Fallen remembered in Eunice ceremony

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A Memorial Day service was held at 5 p.m. Monday at the corner of Park Avenue and 2nd Street in Eunice.
The annual event was sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of the Foreign Wars, Doucet-Aucoin Post 8971 and the American Legion Post 129 Turner-Mornhinveg Moore.
An opening prayer for all deceased soldiers was led by Donald Estillette, chaplain of the VFW Post 8971.
The Boy Scouts Troop 425 held a flag-raising ceremony. Randy Leger is the troop’s scoutmaster. The troop included Trevor Picard, Bricen Leger, Noah Courville, Matthew Courville and Grant Clancy.
The ceremonial “Taps” was played by Carroll Ortego of the VFW Post 8971.
Present during the program and representing the Kinder 215 Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans were Terry Courville, Raymond Richard, Jerry Nevils, Richard Morgan, Ray Hargrave and Perry Lopez. Courville read a tribute to a fallen soldier who fought during war and died for “us.”
The Kinder veterans then placed symbolic gear of a fallen soldier, the combat boots, a soldier’s helmet, the combat rifle and dog tags.
Among the crowd that gathered to pay tribute on Memorial Day, were Mayor Scott Fontenot, Jack Burson, alderman at-large; state Rep. Phillip DeVillier; former mayor Lynn LeJeune; former alderman Louis Pavur; and District Judge Gerard Caswell.
DeVillier said, “These are our family, our soldiers who fought and died for our freedom. I, give recognition to all these soldiers and their families represented today. Let’s remember these soldiers who died for us. Let’s pay tribute today and every day.”
Sharlene Fontenot and Virginia Bisden, of the VFW Auxiliary, rang the bell for each veteran, as Post Commander Terry Matte from VFW Post 8971, read the names of the fallen:
World War I: R. Turner;
World War II: E. Amy, E. Andrepont, L.E. Aucoin, C.P. Aymond, A. Bollich, S. Bollich, H. Bundick, Jr., N. Doucet, A. Dupre, J.M. Fontenot, H. J. Frey, J.W. Frey, G.A. Gary, F. Guillory, W. Kessler, B. J. LeJeune, S. Manuel, C.C. Matt, E. Matt, K. McGee, J.L. Miller, C.W. Mornhinveg, and R. Reese.
Korean War: A. J. Anderson, J. Moore;
Vietnam War: J. D. Feucht, A. Monday, D.W. Sistrunk, C.R. Williams, A. Duplechain, J. Williams.
Ex-Pow’s of Eunice named were James J. Bollich, Marion Courville, Curley J. Daigle, Dennis A. Doucet, James Leroy Fruge, Harold A. Gourney, Hubert McManus, John Bruce Miller and Orval L. Simpson.
The commanders represented during the Memorial Day service included Bill Wimberly of the American Legion Post 129 and Terry Matte of the VFW Post 8971.
Visiting queens were present during the Memorial Day program, McKenzie Smith, 2017 Junior Miss Armed Forces; Madison DeVillier, 2017 Miss Eunice; and Teen Miss Eunice 2017 Lillian Ashford.