Dozens honor Memorial Day at the Black Hills War Monument

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - The Black Hills War Monument Association hosted Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun and several veterans for a Memorial Day ceremony in Memorial Park on Monday. Completed in 2022, The Black Hills War Monument features dedications to soldiers in the Black Hills area lost in the line of duty. These dedications span a timeline from the American Revolution to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Veterans from varying military branches and backgrounds were in attendance. One of them was Miss Veteran America 2023 runner-up Jennifer Rollins. Rollins, a United States Air Force Academy graduate and retired airman at Ellsworth Air Force Base, explained why Memorial Day is important to her.

“I lost 26 of my classmates,” Rollins said. “I graduated in 1995 and we’ve already lost 26 of those. So, it’s a really, really special moment to just pause and remember all of those. Every single one of them that have given their life for this country.”

More information on the Black Hills War Monument and the memorial events hosted there can be found on the War Monument Association’s website.

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