Sw Louisiana News

The City of Lake Charles has announced a series of events for Veterans Day 2024, beginning with the unveiling of the Gerstner Field Memorial on November 8. This event, organized in collaboration with the Daughters of the American Revolution, will take place at Veterans Memorial Park at 1 pm. The memorial honors Gerstner Field's role as a World War I pilot training base where over 3,000 pilots trained.

On November 9, from 10 am to 2 pm, a Veterans Outreach Event will be held at the Lake Charles Event Center Coliseum. Hosted by the City’s Mayor’s Armed Forces Commission and the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, this free event offers services tailored to veterans and their families. Attendees may need documentation such as discharge papers or medical records for some services.

The annual Veterans Day Celebration is scheduled for November 11 at 10 am at Veterans Memorial Park. This year's program pays tribute to female veterans and features guest speaker CDR Elizabeth Newton from USCG Marine Safety Unit Lake Charles. Following the celebration, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the Louisiana Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Sponsored by Senator Jeremy Stine through recent state legislation, this memorial will honor the state's Vietnam War casualties.

In addition to these events, two exhibits honoring veterans will be displayed at Historic City Hall in November. From November 2-14, an exhibit by the Daughters of the American Revolution will be featured. Additionally, an exhibit titled “Women Who Served” will run from November 1-30, focusing on Southwest Louisiana’s female veterans. Admission is free.

Sponsors for these events include various local businesses and organizations such as Neurosurgery Consultants and LyondellBasell.

For more details about these events, interested individuals can contact (337) 491-1383.