Reference: "History of the 86th Mountain Infantry in Italy" by Charles Wellborn. (click here to access the document)
Thursday/Thanksgiving – 23 Nov 1944 (Thanksgiving) – Pfc. George Morrison Jr. is released from the hospital after suffering a knee injury and goes on pass. Maj. Gen. George P. Hays arrives at Camp Swift, Texas.
Tuesday – 28 Nov 1944 – Morrison is called back to Company C at Camp Swift
Wednesday – 29 Nov 1944 – The 86th left by trucks in the evening to board the train at Camp Swift
“It had been a fast, unexpected movement. Jerked from a scarcely begun maneuver, the men of the 86th had boarded trains at Camp Swift, Texas, and sped across the eastern United States to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. There they had just had time enough to give equipment a last minute check and make those all-important phone calls home.”
Saturday – 9 Dec 1944 at 11 p.m. – Troops walked to a train that took them about 20 miles to Newport News, VA
Sunday – 10 Dec 1944 at 12 a.m. – The 86th boarded the SS Argentina
“Every man was busy with his equipment. It was a (big) job to handle the overloaded pack and duffle bag that each man carried, to say nothing of the rifle, gas mask, and steel helmet.”
Sunday - 10 Dec 1944 at 8 a.m. – The 86th left port in the SS Argentina
Sunday 10 Dec 1944 – Friday 22 Dec 44 at 9 p.m. – The 86th journeys across the Atlantic bound for Naples, Italy
“All in all, there was quite a bit to occupy a fellow who really wanted to find entertainment. The first few days there was the newness of ocean travel—and probably a bit of seasickness.”
Friday – 22 Dec 1944 – The Argentina dropped anchor near the port at Naples (arrived the 13th night)
Saturday – 23 Dec 1944 – The Argentina is pulled into port and the 86th puts boots on the ground in a war zone
“Next morning, the mountain troops saw their first signs of war, as they gazed at rusty hulks of once-great ships that filled the harbor. They saw more of war’s after-effects as they were whisked through the oft-bombed streets of Naples to their first stop, the half-completed buildings of an orphanage in Bagnoli, a suburb of the great city.”
Saturday - 23 Dec 1944 – Sunday 24 Dec 1944 – Morrison passes time at the Red Cross, and when he is writing his parents he is careful to downplay any misery they were experiencing there.
“Bagnoli was a staging area, and the regiment was not to remain there long, for which most of the men were grateful. The marble floors they slept on were cold, and the rations were infinitesimal.”
Monday/Christmas – 25 Dec 1944 – 1st Battalion leaves with advance party by train at noon, Morrison mentions how packed the trains were and having to finish the trip by truck, but did not tell his parents about the train wreck they had survived on the way.
“Two days after the landing, on Christmas day, the First Battalion and Headquarters Company, left by train to serve as an advance party in a newly assigned area. The movement was delayed by a train wreck and had to be completed by truck.”
Wednesday - 27 Dec 1944 – Sunday - 31 Dec 1944 – 1st Battalion bivouacked in staging area near Pisa, the Battle of Garfagnana was intensifying a short distance away.
Sunday - 31 Dec 1944 – 1st Battalion moved to bivouac in Quercianella
“At 1600 (4 p.m.) on the last day of the year, the regiment moved out in truck convoy for its new bivouac area at Quercianella, just south of Leghorn on the coast.”
Sunday - 7 Jan 1945 – The 86th is on its way to the front, Morrison stays back as he is still recovering from his knee injury
“By 1830 that night the three battalions were in their initial positions: the 1st Battalion in the vicinity of Castelluccio, the 2nd near San Marcello, and the 3rd in Bagni di Lucca. By nightfall, communication was set up, and the 86th had begun to function as a combat unit, holding its sector of the line.”
Monday - 8 Jan 1945 – Friday - 2 Feb 1945 – 1st Battalion stays on the front line, and it was generally quiet
Saturday 3 Feb 1945 – Morrison is called to the front, joins 1st Battalion in San Marcello and then moves with the 86th Regiment to Lucca
“The troops were withdrawn to a training area in the vicinity of Lucca, and a CP was opened in a beautiful villa in the little hamlet of San Cassiano di Moriano. As the regiment rested and trained in its rear area near the old walled city of Lucca, there was a suspenseful and somewhat grim expectation in the air.”
Wednesday – 14 Feb 1945 - Saturday - 17 Feb 45 – the 86th moves by truck to the vicinity of Castelluccio, then marching toward the base of Pizzo di Campiano (Riva Ridge) during the night to maintain the element of surprise
“The 1st and 2nd Battalions detrucked in the vicinity of Castelluccio and moved out immediately. By midnight the long lines of trudging soldiers in the 1st Battalion had cleared Vidiciatico. Above their heads, piercing the pitch-black darkness like long fingers of molten steel were the powerful searchlights playing relentlessly on the slopes of Belvedere and Campiano. Between the columns of men rolled a steady column of jeeps and trucks, as supplies, ammunition and equipment moved up.”
Saturday - 17 Feb 1945 – 1st Battalion rests and prepares to take the Ridge
Sunday - 18 Feb 1945 (Daytime)– 1st Battalion sets up a command post at Farne, then prepares for the attack which is to start that night
“The 18th of February was a busy day, for officers and men alike. To maintain the element of surprise, men must stay under cover, but there was plenty to keep them occupied. Weapons were checked and double-checked, ammunition issued, equipment inspected. By now, every man knew “this was it.”
Sunday - 18 Feb 1945 (Evening/Overnight) – B and C Companies start climbing Campiano Ridge. Morrison relays communications between his company and the battalion and helps bring down the wounded.
“To the southwest of Belvedere, the principal divisional objective, ran a rugged Feb 2 line of snow-capped peaks, the Mt. Mancinello-Pizzo di Campiano Ridge, later called Riva Ridge. If Belvedere was to be taken and held, American forces must first secure this ridgeline, for it flanked Belvedere and furnished a magnificent observation point. From it the Germans could see every action of the American and Brazilian forces facing them. It was not likely that the Germans underestimated the importance of the ridge. Four times Belvedere had been taken, and four times strong German counterattacks had forced the Allies back. It was a tough nut to crack. The Germans considered the ridgeline virtually impregnable to any large body of troops because of its natural ruggedness. The steep icy cliffs would have discouraged any “flatland” outfit. Unluckily for the (Germans) the 86th was no flatland outfit. The cliffs below Serrasiccia and Cappel Buso were rugged, but to trained rock climbers and mountain men they were far from impassable. At 1930 (7:30 p.m.) B and C Companies moved out of their assembly areas to begin the long tortuous climb up Campiano Ridge. To understand the magnitude of the task before them, the men of the 1st Battalion had only to look at the terrain. The ridge rose 1500 to 2000 feet from the valley, and from the bottom it appeared unclimbable. Most of the trails were icy, and if they were not icy, they were either rocky or muddy. Bending almost double under full field packs, the men scrambled up, cursing in whispers when they slipped and fell. Two columns had to use ropes. Slowly but inexorably the battalion worked its way up. The men toiling up the hills began to wonder whether there really were (Germans) on the ridge. The suspense, the waiting, expecting any moment to hear a machine pistol open up, was almost as bad as an actual firefight. Everyone began to understand the real meaning of the term ‘sweating it out.’”
Monday - 19 Feb 1945 - Company C takes their target easily, then fights to hold it
“At 0505 (5:05 a.m.) Company C, which had the longest and hardest climb, finally settled down on Mt. Serrasiccia.
The objectives were reached—with little fighting and with almost complete surprise. A few Grenades tossed into earthen pillboxes, a few pasty-faced trembling German prisoners, and the ridge that “couldn’t be taken” was ours. Now the problem was to keep it.
