LAFAYETTE PARISH — Fountain Memorial Funeral Home will once again serve as the gathering place for Lafayette Parish’s Veterans Day ceremony, a 20-year tradition uniting community members in gratitude and remembrance.
Organizer Robert LeBon said the event brings together several local veterans’ groups to host an efficient, respectful ceremony that allows families to show their support without taking up their entire day.
“We’ve been doing it 20 years, so we’re known to keep it on time and keep it short,” LeBon said. “We know people have plans on Veterans Day, so we really try to keep it a little short — but meaningful.”
The service begins Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 9 a.m. sharp, and LeBon encourages attendees to arrive by 8:30 a.m. to avoid disrupting the posting of colors or the 21-gun salute. Following the ceremony, guests can enjoy refreshments under the pavilion, visit with local veterans, and thank them personally for their service.
“This is the time right now — our World War II veterans, we have very few left,” LeBon said. “Come meet them, listen to their stories. They’ll tell you what really happened up there, and they won’t always be here to tell it.”
The program typically concludes by 10:30 a.m., with coffee, cake, and conversation welcoming families to linger. Attendees can also walk through the grounds to see flags placed at each veteran’s gravesite, including those marked KIA (killed in action), as a visible reminder that the community has not forgotten their sacrifice.
“It’s only about an hour and a half of their time,” LeBon said. “It’s a way for people to thank our veterans and show them that they’re not forgotten.”
Fountain Memorial’s ceremony remains one of Acadiana’s longest-running Veterans Day traditions — a quiet but powerful way for families to reflect on the cost of freedom and the legacy of local heroes.
