Neuharth remembers first dedication Al Neuharth founded the newspaper, USA Today. He is chairman of the Freedom Foundation. The Foundation presented Ruth Ziolkowski with its highest honor, the Free Spirit Award on July 14, 1997. The award carried with it a $100,000 contribution to the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. |
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| I was one of the fortunate few hundred who were here fifty years ago today, along with Nettie Two Bulls, whom you’ve already met; Bob Lee, then the state editor of the Rapid City Journal, and of course Ruth herself.
Most of you know there were many doubters about this project fifty years ago today, including many of my friends in the media. And isn’t it wonderful that fifty years later that they have now become believers. They became believers because of Korczak, but importantly since 1982 because of Ruth and because of the family.
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I’d like to share with you two things that have impressed me that Ruth had to say about this ceremony in the May issue of the Crazy Horse Progress. First of all she urged, as I hope you read, that all of bring with us some suntan lotion, because this would be out in the open. Ruth, I brought some extra and I’m going to give you mine (audience laughter). She’s so fair skinned she may need it. Secondly and importantly I thought Ruth put into perspective the future of this project when she talked about how much has been accomplished and how many more miles there is to go. And if you didn’t read it, I’m going to read for you these words from poet Robert Frost with which she lead her article. ‘The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.’ Ruth and her family and all the friends of Crazy Horse still have many miles to go. But those of us who have had the good fortune of seeing what has happened in the last fifty years no longer have any doubt that the ultimate dream of Korczak will be achieved. Thank you for being here today to help share in this celebration. |
Those of you who
weren’t here then I can tell you one thing that has not changed is the weather
(laughter). June third 1948, it rained so hard that the first blast on this mountain
planned by Korczak for that day had to be postponed several hours until after Gov. George
Mickleson had departed. Only a hand-full of people were here.