…(by the early afternoon) Company C on Mt. Serrasiccia was fighting off a 40-man German counterattack. Forced to pull back off the crest, they called for artillery support, and the resulting barrage, including 83-mm and 60-mm mortar fire, temporarily broke up the attack. …A large group of Germans came out of cover with hands raised high as if in surrender. …(the) company held their fire and the Germans drew close to their positions. At the bottom of the little ridge on which Company C was dug in, the Germans suddenly fell to the ground, brought out their weapons, and opened fire. Company C had not been fooled, and the Germans gained nothing but numerous casualties from the trick.
All day on the 20th, the 1st Battalion repulsed German attacks. Twenty-six dead piled up in front of one B Company position. Seven prisoners were taken, six of them mountain troopers. The evacuation of casualties from the Company B positions on Cappel Buso was especially difficult. Some litter cases took as long as 20 hours, but the litter bearers … worked night and day to get the wounded back to the collecting stations.”
Tuesday - 20 Feb 1945 – In the early morning hours, not long after speaking with Morrison, 1st Lt., John McCown is killed in action as the fighting on Mt. Serrasiccia continues
“On Mt. Serrasiccia, Company C battled furiously. The artillery dropped 84 rounds on the enemy in that area with telling effect. Air support aided too, as planes swept down to bomb enemy installations not a hundred yards from the American lines, especially in the Rocca Corneta area.
At 1300 (1 p.m.) on the afternoon of the 20th, Company C jumped off in a new attack along the Serrasiccia ridge. Despite the strong enemy resistance, partly shattered by a 15-minute artillery barrage including effectively timed fire, …(the company) gained (its) objective in 28 minutes, killing 4 enemy and forcing the remainder of the German force to withdraw.
At 1855 (6:55 p.m.) the first estimate of casualties was reported to Division G-1. In the light of what had been accomplished, it was amazingly light, though nonetheless serious. Killed: 1 officer, 6 enlisted men; wounded: 2 officers, 25 enlisted men.
The officer killed was 1st Lt., JOHN MCCOWN of Company C, a veteran mountain climber whose rambling bow-legged gait and contempt for army red tape had made him a well-known figure to almost every man in the regiment. He had been riddled by a German machine gun as he made a reconnaissance patrol.”
Wednesday - 21 Feb 1945 – 1st Battalion is relieved by 10th Reconnaissance Troop and 10th Anti-tank Battalion and leaves the ridge, moving to Gaggio Montano
“Up there on the ridge they had left their buddies, men they had lived with and worked with, many of them almost two years. They were bitter and mad, but they were also very, very tired. Some had not slept or eaten for more than three days.”
Friday – 23 Feb 45 – Gaggio Montano comes under enemy fire, but Morrison and others are so tired that they sleep through it
“Evidently the Germans were suspicious of Gaggio Montano for at 1549 (3:49 p.m.) the first of several artillery shells fell within 50 yards of the CP building. At 1740 (5:40 p.m.) the command post and aid station were shelled again. At 1825 (6:25 p.m.) the town was shelled a third time, and everyone agreed that the (Germans) knew entirely too much about the movement to Gaggio Montano.”
Saturday – 3 March 1945 – The next attack begins after dawn, with 1st Battalion to take the high ground east of Monteforte and Hill 928 – Objective Able, Morrison recalls in his letter that between the cold and the artillery, when he wasn’t moving, he was shaking and freezing
“Company C… the advance was speedy but by no means simple. The Germans poured artillery, mortar, and machine gun fire onto the attackers. But the first phase of combat operations had taught the 86th a vital lesson: never let the Germans pin you down. Keep moving. Once pinned down, you are an easy target for (German) artillery. Despite a hail of fire, the companies moved up.”
Sunday – 4 March 1945 – Morrison mentions eating “dog biscuits” for breakfast, a version of hard tack from c rations that were primarily made of flour, salt and water, with the moisture baked out of it to extend its shelf life. 1st Battalion fights toward Sassomolare and Mount Grande, where Morrison earns the Bronze Star. While we do not have the citation outlining exactly what action lead to his recognition, in the letter he mentions the intensity of the fighting, how badly the company was “shot up,” and that he “helped a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) man out.” He tells his mother and father that after this battle “it’s a wonder he isn’t gray haired.”
