Iberville honors nation’s veterans
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PLAQUEMINE — Iberville Parish is set to honor our nation’s veterans Wednesday with what has become the parish’s annual “Iberville Salute to Veterans.”
This year’s incarnation will be the second tribute at the parish’s $1.2 million award-winning Veterans Memorial, which opened last year.
The U.S. Army Band, color guards from different armed forces units and the Math, Science and Arts Academy Orchestra will be on hand as the LSU Pershing Rifle Squad performs its rifle drill and the public gets an up-close look at past and present military equipment and vehicles.
Iberville Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso said the overwhelming response he got from veterans and the public last year made him want to make the event a yearly occurrence.
“For so long, we didn’t really have anything to honor our veterans in the parish,” Ourso said. “Last year meant so much to so many people. Especially with the lingering wars going on in Afghanistan and Iraq, we want to continue doing something for our veterans.”
The memorial, which won state and national architectural design awards last year, has stone benches designed to mimic military bunkers, glass emblems honoring five armed forces branches and four stone monuments set in water representing four of the major wars U.S. forces have fought abroad.
A fifth monument representing future wars is set outside of the water where it can be touched by visitors. The memorial is also designed to change in appearance depending on the time of day.
Three bronze statues of a young veteran, an older veteran and a woman and child reflecting on their loved ones — scheduled to be unveiled during Wednesday’s ceremony —were not satisfactorily finished in time for this year’s event, parish spokeswoman Ellie Hebert said.
However, Wednesday’s event will feature speeches from U.S. Air Force pilot and parish native Oscar Evans and U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.
The schedule for Wednesday’s tribute is as follows:
- 1 p.m. Display of past and present military equipment and vehicles.
- 2:30 p.m. 25-member U.S. Army Band will perform patriotic music.
- 3 p.m. Salute to veterans.
Other Veterans Day events are planned today and Wednesday in East Feliciana, West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, Ascension and West Baton Rouge parishes.
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