Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together we power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall.

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana.

And the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.

For.

Hello, everyone.

I'm Karen LeBlanc, and I'm Dorothea Wilson.

Our summer SWI series continues, and this week we're focused on America and Independence Day.

Now, from the day it opened in 1860, LSU has been influenced by military tradition and service.

That rich history is documented with exhibits and artifacts at the LSU Military Museum.

The museum honors faculty, staff, and students who took part in America's wars and conflicts.

So last November, I took a tour of the museum and learned that one family's story of sacrifice.

And it's so profound, so poignant.

Take a look.

This is a letter my dad wrote to my mom, dated two days after I was born.

This morning at 630, I received a phone call from the Red cross saying we had a baby girl weighing 6 pounds and 14oz and that you and the baby are doing fine.

Kim Carroll never met her father, Grant Stewart, the U.S. Air Force cadet, was shot down in Vietnam in 1969, just days after she was born.

He remains missing in action.

Kim is keeping her dad's memory alive in an exhibit at the LSU Military Museum honoring her father and LSU graduate.

My mom had every letter that he had ever written, plus patches and everything, and it was in boxes.

And, I would rather have everyone else enjoy it, and I think it would.

The legacy would live on more here than in a box.

Kim donated her dad's military belongings to the museum.

It was her husband, Gary Carroll's idea.

Gary is also a military veteran who served in Iraq, and he's an LSU graduate.

His uniform stands alongside the uniform of the father in law he's never met.

I think it's appropriate that LSU, that was founded as a military school, has a museum that recognizes its veteran alumni and, to be part of that, to be part of that tradition, not just sort edition of the military, but through tradition of LSU is a great honor.

The William H. Brooks Shire Military Museum resides in Memorial Tower on LSU's campus.

It opened in 2022 after a major renovation.

So this was finished in 1925 and LSU built up around it.

So this was not officially a LSU building.

The American Legion built it, but LSU purchased the plantation land around it and then built the university up.

The rotunda pays homage to World War One soldiers memorialized on wall plaques.

We start our tour in the north wing, detailing LSU's origin story as a military training institution.

The university was founded in 1860 as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy.

Modeled after military schools like West Point.

Its history dates back to the Civil War.

People Don't Know is the first president of LSU is General William Tecumseh Sherman, who was brought in two years before the Civil War.

So he trained the cadets.

But when the Civil War broke out, he returned to the north and most of the cadets and the faculty joined the Confederacy.

In 1916, LSU became one of the first universities to establish a reserve officers training course, or ROTC program with the passage of a National Defense Act.

Military training was a significant component of campus life, offering students a pathway to commissions as officers in the U.S. Army over the years and in various wars and international conflicts, LSU students, including many athletes, pursued military service.

Many achieving high honors.

Most people don't know is Schnell, who was an LSU grad.

He had come here.

He graduated.

So part of the story is that he named them the Flying Tigers after his association with LSU and the Flying Tigers went on to have great fame in China and then later in the Air Force.

From high ranking generals to Purple Heart recipients, LSU fostered the careers of many military greats, several whose namesakes appear on campus buildings.

Another big name on campus is actually Middleton, so we have his image here.

Troy Middleton was commandant at LSU.

He later served as president of LSU.

But in World War Two, he served as a general and is credited for holding Bastogne during the battle of the bulge.

The museum chronicles many history making moments, including saving the life of a future president.

Bill Edwards served on the USS fin back a submarine, and they received a call that a pilot had been shot down while the pilot they rescued was George H.W.

Bush.

The south wing covers World War Two to the present, and a lot of people think of museums as the past.

But this side kind of shows are living legacies.

People that are still around, people that come and talk with the museum.

The exhibit also showcases ephemera chronicling life for LSU military service people on and off the battlefield, such as this crown from homecoming queen Rachel Sherburn.

She received it before serving a tour of duty in Iraq.

There's LSU stickers that adorn military helmets and Bradley tanks, symbols of tiger pride and connections to home.

Almost everything you see in here comes from the families, and so the museum only works if the families contact us.

So right now it's just a word of mouth.

We're always looking for more donations, especially with stories we love stories here at the Museum.

There's always something new to see, with regularly rotating exhibits that encourage visitors to return.

For more stories of military history and heroes.

From exploring the great outdoors at one of Louisiana state parks to beating the heat and one of the state's great museums or art exhibits.

Let's check out what's happening across Louisiana this week.

We're here at the Capital Park Museum in downtown Baton Rouge.

Just one of the neat places highlighting Louisiana history and culture.

