Inaugural Darby Challenge set for late April, more than 100 participants expected

The inaugural Fort Smith General Darby Challenge, a ruck march and half marathon dedicated to honoring General William O. Darby and Fort Smith’s twin cities, Cisterna, Italy and Nago-Torbole, Italy, is expected to draw more than 100 participants.

Sponsoring the new event are the Fort Smith Museum of History, Darby House, and the City of Fort Smith. The event will be held at 6:45 a.m., April 28, and begin at the Cisterna Park in downtown Fort Smith. In addition to the ruck march and half marathon, the event will also include a 10k, 5k, and a walk.

Link here to register for one of the events, and for more information about the different events.

“The Darby Challenge serves as a tribute to General William O. Darby, who made the ultimate sacrifice on April 30, 1945, in Nago-Torbole, Italy. In April 2023, Nago-Torbole, Italy, and Fort Smith, AR, formed a special ‘twinning’ partnership to honor their shared history with General William O. Darby,” noted a statement from the Museum of History. “The Fort Smith General Darby Challenge will be an international twin city event, taking place on the same weekend as Nago-Torbole, Italy’s Col Darby 40 Mile Ranger Challenge.”

Museum Executive Director Caroline Speir said as of April 15 the event had 89 participants registered and the event will “easily break 100 participants.” She also said volunteers for the event come from the JROTC programs at Northside High School and Darby Middle School, the U.S. Marshals Museum, and those affiliated with the museum and the Darby House.

The event also will include a “Silent Mile” to remember military members Killed In Action or Missing in Action in World War II.

“The Silent Mile will be one mile of the Darby Challenge, located along the trails on our waterfront near the Arkansas River, with posted signs listing the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, KIA or are MIA in or near our sister cities, of Cisterna, Italy and Nago-Torbole, Italy. During the one-mile stretch, silence will be observed by all in honor of those servicemen who sacrificed all,” according to the museum.

DARBY HISTORY
Darby was born and raised in Fort Smith. He is credited with creating, organizing, and leading the first corps of Army Rangers – called “Darby’s Rangers,” and immortalized in a film of the same name starring James Garner as Darby. He was also known for riding a motorcycle during his service in Europe.

On April 23, 1945, during the waning days of World War II, Col. Darby found himself with an unexpected mission. Robinson Duff, the brigadier general and assistant commander of the U.S. 10th Mountain Division, was wounded in an enemy attack leaving it to Darby to take over and lead his “Task Force Darby” to the Po River valley bridgehead in Italy.

While conferring with his men one week after assuming command, Darby was one of two killed by an 88mm enemy shell that burst in the middle of the assembled officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Several others were injured. Task Force Darby continued on with the mission, and two days later, all German forces in Italy surrendered. Darby, who was 34 when he was killed in action, was posthumously promoted to brigadier general on May 15, 1945.

He was buried in Cisterna, Italy, but four years later, the body was exhumed and reinterred at Fort Smith National Cemetery. A statue of Darby in Cisterna Park was unveiled in April 2016.