The 10th Mountain Division prides itself on those who came before.

“Command Sergeant Major Southern Hewitt served multiple tours in Vietnam, was awarded a Silver Star for his actions in combat. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions. If you’ve seen the movie ‘We Were Soldiers,’ the battle in the Ia Drang Valleys is one he was he was very involved in,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Fields, the deputy commandant of the Southern “Buddy” Hewitt Noncommissioned Officer Academy.

Hewitt joined the Army in 1955 and 30 years later, would play a key role in the division's reactivation on Fort Drum.

“He knew he had a responsibility to connect the veterans of the division from World War II to the veterans of the Modern Division,” Fields said.

What You Need To Know

  • Southern "Buddy" Hewitt was the 10th Mountain Division's first command sergeant major after the division was reactivated in the 1980s

  • Hewitt, in an effort to connect veterans with active-duty soldiers, created a 126-mile relay run from Fort Drum to Whiteface Mountain

  • Master Sgt. Daniel Fields recreated the run this summer, using the original baton Hewitt used in 1985

Knowing the division's history in the mountains of Italy and knowing that a large ski mountain in the Adirondacks — Whiteface — was started in large part by 10th Mountain Division veterans, Hewitt realized a great way to bridge that gap would be a run.

“A relay to honor the 10th’s legacy and at the same time teaching the new soldiers, the current soldiers, that they are an integral part of that legacy,” Fields said.

On the first run in 1985, which Hewitt kicked off, he was joined by his soldiers, family members, civilians and veterans. It became tradition until 1992, when the nation's focus shifted to the Middle East.

“The division was quite, quite engaged and busy,” Fields said.

Hewitt, who was gifted the baton first used in 1985, passed away two years ago. To honor his legacy, his family donated it back to the division. That's when Fields got an idea.

Thanks to a large amount of the legwork completed by Fields, the division hosted the relay once again and the baton, first carried by 10th Mountain Division Commanding General Major General Gregory Anderson, made the 126-mile trip to the summit of Whiteface.

“To see that baton and our division colors work its way up, to the very top, to the benchmark at the top of Whiteface … it brought tears to some eyes,” Fields said.

Fields says he hopes to continue the relay, especially now that the division uses Whiteface for training exercises. Whiteface was officially dedicated to the 10th Mountain Division in 1958.