“Despite these initial handicaps, the advance proceeded. The artillery continued to pour heavy fire on targets of opportunity, and Rover Joe strafed the reverse slope of the objective. With Mt. Grande taken, the advance was virtually over. The 86th had accomplished its mission. Opposition had been stiff. One Soldier’s concise summary: ‘These last two days have been a bunch of hell.’”
Monday – 5 March – Friday - 16 March 1945 – Enduring constant danger and intense stress, the 1st Battalion holds the line. Morrison recalls “sweating it out” in a foxhole and seeing gory deaths of Germans who tried to attack; some in his Battalion were killed in a friendly fire incident
“The Rover Joe planes were out again, strafing possible enemy positions. Up on the ridge and down another the planes went, beating the ground with their machine gun fire. On the ridge running down from Mt. Grande, the 1st Battalion men sat on the edge of their foxholes and cheered the planes as they did their deadly work. Suddenly one plane headed directly for the 1st Battalion positions and dived low, continuing its fire. The men below sat stunned for a moment and then leaped for cover. Some didn’t make it. The pilot, confused by the sight of similar ridges below him, had misjudged his terrain.”
Saturday - 17 March – Sunday - 18 March 1945 – 1st Battalion enjoys a weekend away from the front; in the letter to his parents, Morrison said that his nerves were shot. During much-needed R&R (rest and recovery), he had some coffee and cookies, and enjoyed watching some movies
“Montecatini was the nearest thing to a line soldier’s dream—a wide-open town where the MPs were tolerant, the champagne and cherry brandy flowed like water, and there were ample facilities for amusement.”
Monday – 19 March – (around) Monday - 2 April 1945 – 1st Battalion is back on the front lines, but neither the regimental history or Morrison have much to say about this timeframe meaning it was likely a quiet time, after which they were able to get another three days on pass
Friday - 6 April 1945 – 1st Battalion moves to the front at Riola
“A glance at the map reveals the importance of this terrain. It encompasses the high ground to the left of and controlling Highway 64, the principal route from the south into Bologna. Before any viable force could move up that highway, this rugged mountainous ground would have to be occupied by friendly forces. It soon developed that this was the primary mission of the 10th Mountain Division in the ‘Big Push.’”
Saturday - 14 April 1945 – The push to Po Valley begins
“Promptly at 0830 (8:30 a.m.) the airplanes began to circle lazily over the front lines, to be greeted with shouts and waves from the troops below. The planes moved over the valley and let loose with firebombs over Rocca di Roffeno. Great geysers of flame and heavy black smoke rose up to 200 feet in the air, and the concussion could be felt 3000 yards away. When the planes had finished, the artillery opened up, seemingly pounding every spot that the Air Corps had missed. In a few moments the valley was almost completely obscured by a fog of gray, black, and white smoke. The bursting shells started rockslides on the shale slopes of Rocca di Roffeno, and buildings were reduced to irregular piles of rubble. As the infantry units advanced, the engineers moved in behind them to build roads and bridges so that tanks and armor could be moved up. The enemy raked every approach route with his artillery, hampering the work of the engineers and impeding supply. Mule trains labored up the steep slopes. When shelling fell close to the road, the mulemen hit the ground, holding fast to the lead rope while the mules stood placidly.”
Sunday – 15 April 1945 – The 1st Battalion moved into an assembly area just south of Mt. Sette Croci, Morrison mentions in his letter the incredible sight of all the firepower
“The night was a busy one, for the commander sensed that they were beginning to crack the German defense. The principal obstacle to a new advance was a heavily mined field just past the proposed line of departure.”
Monday – 16 April 1945 – From Po Valley to Lake Garda, the 10th advances; Morrison talks about losing men to the minefields “but the push went on”
“The 1st Battalion had made rapid advances... Company C advanced two and a half miles without casualty, captured 5 prisoners, and occupied its objective at Coste.”
