“Mission to Mt. Mangart” is a new film written, directed, edited and produced by documentary filmmaker and professional skier Chris Anthony. The documentary explores new and untold stories of the famed 10th Mountain Division, whose epic battles ultimately contributed to Germany’s surrender of Italy on May 2, 1945. Even today, stories of this World War II experimental unit stir our imagination. Their skilled athleticism and equally matched heroism are that of legends. Their contributions to history and post-war skiing, mountaineering and outdoor recreation industries make the 10th Mountain Division an indelible legacy.
While much of the 10th’s history is well told, this documentary delves into the untold stories that inspired Anthony’s project, one which took six and half years to complete.
The “Mission Mt. Mangart” timeline runs from from 2020 backwards to 1939. The in-depth narration by film creator Chris Anthony combines interviews with the original 10th Mountain Division soldiers and their detailed story lines from 1939-1945. The story focuses on several key moments and many who played a role in the history of the 10th.
We are introduced to Debbie Bankart, who was involved in recruiting as well volunteering on the front lines with the Red Cross as told by World Champion skier Mikaela Shiffrin, and to Cruz Rios, a motorman and the only Mexican American to serve in this internationally flavored unit. He learned to ski while in service and developed a lifelong love of the sport. It also touches on the 25 men who went missing in Lake Garda during the Battle of Torbole and Riva Del Garda.
Following Germany’s surrender in Italy, the 10th was called upon to move eastward from Lake Garda into the Julian Alps to push Tito’s Army back across the border into Yugoslavia. Capturing a supply of German ski gear en route and upon arriving on the early Cold War border, the troops gazed upon a massive peak with a snowfield on it….and, well, they remembered they were skiers long before they were soldiers and on June 3, 1945, the first known war-time ski race was held. “Mission Mt. Mangart” not only explains how these men ended up in the Julian Alps but also how the character of this special unit would drive them to hold a ski race while still facing the prospect of fighting Japan in the Pacific.
The story of the 10th Mountain Division is intertwined with that of lifelong skier Chris Anthony and his six-year journey of discovery into this period of history. With help from Retired Brigadier General Janez Kavar, now historian for the the Slovenian Association of Mountain Soldiers, assistance in the production of the film by NATO, the Slovenian Mountain Troops, Slovenian Ministry of Defense and United States Embassy in Slovenia, Anthony endeavors to help the audience be “entertained into awareness.”
“Mission to Mt. Mangart” was created as part of the Chris Anthony Youth Project whose mission is to build engaging educational tools, juxtaposing the innocence of the 10th’s ski race in the midst of wartime with the context of the international instability at time. Much like his previous documentary effort, “Climb to Glory,” Anthony aims to keep alive the legacy and sacrifices made by American troops. “Climb to Glory” is shown regularly at the Colorado Snowsports Museum in Vail, CO, reaching approximately 10,000 people annually.
Viewings of “Mission to Mt. Mangart” can be coordinated through the Chris Anthony Youth Project with funding furthering its mission.