ABBEVILLE, La. (KATC) — For months, the Louisiana Military Museum has temporarily suspended some of its operations due to funding.
“We just didn’t have enough funding,” Louisiana Military Museum Board President Charles Dill said.
Opened in 2009, the museum located at the Chris Crusta Memorial Airport in Abbeville honors veterans by telling their stories through exhibits and a digital database with information on more than 5,800 veterans.
In 2018, the museum severed ties with the state forcing them to become self-funded, impacting their overall budget. You can see the museum's most recent financial statement, filed with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor this summer, by scrolling down.
Louisiana Military Museum Treasurer Frank DeGraaw says it cost up to $40-50,000 for maintenance and utilities.
In September, the museum was notified that they were approved for a $25,000 Enterprise State grant.
In a 2023 audit report, findings revealed they paid $44,000 to two consulting groups. Dill identifies Elista Istre, a museum consultant, as one of those consultants who basically served as the director.
KATC reached out to Istre, and she provided us with the following statement:
“In the five years I served as the Louisiana Military Museum’s consultant, I cannot describe just how much the museum benefited from the incredible amount of support provided by people from all walks of life—from hundreds of hours sacrificed by dedicated volunteers, to tens of thousands of dollars donated by private individuals who refused any recognition, from families who entrusted their loved one’s heirlooms to the museum’s care, to partnerships developed with individuals and organizations all across the nation—the museum was truly fortunate! What a remarkable feat to witness the museum grow from a struggling entity into a cultural and historical gem, complete with brand-new exhibits, fantastic annual events, and incredible partnerships that moved veterans to tears and inspired countless students and visitors to appreciate the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces over the centuries. The last event alone drew in over 700 field trip students in one day! It is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking to know that the Board of Directors has refused to properly address inappropriate and unethical actions taken by certain board members over the years. Rather than stand up for what is right and call into question reprehensible behavior, they chose to sweep things under the rug, let funds and resources slip away, then shut down the museum without so much as an announcement to the very public whose support enabled the museum to expand and grow as much as it did. Instead of giving their supporters a voice into the museum’s future, they quietly chose to make decisions to protect themselves and their interests.”
The veterans say they are still trying to make the museum work.
“Well, it’s kind of disheartening, because we believe in the museum and we’re very fortunate that one of our board members is the mayor and she believes in it too. We are trying to work with the city to hopefully get some cooperation,” Dill said.
While the board says they can stay afloat this year, they would need approximately $80-100 thousand to keep the museum fully open for 2025. Dill hopes this can be possible through fundraisers and grants.
“We don’t have a date yet. A lot of it depends on what kind of funding we get and other factors. We do want to keep on going on and progress to have a fully operational facility that people can visit," he said.
Despite Google indicating that the museum is permanently closed, Dill says people can still visit the museum by appointment.
Here's the financial statement:
