"This first insignia was used by the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale and appeared on signs, the Headquarters Building, and on the masthead of the division newspaper. The railroad stop at Camp Hale was Pando, Colorado. The design became known as the Pando Commando. The Panda Bear on skis with an M1 rifle was considered a "cartoon" design and hence The Institute of Heraldry would not accept it as the [10th Mountain Division’s] official patch. However, the design was made into a patch after the war by members of the National Association of the 10th Mountain Division."

-Don Palmer, Denver Public Library Resource Center Volunteer