It was standing room only, as more than a thousand people crammed into T.F. Riggs High School Theatre, to honor those who fight for America's freedom.
T.F. Riggs High School was chosen as the site for the Veterans Day National Committee Regional Ceremony for not only South Dakota, but North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa as well.
Jay Mickelson, was in-charge of this year's ceremony and told KSFY News "Getting this thing ready takes a lot of time." Mickelson said with a smile, "If I am in-charge again, I will start working on it tomorrow."
Riggs High School has held a ceremony for Veterans Day for over a decade now, and a member of a color guard unit during that first ceremony was Staff Sergeant Nick Johnson.
"I said ‘Yes' with great honor," Johnson said, who was the keynote speaker for the event. "It was a privilege to be able to stand here and speak to the residents of Pierre and the students of Riggs."
Staff Sergeant Johnson served three tours in the Middle East and wanted to get across a clear message in his speech to the younger generation in the audience-
Freedom is not free.