Tuesday – 17 April 1945 - The 1st Battalion advanced to la Palazzina, then moved to the high ground
“The attack was gaining momentum now. Every day brought the troops closer to the long sought- after Po Valley. Already the peaks were a little less rugged. But hard fighting remained before the Germans were to be pushed out of the Apennines.”
Thursday – 19 April 1945 – The entire regiment was rested as much as possible to prepare for an all-out push into the Po Valley. Many of the men had little rest however; as the Germans continued to rain mortar and artillery fire on the rear areas
“At 1800 (6 p.m.) the regiment began to move forward. The situation was extremely fluid, for the whole front was breaking up. The road was crowded with vehicles and marching soldiers, and the white dust filled the air so thickly that at times it was difficult to see.”
Friday - 20 April 1945 – The 1st Battalion moved into the valley at noon; the advance was going like wildfire
“The magnitude of the breakthrough was difficult to comprehend. The enemy line had been wrecked. After the first stages of the attack there had been little opposition. The 1st Battalion had advanced 13 miles in 5 hours. The Italians in the Po Valley were for the most part completely and deliriously happy. It was a day most men in the 86th would never forget.”
Sunday - 22 April 1945 – 1st Battalion encounters fierce enemy resistance
“The Germans allowed much of the convoy to pass, then attacked with bazookas and machine guns just as the rear of the battalion pulled past them, scattering the convoy. Two enemy tanks then rolled forward and fired on the convoy, destroying jeeps and trucks. Some fifteen Germans were killed in the firefight, which lasted over four hours.”
Monday – 23 April 1945 – The entire regiment reached San Benedetto on the Po River; Morrison mentions crossing the river saying “the attack went on, fast and couldn’t stop us”
“The rest was short-lived. At 1900 (7 p.m.) the regiment prepared to cross the river. The crossings in assault boats and DUKWs and were largely without incident."
Tuesday 24 April 1945 – The 86th was to spearhead the drive toward the historic old city of Verona cutting off a major escape route for German troops still in northwestern Italy
“For the operation, the 86th would constitute the striking infantry of a task force under the direction of Colonel WILLIAM O. DARBY, former commanding officer of the famed Rangers.”
Wednesday – 25 April 1945 – Verona is easily occupied
“At 2045 (8:45 p.m.) the armored elements joined the waiting infantry, and the thrust toward Verona began. By 2330 (11:30 p.m.) the regiment was in striking distance of the city. Civilians reported that there were no organized combat units in the city and that most permanent garrison personnel had been evacuated.”
Thursday – 26 April 1945 – The 1st Battalion was assigned the mission of crossing the river with tanks, tank destroyers and artillery; seizing the town of Bussolengo, Morrison notes that he spent the night there and drank wine and ate fried eggs
Saturday – 28 April 1945 – By this time, the regiment had advanced well into the mountains to the shores of Lake Garda and once again were met with German resistance; Morrison saying they had a tough time because “the Germans had everything ready”
“The road ahead led through a series of tunnels, around which elaborate defenses had been established. The tunnels were prepared for demolition and much of the road had been destroyed. It was an ideal place for the German stand. The road ran directly along the shore of the lake, and above the road soared sheer cliffs, hundreds of feet high.”
Sunday – 29 April 1945 – Soldiers of the 1st Battalion climbed the hills above the lake and moved north through rugged mountain terrain, under steady attack, toward Nago
“Supplies, ammunition, artillery, everything was being moved up by DUKW boat. German SP [self-propelled] guns in Riva kept up a constant barrage on the lake. The water was rough, and the speedboats used to evacuate the wounded had rough going. For 14 straight hours, they climbed up sheer cliffs, through ravines, and over slippery shale slopes. Finally at 1700 (5 p.m.) they had reached a high point from which they could see Nago. The only approach to the village was through a small cut in the rocks. The Germans had a strong final protective line, a 20-mm gun, a 37-mm ack-ack gun, one tank, and self-propelled guns. Not a man in the battalion believed they could advance through that cut. When night came, though every man was so tired that he could hardly stand, the battalion moved forward.
