2026 Real America Birthday Bash Drone Show - Full with Audio

Happy Independence Day. Tonight, we gather under the South Dakota sky to commemorate the birth of our nation. What better place to celebrate America's birthday than the gateway to the Black Hills, the star of the West, the city of presidents, Rapid City, South Dakota. Long may she wave from the Black Hills majesties to the amber waves of grain, our flag stands as a living promise of liberty, the emblem of the United States, the soaring bald eagle, a symbol of strength, resiliency, and enduring freedom. Freedom is never free. It is carried on the shoulders of the brave. Tonight, we honor the men and women of our United States Armed Forces. To those who have served this great country and continue to serve today, to our veterans and our heroes and their families, we thank you. We're always ready for the call. Behold Tatanka, the mighty American bison, to the people. He is not merely an animal, but the soul of the prairie. As his form takes shape in the stars, we honor the spirit of sacrifice and the enduring heartbeat of the plains. From one icon of the West to four icons of America, here carved in the granite, the faces of history remind us of the vision, growth, and preservation of the American dream. This land was made for you and me. It began with three simple words, we the people, a promise written on parchment that continues to guide our journey today. From the mountains to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam, let freedom ring. From Philadelphia to Rapid City, it tolls for all of us through every generation. As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, we memorialize two and a half centuries of progress, looking back with pride and forward with hope. Rapid City, please rise, remove your hats, and direct your attention to the sky as we honor our nation, its people, and our national anthem. Can you see it by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at twilight's last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, and the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Happy Independence Day, Rapid City. Good night. you