JEFF DAVIS PARISH — Families, veterans, and community members gathered Monday, May 26th at 11 AM at the Southwestern Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Jennings to mark Memorial Day with a solemn ceremony honoring nearly 650 fallen veterans laid to rest there.
Flags flew high and heads bowed low as dozens of visitors placed flowers and paid their respects, a final tribute for those who served and sacrificed.
The ceremony included an invocation by Deacon Mike Tramel, a memorial address by Sue Daggett, and the placing of a ceremonial wreath by Charles Burrell. Combat veterans presented the colors, TAPS echoed across the cemetery, at the podium the crowd was reminded: “Freedom is not a gift—it is a responsibility.”
Krumm said the state’s five veterans cemeteries—including those in Slidell, Leesville, Keithville, and Rayville—serve as permanent resting places of dignity and respect for all who served. “They signed up, they agreed to serve,” he said. “We want to honor those who have given their lives.”
Throughout the day, volunteers and service members helped transport visitors across the cemetery grounds in golf carts, ensuring everyone could participate in the day’s remembrance.
Families quietly paid their respects at the headstones of veterans who served.
“For us to be able to have a place that they can come and they know that their family member, or their veteran, is being taken care of—perpetually—never have to worry,” Krumm said.
The cemetery’s meticulously maintained grounds, Krumm added, are a sign of the community’s enduring gratitude for the sacrifices of veterans. “The grass is going to be cut or the grounds are going to look pristine because they always do—because of the folks that are here who are so dedicated to their job,” he said.
As the community gathered to mark the day, Krumm said the message was clear: the service and sacrifice of these men and women will never be forgotten.
For more information about the Southwestern Louisiana Veterans Cemetery and Louisiana’s veterans cemeteries, visit www.vetaffairs.la.gov
