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Name
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Traynor, Robert
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Rank, Company, Regiment
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S/SGT G 85TH INF
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Birth date/Death Date
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Vermont Location
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Barre
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Awards
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BS, WIA 4/14/45
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Importance of Vermont
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"After the war, while living in New Jersey we bought a small piece of land in Vermont so we could come up weekends for skiing in the winter and swimming and hiking in the summer. After a few years we sold our house and moved to Vermont lock, stock, and barrel."
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First skiing experience
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"My earliest memory of skiing is as a child of ten or twelve using wooden skis of the type made in the nineteen thirties with toe straps and no ski boots. You would just put your winter boots or shoes in the toe straps and go straight down the hill until you either fell down or stopped. Then climb up the hill and try it again unless it was someone else's turn."
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College
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Competitive Skiing
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What was your experience in the 10th like?
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"I would say that my experience with the 10th Mountain Division was a very good one and one that helped to shape my life after the war. At times the training was very tough. We endured extreme cold temperatures when testing cold weather equipment and clothing but at age eighteen, nineteen and twenty and in good physical condition we ate it up. Those that couldn’t take it were soon shipped out. We also enjoyed the good times like weekend passes to Denver, hiking in the Rockies in the summer, and skiing that Rocky Mountain powder in the winter. We also knew we were being trained for our eventual part in bringing WWII to a successful conclusion."
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Why did you join the 10th?
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"When we graduated from high school in 1942 which was shortly after Pearl Harbor the only decision we had to make was what branch of the service we wanted to be a part of. For me the navy was out because my father was in the navy in WWI and he often spoke of the very poor quality of the food that they had to endure while on board ship and out to sea. Then, before I was due to be drafted I read a book published by the National Ski Patrol. The author was Minnie Dole and I think the name of the book was "The Ski Troops" or something like that. I remember the book said the food that the ski troopers had was very good and plentiful. I liked the outdoors, snow and mountains and after reading about the good food I made my mind to join the ski troops. It was not called the 10th Mountain Division at the time. The book said you had to have three letters of recommendation testifying to your skiis as a skier, mountaineer, woodsman, or outdoorsman. I requested and received letters from my old Scout Master, Parish Priest, and local PostMaster who I worked for at the time. I thought I would not be accepted because I did not have the required experience but after a short wait I received my letter of acceptance and I was on my way to Colorado on the train. In those days most of our cross country travel was by train. This was the first time in the history of the armed services that a civilian organization was used for recruiting purposes. I was assigned to Company 'D' of the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment and later when the 85th Mountain Infantry Regiment was formed I was assigned to Company 'G' where I became a Staff Sergeant and rifle squad leader."
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Ski Patrol
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Mt. Snow, Vt. "After moving to Vermont in 1967 I became certified in first aid, and then applied for membership on the Mount Snow Ski Patrol taking down injured skiers and enjoying the benefits of free skiing and cutting the lift line. During this time my wife and children also got involved with Mount Snow, my wife working in the ski shop and our four children were part of the ski racing program."
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Ski School
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Ski Industry
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Vermont Ski Area Connection
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Role of Skiing in your Life
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Other information
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Photograph information
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Information submitted by
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Bob Traynor
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