After a 15-minute artillery barrage, Company B moved through the ravine single-file. As the column wound its way over the rocks, a German plane dipped low and dropped eight personnel bombs on the weapons platoon, killing nine men… The men were beaten physically, and the air bombardment was the last straw. They were then approximately 200 yards from the town. They withdrew 500 yards at 0300 (3 a.m.). They spent the rest of the cold and miserable night in the hills under constant rain of shellfire.”
Monday – 30 April 1945 – Company C made its way into Nago, Colonel William Darby and Seargent Major John Evans are killed by a German shell, a DUKW boat sinks in Lake Garda killing twenty-five 10 Mountain Division Soldiers
“They had fought one of the most discouraging and difficult actions of the entire campaign. Rumors of peace and the end of the war were afoot, but no one took them seriously…”
Tuesday – 1 May 1945 – General Hays orders the 86th to rest as much as possible during the next four days, establishing roadblocks to the north and sending out patrols
Wednesday - 2 May 1945 – The war in Italy is over; Morrison says some celebrated by firing their rifles into the air. But he was so exhausted, and it was raining, so he just went to bed
“… at 1900 (7 p.m.) came official word… the war was ‘finito’ and that there was to be no further firing of weapons except in defense against attack. The church bells in Riva rang wildly.”
Friday - 4 May 1945 – Sunday 12 May 1945 –Company C moved into Roverto; Morrison talks about the beauty of Lake Garda and sleeping in a hotel, eating fresh fish and drinking wine
"On May 4, Company C moved into Roverto. Six roadblocks were arranged for the disarming of the Partisans in that area, and the Germans were segregated under the control of their officers. There was no trouble."
Sunday 13 May 1945 – Monday – 14 May 1945 – The 86th moves out to guard German POWs; Morrison enjoys a bottle of captured German Army Champagne he takes off the label to take home as a souvenir.
“…the regiment moved out of the Riva area toward the south. Their orders were to concentrate near Ghedi and Bendecino, about 40 kilometers south of Brescia. There they were to receive and guard German prisoners and await further orders.
The regiment held showdown inspections and turned in its winter equipment. From a captured German warehouse, Special Service obtained and issued free to each man a bottle of fine French champagne.”
Wednesday - 16 May 1945 – The 86th gets a new mission
“The regiment was alerted to move northeast to Udine, in order to keep an eye on the Yugoslavs.”
Saturday – 19 May 1945 – The 86th leaves for Trieste
“The 1st Battalion moved out in trucks, traveling 205 miles and stopping only for the night at Orzano. For much of the regiment, the accommodations were more luxurious than anything they had yet enjoyed in Italy, though some companies remained in tents. The mountainous terrain reminded many of Camp Hale, and veterans of the outfit were soon skiing and mountain climbing in the surrounding peaks.”
Wednesday – 27 June 1945 – Morrison writes to his mother and father, telling them of his journey from Camp Swift to Trieste, and letting them know he is alive, well and hoping to go on pass soon.
During the period June 1 to June 30, 1945, the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment remained in its stationary occupational positions in northeastern Italy, following a routine training program and keeping a close watch on the territory recently in dispute with Marshal Tito’s Yugoslav forces.
On July 26, the 86th Regiment sailed from Livorno on the SS Westbrook Victory, arriving at Newport News, VA on August 7. After a 30-day furlough, the men reported to Camp Carson, Colorado.
The 10th Mountain Division was inactivated on November 30, 1945.
Wednesday – 19 February 2025 – Morrison’s son meets 10th Mountain Division Soldiers visiting Riva Ridge for the 80th anniversary of the battle, and shares his father’s letter, an incredible first-person account of the division’s "Climb to Glory."
⚠ WALKING THE PATH OF THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT BEHIND THEIR LEGACY
⚠ LEARNING THE HISTORY AND JOINING THE LEGACY
⚠ REENLISTS ATOP RIVA RIDGE, HONORING LEGACY 80 YEARS LATER
⚠ SOLDIERS HONOR COL. DARBY'S LEGACY WITH 40-MILER CHALLENGE
