If you’ve not yet been to the Moody County Courthouse to see the display of dog tags unveiled in this summer’s opening of the Courthouse Time Capsule, time may be short to view.
It is entirely worth the trip.
“A lot of people don’t realize how many of our neighbors have sacrificed for our country,” said Bart Sample, Commander of American Legion 70.
The display features hundreds of dog tags donated for the capsule and is scheduled to be returned to a new time capsule. This could happen as early as Veteran’s Day if the weather permits; otherwise, it will likely be next Memorial Day, Sample told the Moody County Enterprise.

The current display, organized by county employees Ashley Headrick and Brittany Bennett, highlights each dog tag—polished and presented—in a wooden case on the first floor of the historic courthouse in downtown Flandreau.
Next to the display is a book listing each name, which is helpful as some tags are difficult to read.
The dog tags were originally encapsulated 35 years ago during the dedication of the Veterans Memorial Plaza. The plan is to reseal them, along with other items, in a new time capsule unless family members request otherwise.
Local officials hope that the new capsule will be reopened on July 4, 2076, to mark America’s 300th birthday.
Veterans from Moody County who wish to add their dog tags to the collection can contact Bart Sample, Veterans Services Officer Jerrick Charles, or Marty Skroch at the Moody County Courthouse.
Sample emphasized the display’s significance: “To remember that sacrifice the residents of Moody County have made on behalf of this nation, that is why we’re putting all of them back, unless family has requested otherwise, because that is the last known intent we have of that veteran. They chose to put them in there and we want to honor that, because most of those veterans are now deceased.”