PIERRE — The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs will be hosting a State Bridge Dedication Ceremony to honor U.S. Army Cpl. John C. McDowell.

The ceremony will be July 24 at 11 a.m. at the Travel Plaza in Corsica, U.S. Highway 281 and Main Street.

State Highway 44 bridge over Andes Creek, just west of US 281, will be dedicated as the Cpl. John C. McDowell Bridge.

McDowell began his tour of service on Sept. 30, 1967, during the Vietnam War. A traumatic event ultimately resulted in the loss of his life on Jan. 9, 1968, in Long Kkanh province, South Vietnam.

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 and our state,” 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 enough to lay down their lives to preserve our way of life.”

“We can never underestimate or 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 can only live through the accomplishments to present and future generations.”