The 28th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony and Avenue of Flags, held each Memorial Day in Kinder, honors veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Sponsored by the Kinder Cemetery Association, this year’s event was held at Riley Smith and Sons Monday, May 27, at 9:30 a.m.
Several members of the community come together for this remembrance program. Scott LaFleur, a member of the cemetery association, welcomed everyone and introduced special guests.
Reverend Scott Benoit, Indian Village United Pentecostal Church, gave the invocation. Posting of the colors was done by the Southwest Louisiana Chapter 215, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA). District Attorney Joe Green led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Mallory Marcantel performed the National Anthem.
A tribute to the fallen and the laying of the wreath was done by Bill Miller, a member of the cemetery association. Roll call of deceased veterans and tolling of the bell was done by Thomas Mayes, Joshua Fontenot and Gerald Romero, all members of the cemetery association.
Diego Wade played Taps while the VVA did the gun salute. VVA members also retired the colors.
Eric Kuyper, commissioner on the Louisiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs and a member of the cemetery association, gave a moving Memorial Day address.
His speech was filled with recognition of soldiers, ongoing world conflicts and questions for many to consider when discussing heroes, etc. Then he focused on a 25-year-old veteran, who distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism during war. This soldier was sent to assist the French and was on sentry duty at a forward outpost in the Argon Forest when he and another soldier were surprised by a German raiding party, consisting of at least 12 soldiers.
Kuyper’s speech described the battle that followed. This soldier, “despite receiving significant wounds from machine gun fire, grenades, knife wounds and more, mounted a brave retaliation, resulting in several enemy casualties.”
“When his fellow soldier was badly wounded and being carried away by the enemy, this soldier exposed himself to great danger by advancing from his position to engage the two enemy captors in hand-to-hand combat. Wielding only a bolo knife and gravely wounded himself, this soldier continued to hold back the larger enemy force until the defeated enemy retreated, leaving behind a large cache of weapons and equipment and providing valuable intelligence.
Kuyper said when the French returned to relieve the two soldiers, they saw the dead and what had transpired.
“Without this soldier’s quick actions and continued fighting, even in the face of almost certain death, the enemy might have succeeded in capturing prisoners in the outpost and abandoning valuable intelligence. This soldier’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company C, 369th Infantry Regiment, 93rd Infantry Division and the United States Army.”
According to Kuyper, this soldier received the French Croix De Guerre, equivalent to the U.S. Silver Star, one year after this incident. He suffered 21 combat injuries that day in the Argon and was not awarded the Purple Heart until 78 years later. As he spoke, he said that many servicemen did not receive the honors they deserved when they returned home. In this case, this soldier died at the age of 37. At one point he was homeless.
Kuyper identified this soldier as Sergeant Henry Johnson of the Harlem Hellfighters in World War I, being one of only two African Americans to receive the Medal of Honor (MOH) for actions during the war. “He would have been 123 years old when his MOH was presented posthumously. This also is the solider that Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk) is now named after.”
Roll call of veterans’
casket flags used in the
Avenue of Flags at Kinder McRill Cemetery
The roll call included: Fred A. Ashy, Joseph A. “Joe” Ashy, Mitchell A. Ashy, Alton Baker, Dick Baker, Dave Buck, Gerald T. Buck, Gurdon “Pete” Buck, Robert Clyde “Bob” Buck, Stuart Buck, Tucker Buck, Dr. William P. “Will” Buck Jr., William P. “Bill” Buck III, Victoria Booz Butterwegge, Joseph Ward Cappel Jr., Malcolm Dillard Carroll, Wayne Clemmons, Dallas Cole, Austin B. Cowart, George B. Croak, Hubert B. Croak, Robert G. “Bob” Cronan, Tim Cronan, Linton M. “Buck” Cunningham,
Hubert J. Delome, Bob Dezendorf, Joseph Henry Dickinson, Pete Duplachan, Jack A. Evans, W.J. “Red” Evans, Joseph W. “J.W.” Ferguson, David Fontenot Jr., Jake Fontenot, Cornelius C. Fosscett, Douglas B. Fournet, Rushton (Pete) Fournet, Emile Fusilier, Joseph Fusilier, Louis Fusilier, Carroll Gilley, Eugene C. Hamilton, William F. Henry, Harold Powell Hooten, Fredrick E. Jemison, Robert H. John, Don Johnson, Myrl Johnson, Robert Wayne Johnson, Griff Jones, Pete Jones, James R. Jordan Sr., James R. Jordan Jr., Henry Keys, Horace Robert Kibodeaux Sr., Daniel Jack Kingrey, Donald A. Ladner, Cledius LaFargue, Daryl LaFleur, Emery Joseph LaPoint Jr., H. Norris Lambert, Alexis J. Lefort,
William F. “Bill” Manuel, Albert Lee “Brother” Marcantel, Edward Marcantel, Dr. Jimmy Mayes, Rollie G. “R.G.” Mayfield II, G.C. Meaux, A. Ray Miller, Cecil D. Miller, Arthur Kelly Mixon, Edward Mouser, Thomas M. Nevils, Nolan D. O”Connor, Richard Eugene Oden, Louis Orr, Elroy E. Phillips, Andrew Rester, Dale Richardson, Charles W. Rostrom, Ermon W. Rostrom, Willie V. Royer
William M. “Jake” Sander, Thomas A. Sconce, Garland J. Searle, Clifford Simonds, Daniel Thomas Slocum, Ben F. Smith, Early Smith, Fred Smith, Orlando B. Sneve, Ned L. Sortino Sr., Preston Jay Stagg Sr., David J. Sunderman, Alfred Sween, Vesta A. Tanquis, Daniel K. Thompson, Bryan E. “Gene” Williams and Oliver Woodard.