Oct 22 2020
Nathan Thompson | Rapid City Journal
STURGIS | Downtown Sturgis will soon be home to a monument honoring family members who have dealt with the ultimate sacrifice of losing a loved one in the line of military service.
The Sturgis City Council gave the approval Monday for a monument to be constructed at Main Street and Harley-Davidson Way to honor Gold Star Families, a national group of families and relatives who have someone in their family who died while in active service to the military.
The monument is a program of the Hershel "Woody" Williams Medal of Honor Foundation, which has placed 59 monuments and has another 65 in progress across the United States.
Sturgis Rally and Events Director Jerry Cole said the Sturgis monument would be the first in South Dakota.
Cole said the city was informed of the opportunity to place a monument in Sturgis back in December 2019.
"We had a conference call with the foundation and received a very exciting response from them," Cole said. "We received their information and forwarded it to members of the City Council and to the Downtown Association and Arts Council."
Sturgis Rally and Events Director Jerry Cole said the Sturgis monument would be the first in South Dakota.
Cole said the city was informed of the opportunity to place a monument in Sturgis back in December 2019.
"We had a conference call with the foundation and received a very exciting response from them," Cole said. "We received their information and forwarded it to members of the City Council and to the Downtown Association and Arts Council."
It will be placed in the flower bed area along Main Street just in front of Harley-Davidson Plaza. Cole said although there was no dedication of municipal revenue for the project, once the monument is installed the future maintenance costs would be the responsibility of the city.
According to information from the foundation, the monument will be black granite will feature two sides. One side bears the words "Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, a Tribute to Gold Star Families and Relatives who sacrificed a Loved One for our Freedom."
The other side of the monument tells a story through four granite panels titled "Homeland, Family, Patriot and Sacrifice." Although the monument will not name individuals, it will be a representation of all Gold Star Families and their loved ones.
At the center of the tribute will be a silhouette of a soldier.
The Hershel "Woody" Williams Medal of Honor Foundation is a charitable nonprofit organization based in Louisville, Kentucky. According to its website, the foundation pursues the vision of Medal of Honor recipient Hershel "Woody" Williams to establish the monuments throughout the country, sponsor Gold Star Family outreach programs, provide Living Legacy scholarships to eligible Gold Star children, and advocate for educational benefits for all Gold Star Family members.
Cole said once the funds have been raised, the hope is for groundbreaking to occur in mid-2021.