Fort Drum community joins Gold Star families at Remembrance ceremony

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (WWTI) – The Fort Drum community joined Gold Star families to honor the life and legacy of loved ones who died in military service to the nation during the annual Remembrance Ceremony on Tuesday, June 18, in Memorial Park.

We are so incredibly grateful to our Gold Star family members for joining us today. It is a true gift to hear them speak the names of our fallen with pride, to share stories – because it really does connect us to our heritage and it inspires us moving forward.

Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, 10th Mountain Division & Fort Drum commander

Memorial Park honors the courage and service of 10th Mountain Division Soldiers across years of campaigns. There are 23 bronze plaques etched with the names of service members who have died since Hurricane Andrew relief operations in 1992 through Operation Freedom Sentinel in 2021.

Naumann said it’s a time to also recognize families throughout the north country that lost military members and embrace them into the Fort Drum community.

That Gold Star family member was Bill Havener Jr., who is the son of the late William Havener. He was escorted by Fort Drum Range Branch and U.S. Air Force personnel to the training area last July.

As guest speaker, Havener spoke about his father’s journey from being raised on a farm to becoming a fighter pilot. Like many military families, he can remember the stacks of boxes preceding the move to a new duty location, and that feeling of never settling at one place long.

During the site visit, a chaplain led them in prayer, read a poem that Havener wrote, and they shared what he called a genuinely moving experience.

(Photos by Mike Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs)

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