The First Special Service Force Association revealed a monument dedicated to the force’s World War II veterans Saturday morning at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Fort Harrison.

The force was established on July 20, 1942, under the command of Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick. They soon adopted the name “The Black Devils” once the soldiers learned a German officer referred to the force as such, writing of their fearsome battle skills in his diary.

The association was established in 1947 in honor of the First Special Service Force, a joint American Canadian unit based at Fort Harrison. They celebrated their 78th annual reunion this week. Saturday’s event concluded the gathering.

Matt Manning, the Bureau Chief of Montana’s Veterans Cemetery Program, led the project to build the monument

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