Six U.S. troops based in Germany marked America's 250th Independence Day by completing the unassisted Darby 40 Miler at Lake Garda, Italy — retracing BG William O. Darby's final route in extreme heat. The march honors Darby and 25 soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division still listed as missing since April 30, 1945. A surprise welcome from Association Benàch awaited them at the finish, where Capt. Javier Pino called it "a humbling tribute and an experience we will never forget.

A pair of original 10th Mountain Division ski-mountain boots, donated by a 92-year-old resident from the Lake Garda region. The original soles were replaced after the war when the boots were reused by a local Italian — a powerful reminder of how valuable such equipment was to civilians in the difficult years following World War II.