It's National Military Appreciation Month and nowhere does it seem the military is appreciated more than in the North Country, home to Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division.

Each May, the Watertown community hosts an Armed Forces Day Parade to honor not only Fort Drum, but active duty military members, veterans and military families throughout the country. However this year, due to the pandemic, the parade could not be held.

So to make sure military members would still know how much they are appreciated, a North Country organization, Operation Yellow Ribbon, hung yellow and blue ribbons throughout heavily populated areas of Watertown, Carthage and Clayton.

The color blue was added to also honor those serving on the front lines of the pandemic.

"America has a lot of heroes and the reason  we are here today is because they were willing to be on the front lines for us," Operation Yellow Ribbon Chair Mary Corriveau said.

In addition to the ribbons, the South Massey Street Island in Watertown was decorated as another special way to say thank you.