ERATH — There aren’t many who can consider themselves living legends, yet Lee Bernard has recently been honored as just that.

Bernard was inducted into the “Order of Living Legends,” a program sponsored by the Acadian Museum of Erath, last month for his contributions to the community and the country.

“It really surprised me that they selected me,” he said. “They even arranged where I could have eight of my Army buddies here at the time.”

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Bernard said he and his buddies meet up once per year for a makeshift reunion, and every year there is always something new to talk about.

“It’s like a never ending story where there is always something for us to go over that we hadn’t discussed before,” he said. “That’s amazing considering the fact that we’ve met regularly since 1969.”

The 84-year-old charismatic, French-speaking gentleman said he served during his 20-somethings in World War II as a tank operator in the 739th Tank Battalion.

Most recently, Bernard has been selected to act as the subject of a historical documentary produced by independent filmmaker Pat Mire and the Louisiana Public Broadcasting Co.

In the film, Bernard said he will discuss his war-time experiences.

Known for his “smiling face and helping hand,” the community marked him as a “prime example of a dedicated and loyal citizen.”

When looking at a timeline of Erath’s growth, Bernard can be found intertwined in its history.

After graduating from Erath High School in 1941 and completing his military duties, Bernard went straight to work helping to organize the town’s first volunteer fire department. He became chief of that department and served from 1946 to 1952.

During that time, he worked at a Texaco station for 10 years followed by the Canal service station for another 15 years.

Bernard even contributed to the music world. The classic song “The Back Door” was written by D.L. Menard while working at the Canal service station pumping gas under his supervision.

In the 1940s, he became associated with the Civil Defense Department. During that time, he purchased the town’s first fire truck as well as the only generator for use in a time of emergency.

Bernard is also noted for his efforts in having the town’s new City Hall dedicated to the eight people who lost their lives as a result of the 1940 flood that devastated much of southern Louisiana.

He is married to the former Vella Mae Comeaux and has two children, Shelby and Deanna. He and his wife have six grandchildren, with another on the way, and three great-grandchildren.

When asked for his biggest accomplishment in life, he responded by saying “the two years, nine months and 29 days that I spent serving this country.”