Photo By Michael Strasser | Soldiers sing the 10th Mountain Division (LI) song, “Climb to Glory,” during the...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Feb. 24, 2026) -- On this day in 1989, a new tradition for the 10th Mountain Division (LI) began during an otherwise ordinary event at Fort Drum.
Gathered for a retirement ceremony in the post gymnasium, Soldiers, family members, and Department of the Army civilians found the lyrics to a new song tucked inside their programs.
“Climb to Glory”
We are the 10th Mountain Infantry; With a glorious history
On our own two feet, all our foes we’ll defeat
Light Fighters marching on to victory
We go where others dare not go; In the heat or cold of snow
We are proud to be in the Army of the Free
Climb to Glory, Mountain Infantry
Climb to Glory, the Light Infantry
Chief Warrant Officer 2 John S. Fraser, 10th Mountain Division Band commander at the time, wrote the words and music over a period of four months. In a Fort Drum Sentinel article, he said that an older division song served as the framework to compose an inspirational anthem for the modern-day light infantry Soldier.
“It’s one song to represent the unity of the entire division,” he said.
The division’s motto, “Climb to Glory,” was already deeply ingrained in its identity, having been approved for the distinctive unit insignia on April 30, 1985. So, it was a natural fit for the new song to incorporate those three words.
Following the song’s debut, Fraser said that he received favorable reviews from senior leaders and enlisted Soldiers, and that he looked forward to having it performed at other ceremonies.
“I wrote the song so that it would be easy to learn and to march to, upbeat to sing, and something the Soldier can identify with today,” he said.
Previously, the band performed a World War II-era anthem called “Song of the Mountain Infantry” during unit ceremonies. The lyrics were written by W.T. Levitt, in memory of Sgt. Charles W. Levitt, of Company I, 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, who died in Italy on Feb. 21, 1945.
Staff Sgt. Katherine Bolcar, who currently serves as a vocalist with the 10th Mountain Division Band, said the two songs share a deliberate connection.
“There are melody lines that are the same,” she said. “The lyrics in ‘Climb to Glory’ are reflective of the unit history while ‘Song of the Mountain Infantry’ directly describes the early World War II-era history. They both end with an identical melody tying them together.”
Bolcar also noted that division songs often resemble college fight songs in their form and purpose – short, powerful and easy to sing. They often begin as larger works and are then shortened for an official ceremonial version.
“Most are only about 16 to 32 bars,” Bolcar said. “The ‘Climb to Glory’ that we sing is just short enough to ‘rally the troops’ and easy enough for just about anyone to sing along to. These tunes are meant to instill pride in an organization, be it a military unit or an institution of higher education.”
To that end, the 10th Mountain Division Band has multiple arrangements of “Climb to Glory” to fit any ensemble or ceremony.
“For example, the full band can perform the complete instrumental version for large ceremonies, while the rock and jazz bands can perform them with guitar, piano, drums, bass, and vocals for a Dining Out event,” Bolcar said. “We also have a brass quintet and a woodwind group which are all capable of performing the song.”
Since its debut, “Climb to Glory” has become woven into the cultural fabric of the 10th Mountain Division. A day rarely passes when it is not sung on post. For Soldiers like Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Burns, the song encapsulates the division’s spirit and what it means to be a Mountain Soldier.
“Every day I sing it, it resonates more with me,” he said. “This is the division I’ve served in the longest, and I just think of what the words in the song mean. To me, it clearly ties the mountain infantry of the past to the light infantry of present, and it brings all of those Soldiers together.”
Burns first served with the 10th Mountain Division in 2017, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, and then with 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He now serves as the Fort Drum garrison senior enlisted adviser.
“To me personally, ‘Climb to Glory’ is a motto to live by,” he said. “That we should always keep moving forward as a team, and only as that team will you be able to overcome the obstacles in front of you. I think back to the assault on Riva Ridge, and it wasn’t just one person that led the way. It’s part of being something bigger than yourself.”
As the 10th Mountain Division incorporates more of its alpine heritage into training and deployments around the world – working alongside partner forces and allies – Burns is reminded of the lyric: “We go where others dare not go; in the heat or cold of snow.”
“The division originally began training in the mountains of Colorado (Camp Hale), then conducted a deployment to Alaska (the liberation of Kiska) in the Aleutian Islands, and upon their return they ended up training in the heat of Texas (Camp Swift),” he said. “Then they deploy to the European theater where they are back in the mountains again.
“Then if you look at the 10th Mountain Division from 1985 to today, Soldiers have served in the heat of deserts and in the cold of mountains all over,” he continued. “So, there is connective theme of our past and present represented in that song.”
More than a 45-second oral history of the division, Burns said “Climb to Glory” instructs and inspires Soldiers to live up to the words they are singing.
