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A Veterans Celebrate Freedom reception recently held at Bayou Oaks Plantation drew more World War II veterans than are thought to have been seen outside of the World War II Museum in New Orleans at any one time.

More than 85 people attended the reception, including World War II veterans representing every branch of the military, their family members and guests.

A sumptuous buffet was served by Cousin's Catering, owned by Matthew and Kathy Cousin. Matthew Cousin served four tours of duty in Vietnam.

Recorded music provided the background sounds of songs popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

A highlight at the reception was the meeting of Marine Corps veterans Leonard Klock and Frances Skiba Hoffmann, who both saw active duty early in World War II.

Klock enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 1941, several months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. A paratrooper, Klock saw duty on Guadalcanal, Bougainville and Iwo Jima.

Hoffmann, whose Russian immigrant father had four daughters and no sons, enlisted in the Marine Corps Women's Reserves in Milwaukee in October 1943, just several months after the Marine Corps Women's Reserves had officially begun. Hoffmann had duty stripping aircraft parts at Cherry Point, N.C., before being assigned to duty in Hawaii.

Klock and Hoffmann, both sergeants when they were honorably discharged in 1945, reminisced about their time in the Marine Corps.

"We're losing too many of these WWII men and women veterans each day," said Chuck Sabadie, one of the founding VCF members and host of the reception. Sabadie noted the deaths of those Americans, like his father, who served in the Navy more than 60 years ago.

Veterans Celebrate Freedom was founded in 2007 as a collaborative effort by members of the first Leadership Northshore Class of 2008. "Each class of Leadership Northshore must come up with a nonprofit project that would benefit our community," said Sabadie, director of development and financial affairs for VCF.

The stated mission of Veterans Celebrate Freedom is: "To preserve the traditions of all past and present military personnel, to educate the community regarding the service of our veterans, to promote the ideals of American freedom and democracy, to increase patriotism in St. Tammany Parish, and to perpetuate the history of all United States military by commemorating the anniversary of Veterans Day."

Founders and board of directors of VCF in addition to Sabadie are Kevin Savoie, president; Dionne C. Graham, vice president; Troy Ingram, general counsel; Will Rachal, director of public relations; Samuel Chatman, director of communications; and board members Sharon DeBouchel, Mike Wells, Mike Rich, Don O'Bryan, Skip Mullens, Al Mipro, Brian Jakes and Robert Cook.

Savoie, who presented the idea of holding a Veterans Day Parade, said "this is my home town, and I realized we don't do anything to honor our veterans."

"I did some research and found that there are some 23,000-plus veterans in St. Tammany Parish alone, and we're not doing anything to honor their service.

"We presented our project two months ago with support from the class and our local leadership with Mayor Ben Morris, Chief of Police Freddie Drennan and Chief of Fire Protection District 1 Larry Hess.

"The proposed family-style parade with bands, floats, ROTC units and other participants will commemorate Veterans Day and give residents the chance to show genuine praise and sincere appreciation for military veterans and active-duty personnel and their families," Sabadie said.

The hope of VCF is to draw at least 10,000 people for the first Veterans Day parade in Slidell on Nov. 9. The tentative route is for the parade to begin in the Slidell City Hall parking lot and end at the old Pontchartrain Foods shopping center with a celebration in Fritchie Park. Plans also are under way to secure the hangar for a World War II-type hangar dance on the same day.

The team of Graham, Ingram, Chatman, Rachal, Savoie and Sabadie have committed three years to make sure the parade will continue to be successful with the correct support and leadership. VCF also plans to host a junior high school essay contest and a high school poster contest. "We want to educate and encourage children at an early age to appreciate and honor those that have fought for the freedoms we enjoy today," Graham said.

VCF plans to offer winning poster prints as a fundraiser and to establish a scholarship fund for military children. Sabadie said that half of VCF's founders have been in the military and they and the numerous veterans he knows through church continue to serve others in the community.

Chatman, who retired from the Army after serving 22 years, of which eight years were as a recruiter in the Slidell area, said people can support VCF in various ways, ranging from making donations to volunteering for its activities.

"The bottom line is, 'freedom isn't free,' " Sabadie said, noting the personal sacrifices that military men and women and their loved ones make to support the country and democracy.

World War II veterans in attendance at the reception included Mary Christopher, Edgar Quillin, David Broussard, Milton Jones, Arthur Bell, Robert Dole, Pete Ouder, Russell Bergeron, Leonard Klock, James Weller, William Cassidy, Vieto Dognibene, David "Bruce" Smith, John Carpetto, Jim Lenhart, George Taix, George Wichterich, George Burgess Jr. Alfred Albert, Charles Clotworthy, Frances Hoffmann and Albert Daube. For more information about VCF projects, visit the organization's Web site at www.VeteransCelebrateFreedom.org or by calling Dionne Graham at (504) 638-1890.
Published on NOLA.com Friday, April 11, 2008
Published in The Times-Picayune Sunday, April 13, 2008