As they have for many years, the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs will be hosting Memorial Day ceremonies this year at the state's cemeteries and veteran homes, but they're also announcing a new way to honor veterans every day.
The new partnership with the federal VA ensures that those buried at Louisiana's five veterans cemeteries can be honored digitally.
“Memorial Day is a solemn occasion where we pause to remember those who died in service or those who passed on after their tour of duty,” LDVA Secretary Joey Strickland, COL (USA Retired) said. “It is our privilege to honor them for their contribution to our nation’s Armed Forces. This Memorial Day, we’re announcing our partnership with the federal VA to bring the Veterans Legacy Memorial to Louisiana. A veteran’s loved ones can now memorialize their loved one in this new digital program.”
The Veterans Legacy Memorial 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. There are more than 7,500 veterans interred at LDVA’s cemeteries.
Each veteran interred at one of our 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 Memorial Day, the veterans cemeteries’ staff will host ceremonies at each cemetery on Monday, May 30 at 11 a.m., including words of remembrance, prayers and the playing of Taps. Representatives from veterans service organizations will lay wreaths during the ceremonies as well.
The veterans homes’ staff will each host individual Memorial Day ceremonies, including the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the National Anthem and other patriotic songs, reading the names of fallen veterans and veterans who have passed away in the past year, ringing of the bell in veterans’ honor, balloon releases, prayers, playing of Taps and refreshments. We are grateful that unlike the past two years, all ceremonies will be open to the public. Those attending ceremonies must follow all CMS protocols including screening upon arrival, masking and social distancing.
The state’s five veterans homes are the Louisiana Veterans Home in Jackson; the Northeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Monroe; the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Home in Bossier City; the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Reserve; and the Southwest Louisiana Veterans Home in Jennings. The five state-run veterans cemeteries are the Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Leesville; the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Slidell; the Southwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Jennings; the Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Rayville; and the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Keithville.
For more information about the Memorial Day ceremonies, or LDVA, visit vetaffairs.la.gov, email veteran@la.gov, call 225.219.5000 or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube.
For more information about VLM, or to find a veteran’s page, visit va.gov/remember.
