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Hahnville – St. Charles Parish will celebrate the groundbreaking of Veterans Memorial Plaza on Thursday, June 10, at 10:30 a.m. at the future plaza site next to the Edward A. Dufresne Community Center in Luling.

Veterans Memorial Plaza will honor all five branches of the Armed Forces and will house the state’s second Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, which provides a place of permanence for Gold Star Families to gather. The Gold Star Families Memorial Monument has four panels recognizing Homeland, Family, Patriot and Sacrifice. The highlight of the monument is a silhouette of a saluting service member, representing the legacy of loved ones who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

There will also be a POW/MIA statue to recognize American prisoners of war and those missing in action and a Purple Heart Memorial.

Once completed, the plaza will serve as a host for all Veterans Day Ceremonies and other tributes to the Armed Forces in the parish. In addition, LED lights will frame the plaza, which will allow access for evening tributes and provide nighttime visibility from the Hale Boggs Bridge.

Veterans Memorial Plaza has been a work in progress across three administrations. When President Matthew Jewell took office, he made the plaza a priority by creating a Veterans Action Committee to be a part of the project throughout the entire planning process.

Funding for the project is from the recreation fund, and the total project cost is set at $1 million in construction and $60,000 in architecture and engineering.

The Veterans Memorial Plaza groundbreaking will be open to the public. President Jewell, other elected officials and stakeholders affiliated with the project will give remarks.

The Edward A. Dufresne Community Center is located at 274 Judge Edward Dufresne Pkwy, Luling, LA, 70070.

For more information regarding St. Charles Parish, follow us on Facebook (@stcharlesgov), Twitter (@stcharlesgov) and Instagram (@stcharlesgovernment).