ENGLEWOOD, Colo — The 10th Mountain Division Living History Group, which preserves items belonging to the state's famous military division, lost more than $20,000 after their trailer filled with WWII artifacts was stolen in Englewood.
On April 13, two men were spotted stealing the trailer outside of a member's home. The group member was repairing some of the equipment inside his home when the thieves slashed the locks on the trailer, hitched it to their truck and drove away. The entire theft was caught on a neighbor's doorbell camera, but the truck's license plate is unreadable.
"Unless we manage to recover them, those pieces may be lost for good," said Dave Little, the founder of the 10th Mountain Division Living History Group. "If they go into a dumpster or a landfill somewhere, history is lost.”
Fortunately, most of the artifacts were not in the trailer, but some of the larger items were lost. The stolen pieces include a kitchen set, netting, signage and green tent, some of which can be seen below.
Little's own home could be called a museum, with dozens of photos, rifles and skis from Colorado's 10th Mountain Division adorning his walls. Normally, Little would love to talk about the historic military group. But now, he is at a loss for words.
"Having to sit here and do this interview is one of the most painful things I've had to do," he said.
A son of a military veteran, Little's interest in military memorabilia started at an early age, when he bought a Springfield rifle for $14.50 when he was 11 years old.
"Best investment I ever made," he said. "It goes for about $7,000 to 8,000 now."
Eventually, Little took an interest in the historic 10th division. The group were military skiers who trained in Colorado. When they returned home from the war, many of the men helped found ski resorts like Vail and Aspen.
Only around 100 men from the 10th Mountain Division are still alive and Little's group is trying to make sure their memory never dies. The 10th Mountain Division Living History Group travels the state, putting on displays, exhibits and even a living campsite.
"When I discovered the 10th mountain soldiers, they had a fascinating story to tell, but they didn't talk very much," Little said. "They've charged me with telling that story to the public.”
After stockpiling pieces of memorabilia for more than 40 years, Little and his fellow historians have displays at the Broomfield Veterans Museum, History Colorado Museum and the National Archive. The organization is now international as well, with members in England, Norway and Italy.
Although he hopes to recover some of the items, Little is afraid most of the items will be destroyed.
“For them, it was just some heavy, smelly green canvas. For us, it's history. And for the public, it's a loss," Little said.
Englewood police are investigating the theft and have asked the public to reach out if they have any information. Additionally, Little is asking people to keep an eye out for anything that looks like an old green military canvas.
