LYDIA — It was no coincidence that organizers of the Lydia Veterans Memorial Monument dedication ceremony chose the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year to unveil a once unkempt triangle of land transformed into a park to commemorate those who fought for the country’s freedom.

“On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the War to End all Wars began,” Iberia Parish President Ernest Freyou said Wednesday before a large crowd. “Lest we forget, today we honor and pay tribute to those who served, ordinary men and women who didn’t shirk at the highest responsibility.”

Countless Lydia and other Teche Area war veterans, local officials and a large crowd of residents turned out for the Veterans Day ceremony, which also served as a dedication the new Lydia Veterans Memorial Monument — one year after the project broke ground.

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Veteran and American Legion Post 365 member Gerald Myers, who has been the backbone of the project, said the triangle at the intersection of Weeks Island and Darnall roads was a “thorn in the side” for the state.

After the state Department of Transportation and Development donated the land to the parish, the idea for the park came from Lydia veteran Annanias Johnson. The project started with $25,000 in state money, coupled with $25,000 later donated by the parish. But the monument alone cost $45,000 and did not include the cost of landscaping and sodding.

“This was an easy triangle of land to give,” said state Rep. Taylor Barras, D-New Iberia.

“Maybe we could find a few more like these if they turn out as beautiful as this.”

Since the start of the project, Myers has been soliciting private donations to fund the roughly $60,000 project and putting countless man hours into working at the triangle.

“You people in Lydia and surrounding areas have donated your own money in excess of $15,000,” Freyou said.

Local soldiers performed the ceremonial raising of the American flag, the state flag and the POW/MIA flag donated by American Legion Post 365. The flags were raised to the top of the flagpoles, then lowered to half mast as a tribute to the 12 soldiers and one civilian killed last week during a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.

The monument features a bald eagle with a wingspan of 6 feet, set apart by three smaller pedestals listing the names of those who made the monument come to life.

Myers said the veterans will continue to collect money once a year for those who want to have their names etched into the park pedestals.

“This wasn’t just me,” Myers said as he was praised for the long hours he put into the project. “And this isn’t going to stop here. We’re not through.”

Patriotic songs served as background music for the ceremony, thanks to the Caneview Elementary School chorus members who belted out selections including “I’m Proud to be an American” and others.

“Seeing these young people behind us means opportunities, opportunities they wouldn’t have without your sacrifice,” said state Rep. Simone Champagne, D-Jeanerette. “This is a great day to honor you. I think we should do this 365 days a year.”