February 19th will commemorate the US amphibious assault on Iwo Jima in 1945, the costliest operation in Marine Corps history (19,938 casualties, 4,630 killed or missing). Loyd Brandt (left), who lives in Rapid City with wife Joyce, was fighting…
During World War II, most nations wouldn’t allow the media to focus on casualties as a way of stoking an anti-war or enemy-assisting movement, but Vietnam changed all that, leaving the public demoralized and troops at the front supported less…
Chuck Childs was born in 1920 in Arnegard, North Dakota, but now lives in Rapid City with wife Grace. Later in life he wrote about his experiences growing up during the Great Depression. Each of his teachers was special in his book The…
by Duke Doering On February 3, 1976, Headquarters Detachment, 109th Engineer Battalion was operating from the 1019 Main Street armory in Sturgis, the unit’s home for more than four decades. Built in 1936 under the sponsorship of the…
A parody of rants now common on many South Dakota political blogs. Western socialistic democracies have much in common with oil-rich Islamic countries. Personal wealth is the unstated dynamo that manages society from top to bottom, but…
by Duke Doering The history of the South Dakota National Guard began on January 27, 1862, when it was still Dakota Territory. Prior to that time there was little need for a militia because the Army had garrisons…
Older veterans still cluster together mornings for a “senior coffee” at various McDonalds in Rapid City, South Dakota, and other fast-food diners across America. Veterans can also be found afternoons recalling their heady days of military service over a drink at…
It began ten years ago with a workshop series at the Rapid City Public Library to help veterans record their military experiences. “What I remember should not be erased from human memory…I must write…I must write now” became…
It’s one of the biggest dollar investments parents and students will ever make. Matching what you expect with what’s really out there makes only good sense. Parents should set aside some time to spontaneously “visit” college classes,…
by Duke Doering Only one member of the 147th Field Artillery [SDNG] became a prisoner of war (POW) during World War II, he was 2nd Lt. Roy Stensland from Sioux Falls, on January 13, 1942. …