South Dakota XVII

As is so often the case, while driving around South Dakota I rolled into a number of small towns. These places rarely have the resources necessary to build memorials to every conflict in which we participate. so, they build what are often called "multi-war" memorials to honor all those who served or were lost over the years.

This one is in Woonsocket and honors many and lists their names from WWI through Vietnam.

I have a little knowledge about what building a memorial entails. Hours and hours of planning and preparation and thousands and thousands of dollars. the specifics of this site, I cannot quote, but I do know that life sized statues run roughly $80,000 a piece, so you can rest assured that this memorial was expensive. I say all this to make a point, the population of Woonsocket, South Dakota is 720. Nope, that's not a mistype, 720 folks determined to make this memorial happen and did so.

Note the dates listed on the right side of this panel. It seems to average out to about 20 years per war, one per generation. I have often said that one generation goes to war so that perhaps their children will not have to do so, I guess not.

This guy seems to be our representative at the site.

Those of you who follow along with me know that I like to take "portraits" of any individuals I find along the way.

The sculptor was certainly able to capture some of the horror of war in his face.

This is another of those sites about which I cannot find a single word. As always, if you know something, I would love to hear it. you can reach me in the "comments ' section below or, privately, with the email to the left.

Next time, on the 19th, we travel back to Texas, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from South Dakota, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.