Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs

09/05/2026

Talk about an entrance! ✈️🎉 The Louisiana Air National Guard’s Bayou Militia lit up the sky over LSU’s campus this morning with an F-15 flyover during ESPN’s College GameDay — kicking off Week 1 in style ahead of tonight’s Clemson vs. LSU showdown in Tiger Stadium.

These are the same men and women who serve and protect every single day — and today, they got to show Louisiana (and the whole country watching on ESPN) what Bayou Militia pride looks like. 🦅🇺🇸

To every veteran and service member who calls Louisiana home: thank you. Geaux Tigers! 👍🏼

09/04/2026

🇺🇸 9/11: Never Forget — Find an Event Near You 🇺🇸

Twenty-five years later, we still climb. We still run. We still remember. Here's where Louisiana is honoring 9/11 next week:

📍 Corps of Cadets 9/11 Stair Climb
Baton Rouge | Tiger Stadium | Wed, Sept 9 | Climbs start 6:00–7:30 PM
(Weather updates via on Instagram)

📍 9/11 Memorial Walk
Lafourche Parish | Fri, Sept 11 | 7:00 AM

📍 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb & Service Day
Hammond | Southeastern University Center | Fri, Sept 11 | 8:00 AM

📍 Patriot Night Football
Kinder HS (Allen Parish) | Fri, Sept 11 | 6:00 PM — veterans honored on the field, Sea Cadets present the colors

📍 9/11 Heroes Run 5K
Gonzales | Sat, Sept 12

📍 Travis Manion 9/11 Run
Gonzales | River Parishes Community College | Sat, Sept 12 | 8:00 AM
— and —
New Orleans | Audubon Park | Sat, Sept 12 | 8:00 AM

📍 Carry the Load
Slidell | Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery | Sat, Sept 12 | 10:00 AM
— and —
Rayville | Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery | Sat, Sept 12 | 10:00 AM

📍 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
Baton Rouge | American Legion Nicholson Post 38 | Sun, Sept 13 | 3:00 PM

We know this isn't every event happening across the state. 👇 If your parish is hosting something we didn't list, drop it in the comments — location, time, how to join — and we'll help spread the word so no one has to look far to remember together.

#911

09/03/2026

Eighty-one years ago, a young Louisiana sailor stood on the deck of USS Missouri and watched World War II end. Last night, Secretary Charlton J. Meginley and Deputy Secretary Dr. Jerome Buller got to shake his hand.

At the National WWII Museum's V-J Day Commemoration, LDVA leadership met Lee Broussard, a USS Missouri veteran and one of a small number of surviving witnesses to Japan's formal surrender in Tokyo Bay, the ceremony that marked the official end of World War II.

Secretary Meginley and Dr. Buller presented Mr. Broussard with a State Proclamation on behalf of Governor Jeff Landry. Both were deeply moved by the experience and honored to have been invited to take part.

Thank you, Mr. Broussard, for your service and for keeping this history alive for all of us.

09/03/2026

🇺🇸 25 YEARS OF NEVER FORGET 🇺🇸

This September marks 25 years since 9/11 — and the responsibility to remember hasn't faded, it's only grown heavier. 🕊️

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs is proud to support the New Orleans 9/11 Heroes Run, honoring the first responders and military heroes who stepped up that day and in the years since. 🎖️

📍 Audubon Park, 6500 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70118
📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026

⏰ EVENT SCHEDULE
6:30 AM — Onsite registration & packet pick-up
7:45 AM — US Marine Corps Band
8:15 AM — National Anthem & pre-race ceremony
8:30 AM — Race start 🏃
9:45 AM — Awards ceremony + post-race concert by the Natural Light All Stars 🎶

Every participant gets the official 25th anniversary race shirt, medal, and (for the ruckers 💪) a ruck patch!

Lace up with us. Walk it, run it, ruck it — just show up and remember. 🙏

👉 Register now: 911HeroesRun.org/NOLA

Travis Manion Foundation

Travis Manion Foundation is proud to partner with GORUCK again in 2026, bringing rucking divisions to every 9/11 Heroes Run. Rucking is a sport grounded in Special Forces Training in which participants carry weighted rucksacks. All participants registered for the GORUCK division will receive this ye...

09/03/2026

📢 Office Closure Notice

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs will be closed Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day.

