80 Years Later: Soldier’s letter home serves as a window into 10th Mountain Division history

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (June 23, 2025) -- (Editor’s Note: This article is part of a multimedia project on the Fort Drum website as the community celebrates the 80th anniversary of the 10th Mountain Division’s historic assault on Riva Ridge during World War II, the U.S. Army’s 250th Birthday, and the 40-year anniversary of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) reactivation at Fort Drum.)

The 10th Mountain Division forged its legacy as the Army’s elite alpine warriors after dislodging German forces in Italy from the Apennine Mountains and through the Po Valley to Lake Garda during the final stages of World War II.

Following months of battle, Pfc. George Morrison Jr., a Soldier with Company C, 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, sat down to write to his parents on June 27, 1945.

He filled more than a dozen handwritten detailing the days from just before his unit left Camp Swift, Texas, on a transatlantic voyage and then his experiences during the division’s historic campaign to liberate Italy.

Years later, Morrison would share stories about his time in the Army with family and friends on occasion but was somewhat reticent about his time in war – more likely to draw from the rigorous training at Camp Hale, Colorado, than anything else. More than 20 years after his passing, family members discovered the letter inside a drawer at their paternal grandparents’ home in Natchez, Mississippi.

It was on Father’s Day in 2017, when Daniel Morrison first read the letter that spoke volumes about his dad’s overseas experience. His sister, Joie, brought the letter to Italy where they attended the 10th Mountain Division Descendants reunion.

“We read the letter together, literally in the shadow of Riva Ridge, and it was really profound for me to learn the details of his deployment and combat experiences virtually first hand,” he said. “You could sense through the letter his anticipation, nervousness about the deployment, and then this building sense of camaraderie through the journey to Italy – at the same time, reflective moments, not knowing what to expect or where they were going. And he was writing to his parents, so there is this emphasis that what he experienced was difficult, but that they did all right.”

Page after page, Morrison said the details of what his father observed came to life for him.

“There’s this remarkable contrast from one day having a cup of coffee and getting donuts from a Red Cross girl, and then witnessing an enemy soldier being decapitated by a machine gun,” he said. “Not only did the letter answer a lot of questions for me about what he did and what he saw, but also how he felt about it.”

His father expressed the tension of moving through enemy territory at night with rifle in hand “ready to kill if I saw a shadow move” and helping transport and attend the wounded, “working five hours on one good friend of mine.” The company had sustained many casualties during the assault on Riva Ridge and Mount Belvedere, and the fighting was seemingly relentless as they pressed on: “The artillery and mortar fire was coming in thick and heavy,” he wrote. “We had an hour rest and it seemed like a life time.”

By the letter’s end, Morrison said he could perceive the relief his father felt for surviving the war, and that he looked forward to the future.

“I found it very inspirational, because when reading between the lines, I get a sense of the values that these Soldiers had,” he said. “They were called ‘The Greatest Generation,’ but the Soldiers in the 10th Mountain Division today have those same values and they are carrying on that legacy.”

In 1977, Morrison said he attended his first 10th Mountain Division reunion with his parents in Vail, Colorado, where he witnessed genuine camaraderie among the WWII veterans and family members.

“That was a lot of fun,” he said. “We got to meet so many of the guys and their families, and you could really see the bonds that they all had. Of course, I was impressed. You knew this was a tight-knit group, and they loved getting together to reminisce and celebrate.”

Although they never pressed their father for more than he was willing to share, Morrison said he thought the reunions helped 10th Mountain Division veterans process what happened to them during the war.

“And then after he passed away (Aug. 27, 1993), the ability to learn anything further was gone,” Morrison said. “So, you recognize the void there.”

Morrison brought a copy of the letter with him when he visited Italy earlier this year – the same time a group from Fort Drum were there to observe the 80th anniversary of the 10th Mountain Division’s assault on Riva Ridge.

“Every year when Feb. 18 rolled around, I’d say, ‘I really would like to be down in the Hill Towns now and hike up Riva Ridge on the anniversary of the battle,’” he said. “Just to put my boots on the ground, if you will, and think about all the Soldiers and the sacrifices they made.”

