FORT DRUM, N.Y. (May 21. 2026) -- The Fort Drum community, alongside 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers, Gold Star family members, and distinguished guests, gathered in Memorial Park on May 21 to observe the annual Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony.
“Memorial Day is the most solemn of our national observances,” said Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commanding general. “A day when we remember and honor the brave men and women who answered the call of duty and never returned home.”
Naumann said the annual observance holds a singular focus: remembering their sacrifices and legacies of those service members.
“Our own 10th Mountain Division has carried a heavy share of our nation’s fallen for over 80 years,” he said. “Indeed, the division’s legacy is written not only in operations and achievements, but in the names and faces of the Soldiers we’ve lost.”
When asked to serve as guest speaker for the ceremony, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Charles Albertson, former division senior enlisted adviser, said he accepted with a sense of humility and reluctance.
“The task of adequately honoring our fallen military service members is one where no matter what words I choose, I know I cannot do justice to their sacrifice,” he said. “Yet, like many of you, the events of 9/11 and the Global War on Terror shaped my military career and my life. The experience that I’ve had and the memories of those who can no longer speak for themselves convinced me to accept the honor on their behalf.”
The first Memorial Day observance – then known as Decoration Day – was held on May 5, 1866, in the village of Waterloo, New York. Led by Gen. John B. Murray, patriotic citizens marched to village cemeteries and placed flowers on the graves of those who died during the Civil War.
Two years later, it was formally established as Memorial Day. The observance has since evolved to include remembrances for American veterans from both sides of the Civil War, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in all subsequent wars and conflicts.
Dating back to the Civil War, Albertson said more than 1.3 million service members have died in service to our nation.
“Take a moment to consider the countless loved ones affected by those losses,” he said. “Personally, I have found it difficult to complain about deployments, or time away from family. Despite missing holidays, birthdays and anniversaries, we returned. For the families of the fallen, their loved ones are never coming home.”
Albertson said he is reminded of the roll call taken during memorial services, when the fallen Soldier’s name is called out and no response is given.
“Silence never sounds so loud, or feels so heavy at that moment,” he said.
Albertson then proceeded to deliver a roll call for Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, who served with 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. Ollis died on Aug. 28, 2013, while deployed to Afghanistan, saving the life of a comrade during an insurgent attack.
“I freely admit by the time roll call begins, it’s all I can do to contain my emotions,” Albertson said. “No matter how prepared I am, when that first volley sounds, it hits me with a weight of friends and comrades that I’ve lost. Taps seems to linger as their faces fill my mind.”
Albertson said he found words that could capture the motivation behind such selfless service in President Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural address. Reagan shared the story of Pvt. Martin Treptow, a Soldier from the 42nd Division who died in France during World War I.
A diary was found on his body, with a page titled “My Pledge” in it. Treptow had written:
“America must win this war. Therefore, I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.”
“Let us take time today to remember and give thanks for these great American heroes,” Albertson said. “God bless these heroes, God bless their families, and God bless the United States of America.”
Albertson joined Naumann and Command Sgt. Maj. Brett Johnson, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum senior enlisted adviser, in placing a wreath at the base of the Military Mountaineer Monument. The Fort Drum ceremony concluded with a three-volley salute and the playing of Taps.
Fort Drum will observe official Memorial Day quiet hours from noon until 5 p.m. on May 25 to provide community members with access to all the cemeteries on training ranges. The three cemeteries within the cantonment – Cooper Cemetery, Quaker Cemetery and the LeRay Mansion gravesite – require a visitor pass before entering post.
Information about the 13 cemeteries is available at [https://fortdrum.isportsman.net/Cemeteries.aspx](https://fortdrum.isportsman.net/Cemeteries.aspx).