West River Eagle

This is how I picture it

Not just a day off


Yesterday, most of us enjoyed a day off from work in observance of Memorial Day. To some it is just another holiday and has lost it’s meaning other than it is the kickoff to summer.

Here on Cheyenne River, the Memorial Day tradition honoring military veteran’s runs deep as veteran’s group pay a special honor to those who have died in service to the country.

When I was a young boy, my grandpa was the Legion Post Commander here in Eagle Butte. For as far back as I could remember, every Memorial Day, he along with a number of other veteran’s would travel across the reservation to each cemetery, hold a small ceremony, shoot their rifles, as Taps would sound off.

Families would arrive prior to the service and decorate the graves and put out small gifts for the veterans, a small homage of respect and gratitude for taking the time to honor their relative.

When I was 11 or 12, I learned to play the trumpet in the C-EB middle school band under the direction of Mr. Luther Schoon. After hearing me play, my grandpa asked me if I could play Taps on the bugle for them. I gave it a go and practiced til I was blue in the face but I learned the song. For a couple years I did play for them, making the rounds traveling with my grandpa and his friends. At that age boys are carefree, but even as young as I was, I felt the significance of honoring those who have fallen.

This morning, as I stood outside of town at the Charger Camp as the Cheyenne River Veteran’s shot their rifles and the taps played, I couldn’t help but think of my grandpa and his legion buddies, older veteran’s from World War II and Korea, and their commitment to traveling across Cheyenne River every year to honor their brethren. Most of the World War II veteran’s have traveled on now and are no longer with us. There are some I regretfully can’t remember their names off the top of my head but I remember Walter Woods and Oliver Brown Wolf to name a couple.

Today the tradition is still alive with another generation of veterans making the rounds. Kermit Dupris with the Legion of Veteran’s Post 308 travel in one direction, while Richard Charging Eagle and the Cheyenne River Veteran’s go the other way, ensuring all the reservation cemeteries are reached. They are there, not only on Memorial Day, but also at veteran’s funerals, gatherings, and Wacipi’s. When you see them, go shake their hand and tell them thank you. Thank them for all they do and all they have done with their military service. They don’t do it for the recognition, their commitment runs deeper than their own wants. Some of these individuals are among the humblest I know.

I know Memorial Day is about honoring those who have fallen, but I feel those that ensure our relatives are being honored, should be recognized too.

So to the members of the Lakota Akicita, Legion of Veteran’s Post 308, Cheyenne River Veteran’s Association, and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 191, American Legion Edwin Hodgdon Post No. 124, thank you for all that you do.

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