There, Morrison met 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers, the U.S. Army attaché in Rome, officers from the Brazilian and Italian Armed Forces, representatives of the National Association of Italian Partisans, historians and local residents. He joined them on the hike up to the Pizzo Di Campiano summit of Riva Ridge for a wreath-laying ceremony.

“I took a little booklet my dad had made for each of us before he passed away, with some photos from Camp Hale and some notations,” Morrison said. “And I had a copy of his letter with me … I just took that with me so that his spirit would be along for the journey and back there in the mountains.”

With Morrison’s permission and a contribution of family photos and memorabilia, the letter, along with a historical narrative of Company C, 86th Mountain Infantry Battalion are now publicly available on the Fort Drum website (see link below).

“For me, the letter says a lot with very few words, even though it is some 14 pages long,” he said. “It’s just one Soldier’s letter home to his parents, but I think it speaks universally about the commitment and sacrifice young people made or make for their country, and how important their service is, or can be.”

A brief biography

George Morrison Jr. was born April 25, 1923, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He moved with his parents and sister to Sacramento, California, where he discovered skiing. As a teenager, he worked in a ski shop and spent most weekends on the slopes.

“He developed a love for skiing, the mountains and just being outdoors,” Daniel Morrison said. “When all the young men began enlisting for World War II, he had first considered the Seabees, which was an elite Navy group, but once he learned about the 10th Mountain Division, that was it. That was exactly what he was looking for, and what he wanted to do.”

With three letters of recommendation, George Morrison Jr. enlisted in the 10th Mountain Division and entered active duty on Jan. 18, 1943. Assigned to the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment, he was among the first from the division to deploy to Italy aboard the S.S. Argentina on Dec. 11, 1944. For security reasons, the Soldiers did not immediately know their destination. They arrived at Naples, Italy, on Dec. 22.

The 10th Mountain Division fought in three major battles against the German Army in the Italian campaign. During the second battle, on March 4, 1945, Morrison received the Bronze Star for meritorious service in combat.

After the war, Morrison returned home to Sacramento and moved to Natchez, Mississippi, in March of 1947 to manage his aunt’s farm. He met Virginia Lee Beltzhoover, who he married on Jan. 15, 1950, and they raised five children.

Morrison had abandoned his childhood love of skiing for the time being but found a new pastime.

“Farming was his passion, but he only did it part time,” Daniel Morrison said. “My dad had a long career with International Paper Company. He would work there from 7 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon and then work on the farm until dark.”

The 10th Mountain Division couldn’t have been far from Morrison’s mind – he incorporated the family farm as Riva Ridge Farm, Inc., and the license plate on his car read X-MTN.

He traveled to Italy to attend the 10th Mountain Division Association reunion in 1974, and again in 1979. At the latter, Morrison photographed the location of his foxhole in Sassomolare, where he was pinned down under heavy artillery and mortar fire for days early in March 1945.

“My parents attended numerous reunions over the years, including a memorable one in French Lick, Indiana, in 1989,” Daniel Morrison said. “They had a Camp Hale Night, and my mom dressed up in a ‘40s style dress, and my dad wore his uniform that still fit him. They won the contest that night for the most authentic attire. The last one I attended with my parents was in Stone Mountain, Georgia, the southeastern chapter of the 10th Mountain Division Association. They always said my dad was the only skier in Mississippi. That always brought a smile to his face.”

“The National Association of the 10th Mountain Division is a tremendous asset,” Morrison continued. “It provided my father with a way to stay connected and current with the 10th. The 10th Mountain Division played a big role in our lives. Through it, we have enjoyed lifelong friendships and it’s not surprising that even after all these years, you can still feel the camaraderie – especially in Italy – whenever 10th Mountain Division Soldiers, descendants and families get together.”

To read the letter and a timeline of the 86th Mountain Infantry Battalion during WWII, visit https://home.army.mil/drum.