Press Release
☷Around and About Fort Drum Creaghe Training Support Center
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
Jan 30,2024
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The Creaghe Training Support Center at Fort Drum pays tribute to a World War II veteran from the 10th Mountain Division who showed great courage while serving in the mountains of Italy before getting injured in combat . First Lt . John S . Creaghe , born on April 14 , 1921 , in Meeker , Colorado , had never skied or snowshoed until he joined the Army and became a newly commissioned officer in the mountain troops at Camp Hale . The 10th Mountain Division ( LI ) is focused on training Soldiers to be combat - ready , and this tradition started in the freezing peaks of Camp Hale , Colorado , and Camp Swift , Texas , where countless troops learned mountain warfare skills . One highly decorated Mountain Soldier , who served with the 1st Battalion , 85th Mountain Infantry Regiment , 10th Mountain Division , during World War II , is remembered at Fort Drum’s 1st Lt . John S . Creaghe Training Support Center . John St . George Creaghe was born on April 14 , 1921 , in Meeker , Colorado , a small ranching town close to White River and the Flat Tops Wilderness Area . After graduating from Lamar High School in 1939 , he attended the University of Colorado and earned his bachelor ' s degree in 1943 . Creaghe then joined the military at Camp Walters , Texas , and went through Officer Candidate School at the time - Fort Benning , Georgia , before being assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale , Colorado , where he joined the 85th Infantry Regiment . In a 2004 interview , Creaghe mentioned that he arrived at the newly constructed camp in the Pando Valley without any experience in skiing or climbing . During a snowshoe excursion with a group of Soldiers , one of them helped him put on the unfamiliar footwear . "Shortly after that , I had to go on an all - day ski march with my platoon , " he remembered . "I had no idea how to ski . Every time I tried to turn , I fell into the snow , which the Soldiers who knew how to ski found quite entertaining . " When the division moved to Camp Swift , Creaghe noted that the change in climate and surroundings had an impact on the troops , who were trained to operate in the mountains . However , it didn ' t take long before they were given orders to head to Italy . Before that , Creaghe was given a three - day pass to visit his brother Larry , who was a Navy officer , in Dallas . When his unit arrived in Naples , Creaghe was assigned to 1st Battalion , Company B , which had the task of capturing the eastern and western sides of Mount Belvedere alongside the 87th Infantry Regiment . They had two weeks to familiarize themselves with the challenging terrain and the enemy resistance they would face . This wasn ' t an easy task , as their goal covered a distance of eight kilometers and included 10 different peaks . So , the Soldiers went out on patrols to gather information . The assault on Riva Ridge took place just before midnight on Feb . 18 , 1945 , and the attacks on Mount Belvedere and the nearby peaks happened on the following night . Taking Mount Belvedere was a tough battle against strong German resistance . The Soldiers faced intense gunfire and artillery from the enemy , who had fortified positions and minefields scattered across the hills . "It was like hell , " Creaghe remembered . "I wasn ' t scared , not in the way you might think . I was just hoping that if I got hit , it would be quick and painless . " On Feb . 22 - 23 , the 85th Mountain Infantry captured Hill 1055 , and the division achieved its objective of controlling the Mount Belvedere ridgeline on Feb . 25 . The next major assault was in March on Mount della Spe . Creaghe said the attack was slow due to heavy rounds of artillery and mortar shells . "One exploded so close to me that I could feel the heat on my legs , " he said . "But luckily , it didn ' t hit me or anyone else . " Taking control of della Spe allowed the 10th Mountain Division to advance further into the Po Valley , leading to the eventual surrender of the German Army on May 2 , 1945 . Creaghe received several awards for his bravery , including the Distinguished Service Cross , Silver Star , Bronze Star , Purple Heart , and the Cross of Valor from the Polish and Italian governments . According to one citation , Creaghe led seven Soldiers over the hill despite heavy enemy fire . His attack caused the Germans to retreat in disarray , while Creaghe directed his men on defensive positions . Even after being seriously wounded , he refused to leave until the counterattacks had ceased . He remained in his foxhole , issuing orders to his Soldiers , even after losing consciousness . "During one of the counterattacks , one of the platoon sergeants or squad leaders panicked and said , ' We need to evacuate , we need to retreat . ' My job then , luckily I was still conscious , was to yell at him that if we give up tonight , we ' ll just have to retake it tomorrow . " Creaghe was hit by shrapnel again while being evacuated to a medical station when a mortar round hit a tree . His injuries required surgery on his leg and hip , and he lost vision in one eye . He was then transferred to a hospital in Menlo Park , California , for rehabilitation . Later in life , Creaghe said he felt pretty lucky to have only lost an eye in the war , and that he was fortunate in ways that many others weren ' t . Creaghe left the military with an honorable discharge on Nov . 2 , 1945 . He went back to the University of Colorado to get a teaching certificate . While he was there , he was given the Distinguished Service Cross during a ceremony at the Boulder Theater . He took a teaching job in Alliance , Nebraska , but he was really more interested in higher education . Creaghe got his master ' s degree from the University of Maryland in 1962 and a doctorate in political science in 1965 . He spent almost 30 years teaching at colleges in New England . He also kept skiing throughout his life and stayed in touch with other veterans from the 10th Mountain Division during reunions , like the 85th Mountain Infantry Regiment ' s 50th reunion in 1994 . "I think most Soldiers – I ' d bet on it – consider their time in combat , in the military , to be the best part of their lives , " Creaghe said . "I feel the same way . There ' s never been anything else in my life that compares to my time in the war , especially fighting in Italy . " After being married to his wife Norma for 63 years , Creaghe passed away at the age of 90 on June 28 , 2011 . He was given a military burial with honors by the 4th Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) in Colorado Springs , Colorado . On April 8 , 2015 , officials from the 10th Mountain Division ( LI ) and Fort Drum rededicated the Training Support Center in Creaghe ' s honor , with his family there to see it . ( Editor ' s note: Information for this article was taken from Fort Drum Mountaineer coverage of the facility dedication , www . dvidshub . net/image/1871377/10th - mountain - division - names - training - facility - highly - decorated - world - war - ii - veteran , and an oral history , www . youtube . com/watch v=mTACPaeHsxY ) .
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