.kidder

gallery

This is what remains of the battleship USS South Dakota-BB57. It is now a land locked memorial here in Sioux Falls,SD. These parts of it were saved from going to scrap after the ship was placed in mothballs. The ship was referred to as "Battleship X" at one time during WWII. The Japanese thought they had sunk her during one battle, but in fact she had just been damaged. After repairs she was placed back into service and, rather than let the Japanese know any different, received the X name. It was one of the most decorated ships in WWII, with it & the crew recieving many awards from the battles she was in. She fought in Iwo Jima, Guadacanal, & Tokyo Harbor just to name a few. The crew still has a reunion here once a year, although of course there are only a few of the brave & proud sailors still alive anymore.