By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Veterans Day celebrations may have been a day early in the River Parishes, but it certainly did little to diminish the spirit of those being honored for service to our country.

St. James and St. John the Baptist Parishes both held separate celebrations Wednesday afternoon to honor veterans in the community, and both were well attended by veterans and their families.

In St. John Parish, residents of the Southeast Louisiana War Veterans Home in Reserve were entertained with dancing and music from Glitter and Gold. The group sang an assortment of standards from “the Greatest Generation” and inspired some of the home’s residents to boogie like the bugle boy of Company B.

Residents were also paid a visit from state Secretary of Veterans Affairs Lane Carson, who had some encouraging words for the Reserve home.

“This is the most popular home out of the five in our state,” Carson said. “We appreciate your service to our country, and our service is to do right by you.”

Meanwhile in St. James Parish, hundreds of area residents were entertained with food and music at the eighth annual Veterans Day Celebration on the grounds of the St. James Welcome Center.

Three choirs and two dance teams performed for the crowd while members of the National Guard showed off heavy equipment to children in attendance. A huge cake was cut, and the evening was topped off by a fireworks display.