"At sundown on the dark foggy night of February 18, 1945, the assault on Riva Ridge began. Exposed on the cliffs, as if they were in a shooting gallery for the XIV Panzer Corps-led Germans above them, with every upward move, the separate columns of mountain troops expected to be fired on. The most difficult ascent, a technical climb up Pizzo di Campiano, was led by Lt John Loose, whose company experienced some of the worst of the subsequent fighting.

"But at 8:30 AM, when the sun began to illuminate Riva Ridge, the 10th Mountain Division controlled the top. In perfect position, their machine guns were arrayed on the icy summit -- some brought up to support the company under the command of former Dartmouth Ski Team Captain, Percy Rideout, who was wounded in the ensuing battle. Secure in the belief that Riva Ridge was unclimbable, German soldiers were still sleeping in bunkers across the Ridge. Norwegian world champion ski jumper Sargeant Torger Tokle led one of the first charges on a Nazi Bunker."

Mac looked at his daughter's white face. "I think that that Pete Lafitte was on that assault," she said. "That is probably the meaning of the map of Riva Ridge on the music box."

"The casualties taking Mt Belvedere were much greater than those on Riva Ridge," her Father replied. "At the end of the campaign, the Gothic line was broken. However, I have heard that to achieve that, the 10th Mountain Division had the highest casualty rate of any U.S. division in Italy."