A LEGISLATIVE COMMEMORATION, Honoring the life and service of Vietnam veteran Thomas Bad Heart Bull.

WHEREAS, Thomas Bad Heart Bull, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, enlisted in the United States Army on September 30, 1966, and served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War. Mr. Bad Heart Bull was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade for his first tour and the 82nd Airborne Division for his second tour as a paratrooper. He is the recipient of a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and multiple other medals for his service in Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bad Heart Bull was born and raised in Oglala, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and is the son of Seth and Veronica Bad Heart Bull. He graduated from the Oglala Community High School and continued his education at Haskell Institute, now known as Haskell Indian Nations University, in Lawrence, Kansas. Mr. Bad Heart Bull obtained a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of South Dakota and led a successful career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bad Heart Bull is a first language Lakota speaker and works to mentor and support the next generation of Native Americans in communities throughout South Dakota. He remains active in Lakota cultural and ceremonial practices and shares his knowledge with family, friends, and community:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT COMMEMORATED, by the Ninety-Seventh Legislature of the State of South Dakota, Thomas Bad Heart Bull's honorable life and service both to the United States and the great state of South Dakota.