Nathan and his staff opened Noah’s Restaurant after hours to prepare, at no charge to us, a delicious chicken and sausage Gumbo and potato salad for the blind and low vision veterans. Nathan just shook his head and retreated to the kitchen when Shawntina came in with her troop of decorators who began moving tables and placing on them the festive tablecloths, napkins, decorations, Christmas flowers, and other appropriate ornaments. Shawntina then made certain that someone was working the 50-50 table. The door prizes were all there (no prize allowed without one of the 50-50 tickets that had been sold), then on to check on the hors d’oeuvres table, the contents of which were all furnished by the attendees. The desserts were similarly provided by regional group members and their families.

By 3:00pm, the place was nearly full, with 46 visually impaired veterans and friends. The decibels rose as friends who hadn’t seen each other in months hugged and shook hands, while a few new friends were at a BVA function for the first time. The veterans came from around the region: Vicksburg, Ocean Springs, New Orleans, and many other locations near and far. Fortunately, Regional Group Chaplain Corine Stanley and her sister, Nancy, drove in from Vicksburg so that Corine could say a blessing on the food and ask a blessing on the welfare of members of the regional group.

Once everyone had settled down and began enjoying their Gumbo, Shawntina and Secretary Leigh Mitchell began calling out numbers for the door prizes, some of which were BVA promotional items from our National Headquarters. Others, secured locally, consisted of a gift basket from Chick-Fil-A, blankets, Christmas flowers, several homemade items, and other memorable treasures. Because the two highlights of the afternoon were the food and the people, active talk soon evolved to the next great regional group event, the Crawfish Boil in April!

On December 16, the regional group teamed up with the Community Foundation of Acadiana Giving Day to donate an Acrylic Braille American Flag and Plaque to the St. Martin Parish Government for display in their office lobby. The dedication took place during the Council Meeting. I (Gary) gave a brief explanation of what BVA is and what it does for veterans with sight loss — how BVA works in partnership with VA to improve the world-class, life-changing programs. I also gave a description of the Braille Flag — why it was created and its unique ability to integrate text, Braille, and graphics. Representing BVA were Shawntina Gibson, my wife Marelle and I, Hector “Van” Vandecapelle and his wife Pat, and Francis Arceneaux and his wife Lynette.

On December 19, the Jay and Lionel Hebert Golf Course in Lafayette, Louisiana, accepted a tactile Braille U.S. flag from BVA’s Louisiana/Mississippi Regional Group at a noon presentation in the course’s clubhouse. Celebrating inclusion of the disabled, the presentation was combined with a recognition ceremony for two veterans from the local community, one of whom was Shawntina, who served in the U.S. Navy in 2006 and the Army from 2009-2012. Shawntina shared the stage with Lee Nunley, an Army veteran who served from 1953-1958. Both Shawntina and Lee were formally honored for their military service and presented with a commemorative American Flag by Reggie Guillory, staff member for U.S. Congressman Cleo Fields (D-LA-6). The Flag had recently flown over the U.S. Capitol. Shawntina was also recognized as part of her award for her work in planning and executing a successful disabled veterans’ golf clinic held at the course last May.

The event was planned by Chris Arceneaux, Head Golf Professional at the Jay and Lionel Hebert Golf Course, Chief Executive Officer of Generations Sports Management, and Director of the PGA HOPE Veterans Program of the City of Lafayette.

Arceneaux also donated the custom display that will heretofore house the flag and plaque. As a symbol of inclusion, the Braille Flag is a magnificent bronze and acrylic rendering of the American Flag, complete with raised Braille dots to allow for interpretation and reverence through touch. It will be a permanent fixture at the clubhouse, supporting the facility’s expanded mission to host inclusive events for the visually impaired.

“Our nation’s flag has long served as a unifying symbol, but for too long, those who are blind or visually impaired could experience it only through description,” said Vincent Pierre prior to the ceremony. Pierre is the Municipal and Constituent Services Advisor liaison to the Office of the Mayor of Lafayette. “The placement of this tactile flag allows all visitors to personally connect with our nation’s most cherished emblem through touch and the universal language of Braille, and we are grateful to BVA for this meaningful gift that will serve our community for generations to come.”

A press advisory prior to the event expressed the Jay and Lionel Hebert Golf Course’s pride in “taking a tangible step toward creating a welcoming and accessible environment for all veterans and community members.”  

Shawntina thanked those present for attending and gave a brief history of BVA and how the organization has helped her. I was again called upon to talk about the history of the Braille Flag, its meaning, and how the regional group became involved in promoting the Braille Flag. The event was well attended with representatives from every level of Government, Veterans Service Organizations, and many of Shawntina’s friends, that included several from the regional group.