The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs will be hosting a State Bridge Dedication Ceremony to honor U.S. Army First Lieutenant Daniel J. Kirchgesler.

The ceremony will be Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. (MT) at Security First Bank Court of Champions located in St. Thomas More High School in Rapid City (300 Fairmont Blvd.).

The US16B bridge over Rapid Creek in Rapid City will be dedicated as the 1LT Daniel J. Kirchgesler Bridge.    

Kirchgesler was killed August 21, 1969, in a search and clear operation near the village of An Lam in Quang Tin Province, Republic of South Vietnam.

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.

“Our fallen heroes are no longer with us, but their memories live on in the hearts of their loved ones,” said Greg Whitlock, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs.  “Naming our South Dakota bridges in honor of our fallen gives us the opportunity for remembrance, reflection, and respect. It helps us to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to this nation. They cherished liberty and loved freedom so much, they were willing to lay down their lives to preserve our way of life.”

“We can never over appreciate the costs they bore for us,” said Whitlock. “We must never forget that our fallen sacrificed their future and their dreams. Their memories will live on for generations.”