HONORING AMERICAN HEROES

People who attended the Veterans Day ceremony in Bouligny Plaza Tuesday night, many of them veterans and family members of veterans, came to honor America’s heroes.

Some wore American flag shirts, POW hats, VFW hats and uniforms. Some shed tears during the ceremony, which included an advancement of colors, a POW/MIA ceremony, the national anthem, a military prayer, a memorial wreath and three ceremonial rifle volleys from the USA-VFW 1982 firing party.

World War II Merchant Marine John Filisky attended the ceremony with his wife, Millie. Filisky served in Europe and in the Philippines.

“The Merchant Marines they call the unsung heroes,” Filisky said.

Filisky said more Merchant Marines died percentage-wise than any other service in World War II. Maybe 10 percent of Merchant Marines taking goods to Russia made it through, he said.

“I was fortunate,” he said.

Filisky was in France just after the war, and was halfway to the Philippines on V-J Day, when the war ended and his convoy broke up. After that, he said, “Our biggest concern was there would be a Japanese submarine that didn’t know the war was over.”

World War II Navy veteran James Newcomb, sitting front and center, said he likes “to come out here and show support for fellow veterans.”

Newcomb served on the USS Charles Ausburn, “one of the most decorated ships in World War II,” he said. He served from 1945 to 1948 and was in Okinawa when the war ended.

Newcomb also spoke of the dwindling number of World War II veterans.

“We’re losing them,” he said.

Spencer Broussard is an Army veteran of World War II and Korea who also participates in the American Legion Post 549. Another veteran in attendance was Navy World War II veteran Rene Broussard, who reminisced about rescuing fellow Louisianan and Medal of Honor recipient Jeff DeBlanc off Guadalcanal in 1943.

One of the most prominent community members, World War II veteran and Iberia Veterans Committee chairman Paul Schwing, was unable to attend the ceremony, as he is ill.

Julian “B.J.” Frank Jr., originally from Lydia, is an active duty staff sergeant in the Marine Corps. Frank, who attended the ceremony in uniform with his parents, wife and two of their three children, has served almost 10 years in the military, he said. He served in Iraq from January to September 2007.

Vietnam veteran John Cobbs, who participated in the ceremony, said it has been held since the early 1990s.

“We enjoy doing this,” he said.

There were also newcomers to the area in the crowd.

Tom and Denice Childers are both former Marines and relocating to New Iberia from Alabama. Tom served in Beirut and Lebanon, and Denice served in Cherry Point, N.C. They have a son who is a Marine and have many other family members in the service. They’ve been in the area for three days.

“I think we’re going to like it here,” said Denice.