Public invited to concert honoring USS South Dakota

Event will feature last known surviving crew member of legendary World War II battleship

The last known surviving crew member of the USS South Dakota battleship of World War II fame will be on hand Saturday for the annual day of remembrance for the ship and its veterans.

The public event at the Battleship South Dakota Memorial on West 12th Street and Kiwanis Avenue will feature a concert by the Sioux Falls Municipal Band Brass Quintet starting at 10 a.m. Former Lt. Gov. Matt Michels, who served as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve, will speak at 11 a.m.

The event also honors two other Naval vessels that carry the South Dakota name: A heavy cruiser that saw service in World War I and a nuclear attack sub that is currently part of the fleet, launching in 2018.

Karen Dunham, who has been involved with the event since it was first held in 1969, said there might be another crew member somewhere, but the 98-year-old veteran who is attending this year is the last one she knows about. The event will also be attended by the 96-year-old widow of a crew member.

“This was on her bucket list,” Dunham said.

A Marine who served on the ship attended the event about three years ago. He recently died at 104.

“He wanted to be the last crew member left,” Dunham said.

There will also be children of veterans and great grandchildren.

The USS South Dakota battleship was commissioned shortly after the start of World War II and saw heavy action. It was the most decorated battleship of the war, serving in both the European and Pacific theaters of conflict. It had a compliment of about 2,500 officers and enlisted men.

“Because of the World War II exploits against the Japanese in the South Pacific, this mighty battleship became a legend before she was a year old,” the Battleship South Dakota Memorial writes. “She caught the fancy of the American people when her heroics were reported in newspapers under the titles of ‘Battleship X’ and ‘Old Nameless’. ‘Old Incredible’ would be an equally appropriate name for her.”

South Dakota was decommissioned in 1947.

The USS South Dakota Day of Honor occurs on the second Saturday of August. The event is open to the public and is free.