Landaff, NH – The 10th Mountain Division Memorial service was held last weekend at the Bartlett-Crist Memorial site in Landaff. It was attended by members, families and friends of the World War 11 US Army unit that saw action in Italy and beyond, including the War on Terrorism.
The 10th Mountain Division memorial program began in the early 1990s on a former logging yard in Lancaster, New Hampshire. A single cross was constructed on the land by 10th Mountain Division veteran Warren Bartlett in memory of a 10th Mountain Division friend, Orval McDaniel, who was killed during combat in Italy towards the end of World War II.
In 1997, more crosses were added to include the names of veterans John Burgess, Cal Farnham, and Eugene Rice. The next year Lois Woodward asked if it would be possible to have a ceremony at that site where the 10th Mountain Division veterans would be invited to come and pay tribute to her husband, Ed Crist. Ed had died during the winter months and none of his friends were able to attend the funeral at that time.
The Lancaster memorial site grew over the years with a total of 96 crosses being placed in the garden and private donations continued to assist with the upkeep of the growing site. Eventually that property was sold, and the group was asked by the new owners to remove the memorial from their land in 2016.
Joanne and Lloyd Donnellan of Landaff offered a section of their private property to be the new memorial site, and the Lancaster area was taken down, all of the crosses signs and flagpoles were moved to the new memorial site in Landaff. The Donnellan land was cleared, and the crosses and flagpoles were installed.
It is there that the Bartlett-Crist 10th Mountain Memorial has been established and clearly marked with 10th Mountain Division signage and flags. There are now more than 130 crosses at this memorial to honor the troops and other deceased members who participated in a series of assaults in Italy in 1945 and elsewhere in other combat actions.
Last Saturday, July 12, 2025, guests were welcomed by memorial organizers with Lloyd and Joanne Donnellan. Colors were raised by an honor guard from the members of the 10th Mountain Division reenactment team that had put on their impressive program for guests at the Landaff Memorial.
Also, The Lord’s Prayer was offered. The song, In the Garden was rendered those in attendance that numbered 40 or more members and families of 10th Mountain Division soldiers.
After a service that honored the members and deceased members, the honor guard presented a rifle salute, and Taps were played. To conclude the program, red carnations were placed at more than 124 crosses that were assembled at the pristine memorial site dedicated to the 10th Mountain Division.
Assembled on a part of the property at the entrance of the Memorial site in Landaff, former 10th Mountain Division soldiers who have all been deployed during the War on Terror, assembled a WW2 encampment with authentic M1 Garand military rifles and other equipment including tents, cold weather gear and other field gear such as that used during WW2 combat including a rucksack and snowshoes. In addition to that, they held a question-and-answer period and answered many questions about the equipment.
The group, who brought wide praise from attendees, promised they will be back for the next memorial program in 2026.

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