Rapid City Moose Valued Veterans Activity Group 1137

09/03/2026

“It was too much death to contemplate, too much savagery and suffering; and in August 1945 no one was counting. For those who had seen the face of battle and been in the camps and under the bombs—and had lived—there was a sense of immense relief.”

08/28/2026

Are you wearing R.E.D. today?

08/27/2026

Good morning family 🙏🏻🇺🇸❤️🌹

This flag is not just fabric.

It is not just red, white, and blue stitched together.

It is the symbol that generations before us carried into the unknown. It has flown over battlefields, been folded into the arms of grieving families, covered the caskets of heroes who never made it home, and stood beside those willing to sacrifice everything.

Men and women have left their families, missed birthdays, anniversaries, first steps, last goodbyes, and moments they will never get back because they believed the freedoms represented by this flag were worth defending.

Some came home changed.

Some never came home at all.

So when we see this flag, may we remember the weight it carries.

The red reminds us of courage and sacrifice. The white reminds us of the ideals we continue striving toward. The blue reminds us of perseverance and loyalty.

You don’t have to believe America is perfect to respect the people who have given everything for her.

Respecting the flag is respecting the sons and daughters who raised their right hand and said, “Send me.”

It is respecting the families who waited. The spouses who worried. The children who missed them. The parents who prayed every night for one more phone call.

May we never become so divided that we forget the price paid by those who stood ready to protect us.

Honor the flag. Honor the sacrifice. Honor those who defend it. 🇺🇸❤️

Credit — Patriot Mama 🇺🇸

08/27/2026

08/26/2026

Valued Veteran of the Third Quarter. Ken Mower (Jul-Sept 2026)

08/26/2026

VALUED VETERAN OF THE MONTH (Feb 2026)
CHARLIE SZAKACS
2-TIME PURPLE HEART RECIPENDENT

Army Specialist 4th Class Charlie Szakacs was a 19-year-old dairy farm hand from Rapid City SD who was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1968. After basic training, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment ("Black Lions"), part of the 1st Infantry Division, better know as the “Big Red 1”. Their mission was to “Search and Destroy” areas along an essential route between Saigon and the Cambodian border, known as Thunder Road. Their primary duty was to clear the area of any landmines and b***y traps the enemy may have laid on the route.
On his 10th day of service with his unit, Spec-4 Szakacs was injured when an overhead b***y trap exploded and implanted shrapnel into the back of his neck during a search and destroy operation.
After recovering from his injury, Charlie returned to his unit where he served another 3 months before being wounded again during a 5-hour pin-down battle where the enemy fired over 3,000 artillery rounds, killing 6 and wounding 25 comrades.
Spec-4 Szakacs has many memories of his 14 months serving his country during Vietnam, but claims one of his fondest memories came 35 years after serving… “I got a phone call from someone who found my 1st set of dog tags over there and wanted to send them back to me!”.
We salute Army Specialist 4th class Charlie Szakacs!
Congratulations on being our Valued Veteran of the Month!
Thank you for your service and welcome home, sir!

08/26/2026

Valued Veterans Meeting September 2 @ 1730

08/14/2026

Aug 14th is National Navajo Code Talker Day

The Navajo Code Talkers – U.S. Marines of indigenous Navajo descent who developed and utilized an unbreakable code to transmit sensitive information in the Pacific during World War II – are legendary figures in military and cryptography history.

08/14/2026

The focus of this program is on the recognition and support of Moose veterans with an emphasis on their ongoing service to their fraternal units and communities through the Moose. This approach simultaneously honors our veterans while also highlighting the Fraternity's commitment to community service.