Our offices will reopen Tuesday, September 8, with normal business hours. For questions or to see upcoming events, visit vetaffairs.la.gov.

If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7 — call 988 and select 1, text 838255, or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net.

We wish you and your family a safe holiday weekend.

09/02/2026

🎖️ Join us for Gold Star Mother's & Family's Day!

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs and the Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana invite you to honor Louisiana's Gold Star families on Saturday, September 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Gold Star Monument in the Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park, adjacent to the State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

The ceremony will feature opening remarks from Secretary Charlton Meginley and keynote remarks from Grant McCurdy, a Gold Star sibling and Marine Corps veteran who serves as Co-Chairman of Honor Flight Louisiana, followed by a Name Reading Ceremony honoring our fallen. A free picnic lunch follows the ceremony.

This event is free and open to the public. 🇺🇸

📍 Gold Star Monument, Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park
🗓️ Saturday, September 19 | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
✅ RSVP recommended:

Join us for Gold Star Mother's & Family's Day—honoring Louisiana's fallen heroes. Free ceremony & lunch. Sept. 19, 2026.

09/02/2026

09/01/2026

September is Su***de Prevention Month. 💜

One veteran lost is one too many. If you or someone you love is struggling, you don't have to face it alone.

📞 Call 988, press 1
💬 Text 838255
🔗 Chat: VeteransCrisisLine.net

Together, we can save lives.

***dePreventionMonth

08/31/2026

🚀 MISSION: LAUNCH IS BACK — Fall 2026 Cohort!

Big shoutout to our partners at Acadiana Veteran Alliance (AVA) for bringing back Mission: Launch — a FREE six-week entrepreneurship program for veterans ready to turn an idea into a business (or take an existing one to the next level)! 🎖️

Over six weeks, veteran entrepreneurs will dive into everything from validating a business idea to building a go-to-market strategy, accessing capital, and preparing for growth — with in-person sessions at Opportunity Machine in Downtown Lafayette plus flexible virtual one-on-ones.

"Veterans already possess many of the qualities great entrepreneurs need — discipline, adaptability, leadership, and the ability to execute under pressure. Mission: Launch is about pairing those strengths with the tools, strategy, mentorship, and network needed to build a successful business." — AVA Founder & CEO Andrew Ward

📍 Opportunity Machine | Downtown Lafayette
📅 Kicking off October 2026
⏱️ Six weeks
🎖️ Built for veteran entrepreneurs

Have a business idea? Already running a company? Know a vet who's ready for their next mission? This one's for you! 👇

📧 To join the Fall Cohort, email [email protected]

Program details and registration provided by Acadiana Veteran Alliance.

08/31/2026

📅 What's Coming Up — Next Two Weeks

🎗️ Tue, Sept 1 | Overton Brooks Su***de Prevention Month Kick-off
Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, Shreveport | 10:00 AM

🍽️ Tue, Sept 1 | Tangipahoa Chamber Luncheon
Southeastern Louisiana University Student Union | 11:00 AM

🩺 Wed, Sept 2 | Baton Rouge Aging Network's Resource Fair
Baton Rouge Rehab Hospital | 4:00 PM

🐴 Fri, Sept 4 | Giddy Up
82292 LA-25, Folsom | 8:00 AM

🎉 Sat, Sept 5 | Honor the Brave Fest
Slidell Harbor Center | 10:00 AM

☕ Wed, Sept 9 | St. Tammany Chamber Breakfast with Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple
Beau Chene Country Club, Mandeville | 7:30 AM

🏃 Fri, Sept 11 | 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Service Day
Southeastern University Campus (University Center) | 8:00 AM

🇺🇸 Sat, Sept 12 — A Full Day of Remembrance:

Travis Manion 9/11 Run – New Orleans | Audubon Park | 8:00 AM
Travis Manion 9/11 Run – Baton Rouge | River Parishes Community College, Gonzales | 8:00 AM
Carry the Load – Rayville | Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery | 10:00 AM
Carry the Load – Slidell | Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery | 10:00 AM
Fearless Together 5K | Camp Beauregard, Pineville
Service Academy Day | LSU-Shreveport, University Center | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

🎖️ Sun, Sept 13 | 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
American Legion Nicholson Post 38, Baton Rouge | 3:00 PM