Vets Walk The Red Carpet
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
St. Landry Parish military veterans — some with over 40 years of military service — received the red carpet treatment Tuesday as specialist guests who were honored at the seventh Salute To Veterans Program held at the Yambilee Building.
The service of the estimated 130 parish veterans who attended the special event is something that never should be taken for granted, said Patrica Mason-Guillory, who along with her squadron of volunteers hosted the program.
“Our freedom we get to enjoy is not obtained easily and through the dedication and sacrifice of the veterans who are here today, they have made that possible,” said Mason-Guillory, the executive director of the St. Landry Parish Veterans Memorial and Visitors Center.
Each parish veteran who attended the event was recognized for the number of years in the military along with their branches of service, as they walked down a red carpet and underneath an honor guard provided by the Northwest High Army ROTC.
Brian Adams, a 25-year U.S. Air Force veteran, military surgeon and staff pediatrician at Opelousas General Hospital, was the guest speaker at the event, which drew a large crowd.
Adams recalled the “grit and determination” exhibited by several officers who served with him in various branches of the military.
Several of those he discussed became decorated officers, Adams said.
Some were seriously injured during combat or military preparations, yet they continued their military careers displaying elements of what Adams described as “sacrifice and self-service,” said Adams.
The program also featured several “spot lighted” parish veterans that included Emery Richard, Harold Rideau, Loretta Alexander and Perry Fontenot.
Richard, now 97, spent three and a half years in the Air Force beginning in 1945. Richard also served in the Korean War.
Rideau, who is from the Goudeau area of St. Landry, is an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, while Alexander spent 26 years in the Army as a finance and supply specialist.
Marine veteran Todd Abshire was recognized for his service in the Marines and a member of the parish honor guard, while Fontenot has spent 19 years in the military as a transportation specialist and combat support officer in several branches of the military.
Opelousas Mayor Julius Alsandor and State Senator Gerald Boudreaux also provided separate remarks.
Alsandor pointed out that the veterans recognized on Tuesday were willing to leave their homes and join the military and that everyone should be grateful and appreciative of that decision.
Boudreaux said that Mason-Guillory should be saluted for her efforts that he said has made veterans’ causes her priority.
Veterans who return home from their military service, Boudreaux added, might be disappointed to discover that they are returning to an America which Boudreaux said lately has been denying food and security to many.
