Located 100 miles west of Denver, the Colorado ski town of Vail is set in a bowl-like valley beneath the surrounding mountains, with cobblestone streets and overflowing flower boxes that wouldn't look out of place in an Alpine village. Today, the town's slopes attract every year to what many consider to be the US' quintessential ski resort. But few know that were it not for veterans of a World War Two mountain warfare division, this town – and many others like it across the country – may never have existed.
