Because of its unique mission, recruiting for the 10th Mountain Division during World War II focused on experienced skiers and mountaineers, but soon the demand for them exceeded the supply. The Army began assigning soldiers to the 10th without any background in the mountains, and Cruz Rios became one of them. A native of Colton, Calif., a small town near San Bernardino, he enlisted in 1943 and was sent to Camp Hale randomly after basic training.