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 troops’ scout master. The troop included Trevor Picard, Bricen Leger, Noah Courville, Matthew Courville, and Grant Clancy.
The ceremonial “Taps” was played by Caroll 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 Chapter veterans then placed “symbolic gear” of a fallen soldier, the combat boots, a soldier’s helmet, the combat gun, and dog tags.
Among the crowd that gathered at the post monument to pay tribute on Memorial Day, were distinguished guests, Mayor Scott Fontenot, Jack Burson, alderman; Phillip DeVillier, state representative; Lynn LeJeune, Louis Pavur, and Gerard Caswell.
Representative DeVillier, who spoke during the program, said of the deceased veterans, “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 everyday.”
The Auxiliary Post, Sharlene Fontenot and Virginia Bisden, rang the bell for each veteran, as Post Commander Terry Matte from VFW Post 8971, read those from Eunice who lost their lives during wars. Those included: World War I: R. Turner, Korean War: A. J. Anderson, J. Moore;
Vietnam War: J. D. Feucht, A. Monday, D.W. Sistrunk, C.R. Williams, A. Duplechain, J. Williams.
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.
Ex-Pow’s of Eunice: 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.
