by T/Sgt. Harold G. Sorensen

At Camp Hale, Colorado, rumors were flying high and wide in December of 1943. A detachment was being picked - going across the big pond to work as rock climbing instructors attached to the British Army. Everybody was hoping and wishing to go along. Finally twenty men were picked. Some instructors came from the big rock climbing school in West Virginia, some came from the Winter Warfare School at Pine Camp, New York. and some from the detachment just back from Kiska in the Aleutians. We who were picked just had a silver spoon put in our mouths, as teh American Army had hundreds of instructors who were available for the assignment.

The detachment was made up of men who had many years experience in mountaineering and skiing, and civilian as well as Army experience in teaching. Major Edward Link was our commanding officer, a well-known mountaineer and skier from the northwest. Captain Hal Burton, best known for his outdoor sports articles in the New York News, was our second in command. Then came Lt. Patterson and Lt. Welden, well known Rangers from Mt. Rainier National park, and Lt. Clement, a fine mountaineer who has done lots of climbing as well as skiing in America and Europe. Then came T/Sgt. Gordon Wren from Steamboat Springs, known to be one of our outstanding downhill and slalom racers as well as a top-notch ski jumper; T/Sgt. Peter Pringsheim, well-known German skier; Sgt. Fred Pieren, not so well known in America, as he came from Switzerland in 1941. He represented Switzerland many times in European competitions - a stylist, downhill and slalom racer as well as a good jumper and professional mountain guide in the Swiss Alps for many yeas.

Then came Wendy Broomhall, one of our best American cross-country racers. M/Sgt. Herbert Rasor, T/Sgt. Eldon Metzger and Alfred Corbett from Portland, Oregon, experienced mountaineers from civilian and Army life- "Metz" with six first ascents in the States. Then came Sgt. Jack Kappler and Sgt. Clifford Schmidtke from Seattle, both fine skiers and mountaineers; Sgt. David Conger, Sun Valley national archery champion for 40 yards, also an excellent all-round skier and mountaineer; Sgt Carlton Blanchard, whom you would find before the War in the hut at Pinkham Notch, with his broad knowledge of skiing and mountains, was our star cook when a celebration came around; T/Sgt. Robert Galaher from Massachusetts, all-round skier and mountaineer and well-known competitor in Eastern downhill meets; Sgt. John Lawson, a guide and skier from Maine, always full of good stories and jokes; Smiling (Sonnie) Duke from Vermont, a good all-round ski teacher and mountaineer who was always ready for a discussion on any subject; and old Pop Sorensen, who is still trying to keep up with the youngsters.

We started out from Camp Hale in a snowstorm, both arms arching from all the different shots we had received. We had an interesting trip by rail to Miami and, of course, on the various stop-overs the whole detachment went out sightseeing and it was most interesting for some of us who had not traveled much down south. It was an unforgettable trip, flying the Army route to Natal and we were glad to be up in the cool air when we flew over the South American jungles. It was a beautiful and wild sight and the Amazon River tremendous. In Natal we found the real hot tropics. Christmas afternoon we went swimming for some relief but even the water was too warm.