
Publishers since 1920.
SCHOLASTIC, SCHOLASTIC PRESS
, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Duble, Kathleen Benner.

Phantoms in the snow / by Kathleen Benner Duble. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

Summary: In 1944, fifteen-year-old Noah Garrett, recently orphaned, is sent to live with an uncle he has never met at Camp Hale, Colorado, where he finds his pacifist views challenged.

ISBN 978-0-545-19770-0

[1. Pacifists — Fiction. 2. Soldiers — Fiction. 3. Military bases — Fiction. 4. Uncles — Fiction. 5. Orphans — Fiction. 6. United States. Army. Mountain Division, 10th — History — Fiction. 7. World War, 1939-1945 — Campaigns — Italy — Fiction. 8. Camp Hale (Colo.) — History — 20th century — Fiction. 9. Italy — History — Allied occupation, 1943-1947 — Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.D84955Ph 2011

[Fic] — dc22

2010016898

First edition, February 2011

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E-ISBN 978-0-545-33251-4