Veterans and citizens gathered on Memorial Day Monday, May 31, to celebrate the 25th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony and Avenue of Flags. (The event was held at the Kinder Bible Church due to saturated grounds at the Kinder McRill Memorial Cemetery.)
This event was founded by the late Colonel Don Ladner. And in honor of the 25th year, organizers of the 2021 event dedicated the pavilion at the cemetery in honor of Ladner.
Eric Kuyper, commander of the American Legion Post 244 and retired U.S. Army captain, spoke for the dedication of the pavilion. “This all started on a Sunday in 1995,” he said. At the time an elderly woman approached Ladner to help out at the McRill Memorial Cemetery. He said Ladner was elected to the cemetery board and said his goals were to restore the community’s trust, clean the cemetery and maintain it and finally improve it so the community would be proud of its cemetery.
Kuyper said Ladner met those goals and even worked to replace the fence at the cemetery and paved the road. And as Ladner worked on these goals he began organizing a Memorial Day celebration and Avenue of Flags. Each year, Ladner organized the event, spoke at the event, wrote the program and directed it. This year, the only difference at the program was Don was missing.
He said Ladner took the challenge to change the cemetery and create a legacy. At the time Ladner said he would not stop until his last breath, Kuyper said he would take up the challenge in Ladner’s name and continue the work at the cemetery. “His legacy will not be forgotten and this tradition will go on,” Kuyper said. Ladner died in 2019.
Organizers also recognized the flower girls. Each year these young ladies carry on the tradition of placing flowers on the graves of veterans in the cemetery, a tradition that began after the Civil War’s Battle of Shiloh (in Hardin County, Tenn., from April 6, to April 7, 1862). On May 5, 1868, Decoration Day was organized on May 30, where flowers were used to decorate the graves of the war dead.
Randy Jemison, cemetery association president, said there have been 24 flower girls over the years. He explained how Ladner made it a practice to award the girls with a coin for their service each year. This year, the flower girls recognized were Caroline Comeaux, nine years of service; Abbi Earl, 10 years; Vivian Earl, 12 years; Jorgis Earl, eight years; Corrina Earl, five years; Mya Johnson, 15 years; and Lundyn Ladner, 13 years. This year, Azlynn Kuyper and Alora Kuyper joined the girls in decorated the veterans’ graves at the cemetery.
Other participants in the ceremony included Gene LaFleur, vice president of the cemetery board, who gave the welcome and introduction of special guests. Invocation was given by Rev. A.A. Haymon, Kingsfarm United Pentecostal Church. Posting of colors were the Southwest Louisiana Chapter 215, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA).
Kinder Mayor Wayland LaFargue led the Pledge of Allegiance. The National Anthem was sung by Melanie Savoy. The honor flag tribute was given by Thomas Mayes, honorary cemetery board member, and Keith Cooley, cemetery board member. “On this Memorial Day I can think of no better way to honor the deceased veterans who served their country and in many cases gave their lives for their country than proudly flying the American flag,” Mayes told guests during the ceremony.
The annual roll call and tolling of the bell for each veteran was done by Cooley, Mayes and Scott LaFleur, a cemetery board member. (There are more than 100 deceased veterans buried at the Kinder McRill Memorial Cemetery.) The gun salute, taps and retirement of colors were performed by VVA members.
