10th Mountain Division honors Soldiers, veterans during Whiteface Mountain ceremony

By Spc. Osama Ayyad, 10th Mountain Division JournalistAugust 13, 2015

Fort Drum honors division Soldiers, past and present
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – World War II 10th Mountain Division veteran William Morrison speaks about honoring past and present division Soldiers during a memorial ceremony Thursday at the Whiteface Ski Center near Lake Placid. During the ceremony, Morrison thanked attendees fo... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Whiteface Mountain ceremony
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Jeffrey L. Bannister, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander, addresses attendees during a memorial ceremony Aug. 6 at the Whiteface Ski Center near Lake Placid. Bannister said he was proud to share the legacy of the 10th Mount... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Aug. 13, 201) -- Soldiers, veterans, North Country community members and elected officials gathered to honor World War II 10th Mountain Division veterans during a memorial ceremony Aug. 6 at Whiteface Ski Resort on Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid.

The annual ceremony has been conducted since 1988 to honor 10th Mountain Division Soldiers who fought in the Italian Apennines Mountains and Aleutian Islands during WWII, as well as those who served during more recent conflicts and those who serve today.

During the ceremony, William Morrison, president of the Northern New York Chapter of the 10th Mountain Division Association and a division veteran of World War II, praised Soldiers who currently serve in the division.

Morrison asked all 10th Mountain WWII veterans to stand and salute the Soldiers in formation; they were four, including Morrison.

In his remarks, Morrison spoke of his experiences during training and how fellow 10th Mountain Division Soldiers anticipated fighting in Italy during WWII.

Morrison said the troops were happy to be awarded the mountain rocker that 10th Mountain Division Soldiers still wear to this day.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey L. Bannister, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander, said he was proud to share the division's legacy with those who served during WWII, and he noted that the division continues the legacy of answering the nation's call to service currently in Iraq and this fall in Afghanistan.

"The 10th Mountain Division is that bond that brings us together," he said.

During her remarks, New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state of New York and Gov. Andrew Cuomo will advocate for Fort Drum and the 900,000 veterans who live in New York state.

"(The ceremony) is an important reminder that the freedoms we enjoy today, we should not take for granted," Hochul said.

After the ceremony, attendees, including 10th Mountain Division Soldiers and veterans, ate lunch at the resort.

Bannister said that the ceremony was an opportunity for 10th Mountain Division Soldiers to bond with veterans "of yesterday's wars."

WWII 10th Mountain Division veteran William A. Millette, who served with A Battery, 605th Field Artillery Battalion, said that the ceremony was bittersweet.

"It brings back memories of fallen comrades," he said. "But it's gratifying that a division of this size and that is this active makes the time to be a part of the ceremony."

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, 21st District, which includes Fort Drum, also attended the event.

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