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The Louisiana Veterans Museum Foundation will host Roarin’ on the River II on Thursday, June 3rd from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The 1940s-themed fundraiser benefits the USS KIDD Veterans Museum. This year the event will be held at the Museum, 305 South River Road, in Downtown Baton Rouge and will include hors d’oeuvres by Chef John Folse, signature cocktails, and musical entertainment. USS KIDD and the shoreside Museum will be available for guests to tour throughout the event.

The Foundation will present their 2020 Patriot Award to Richard Lipsey during the event. Mr. Lipsey has exemplified patriotism in every phase of his life. As a student he was Cadet Colonel Division Commander of the LSU Cadet Corps of 3,000. As a young Infantry Officer, he led the restoration of Camp Polk’s facilities, leading to the Camp becoming officially Fort Polk. While serving as General Philip C. Wehle’s Aide de Camp in Washington, DC, he had the signal duty of commanding the honor guard of slain President John F. Kennedy.

In recent years he has been the lead in restoring the Memorial Tower at LSU with a new museum to honor its military history. Mr. Lipsey has served on charitable, civic, and advisory boards, including several at LSU. He is a longtime higher education leader and served on the Louisiana Board of Regents from 2013 to 2019 and is still heavily involved working with early childhood education, K-12, and higher education.

USS KIDD, a National Historic Landmark, has been a prominent feature of the Baton Rouge Riverfront for over 35 years. The ship saw extensive service in WWII and survived a kamikaze attack. The movie “Greyhound,” starring Tom Hanks, was filmed aboard USS KIDD in 2018. The ship was chosen as the set because she is the most authentically restored World War II destroyer in existence. The production had an economic impact of $59.3 million, including a Louisiana payroll of $7.5 million.

USS KIDD Veterans Museum continues to provide special exhibits and programming for Baton Rouge citizens, as well as thousands of visitors to the area.  The Museum’s archives are used regularly for research purposes, including, most recently, a team seeking to identify shipwrecks found in the deepest parts of the Pacific Ocean. The Museum is host to many military commissioning, re-enlistment, and retirement ceremonies each year, as well as presenting several memorial and remembrance ceremonies for the Baton Rouge community.

Tickets are $75 per person and available through the USS KIDD Veterans Museum’s online store at  Roarin on the River II (June 3rd 2021) | USS KIDD.

Roarin’ on the River II is sponsored by Lipsey’s, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Apple Guerin Company, Celtic Studios, Faulk & Winkler, GEO Heat Exchangers LLC, Highflyer Payroll, Kean Miller, Lard Oil Company, Mac-Nett Industries Inc., Manda Fine Meats, Performance Contractors, Inc., Phelps, Sigma Engineers & Constructors, Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, LLP, Valluzzo Companies/McDonald’s, Dr. William A. Couvillion, DDS, Robert A. Hawthorne, Jr., W. Henson Moore, Russel O. Primeaux, and American International Maritime Company.

For more information, email info@usskidd.com or phone 225-342-1942.