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Gen. Omar Bradley led millions of U.S. soldiers in World War II, but first he led the Jackrabbits.

South Dakota State College’s (now South Dakota State University) 1921 yearbook, the Jack Rabbit, states, “We can truthfully say that this has been one of the most successful years for the military department in the history of the college … The interest the men take and the splendid work the military department is doing are due to the efforts of Major Omar N. Bradley, our commandant. Major Bradley has served in the 14th Infantry since 1915, spending over a year in active service on the border (U.S.-Mexican). He is a graduate of West Point and has taken over the work as a West Point man would.

“Not only has he organized the battalion and brought the drill to cover a larger scope of military tactics than ever before, but he has spent more time and energy in promoting the physical welfare of the students. This he has done by organizing classes in boxing and wrestling. He has also taken an active part in coaching athletics and has won a place in the esteem of every State student.” Bradley had joined the SDSC faculty in the fall of 1919. He had applied for a position as a military instructor at a college with a Reserve Officer Training Corps unit, wanting to teach in Washington or Oregon. The choice he indicated for geographic area, “Northwest,” denoted North Dakota and South Dakota, not the Pacific Northwest.

“As a result of this misunderstanding, on August 25, I was assigned to be assistant professor of military science and tactics at the South Dakota State College (of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts) in Brookings,” Bradley wrote in his autobiography, “A General’s Life.”

“Our year at Brookings was a bitterly cold one, but the work turned out to be interesting and challenging.”

After a summer at an ROTC encampment in Michigan and camping in Minnesota, Bradley and his wife, Mary, returned to Bookings in late August of 1920 prepared for another school year.

“I was soon astonished to receive a telegram ordering me to duty at West Point ‘without delay,’ as an instructor in the math department,” Bradley wrote in his autobiography. Bradley was described as a tall man, at just over 6 feet, lanky, quiet, self-confident, a tough fighter and a brilliant military tactician. During World War II, Bradley was involved in every crucial decision that determined the outcome of the war in Europe from 1943 on. He was known as “The Soldier’s General” by his troops because of his concern for the men he led. Following World War II, Bradley directed the Veterans Administration, succeeded Dwight Eisenhower as Army Chief of Staff and later became first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He died on April 8, 1981, at age 88, the nation’s last five-star general. Though Bradley’s time in South Dakota was short, he seemed to enjoy it. An article in the Brookings Daily Register the day after the general’s death stated that Bradley became chairman of the board at Bulova. At the time of the article’s publication in 1981, Bulova watches were distributed to the outstanding ROTC graduate at SDSU, and outstanding members of the freshman, sophomore and junior classes received autographed copies of Bradley’s autobiography.

A representative of Bulova said that when asked about Brookings, “He (Bradley) spoke at great length of many things, the fact that Brookings, at that time, had no paved streets, the football team he helped to coach, the boxing team that was formulated the same year, the wonderful hunting, the fine people he met, as well as the great group of reserve officers he commanded.” Bradley returned to Brookings at least once, in 1946, to hunt, according to the Register.

“There is no standard against which to compare Bradley as an army group commander. During the fighting in Europe, his calm and effective presence was important in times of crisis, as was his deft touch in handling subordinates,” stated an online article courtesy of the United States Army Center for Military History. This moment in South Dakota history is provided by the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising partner of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. Find us on the web at www.sdhsf.org. Contact us at info@sdhsf.org to submit a story idea.

Attorney General Marty Jackley is encouraging South Dakotans to participate and follow National Heroin and Opiate Awareness Week. The Attorney General’s Office encourages everyone to learn more about the dangers that accompany this abuse. Knowing and recognizing the signs of opiate abuse can help prevent some from falling victim to this addiction.

“The national heroin and opiate epidemic is impacting South Dakota and having a devastating effect on families and communities,” said Jackley. “We have been proactive in South Dakota by equipping our first responders with Narcan, building an effective prescription drug monitoring program, and holding joint law enforcement and medical training. But there is more to be done- this week presents an important opportunity to educate yourself and loved ones about the early signs of addiction.”

The addiction to heroin commonly begins with prescription opiate abuse. Both heroin and opiate addiction impacts the lives of so many individuals. Every single economic level is at risk, and it does not target a particular gender or specific age group. South Dakota suffered 49 accidental drug overdose deaths in 2015, several of which heroin and opiates were contributing factors.

In August 2016, the Attorney General’s Office hosted an Opioid Abuse Training targeting attorneys, healthcare professionals, policy makers, law enforcement and service providers with the latest education and tools to help combat the problems that arise from opioid abuse.

In addition, September 2016 marked the roll-out of the anti-meth campaign contest created for college students. The Attorney General’s Office along with the South Dakota Chiefs and Sheriff’s Associations, South Dakota Department of Public Safety, United States Attorney’s Office and the South Dakota States Attorneys Association are partnering together to help assist the students in creating an innovative message. Phase I of the competition focuses on the statewide meth problem, with plans to implement the heroin addiction in future phases of the competition. 1302 E. Hwy 14, Suite 1  Pierre, SD 57501  605-773-3215 http://atg.sd.gov/

The Attorney General’s Office sponsored legislation in 2015 that would enable all first responders to carry naloxone, a medicine to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. Having naloxone available is a cost-effective way to save lives especially to our rural first responders. The Attorney General’s Office has authorized the use of available drug control funds to assist units of local government and first responders with the purchase of the Narcan agent.

The South Dakota Prescription Drug Monitoring Program provides physicians and pharmacists the opportunity to voluntarily access the prescription repository in order to have available additional medical history. At the request of the Attorney General, the PDMP was passed into law during the 2010 legislative session. The purpose of this program was to improve patient care by providing physicians and pharmacists with a controlled substance dispensing history for their patients.