Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs staff at the state’s five veterans cemeteries will host ceremonies to remember veterans on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 2023.
There are more than 8,800 veterans interred at Louisiana's five state-rum veterans cemeteries, and it is our duty to provide them with a final resting place of honor, officials say.
“On Memorial Day, we honor those who paid the ultimate price and gave their lives in the line of duty,” LDVA Secretary Joey Strickland, COL (USA Retired) said. “We also honor the men and women who passed on after their service was complete. And, we cannot forget the families of our veterans as they too made sacrifices to support their loved ones.”
The cemeteries’ Memorial Day ceremonies will include words of remembrance, prayers and the playing of Taps. Representatives from veterans service organizations will lay wreaths during the ceremonies as well.
Here's the list:
Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery
3348 University Pkwy, Leesville, LA 71446
Monday, May 29 at 11 a.m.
Speaker: BG David Gardner, Commanding General, JRTC and Fort Polk
Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery
2413 Highway 425 Rayville, LA 71269
Monday, May 29 at 11 a.m.
Speaker: MSG Rudy Bourg
Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery
7970 Mike Clark Road Keithville, LA 71047
Monday, May 29 at 11 a.m.
Speaker: SGT Maurice L. Simmons
Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery
34888 Grantham College Dr Slidell, LA 70460
Monday, May 29 at 11 a.m.
Suggested arrival time 9:30 a.m.
Speakers: Four families of veterans interred at SELVC
Southwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery
1620 Evangeline Highway Jennings, LA 70546
Monday, May 29 at 10 a.m.
Speakers: Lenor Cox, wife of Ted Cox Sr.; Jaquetta Fontenot, wife of Roy Fontenot; and EN3 Harry Ardoin, all three who have their spouses buried at the cemetery
Last year, the department announced a partnership with the federal VA to memorialize veterans through the Veterans Legacy Memorial. VLM is the nation’s first digital platform dedicated to the memory of millions of veterans interred in VA national cemeteries as well as VA grant-funded cemeteries such as Louisiana’s five state-run veterans cemeteries.
Each veteran interred at one of the state-run veterans cemeteries has an individual profile page which is automatically populated with military service and cemetery information. Interactive features allow family and friends to post tributes, upload images, share their veteran’s achievements and more. The site also allows visitors to share a veteran’s profile page by email or post to Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, users can follow a veteran to receive email alerts when new content is added to that veteran’s page.
For more information about these Memorial Day ceremonies, or LDVA, visit vetaffairs.la.gov, email veteran@la.gov, call 225.219.5000 or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube.
For more information about VLM, or to find a veteran’s page, visit va.gov/remember.
