City of Lake Charles launches “The Veterans’ Oral Histories Project”

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - We can learn so much from older residents of Southwest Louisiana, especially from those who served our country. The City of Lake Charles has launched a new project to help tell local veterans’ stories.

Last year, when Historic City Hall hosted “The Pelican State Goes to War” exhibit, Calcasieu Parish television production students had the opportunity to help put together videos of local veterans to add to the exhibit. The videos, according to Mayor Nic Hunter, sparked the idea for a project.

“This is something we have had on our minds for a couple of years now and finally put the right partners together to make this happen," Hunter said. "Really, the final push was the WWII exhibit.”

The Veteran’s Oral Histories Project was created.

Working with CPSB-TV, McNeese and the Mayor’s Armed Forces Commission, the City of Lake Charles plans to continue telling stories of local veterans.

One of the students helping make that happen is Jayden Elias. He edited the video last year and says he is excited to do it again.

“What impacted me the most about what they were saying was how they lived life back then in the war, how they had to buy things with stamps."

The city says they are hoping to launch this project in the spring, putting the interviews on social media and saving the footage in the McNeese Archives.

If you or someone you know would like to tell their story, you can call Julie Pippen at 337-491-1201.

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