“It says we can go anywhere and we can do anything,” he said. “We can even do the things that are said to be impossible because we have the people who can do it when you put them together.”
Burns said it is motivating when he sees Soldiers sing it with heart, rather than simply going through the motions. He recalled two company first sergeants in his battalion who made it a competition to see which formation could sing it the loudest and with the most spirit.
“Nobody in the infantry likes to sing, for the most part,” Burns said. “So, you start off singing this together because, for one, we’re required to do it. But what I saw was if someone started singing louder, then another would get louder, and it became competition. And then every day they would crown the king of the mountain, so to speak, for that day.”
Burns said there are currently two senior noncommissioned officers in the division who also take pride in “outsinging” one another at events.
“They will sing it louder than anyone else in the room because they’re proud of being in this division, and they’re proud of what it means to them,” he said.
“Climb to Glory” is introduced to new Soldiers during their initial in-processing with the Mountain Reception Company.
“Soldiers typically hear the song during in-processing events, unit formations, and reception briefings, where they are taught its significance and encouraged to learn the lyrics,” said 1st Sgt. Danielle Snow, Mountain Reception Company first sergeant.
During the Powder Keg Patching Ceremony, they sing alongside peers and senior leaders for the first time at a formal event.
“The patching ceremony represents a significant moment of transition for newly assigned Soldiers as they formally become members of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) team,” Snow said. “It reinforces the division’s history, legacy and combat heritage while instilling pride, esprit de corps, and a sense of belonging to the organization. The singing of the division song plays an important role in this process by connecting Soldiers to the division’s traditions and identity."
From retirements and award ceremonies to command changes, Department of the Army civilians lend their voices to the singing of “Climb to Glory” – many of whom had served with the 10th Mountain Division (LI).
Rob Berry, a retired sergeant major with 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, works in the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security.
“I’ve sung ‘Climb to Glory’ more times than I can count as an active-duty soldier and civilian,” he said. “And each time there is a sense of pride, and shared hardship that we feel as Soldiers and civilians. To this day, I still get goosebumps every time I sing it.”
As a civilian employee, Berry said the “climb” may be different now, but the meaning hasn’t diminished at all.
“The phrase ‘Climb to Glory’ is significant to me because it means that victory and glory is never given, it is earned through adversity and persistence in the ‘climb’ to achieve it,” he said. “I’ve taken that same mindset and have applied it in my civilian career now.”
And like Burns, the lyric “We go where others dare not go” holds special meaning to the former infantryman.
“Through tough and realistic training, something has to be said about a Warrior trudging through three feet of snow – and in sub-zero temps – and still being able to fight on, through the objective,” Berry said.
Melissa Behnkendorf has served here since 2004, first as a noncommissioned officer with the 10th Mountain Division (LI) Special Troops Battalion (now Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion) and now as garrison executive officer. She said “Climb to Glory” took on new meaning after her first deployment to Afghanistan.
“The experiences we shared in theater gave the lyrics a weight and authenticity that I had not fully appreciated before,” she said. Behnkendorf said the battalion assumed responsibility for the Bagram Security Zone, a 40-kilometer battlespace circling Bagram Airfield.
“Our mission set was unconventional, and so was our manning,” she said. “Band members served as tower guards. Mechanics operated access control points. Soldiers from a wide range of MOSs formed the protective security detail for our battalion commander and command sergeant major, who served as the battlespace owners for the BSZ.”
Behnkendorf said their determination to complete the mission never wavered.
“We were committed to securing Bagram Airfield, disrupting enemy activity, expanding our presence throughout the region, and supporting our partners in areas such as Panjshir and Tagab,” she said. “When we returned home, the division song resonated with me in a way I had never experienced before. I remember hearing it and feeling goosebumps – an immediate, visceral reminder of the challenges we faced, the missions we accomplished and the pride we carried as a task force that returned home with 100 percent of our Soldiers – and a collection of remarkable stories.”
As a Department of the Army civilian still serving the 10th Mountain Division (LI), Behnkendorf said the song still holds that profound significance.
“Its meaning has matured with me,” she said, “reflecting both the memories of my time in uniform and the pride I feel in continuing to support the division in a new capacity. When I stand among Soldiers, families, and community members during the singing of ‘Climb to Glory,’ the experience resonates with a depth that is difficult to fully express.”
She said the song is a reminder of the division’s extraordinary legacy, one that binds generations of Soldiers together.
“What I feel is more than community and more than pride,” Behnkendorf said. “It is a profound sense of belonging to something larger than myself. I often find myself hoping that those around me – especially the newer Soldiers – truly understand how remarkable it is to be part of this division. The 10th Mountain Division is not just a unit with a storied past; it is a living testament to perseverance, sacrifice, and excellence, whether on the battlefield or here at home.”
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2026 08:30 |
| Story ID: | 558668 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 194 |
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