Paying tribute to Vietnam Vets

Women from the William Diamond Chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution placed patriotic wreaths on the graves of Vietnam War veterans Tuesday morning at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens cemetery in Bridge City. From left, Bertie Herman, the Chaplain and Past Regent of the chapter; Katy Latiolais, Regent; and Jackie Huckabay, Registrar, say a prayer after placing the wreath on the grave of a local veteran. Photo by Tommy Mann Jr.

A local organization spent some time at a local cemetery on Tuesday morning honoring deceased members of one of America's military conflicts.

Women from the William Diamond Chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter of Orange spent Tuesday morning placing patriotic wreaths on the graves of more than 70 U.S. veterans of the Vietnam War. The purpose of the activity was to commemorate the anniversary of the last troops leaving the war on March 29, 1973.

"The purpose behind this is to honor our veterans who served, as well as those who died, in the Vietnam War," said Katy Latiolais, Regent of the William Diamond Chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution. "The President General of the nationwide Daughters of the Americane Revolution asked all chapters to do this to help commemorate the end of the war."

Although the William Diamond Chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution is small in number, with approximately 30 members, the group is always finding ways to stay involved.

"We try and do a lot for our veterans, when we can," said Jackie Huckabay, Registrar. "We are a small group, but we like to stay busy and do what we can to assist our veterans."

Members of the local chapter have spent time volunteering at the City of Refuge, which is a facility for homeless veterans in Vinton, La. The group has also participated in other activities in the area and has plans to help another organization specializing in assisting veterans in Orange County very soon.

According to its official website, The Daughters of the American Revolution is an organization with a deeply rich history while also being truly relevant in today’s world. More than 930,000 women have joined the organization since it was founded close to 125 years ago. They became members to honor their heritage as well as make a difference in their communities across the country and the world. Learn more about the amazing history of the DAR and what members are doing today to continue that legacy.

Most of DAR's volunteer work is accomplished by the grassroots efforts of chapters on the local level which focus on the mission areas of DAR by encouraging members to become involved in these initiatives in their local communities.

Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution participate in a variety of projects, both locally and nationally, including restoring and maintaining historical sites, as well as locating, restoring and marking Revolutionary War patriot gravesites and headstones.

These women also organize and contribute to restoration projects, commemorations and memorials, placing monuments around the world to memorialize people and events throughout American history and preserving genealogical records, artifacts and historical documents.