Now joining me now is James Fox Smith from Country Roads magazine.

Now, James, I hear that you are the man to know you're in the loop of all the great things going on.

That's big shoes to fill, Dorothy, but I'll give it a try.

We've been publishing the magazine and rounding up events around the state for years, so we get a pretty good idea of what's going on.

Awesome.

You know what?

Well, let's start with what's happening right here in Baton Rouge.

Right here and right now.

Yes, I know it seems to us that when it comes to fireworks, you got to be by the water because you kind of get the impact right.

And luckily for us, right here in downtown Baton Rouge, fireworks on the Mississippi, July 4th weekend, thousands line the levee because the fireworks are actually launched from a barge in the Mississippi River.

You can watch from the levee.

You can watch from the rooftops of nearby buildings, especially tsunami on top of the Shaw Center, which does a fabulous catered affair there.

And all of the, proceeds from that support LSU Museum of Art programing.

So it's a great way to get real bang for your buck.

Nice.

Well, that sounds fantastic.

So let's go across the river a little bit to them and talk about oh yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Across and down river a little bit.

So in Plaquemine.

Plaquemine has a 4th of July hometown celebration.

That's more of an old fashioned celebration at Veterans Boat Parade on historic Plaquemine Lock.

Lots of children's games, face painting, great food in the park there, right by the by the water and one of the best reasons to go to platinum and right now is the recent reopening of the historic Plaquemine Lock State Historic Site.

Oh, that's the old lock that used to take river traffic from the Mississippi into Bayou Plaquemine, and from there, all out into the Atchafalaya Basin.

And it's a fabulous vignette into Louisiana's water town history.

Now, I love that, because that sounds like something I've seen in Paris before.

If that's the same.

That's right.

Yes, ma'am.

So this is one of the few locks that existed in South Louisiana to take boats from the level of the river to the level of the bayou and raise them up.

Now, the mechanism is all still there.

The lock interpret is that river history and the importance of the waterways in Louisiana.

And it's a real sight to see.

Talk about a sight to see now.

Let's go to the home of my alma mater, northwestern State University.

Go, demons.

But let's go to Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Let's talk about what's happening right from going down.

Now we're looking at.

Yeah.

If you think there's enough hot, hot air in a Louisiana summertime already, put some of it to good use at the Natchitoches Balloon Festival.

We're having a hot air balloon festival on Friday, July 4th and Saturday, July 5th.

Where's it going to have huge fireworks display over the cane River Lake on the Friday and then on Saturday, balloon flights, tethered balloon rides, all kinds of events on the ground and around the lake.

And it's gonna be a fabulous and really colorful day out in Natchitoches.

It sounds like it'll be fabulous and colorful and, you know, hot air balloons is something that I've always wanted to try, James.

So I think it's worth going to look and see.

I think that's as good a reason to go to Natchitoches is you're going to need, in the middle of summertime.

It really, really puts the town on great display.

Okay, so now let's go down 49.

I taste a little bit what's going on in New Orleans?

New Orleans okay.

So go forth on the River is a huge and spectacular celebration that shoots fireworks from both banks of downtown, from Oldenburg Park.

And now, even if you want to do something a little inside as well, you can do some jazz, yoga, jazz at the Jazz Museum that now that is a really special opportunity.

Yeah, yeah, that's true Jan. Yoga and meditation movements with a jazz soundtrack right before their Tuesday evening balcony concerts, so you can get warmed up with a little bit of yoga.

Then you can, stay on for the concert and be the best dancer in the crowd.

Well, all of that sounds fantastic, James.

That's a look at what's happening this week.

And James will be with us each week to tell us about everything happening across our state each week.

And if you want an exclusive look, you can visit his website at Country Road mag.com.

Flags are flying across the country this 4th of July.

And did you know that there are strict protocols for when and how to display flags?

And there is.

And veterans they have certain ceremonies in place to retire flags when they become worn and tattered.

Here's a look at proper ways to honor the red, white and blue.

The first fall of our flag is for the symbol of life.

The ceremonial folding of the flag comprises 13 folds, each one in remembrance of the original 13 colonies and tied to a specific meaning.

The Acadiana Veterans Honor Guard performs a flag folding ceremony at events and funerals as a public service.

We have one main mission, and that is to provide military honors funeral services for all Canadian veterans, and we cover a 45 mile range of all the funeral homes.

So we stay pretty busy.

I think since our establishment in March of 1984, we've done about 1500 events.

Harold Burrell is 82 years old and serves as commander of the Acadiana Veterans Honor Guard.

