10th Mountain Division welcomes new Hall of Fame, Man/Woman of the Mountain inductees

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (June 24, 2026) -- Nancy Kramer, president of 10th Mountain Division Foundation, became the latest member of the 10th Mountain Division Warrior Legend Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony June 24 inside the Peak at Fort Drum.

Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Alexander King, 10th Mountain Division (LI) senior enlisted adviser, presented Kramer with a Hall of Fame medallion and a plaque that will be added to the Hall of Fame wall inside the post museum.

With more than a decade of service with the Foundation, Kramer has played a key leadership role in elevating the national recognition of Camp Hale, where the 10th Mountain Division originally trained in Colorado during World War II. She helped drive the collaborative effort that resulted in its designation as the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in 2022.

Kramer also secured a $200,000 grant to launch the Modern Resource Center initiative, establishing the Foundation for preserving the post-1985 history and lived experiences of the 10th Mountain Division (LI).

Kramer is the daughter of William “Rope-Sole” Robertson, who served as a medic with the 10th Mountain Division during World War II. As a child, Kramer said she knew little about her father’s time with the 10th Mountain Division. But then during a family trip to the 10th Mountain Division War Memorial in Tennessee Pass, Colorado, she saw something that gave her new perspective.

“I stood behind my father as he honored his friends and comrades killed in action in Italy,” she said. “He was touching their names on this large rose granite monolith, and in that moment the legacy was no longer distant. It became personal. It became alive.”

She said her sense of connection deepened over time, on trips to the Rocky Mountains and climbs on Mount Rainier, where she could honor her father’s life and love of mountaineering.

“And when my father’s World War II Soldiers gathered at the 10th Mountain Division’s 50th anniversary in Vail in the summer of 1992, they welcomed me into their 10th Mountain family,” Kramer said. “With every step, my father’s legacy of grit and service became clear to me. And it was no longer something I inherited. It was something I was called to help carry forward.”

Man/Woman of the Mountain

The Man of the Mountain and Woman of the Mountain award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the quality of life of the Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division community through a lifetime of service.

In 2003, the 10th Mountain Division (LI) commander sought to establish a civilian recognition program to honor those who have volunteered their time and service to make lasting impacts on the Fort Drum community. An awards ceremony in 2005 recognized the first four Man and Woman of the Mountain recipients. Since then, more than 50 community members have received this award.

Naumann presented this year’s Man of the Mountain and Woman of the Mountain awards to David and Nancy Martel.

David Martel retired in 2015 after more than 32 years in the Army, and having served as senior enlisted adviser for 1st Brigade Combat Team and the 10th Mountain Division (LI) command sergeant major at Fort Drum.

He remained deeply engaged in supporting Soldiers and families across the North Country as Dry Hill Ski Area patrol director and as a member of the National Ski Patrol. Martel is an active member of the 10th Mountain Division Association and the Fort Drum chapter of the Sergeants Major Association, which sponsors the annual Mountain of Toys event for Fort Drum families during the holidays.

Nancy Martel serves as Camaraderie of Courage president, a non-profit organization established to support Soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat Team, fallen or wounded, and their families. She also serves as a member of the Fort Drum chapter of AUSA and the 10th Mountain Division Association – working with the team of volunteers at the 10th Mountain Division Hooah Tent at the annual Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C.

Martel also plays a vital role in sustaining the Division Memorial Brick Program, which serves to honor 10th Mountain Division Soldiers and families in Fort Drum’s Memorial Park. Her dedication to Gold Star Families can be seen every year during the Gold Star Dinner and Walk of Honor.

Before the ceremony, Naumann presented Jeffery Wiles, retired guest service manager at Vail Resorts, with the Meritorious Public Service Medal in recognition of his exceptional public service and dedication to 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers and veterans.

In 2007, Wiles established yearly ski meetups with the earliest veterans of the 10th Mountain Division. In these interactions, Wiles sought to educate the skiing public about the division’s World War II origins and contributions to the ski industry.

Wiles helped establish Vail Legacy Days, a weeklong event celebrating the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division. In 2018, he created a Legacy Parade to complement the festivities. Skiers, dressed in the original ski trooper uniforms, perform a Torchlight Ski Down as a contingent of active-duty Soldiers and military veterans march through Vail Village.

“I’ve been very lucky to do what I’ve been doing,” Wiles said. “Getting to know the history over the last 40 years and being involved with the original 10th Mountain guys – skiing on Vail Mountain – that got me into this, and it is evolving. This is an unexpected honor, and I’m truly shocked.”