The story of the 10th Mountain division was similar, but on abroader sense.
In the late 30s, there were few entusiast in climbing and skiing, in the United States.
Most materiel came from Europe: snaplinks, rucksacks, skis - those were rich's men sports.
Then, with the outbreak of the war, the army panicked about the lack of any "alpine" training, as part of lack of readyness to fight in extreme cold climates.
So an industry to produce sky and acecssories sprung out from virtually nothing, in years of testing and training.
In combat, the 1st Special Service brigade and the 10th mountain had few occasion to use all that special equipment: some patrol on ski were carried out along the Gothic line here in Italy, and a single attack near Pistoia required the use of some climbing on an "unaccessible" and undefended cliff.
But, training and equipment were ready available just after the war - and many people belive in it.
As said, the history of the 10th mountani division give some hinsight of the post-war careers of many veterans of the veterans.
Some get back to the original base camp and started to teach ski lessons, in a place in the middle of nowhere, near Aspen, Colorado.