I have been a strong supporter of South Dakota veterans throughout my legislative career. During the 2007 session, my first upon returning to the Senate, I co-sponsored a bill providing for certain property tax exemptions for veterans who were disabled due to a service-connected event. It passed both houses and became law.

In the 2009 legislative session, I was the prime sponsor of a bill which called for the Legislative Research Council to study the feasibility of establishing a cabinet-level department of veterans’ affairs. In addition, and at the request of South Dakota’s veterans, I introduced a bill providing that no one might serve as Director of the Division of Veterans’ Affairs or as a county veterans’ service officer who had not been honorably discharged.

As a result of my demonstrated commitment, the South Dakota American Legion named me “Legislator of the Year” in 2009. I was honored to receive the Legion’s recognition, as well as the following endorsement from Eliot Annable, a World War II veteran, who served in the Battle of the Bulge with my father, Herb Heidepriem.

“As a combat veteran of WWII, my thoughts and memories often turn to those I served with during those dark days. In particular, to my close buddy Herb Heidepriem from South Dakota. Herb and I were radio operators with the 423rd Infantry Regiment of the 106th Infantry Division. We were just a few miles inside Germany east of St. Vith Belgium when, early on the morning of Dec. 16, 1944, after devastating artillery barrage, the Germans launched a massive attack which was to become known as ‘The Battle of the Bulge’.

Herb and I were sent to a small supporting recon company to provide radio contact back to our headquarters. By the end of the next day we were cut off from the rest of the regiment and, at one point, received a surrender demand from German troops that had surrounded us. We refused and made a dash for a dense wooded area where our company commander advised us we had only two choices, stay and be captured or destroy as much as we could of our vehicles and equipment and break up into small groups and try to make our way back to American forces.

The choice was obvious so Herb and I smashed our radio gear, pulled the wires from our Jeep and headed off into the Ardennes Forest hoping to make it back to American forces. We had no maps, compasses or food, it was foggy and completely overcast, and we had no idea how far the Germans had penetrated. Our best directional reference was the sound of an occasional German VI “buzz bomb” being fired toward Liege, Belgium. After 5 days of hiding, making our way through the forest, and being fired upon several times, we got to elements of the 82nd Airbourne Division in Trois Ponts, Belgium, about 30 miles from where we started out. We rejoined the 424th Regiment, the only one of the three original regiments of the 106th that had not been forced to surrender.

We were the only two from our platoon not captured or killed during that action. Herb and I had become very close and I gained a great respect for his courage and integrity. Herb was severely wounded less than a month later and put out of action. We met again years later and, although Herb is now gone, I had the pleasure of getting to know his family including his son Scott who, I am delighted to hear, is running for Governor of South Dakota. My memories of Herb and my deep admiration for Scott have encouraged me to write this letter. South Dakota will be well served by electing him governor.”

- Sergeant Eliot Annable, combat veteran of WWII, Bronze Star recipient.