40 & 08 Voiture 481

03/16/2022

Join us on March 29, the 5th Anniversary of National Vietnam War Veterans Day, as Americans unite to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.

01/06/2022

08/14/2021

08/08/2021

Today is Purple Heart Day - America's Oldest Military Award.

President George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit Aug. 7, 1782, to recognize both unusual gallantry and extraordinary fidelity. Only three of these cloth hearts were awarded, until the Badge of Military Merit was revived in 1932 as the Purple Heart. Originally, the Purple Heart could be awarded for both meritorious service or for combat wounds. Posthumous awards were prohibited until World War II and were awarded only to those killed on or after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order granting the Navy authorization to award the Purple Heart to members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Those wounded in previous wars were granted retroactive awards.

However, posthumous awards were limited to those killed on or after December 7, 1941. During the 1930s, some Civil War veterans applied for and received the Purple Heart.

President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order in 1952 allowing for family members of those killed from April 5, 1917 onward to apply for posthumous awards. Between 1941 and 1997, around 100 civilian war correspondents, Red Cross personnel, and government employees earned the Purple Heart until Congress prohibited the practice in 1997. To date, over 1 million Purple Hearts have been awarded.

07/17/2021

03/20/2021

For those wanting to get the vaccination. All veterans who are enrolled in the VA for health care are eligible according to the email.

02/21/2021

South Dakota employers, schools and residents are encouraged to show their support for all service members deployed overseas by participating in R.E.D. (Remember Everyone Deployed) Shirt Friday event on Feb. 26.

The South Dakota National Guard and the S.D. Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve invite the public to participate by wearing a red shirt on all Fridays while South Dakota citizens are deployed, and remember and honor all members of the military for their service to the state and nation.

The R.E.D. event will highlight soldiers and airmen with the SDNG’s 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and the 114th Fighter Wing currently deployed overseas. Throughout the past several years, the SDNG has been highlighting deployed units and individual members during R.E.D Friday events.

“Wearing red shirts on Fridays sends a strong and unified message to our service members and families that they are not forgotten and we appreciate their sacrifice to our country,” said Maj. Gen. Jeff Marlette, adjutant general of the SDNG.

South Dakota employers, schools and citizens are encouraged to provide additional support by:
• Sign a Statement of Support through the ESGR to show your support (for more information about this please contact the SD ESGR Program Office at 605-737-6540)
• Send cards/letters to the unit or someone in the unit
• Create a banner or video from your organization to send to the unit
• Check in with the family of a deployed service member
• Provide a meal for a family of a deployed service member
• Use the hashtag when posting your pictures to social media sites
• Send a picture of your company/school to: redshirtfriday.southdakota@gmail.com and we will share your picture through our social media sites
• Support the S.D. Veteran’s Home in Hot Springs or a veteran service organization in your community

Currently, there are about 290 SDNG members deployed to various locations around the globe.

02/19/2021

RED = Remember Everyone Deployed

02/19/2021

Winners of Mitchell American Legion Post 18 Boys/Girls State Raffle are:

Henry .22 carbine: BJ Voss
$100.00 County Fair gift certificate: Merl Bechen
$50.00 County Fair gift certificate: Doug Walz

Congratulations!!

02/19/2021

Come join us for a fun fundraiser at the JVCC building in Mitchell. Our proceeds go to fund nursing scholarships at MTC

02/07/2021

The Sioux Falls VA continues to provide some of the state’s highest-risk veterans with their second dose of the vaccine.

02/07/2021

It can be difficult to fully describe the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Radically different from previous war and service memorials, architect Maya Lin's design is brilliant in its simplicity. The 140 stone panels are arranged into two walls that bear the names of over 58,000 Americans who died in the Vietnam Conflict, but the memorial is so much more than a list of names. Faced by criticism and controversy during the planning phase, once opened to the public, the memorial has become an essential experience of visiting the National Mall.

The black granite from India was chosen for its reflective qualities. As visitors look past the names and into the stone, they can see themselves. They touch the walls and trace the names. Some leave items to express their personal connections to the fallen. Walking down along the paths, the solemn calm of the memorial surrounds you. Everyone speaks quietly. No one moves too quickly.

This week, the snow on the ground below and the overcast sky above made the stone shine brightly. Ranger Mike captured the moment.

Photo by National Park Service.