OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) - In anticipation of many visitors in the near future, volunteers at the St. Landry Parish Veterans Memorial placed hundreds of engraved paving bricks on the Walk of Remembrance that leads to the monument. Each brick is inscribed with the name of a local veteran.
The Daily World reported (https://bit.ly/1mEgrix) Pat Mason-Guillory, who has headed the project since it began 10 years ago, this past week began laying out the bricks with the help of about 20 committee members and volunteers.
“We have put down right at 1,600 as of now,” Mason-Guillory said. “We have some awesome warriors working with us.”
She said the only element that remains are the five engraved granite panels that will line the pentagon-shaped platform at the center of the monument.
Inscribed in gold lettering on those black granite panels will be the names of every St. Landry Parish veteran who gave his or her life in service to their country in World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts and the most recent military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Memorial Day is the last Monday in May. That is our tentative date to formally dedicate the memorial,” Mason-Guillory said. “We would like to have our ceremony on that date.”
Although the project is still a few months from completion, she said it looks wonderful.
Memorial supporters have planted 21 oak trees and a number of special trees and plants dedicated to individuals.
One of those is a Savanah Holly Tree donated by local businessman Bobby Dupre in honor of Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg. President Barack Obama honored Remsburg’s courage and sacrifice during this year’s State of the Union address.
The feature of the memorial that will be most visible from La. 182 just south of Opelousas is a bronze statue of a kneeling soldier by Italian artist Franco Alessandrini. The 6-foot sculpture is shrouded in a white cloth until the dedication ceremony.
“I can’t wait to unveil that statue,” Mason-Guillory said.
The site also includes special displays such as a 7-foot long replica of the USS Dufilho, a World War II-era destroyer named in honor of Marion William Dufilho of Opelousas. Dufilho was a highly decorated naval airman who died in 1942 in combat in the Pacific.
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Information from: The Daily World, https://www.dailyworld.com
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