We got to Rapid City, SD

Finally a park with decent WIFI, since my posts are several weeks behind where we actually are I will try to get caught up a little!

We arrived in Rapid City on June 28th and the first place we went was Mount Rushmore! There is something about this place that just makes one feel so proud and it was a definite melting pot of people the day that we were there. Our plan was to arrive early enough to see everything that we wanted to during the day light and then wait until the sun went down to partake in their celebration of freedom. It was very moving and they really went out of their way to honor the American Veteran. At the end of the show they played the national anthem and afterwards the park ranger invited all veterans to come down to the stage. Although I was sitting way in the back I went down to the stage and not knowing what to expect took my place with all of the others that came forward. At that time they asked for two volunteers to participate in Retreat of the Flag. That is a ceremony where the colors are lowered and respectfully folded the presented to the person in charge of caring for the flag. Although I didn’t volunteer it was an emotional moment for me. God knows that the young men who were in the service during the Vietnam Era did not get a very nice welcome home back then and it felt good to be “acknowledged with a little more respect” the ranger in charge of the ceremony words not mine. We took our time leaving after the show and we started talking to one of the volunteers and found out that that evening was the first time this year that they actually did the ceremony which made the event even more special.