Memorial Day ceremony honors veterans in Reserve
Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 16, 2020
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RESERVE — The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs staff at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Reserve will host a ceremony to honor veterans on Memorial Day, which falls on Monday, May 25.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony will not be open to the public this year as in previous years. Memorial Day ceremonies will also take place at the four other veterans homes across Louisiana, as well as the five veterans cemeteries.
“Memorial Day is too important to the veteran community not to observe this occasion, even during the current public health emergency,” LDVA Secretary COL Joey Strickland said. “The men and women we honor on this day, and every day, paid the ultimate price for our country so that we may continue to have the freedoms we hold dear. We must never forget their service as well as the sacrifices of their families.”
The Memorial Day event for veterans and staff will include the Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the National Anthem and other patriotic songs, reading the names of fallen veterans and veterans who have passed away in the past year, ringing of the bell in veterans’ honor, balloon releases, prayers, playing of Taps and refreshments.
It has been two weeks since the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Reserve has received a positive COVID-19 test result for any of its residents, according to spokesperson Brandee Patrick of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs.
A total of 80 residents at the home have tested positive throughout the pandemic. Of those, 28 have passed away, 51 are living in the facility, and one has been discharged to another facility.
Of the 88 residents currently on the census at the Reserve home, 51 previously tested positive and 35 tested negative. Two of the residents had inconclusive test results but are doing well, according to Patrick.
“As our staff has done throughout this COVID-19 event, we continue to follow all updated CDC medical protocols for delivering care at all of our veterans homes at this time, and we continue to update our families regularly through personal phone calls,” Patrick said. “We also want to express our continued gratitude to our veterans’ families and the surrounding community for their ongoing support for our home and our staff.”
LDVA will host solemn ceremonies at each of the veteran cemeteries including words of remembrance, raising of the flag, prayers and the playing of Taps on the Carillon bell towers. While the public cannot attend these ceremonies, they are still permitted to visit the cemeteries with attention to social distancing and hygiene practices. The Southeast Louisiana Veterans cemetery is located in Slidell.
Families and friends are also encouraged to post pictures of their loved ones in their honor on the LDVA Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/VetAffairs.La.Gov through Memorial Day.
Staff at the five state-run cemeteries are now accepting cremains burials in addition to casketed burials. At this time, burial services, including burial honors, are not being held, in keeping with social distancing guidance from the Governor’s Office and the National Cemetery Administration.
For more information about the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, visit www.vetaffairs.la.gov.