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| Sgt Torger Tokle, a national champion skier, served in the 10th Mountain Division in Italy. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67014685/torger-dahl-tokle https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/skiing-off-to-war-a-squad-leader-in-the-10th-mountain-division/ |
Torger was born March 7, 1919 in Lokken Verk, Norway. He became an accomplished ski jumper in Norway, and immigrated to the US in January 1939 at age 19. Over the next three years he won 42 out of 48 ski jump competitions, and set the American ski jump record several times.
He was drafted into the US Army in October 1942 and became a US citizen in April 1943. Because of his Nordic skills, he was assigned to the 86th Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division. The soldiers of the 10th MD received intense specialized training for fighting in mountainous and arctic conditions. The division was equipped with vehicles specialized in snow operation and winter weather gear, such as white camouflage and skis specifically designed for the division. He is reported to have said to friends “I will do everything for my adopted land to help it remain the champion of the small and downtrodden nations of Europe”.
After almost a year and half of intense training, the division sailed for Italy in December 1944. In mid-February 1945 the Allied forces made a series of attacks to dislodge the Germans from their artillery positions in the Northern Apennines on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions, in order to make possible the advance over the Po Valley. The 10th Mountain Division was responsible for the Mount Belvedere area, climbing nearby Riva Ridge during the night of 18 February and attacking mount Della Torraccia on 20 February. These peaks were cleared after four days of heavy fighting, as Axis troops launched several counterattacks in these positions. On March 3, 1945 Sgt. Tokle was killed in action leading his infantry platoon during an attack near Iola, Italy.
Torger Dahl Tokle is buried in Lokken Kirkegaard cemetery in his hometown of Lokken Verk, Norway.
Norway tied for the most medals in the 1948 Olympic Winter Games in Switzerland. Torger Tokle was a an accomplished skier. Had he survived the war, he may have qualified for the Olympics and perhaps even earned a medal.
Thank you Sgt. Tokle for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Torger.
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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."
Last year on this date I profiled Silver Star hero Howard Goodman of the 1st Marine Division. You can read about Howard here.
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Thank you, Mr. Feurst for honoring Sgt. Tokle. His story is so sad and tragic. His sacrifice will always be remembered thanks to kind people like you who continue to share these stories.
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