PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Larry Rhoden sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump proposing a location in the Black Hills in site of Mount Rushmore National Memorial as a location for the “National Garden of American Heroes.” You can find the letter here.
“Five years ago, in an Independence Day speech at Mount Rushmore in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, you announced a ‘National Garden of American Heroes’ to honor the greatest men and women who helped make America exceptional,” wrote Governor Larry Rhoden. “I would like to offer those same Black Hills as the perfect location for this garden. In fact, we have a plot of land available in sight of Mount Rushmore that would be ideal for this fantastic effort.”
Chuck Lien and his family own a tract of land in site of Mount Rushmore, which they are willing to donate to the project. Former Governor Kristi Noem previously offered the Black Hills as a potential location for the garden back in 2020. You can find materials on the Lien family’s proposal, including Former Governor Noem’s letter, here. Additional resources, including mockups of the proposed Garden of Heroes at this location, are available upon request.
President Trump originally announced the Garden of American Heroes in his speech at the Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration on July 3, 2020.
During that visit, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem gave Trump a Mount Rushmore miniature sculpture, standing 4 feet (1.3 meters) that depicts Trump alongside former presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
He subsequently signed an Executive Order in January 2021 establishing the Garden. He signed an Executive Order “Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday” this past January, which included the revival of the Garden.
“The Black Hills mark the perfect location to achieve your vision for the National Garden of American Heroes,” continued Governor Larry Rhoden. “Together, we will make this project happen in a way that honors America’s heroes, takes advantage of South Dakota’s natural beauty, and incorporates the most iconic monument to our greatest leaders: Mount Rushmore National Memorial.”
George Washington, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Harriet Tubman, Babe Ruth, and other notable Americans from all walks of life will be among those honored in the National Garden of American Heroes.
