FEBRUARY 5, 2026 — Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division honored members of their unit who were killed in World War II during a Feb. 2 wreath‑laying ceremony at the Florence American Cemetery.
The Fort Drum‑based troops joined NATO partners and local officials to mark the 81st anniversary of the battles of Riva Ridge and Monte Belvedere, key operations in the Italian campaign. Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, commander of the 10th Mountain Division, delivered remarks at the ceremony.
“Eighty‑one years ago, Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division fought their way through the Apennine Mountains in some of the harshest terrain and conditions imaginable,” Naumann said. He noted the division’s partnership with Italian partisans and communities during the war, adding that “alliances are not formed through treaty alone, but in crisis with shared hardship.”
The Soldiers’ visit to Italy included trekking historic routes near Bologna, where the division fought in 1945. U.S. Consul General Daniela Ballard highlighted the cemetery’s significance, noting that more than 300 Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are buried there.
“Their actions were decisive for the breaking of the Gothic Line and the liberation of Italy from Nazi fascism,” she said. “Today, this moment is even more significant thanks to the presence of active-duty military of the 10th Mountain Division.”
Maj. Gen. Giuseppe Scudieri, commander of Multinational Division–South, emphasized the division’s continued legacy, including its many deployments during the Global War on Terror. Timothy Andersen, deputy garrison manager at Camp Darby, represented U.S. Army Garrison Italy.
The Florence American Cemetery, maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission, contains the graves of 4,392 U.S. service members. Located just south of Florence, the site hosts ceremonies throughout the year and is easily accessible for personnel stationed in Vicenza or at Camp Darby.
More information about the cemetery is available on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s website.
By Chiara Mattirolo