He joins other volunteers, former members of the U.S. military, who share a passion for promoting patriotism.

How do you feel about patriotism today and the respect for the flag?

For the most part, it's good.

We have problems with it, with some of the younger generations coming up.

I don't think they quite fully understand what patriotism is all about.

That just speaking from the heart.

Beyond the pomp and circumstance of ceremonial events.

The Stars and Stripes call for a certain protocol outlined in the United States Flag Code.

Some of the do's and don'ts there should not be embroidered, printed, or otherwise.

When pressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use.

The flag should not be used as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery.

The flag should never be drawn back or bunched up in any way.

The flag should not be used as a part of a costume or athletic uniform.

There's also a reverent way to retire a U.S. flag that is tattered, torn, or threadbare.

Is the proper protocol?

What should people know?

You don't throw them in the trash, can you?

You don't burn yourself.

You can turn to any organization such as the boy Scouts, VFW, the American Legion, or some military or anything.

They collect them all, and they have a ceremony that they do when they dispose of, they burn them.

And our last and final act this morning.

I'd like to have everybody come up, and we're going to do our circle of freedom as we play our song.

God bless the USA and I won't forget.

Patriotic holidays remind us that freedom is a privilege.

As we pause to honor the men and women who make life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness possible.

Whether you choose to salute, say, the Pledge of Allegiance or pay your respects by joining hands in a shared celebration.

The red, white and blue flies high as a beacon of hope and unity, transcending politics and polarization.

That is a thing of beauty and that it really stands for our country.

It's the only thing that stands for a country other than God.

I bet you learned something about flag protocol.

I sure did.

Well, they teach that in civics class today.

I know that was exciting.

81 years ago, more than 150,000 troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, for the D-Day invasion.

The assault marked the turning point of World War Two with the steep cost of thousands of lives.

New Orleans native Samuel Meyer played a key supporting role in the war.

He visited Normandy last year to honor the lives lost.

Here's his story.

So I'm opening the book and it's at you.

That is me on the 20 row.

Samuel Meyer was living in New Orleans, working in his family business, Meyer the Hatter, when he got the call to serve in World War Two.

I was 18 when I got the postcard and I said, come over here and they sent me off to, Alexandria, Louisiana.

Were you excited?

Were you scared?

No.

You?

No.

I'm bewildered.

You don't know what's going to happen to you.

You you're leaving your home.

You house where you've lived all your life with your mother's.

All.

And you don't know what's.

What's in store for you.

Samuel was drafted into the Army Air Corps.

He served with a 370 fighter group as an armorer, loading bombs and ammunition on P-38 fighter planes during World War Two.

These airplanes were manufactured by Lockheed and then bought for 50 caliber machine guns and a cannon.

And that's a murderous amount of firepower.

The 99 year old World War Two veteran was part of ground support who helped make the D-Day invasion possible.

On June 6th, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops stormed five beaches under heavy gunfire.

It was the beginning of the liberation of Europe from the Nazis.

More than 2500 Americans were killed on that day in battle.

I'm in the southern England and thousands of airplanes took off and thousands of motors in the sky at one time.

All of South England was awake from 2:00 on.

Come on.

The noise was you won't get.

You can imagine all the noise with thousands of motors going off the same time.

I talked with Samuel the day before.

He was headed to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, at the invitation of the best Defense Foundation and Delta Airlines.

The two organizations are hosting veterans free of charge for several days of celebrations, remembrances, and commemorations.

I'm very proud of the it was able to serve.

Back then, in 1940s, of course, you know, pretty good, pretty good, coming out the war.

So I think I think it did a real good service for us serving this country.

The week long celebration in Normandy began with a mass parachute jump from World War II era planes, and culminated with an international ceremony attended by the president.

The Veterans Administration estimates that the minimum age for World War Two veterans is 95, and that of the 16.4 million World War Two veterans, less than 1% are still living.

What do you want the younger generations to to learn, understand, take away from the the greatest generation?

Well, don't let anybody talk into giving your country away.

After the war.

Samuel returned to the family business, selling hats, including his own design.

He still works.

Admire the Hatter as a third generation family member, running the store along with his wife, sons and grandsons.

You know what I think?

Tell me.

I think the Greatest generation is very humble.

Where I brag about anything I did.

I didn't do a whole lot.

And, you know, I didn't have a chance to do.

I'm very good.

I'm very lucky.

Well, he was certainly a colorful character, wasn't he?

Yeah.

And a talented hatmaker.

Yes.

