PIERRE — The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs will be hosting a State Bridge Dedication Ceremony to honor U.S. Army Sgt. Terry G. Rada.

The ceremony will be Aug. 10 at noon at the Multi-Purpose Center in Geddes, 409 Michigan Ave.

The state Highway 50 bridge over Pease Creek, east of Lake Geddes, will be dedicated as the Sgt. Terry G. Rada Bridge.

Rada was killed in action by an enemy grenade June 9, 1969, in South Vietnam, Quang Tin province.

Naming bridges in honor of combat veterans who died while serving their country is an initiative of Gov. 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.”