PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs will be hosting a State Bridge Dedication Ceremony to honor U.S. Army Sergeant Richard Maynard and PFC Frederick Farlee.
The ceremony will be Saturday, June 25, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. (MT) at Pioneer Hall in Dupree (600 Juniper Street).
The South Dakota HWY 65 Bridge over the Moreau River, 12.8 miles south of SD 20, will be dedicated to SGT Maynard.
Maynard enlisted in the U.S. Army and began his Vietnam tour of duty on April 27, 1968.
On March 20, 1969, he was killed in action in South Vietnam, Quan Tin province.
The Little Bear Creek Bridge on US HWY 212, 1.5 miles west of Lantry, will be dedicated to PFC Frederick Farlee.
Farlee enlisted in the U.S. Army on August 29, 1944, and left for overseas in January of 1945 serving with the 291st Infantry Regiment, 75th Division in France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. He was seriously wounded in action near Datelinn, Germany on April 2, 1945, and died of those injuries on April 18, 1945.
Naming bridges in honor of our combat veterans who died while serving their country is an initiative of Governor Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Departments of Military, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs.
“Whenever and wherever this nation has called, in times of darkness and danger, as well as in times of peace and prosperity, veterans have been there and have proudly carried the torch of liberty for all to see,” said Greg Whitlock, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Our fallen heroes are no longer with us, but their memories live on in the hearts of their loved ones and our state,” said Whitlock. “Naming our South Dakota bridges in honor of our fallen gives us an opportunity of remembrance, reflection, and respect—for honoring the men and women who gave their lives in service to this nation. They cherished liberty and loved freedom enough to lay down their lives to preserve our way of life.”
Original source can be found here.
