With tearful veterans residing at Luling Living Center looking on, American Legion Post 131 raised the American flag again at a location where it had been gone over a year.
“We rebuilt the flag pole, which had been out of service,” said Richard Bordner, second vice commander.
Bordner spotted the pole empty and began to wonder why the flag wasn’t flying. When he realized it wasn’t being flown, he approached Betty Jackson with the center and she coordinated the Post’s efforts to restore it on a flagpole that needed some help.
It was a location the post also knew as one they brought Christmas baskets to veterans.
“That’s when we decided we were going to rebuild their flag pole,” he said. “We put that flag back into service.”
Three months later, the flag ceremony was scheduled with the Hahnville High School ROTC formally raising two flags – the American and POW MIA flags.
“The flags being flown there is important because it shows respects for the veterans housed there,” Bordner said. There were 10 of them living at Luling Living Center as of Christmas, who were brought to the ceremony in wheelchairs.
Post Commander Lester Breaux, First Vice Commander Iven Naquin, Second Vice Commander Bordner, Adjutant Edward Picou, Color Bearer Marlo Chaisson and Sergeant-at-arms Cornell Keller were present for the flag raising.
Bordner said Post 131 also supports Boys and Girls State, a leadership program at HHS, three community drives with Ochsner Blood Bank, American Legion Educator of the Year at HHS, the American Legion Baseball Program, three American Legion Poppy Field drives, annual Christmas baskets for St. Charles Parish veterans at the South Louisiana VA Home in Reserve and Luling Living Center, and other special projects.
The post also supports the National American Legion in on bills related to veteran needs such as benefits, which is especially significant in this being the 100th anniversary for the American Legion.
Be the first to comment