SIOUX FALLS The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs will be hosting a state bridge dedication ceremony to honor U.S. Army PFC Mark Shields.
The ceremony will be Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. at the Community Center in Fort Thompson (1021 Central Circle). This dedication is part of the Fallen Heroes Bridge Dedication Program, which was launched during the Noem-Rhoden Administration and expanded under Gov. Rhoden. The state Highway 50 bridge over Crow Creek, about 12 miles north of Chamberlain, will be dedicated as the PFC Mark Shields Bridge.
Shields was born on Feb. 12, 1913, in South Dakota. He answered the call to serve his country during the Korean War. Enlisting in the U.S. Army, he served with the 72nd Engineer Combat Battalion, attached to the 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. During summer 1950, Shields and his unit were part of the United Nations forces defending the Pusan Perimeter. He gave his life in the line of duty on Aug. 16, 1950, in Chingong-Ni, South Korea.
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