Soldiers of a 10th Mountain Division (LI) color guard stand at attention during a rededication ceremony at Whiteface Mountain on July 29. The annual event honors 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers from the battles... VIEW ORIGINAL
WILMINGTON, N.Y. -- Soldiers, Family Members, friends and veterans of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) gathered July 29 at the base of Whiteface Mountain for the annual rededication ceremony.
The ceremony honored all Soldiers and veterans of the 10th Mountain Division, from battles on Mount Belvedere, Riva Ridge and Po Valley in the northern Apennine Mountains of Italy during World War II through present-day warriors still fighting in Afghanistan.
Symbolic of the past and representative of the future, military color guards from across the division marched in step, outlined the parade field and set the tone for the day's event.
"We gather here at the foot of Whiteface Mountain to look back on our lineage and reflect on the sacrifices and accomplishments of 10th Mountain Division Soldiers who faithfully served this nation," said Col. David S. Doyle, 2nd Bri-gade Combat Team commander. "Today, we remember a specific portion of our lineage and legacy and honor those mountain warriors who served in World War II."
Doyle continued by recalling the unit's robust history as one of the most deployed divisions in the U.S. Army, putting boots on the ground during campaigns ranging from combat to humanitarian to peacekeeping efforts.
William Morrison, president of the Northern New York Chapter of the 10th Mountain Division Association and a division veteran of World War II, reflected on the bonds formed between commissioned and enlisted personnel as well as the high price paid per mile gained in combat.
Quietly, in a hushed tone, he stated that this emotion was best captured in an article titled "The Death of Capt. Henry T. Waskow," by World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle.
"Capt. Waskow's body had been brought down the mountain on the back of a mule, when some of his company men stopped by," Morrison somberly stated. "Very few words were spoken. One Soldier stopped, knelt and held the captain's hand for a long five minutes and silently walked away.
It was of this that captain and Soldier had equally joined and enjoyed and worked together in the worst of war and weather."
Morrison spoke of less somber times when he remembered a veterans' visit to Italy nearly 50 years after the war's end.
He concluded his speech by formally recognizing today's Soldier who wears the 10th Mountain patch.
"The future, even if the Army is elsewhere, it belongs to the upcoming generation here represented by the Soldiers standing before us in their very sharp uniforms," he said. "We greatly value them carrying on our name and traditions. It is with great honor and respect we salute you now and say thank you."
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