October was another busy month for the Louisiana/Mississippi Regional Group with three Braille Flag donation presentations, one in Destrehan, Louisiana, and another in the Algiers section of New Orleans on October 8 (morning and afternoon, respectively), and a third one on October 27 in the Lakeview area of New Orleans.
The Destrehan presentation occurred at the St. Charles Parish Main Library. According to regional group member Gary Schoelerman, a bronze flag and identifying plaque have been mounted in the library lobby and an acrylic flag and plaque, mounted on an 18” X 24” finished board, will travel to the other libraries in the parish for maximum visibility. The New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper covered the event.
The first of two presentations in New Orleans proper took place later in the day in the Algiers section of the city. One acrylic flag and plaque set was presented to the Algiers Regional Library and another to the Algiers Point Branch Library. While there, Gary and Regional Group Treasurer Joe Burns were able to meet the library system’s District Manager and arrange a presentation at the Robert Smith Library in the Lakeview area of New Orleans on October 27. The event was to be in honor of longtime BVA member Earl Forstall, who passed away last year at the age of 104, and to coincide with a regional group World War II Museum visit and guided tour on October 28 with several of Earl’s family members able to accompany them.
Gary reported that the October 27-28 activities in the Lakeview area, which included a hotel stay, were well attended by Earl’s children and grandchildren. At the flag and plaque dedication, regional group members and family members shared an abundance of stories about Earl and offered tributes to him.
“The next morning, we met at the entrance of the World War II Museum with 14 veterans and six escorts divided into three groups, each group with a specially trained guide for the visually impaired,” Gary said. “The tours were through the Pacific Theater from Pearl Harbor to the signing of the surrender documents on the USS Missouri, each guide going into extensive detail on different aspects of the War.”
For most, the experience culminated with lunch in the Museum’s American Café. A few continued touring the massive museum after the guided tour, highlighted by a view of Beyond All Boundaries, a 4D cinematic experience narrated by Tom Hanks that brings to life America’s World War II story through the words of those who experienced it.
