The monument has four sides made of granite and shaped as a mountain rising from a pad at the center of Tower Square in the middle of Thompson Par. Three bronze reliefs have been mounted on three sides of the granite monument depicting the 10th Mountain Division’s major historical periods:
• The Mountain Soldiers of the Second World War (Camp Hale, Colo., and Italy, 1943-1945;
• The re-activation of the 10th Mountain Division and its participation on contingency operations following Hurricane Andrew and at Somalia, Haiti, Horn of Africa, Saudi Arabia, Bosnia and Kosovo, 1985-2001;
• The 10th Mountain Division’s participation in Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, 2001-present.
The effort that led to the erection of the monument started last year, the 70th anniversary of the 10th Mountain Division's successes during the Italian campaign during World War II and the 30th anniversary of the division that is now stationed at Fort Drum.
IN THE PHOTOS:
TOP:
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell studies the bronze reliefs on The North Country Honors The Mountain statue at Thompson Park in Watertown.
BOTTOM:
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell meets with Col. Bryan J. Laske, garrison commander at Fort Drum, following the unveiling of the monument honoring the 10th Mountain Division at Thompson Park.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell talks with F. Tony Keating, special assistant to the Secretary of the Army, on Friday following the unveiling of the monument honoring the 10th Mountain Division at Thompson Park.
