10th Mountain Division Resource Center

Meet Private First-Class John Magrath, a standout in a division of honorable men who made great sacrifices during the Spring Offensive.

Connecticut-born Magrath was a Boy Scout with a passion for skiing, which came in handy when he became a U.S. Army military volunteer.

He joined the 10th Mountain Division’s 85th Infantry Regiment, where he served as a radio operator with Company G during the Italy Campaign.

The Spring Offensive carries most of Magrath’s contributions to the 10th’s legacy.
On April 14, 1945, he and his company were working to take Hill 909.

Amid these operations, his company was pinned by heavy artillery, mortar, and small arms fire near Castel d’ Aiano.

Magrath volunteered to be a scout against the Germans, working with only a rifle. He captured a machine-gun nest, then took out two more.

He later volunteered again, this time to assess casualties while mortar and artillery fire increased in intensity on the front lines, and was killed in action.

Magrath was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1946 for his brave actions. He is the only division member to receive this recognition.

Today, two monuments exist to honor his valor, created in 1955 and 2009. One sits at Camp Funston on Fort Riley, Kansas, and the other is in Castel d’Aiano.

Image 1: PFC John David McGrath, ASN 31 326 858, Born July 4, 1924, KIA April 14, 1945. 1944-1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-639
Image 2: John D. Magrath (85-G) and his Boy Scout troop. 1938. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2018-4127
Image 3: John D. Magrath (85-G). 1943-1944. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2018-4121
Image 4: John D. Magrath in whites @ Camp Hale. Denver Public Library. TMD-439

Today in 1945, the Spring Offensive began.

More than a million Allied soldiers launched the attack across the Italian peninsula that pushed them into Po Valley, their long-standing objective.

To reach this point, the 10th Mountain Division was to clear the mountainous area between Bologna and Modena. The 86th and 87th Infantry Regiments were assigned to the clearing, while the 85th was to take Hills 909 and 913.

Poor weather conditions caused a two-day halt on the initial attacks, which gave German forces time to prepare.

24 hours before the rest of the Allied forces, the 10th broke the delay with an attack on German forces north of Mount Della Spe.

The first day was the most intense of the offensive.

Hill 909 held artillery fire from lines in direct contact with the enemy.

While trying to secure Hill 913, 85th companies faced indirect fire and snipers. Snipers, landmines, and mortars stayed continuous as small groups alternated between holding their desired positions and retreating.

The 87th got pinned near Torre Iussi. They were ordered to bypass the town and prepare to take the massif of Rocca di Roffeno while the 86th took a region near Mount Della Spe.

The 10th gained a foothold on April 17, when advanced forces took positions in Po Valley. The 87th and 86th attacked near the Samoggia River, while the 85th attacked down Route 64 on the 10th’s right.

By 8:30 a.m. on April 20, Fifth Army troops broke into Po Valley.

Their success came at a cost. The Spring Offensive resulted in 3 men taken prisoner, 1,047 wounded, and 286 KIA.

Throughout this week and beyond, we will recognize the immense sacrifices made by the 10th Mountain Division.

Image 1: Bologna. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-468
Image 2: Infantry of 85-I march along a dirt road edged by leafy trees. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2019-266
Image 3: Explosive hits Germans near Monte della Spe. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-130
Image 4: Loading a 37mm pack gun to a pack mule. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-379
Image 5: Shells hit Rocca di Roffeno. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-134

Meet Deborah Bankart Eddy, a trailblazer whose contributions helped shape the 10th Mountain Division.

Bankart Eddy was a ski instructor and the first U.S. female ski school director.

During WW2, she toured with former ski trooper and filmmaker John Jay, narrating his 10th Mountain Division recruitment films.

The loss of a deployed skier she helped to recruit motivated Bankart Eddy to support the troops further by joining the front lines. She volunteered with the Red Cross in Italy as their “Doughnut Girl,” handing out donuts and coffee to lift soldiers’ spirits.

It was there she met 87th Infantry Regiment CPT Roger Eddy, whom she later married and founded Eddy farm with in Connecticut.

In 2021, she was inducted into the 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum Warrior Legend Hall of Fame for her dedication and skiing achievements.

This , we honor her legacy and service to the 10th Mountain Division she was so proud of.

Image 1: Deborah Bankart Eddy carrying her skis and poles. Denver Public Library. TMD324-2019-275
Image 2: Deborah Bankart Eddy’s Winter-Weight ARC Jacket. 1943-1946. History Colorado. 2025.5.1
Image 3: Deborah Bankart Eddy American Red Cross Uniform. 1944-1946. History Colorado. 2023.63.1
Image 4: Deborah Bankart Eddy and soldier. 1944-1945. Denver Public Library. TMD324-2019-274
Image 5: Debby with Doughnuts. February 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-144

81 years ago, the 10th Mountain Division marched into the March Offensive.

The troops made their next push toward Po Valley between March 3 and March 6, 1945. They planned to secure a line of hills about five miles long, stretching from Mt. della Torraccia to Mt. della Spe, near the Italian town of Castel d’Aiano.

The division’s four days of short, intense attacks resulted in success.

The 87th Infantry Regiment took the crossroads of Castel d’Aiano, while the 85th Infantry Regiment simultaneously captured Mt. della Spe. and broke the German-occupied supply and communication lines leading into Po Valley.

These efforts gave the Fifth Army control of Route 64 and positioned the U.S. troops for the upcoming Spring Offensive.

The attack, while successful, sustained 135 fatalities and 473 wounded soldiers. This week is dedicated to remembering the 10th’s fatal fight and climb toward glory.

Image 1: Castel D’Aiano, Italy. April 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD-73
Image 2: 10th Mountain Division soldiers rest, under the protection of a tank destroyer. March 3, 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2019-285
Image 3: A 10th Mountain Division medic treats a wounded soldier. 1945. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2019-171

The 10th was alive with the “Sound of Music.”

The film was released on this day in 1965, and two members of the Austrian family that inspired it served in the 10th Mountain Division.

T/3 Rupert von Trapp, the eldest child characterized as Friedrich, was the division’s first Surgeon General. He earned a Bronze Star for his service.

After he was discharged, Rupert got his U.S. medical license at the University of Vermont.

SGT Werner von Trapp of the 85th Infantry Regiment, portrayed as Kurt, was the fourth-oldest child. After WWII, he established a Vermont farmstead, where the family continues to produce meat and dairy.

Today and every day, we honor 10th Mountain Division members’ sacrifices and stories, depicted on the silver screen and otherwise.

Image 1: 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment, Medical Detachment. 1943. Denver Public Library. TMD351-2017-1998