He was.

Yes.

He was.

Work to support our veterans is an ongoing effort.

And Louisiana has stepped up to help.

The boot is an initiative backed by Governor Jeff Landry that focuses on bringing military service members home to Louisiana and to give some support in the civilian world.

Take a look at the program.

Lamar Narcisse served in the U.S. Army as a biomedical equipment specialist.

He was living in Colorado and wanted to return home to Louisiana, but struggled to find a job that matched his qualifications until he discovered The Boot, a new nonprofit organization that helps military veterans find civilian jobs in Louisiana.

I thought it would be easy to find my career path being that I have a master's degree in human resources, but I quickly found out that it's not just about what you know and about who you know as well as that.

Right?

And so that's where the boot came in to connect me with those employer resources that they have and that they can tap into to be able to show that you are valued.

Your your experiences in the military are valued.

Your education is valued.

You're valued as a person.

So with that being said, was I scared?

Absolutely.

Lamar works for the boot as a success manager, a kind of case manager and job matchmaker for veterans seeking work in Louisiana.

Not only do I have the, the human resources experience, right, or the background, but I also have the the eye of the transitioning service member to understand what they need in certain situations and what that encompasses.

The boot is a nonprofit 501 C3, the brainchild of Andrew Ward, a veteran of the Louisiana National Guard.

Andrews served on Governor Jeff Landry's military affairs transition team.

He wanted to make sure that we could really kind of bolster Louisiana's economic workforce.

And so I went back to my military background and knew that the transition process coming out of service career into that civilian life was tough.

And so I asked him if I could put together a plan, and I couldn't take care of everyone, but we could maybe take care of those servicemembers that are coming out.

The boot began operations in August 2024, funded through the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs.

So right now, we have about 261,000 veterans in the state of Louisiana.

What are we as a state trying to do to keep them here?

And it's not just getting a job.

It's finding the right neighborhood.

It's finding the right schools is finding the right job for the spouse.

How can we make the state the most inviting place for you to set down your flag and to make roots here, and essentially build our tax bases, strengthen our communities, make our place a better, you know, better to live.

Thousands of Louisiana veterans leave the state for military service and don't return.

The boot aims to reverse that trend by bringing them home and into Louisiana's workforce.

The majority, like over 80% of those people that serve here, leave the state, and in most cases, because they don't feel connected or they don't feel like they have a network here to access post military success.

Ben Armstrong is the CEO of The Boot.

He served in the US Marine Corps and points to a recent study that says military transition into civilian life is more difficult than a divorce.

It's one of the most jarring, and not very accessible experiences in the American experience because so few people go through it.

The boot launched a public information campaign and a series of statewide community experiences, events to connect with military veterans creatively.

I got to ask you, what does an alligator skull have to do with job placement?

Well, this alligator skull, it comes from one of the Louisiana community engagement experiences that we gave to our candidates in the Lafayette region.

So the candidates actually went on a gator hunt.

We're expediting their ability to connect and network in the state, which is so important.

Louisiana.

Secondarily, we're looking at opportunities for them to leverage internship sites and apprenticeships that are created through the military.

We help them find a company to host them, as opposed to them individually knocking on doors and figuring out who can use their tools or their skills and ability.

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that veterans have a $3 billion economic impact in Louisiana.

One of the things that often gets lost is just what an economic powerhouse veterans are in every state.

The boots veteran recruitment arm extends nationwide, working with transition assistance programs at military bases around the country.

But we only have so many resources.

And so as we start looking at what were we doing as a department to help?

The 22 year old, who did a four year enlistment and now seeing, do I stay here or do I go?

Or if they left, what is back home for me?

How can we make them essentially get them back home?

They know they can do these things that I want them to do.

The governor wants them to do, to bring our sons and daughters back home.

No.

Dorothea reporting on this story about the boot.

I didn't realize the challenges that many of our military veterans face transitioning to civilian life.

That's right.

But you know what?

It's always a good idea to support our veterans.

So I love this program.

Absolutely, much-Needed.

All right.

Well that is our show for this week.

Happy 4th of July.

Remember you can watch anything LPB any time wherever you are with our LPB app.

That's right.

And you can catch LPB news and public affairs shows as well as other Louisiana programs.

You've come to enjoy over the years, and please like us on Facebook and Instagram for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

I'm Karen Loblaw and I'm Dorothea Wilson.

Until next time.

That's the state we're in.

For.

Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together, we power lights.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum.

Located in Jennings City Hall, the museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana and by Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

Visit Baton Rouge and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.