Ponchatoula Celebrates Veterans

09/03/2026

POW/MIA day is set for Sept. 18 – only two weeks away at Cate Square – Tangipahoa Parish will again join the cities across the nation in honoring the estimated 82,000 American service members who remain missing and unaccounted for from past U.S. conflicts.

The National POW/MIA Day observance will begin locally at 10 a.m. at Cate Square in Hammond. Veteran Pete Jones, president of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1052, said the ceremony will last approximately 30-45 minutes followed by food and drinks. Everyone is invited to attend.

The keynote speaker will be retired Army Col. Joey Strickland, the nation’s longest serving secretary of veterans affairs under seven governors in two states – Arizona and Louisiana. It has been noted his leadership guided five veterans homes, four state veterans cemeteries, parish service offices statewide, claims and assistance programs, the Military Family Assistance Fund, the Veterans Honor Medal Program and outreach efforts supporting homeless, incarcerated, female and military family veterans.

Distinguished veteran and local leader Louis Nick Joseph will serve as master of ceremonies, and the event will begin with the Sumner Civil Air Patrol ROTC presenting the Colors, Lindsey Cardinale Ponder singing the National Anthem and VVA members Henry Morgan leading the Pledge of Allegiance and Herman Eady delivering an invocation.

Tom Munster of the VVA and Lois Munster of the AVVA Ladies will make presentations honoring the POW/MIA. Also the program includes the Missing Man Table, a Gun Volley by American Legion Post 47, music by bagpiper Steven Brownlee and Taps by the Sumner ROTC.

A special addition to the program this year will be Ponchatoula Celebrates Veterans Chairwoman Strader Dufreche Cieutat unveiling the poster for the upcoming parishwide celebration. The poster is by artist Mandy Mae Fine Arts in Ponchatoula.

09/03/2026

https://www.an17.com/news/events/southeastern-hosts-september-11-memorial-stair-climb/article_50b7c9ca-bfce-458a-8d5a-75c7d7ee46c1.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwZnRzaAUD2_twZG9mBWZkaWQWUNmvPRiV68mlBskMxIV417rts33uMGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4qmNX10ypfCJ6Of8LlBGPvmc6prFlkFmcmQ3e6TncZUjEMUB2mEcje6seiBg_aem_kO02VjwGG1DCu5mOE0uQgw

HAMMOND --- This fall, as the nation marks the 25th Anniversary of Sept. 11, Southeastern Louisiana University’s Office of Military and Veteran Success, the University Police Department, and Roomie’s Pride

09/02/2026

Since our parade is run entirely by volunteers, we could use your help! Are you or anyone you know able to help us by taking pictures during the parade and at the park afterwards? If so, please email us at: [email protected].

09/01/2026

The Victory Belles are returning. The US Marine Corps Reserve Band is returning. Members of veterans groups, other patriotic organizations, groups that provide services to veterans, car show enthusiasts and more are planning to be there too.

The second annual veterans parade through Downtown Ponchatoula will culminate with a big celebration in Memorial Park the morning of Oct 31. Parade spectators are encouraged to cheer, wave and hold posters with grateful messages. This is an opportunity to say thank you to all our veterans.

DEADLINES COMING:

• Oct. 1 is the deadline for submitting names for the Honor Wall. To be included on the list, a veteran must be a past or present resident of Tangipahoa Parish, living or deceased. Email Patti Hilbun at [email protected] or call Gerard Laborde at 504-654-9158s.

• Oct. 15 is the deadline for submitting your entry form to secure a place in the parade. Please complete the form, sign it and get it back to Parade Chairman Billie Jo Laird by Oct. 15.

You don’t have a copy of the form? You can get it. One way is to download it at Ponchatoula Celebrates Veterans on Facebook.

Or — if you prefer using actual paper (my personal favorite) — the form is available at all the city halls in the area, the VFW and American Legion halls, the parish library branches, and the Mike Kenny Recreation Center in Hammond (ask for recreation staffer Keiana MaloneAm). It is easy to fill out, and it tells you where to mail, email or drop it off to the Parade Committee.

But if you cannot get the form, Billie Jo wants you to call her at 985-351-6585. She is also the person to call if you have any questions about the parade.

If Billie Jo doesn’t call you back immediately, please leave a message and she will assign another member of her Parade Committee to call you back immediately. She or one of her volunteers will also call you the week before the parade to ask you any questions we might have about your information and to tell you when and where you will line up.

• Oct. 15 is also the deadline for groups interested in having booths or tables at the celebration in the park. Celebration Committee member Emily Anthony is the person to call at 318-210-1738 or email to mailto:[email protected]. Emily emphasizes, “Oct. 15 at the latest.”

• Oct. 23 is the deadline for registering for the car show that’s being organized again this year by local American Legion Commander Brandon Phares. The registration form is available at the Ponchatoula Celebrates Veterans page on Facebook, from the Ponchatoula American Legion Hall, call 985-391-8101 or email to [email protected]. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places.

08/31/2026

We are so grateful to everyone who has donated to make this year’s event a success, and many of you are asking, “How can I help?”. Our committee is small and needs volunteers to assist in several areas. If anything listed below piques your curiosity, please message or contact Strader Cieutat at 985-355-0588.

-Artists to help create signs that identify our veterans for their cars the morning of the parade. We will provide the poster boards, markers, and tape. (8:30-9:30) Parade begins at 9:30.
-People who have golf carts that can assist elders with a ride immediately following the end of the parade to Memorial Park for the celebration.
-Photographers during the parade and celebration to capture special moments for our veterans.
-People to help serve popcorn to the public at Memorial Park. (11:00-1:00)
-People to help veterans park in the RESERVED VETERAN PARKING spots at Memorial Park before the celebration begins. (10:00-11:00)
-Do you have another talent or idea of how you can help? Please contact Strader Cieutat.

Please remember that this ENTIRE event is funded through donations and volunteerism. Our committee is extremely grateful for your kindness and generosity and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday, October 31, 2026!

Send a message to learn more

08/29/2026

Retired Sgt. Will Davis, second from left and wearing the “ARMY” shirt, enjoys breakfast with some of his former Southeastern Louisiana University ROTC students at Jeannie’s restaurant on US 190. Davis is the parade grand marshal for Ponchatoula Celebrates Veterans, which will be Oct. 31. He was assigned to the SLU ROTC office in 1972-76. The students graduated, went into the military and retired as officers. They get together once a month for breakfast. He said he is blessed and honored to have been the first Black officer in the university’s military science department.

08/27/2026

Retired Sgt. Will Davis, grand marshal for the Veterans Celebration this year, attends the recent Hammond City Council meeting to invite Mayor Pete Panepinto and City Council members to the event. The parade and celebration are set for Oct. 31 in Ponchatoula. Those interested in participating in the parade should complete and submit the entry form no later than Oct. 15. See form at the top of this page. (Hammond Star photo by Chloe Williams)

08/21/2026

https://www.an17.com/news/education/southeastern-opens-hips-military-museum-on-august-26/article_7926b9fd-fda4-4662-aab7-6d5d0a96b526.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwdGRleAT1tZJwZG9mBWZkaWQWUM5DaSBttBhGES9vO0ZJSkDrB3IeXWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6iwvmiT6gNnLzknoTaji8KqplFKKLzWY38SfeQdMGTJeSqACNzCaWv7K_v_g_aem_39HypnEoRPsl3PpGu6pHcw

HAMMOND --- Southeastern Louisiana University will open a new military history museum Wednesday, Aug. 26, called the HIPS Military Museum. “HIPS” is the acronym for the Department of History and

08/20/2026

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