The new connector road between I-81 and Fort Drum will be named the “Paul Cerjan Memorial Highway” after Lt. Gen. Paul G. Cerjan, who served as assistant division commander for support with the 10th Mountain Division from 1985 to 1987.

The naming is appropriate. A West Point graduate, Gen. Cerjan served for 34 years in the Army. The Rome native was an engineer who created the layout of Fort Drum in its present form. The general oversaw more than $1.2 billion in construction projects at a crucial time in the post’s development.

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has signed legislation for the naming of the road. State legislators approved the bill, sponsored by state Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, and supported by Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa.

Much credit goes to retired Col. Michael T. Plummer, who advanced the idea of naming the road after Gen. Cerjan. As division chief of staff during the Drum construction, Mr. Plummer worked closely with Gen. Cerjan on key projects at the post. Gen. Cerjan, a summer resident of Henderson Harbor, died in 2011.

Mr. Plummer said: “I can’t think of a more fitting tribute to the person responsible for what Fort Drum is today.”

It is a good way to remember a distinguished soldier who served his country well and did much for Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division.

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