NEWS

As we enter 2023, the Black Hills War Monument Association thanks all the Black Hills citizens who have supported the ongoing maintenance of the monument located in Memorial Park in Rapid City. Many veterans have volunteered to help maintain the site and change the flags when needed and to lower them on half staff days. Upcoming events for 2023 include the Monument Dedication Ceremony on May 29, 2023, the Veterans Day Ceremony on November 11, 2023, and the first annual Mary V Piper Freedom Essay Contest, to be held during the summer of 2023. We have included the address for tax deductible donations to the website on the bottom of this website page, and we look forward to honoring our fallen Black Hills heroes with the monthly Honor Roll listing. Each month we list several local military members who gave their lives in service to their nation. NEVER FORGET, freedom is not free.

HISTORY

On July 5, 1991, the Black Hills Veteran’s Monument was dedicated in a ceremony at Memorial Park. It was built as a joint effort between VFW Post 1273 and the EAFB community, led by 37 BMS B1 Project Officer Capt Ed Manzano. SD Sen Tom Daschle and BGen Thad Wolfe, the senior commander of the base in 1991, spoke at the dedication ceremony. The hexagon shaped memorial was placed on a large stone donated by Crazy Horse Memorial founder Ruth Ziolkowski, and contains plaques honoring BH veterans from WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm/1st Iraqi War.

OUR PLAN

The Black Hills War Monument Association is a non-profit 501C3 comprised of military veterans, retirees and civilian Gold Star family members. The planned upgrade to the current Black Hills Veterans Memorial is highlighted by six magnificent granite walls with engraved names of almost 700 Black Hills military who died in wars from 1918 to the present. In addition, the six military service flags from each branch will be erected, as well as the POW/MIA flag and state of South Dakota flags. The theme NEVER FORGET is written on the bottom of each Wall of Honor, and the monument site will have night lighting to ensure 24 hour viewing by interested citizens. An embedded QR code in each wall allows viewers who take photos to be linked to the bhwma.org website, where the military legacies and histories of each fallen member can be viewed.

The new anticipated dedication date will be Memorial Day, May 29, 2023. Details and ceremony schedule will be posted on this website.

ABOUT US

The Black Hills War Monument Association is a newly formed 501C3 non profit organization, dedicated to building and maintaining the Black Hills Veterans Monument, and educating local students as well as the local population, about the heroic military heritage of service members from the Black Hills of Western South Dakota. We plan to offer an annual prize to a local high school student as part of an essay contest on freedom.

OUR BOARD MEMBERS

WALLS OF HONOR

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."
– Elmer Davis

Below are links to alphabetical listings of Black Hills soldiers, sailors, and airmen from the *below listed counties, who gave their lives in defense of freedom for their fellow citizens, as well as countless citizens around the world. The BH Veterans Monument contains names from WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, the Cold War, Iraq/Afghanistan War on Terror, and names from BH POW-MIA listing.

(*Butte, Custer, Fall River, Haakon, Lawrence, Meade, Oglala Lakota, Pennington, Bennett, Todd, Jackson counties).

Click the links below to review the names of those who laid down their lives for their families, friends, and country.

WWI

BLACK HILLS HONOR ROLL

To recognize local military members who gave their lives for freedom in our nation’s wars and to raise public awareness of the BH War Monument and ensure our children and grandchildren NEVER FORGET the price paid for their freedom.

January 2023 Honor Roll

PFC Ludwig O Krein
Hot Springs, SD
World War II
DOW 24 Jan 1945

US Army 3rd Infantry Division, 7th Inf Reg

★ Purple Heart

LEARN MORE

1LT Robert K Magee
Belle Fourche, SD
POW-MIA
January 19, 1945

US Army 31st Infantry Regiment, Philippine Division
Died aboard the Enora Maru POW during US bombing at Takao Port, Formosa

★ Silver Star ★ Bronze Star
★ Prisoner of War Medal

LEARN MORE
LEARN MORE

SFC Gerald F Apperson
Sturgis, SD
Vietnam War
KIA 8 Jan 1969

US Army 5th Special Forces Group, Forward Operations Base 2, MACV
Buried Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis SD

★ Purple Heart

LEARN MORE
LEARN MORE

CAPT Ryan Phaneuf
Global War On Terror
27 Jan 2020 E11A crash Afghanistan

USAF 28th Bomb Wing, 37Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, SD

LEARN MORE

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO SEE THE COMPLETE JANUARY 2023 HONOR ROLL LISTING:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/648817836717957/permalink/698541475078926/

FUNDING

For tax deductible donations, please write out your check to:

BHWMA
1601 Mt Rushmore Rd, Suite 3-103
Rapid City, SD 57701

To send comments or questions, or for more info email us at [email protected]

Please allow 24-48 hrs for a response, thanks!

SPONSORSHIP

Become a sponsor and ensure the legacy of our fallen heroes is NEVER FORGOTTEN.

Contributions can be made in equal, monthly amounts.
Call 605-209-6283 for more info.

VIEW OUR SPONSORS

BRONZE LEVEL

$5-$499 Contribution

SILVER LEVEL

$500-$2,499 Contribution

GOLD LEVEL

$2,500-$9,999 Contribution

PLATINUM LEVEL

Contribution over $10,000

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