Plaquemine rolled out a full military salute on Wednesday, with a 40-piece Marine Corps Reserve Band, a military color guard and a planned F-15 Air Force flyover scheduled to mark the town's annual Salute to Veterans ceremony at the Veterans Memorial on Railroad Avenue. The event was set to run from 10 a.m. to noon as part of a parishwide tribute to local men and women who served in the military.
According to WBRZ, the station said it was proud to head to Plaquemine the week of Nov. 9-13 to honor the men and women who have served the country, and it reported broadcasting live from the ceremony itself. Throughout the week, the station said it shared additional stories highlighting the area's economic growth, local leaders and the traditions that help drive the community forward. Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley also discussed the importance of Veterans Day as part of the station's coverage.
Beyond the band and flyover, the ceremony's broader program reflected plans described by other outlets covering Iberville Parish's 2026 observance. Per postsouth.com, Gov. Jeff Landry was scheduled to deliver special remarks while Meginley was set to give the keynote address. The same report said a Congressional Gold Medal presentation was planned to honor Montford Point Marine Charles Walter Germany.
Pre-Ceremony Music and a Memorial Wall of Thousands
The Iberville Parish event listing places the ceremony at the Iberville Veterans Memorial, 23640 Railroad Ave. in Plaquemine, with pre-ceremony entertainment beginning at 9:30 a.m., according to ibervilleparish.com. That listing also noted the Victory Belles were scheduled to perform. A separate report from wafb.com described the 2026 ceremony as set to include patriotic music, military color guards and a performance by the National WWII Museum's Victory Belles, running from 10 a.m. to noon after 9:30 a.m. pre-ceremony activities.
Central to the ceremony each year is the parish's Wall of Veterans, a photo display that has grown substantially over time. WBRZ reported the wall displayed pictures of more than 2,000 veterans this year, while coverage from a year earlier described the display as having grown to thousands of faces. Ahead of this year's event, the parish invited residents to submit photographs of local service members for inclusion on the wall, according to kplctv.com.
A Ceremony With Deep Local Roots
The Salute to Veterans has been described as an annual tradition in Iberville Parish, with coverage of the event appearing in both 2025 and 2026. A year earlier, the parish dedicated its Veterans Day celebration to fallen Sheriff's Deputy Charles Riley, who had been killed in the line of duty the previous month, wafb.com reported at the time. Separate WBRZ coverage has also described Riley being honored alongside U.S. veterans at the annual ceremony, though the dossier reviewed for this report could not resolve whether that specific tribute occurred in 2025 or 2026.
That same 2025 report credited West Side Color Guard Commander Fry Hymel with organizing the parish's Veterans Day ceremony for 25 years. The 2025 coverage also noted the unveiling of a flag drop box at the Veterans Memorial, giving residents a place to retire old or worn American flags. Together, the details paint a picture of a ceremony that has steadily expanded its scope while staying rooted in the same stretch of Railroad Avenue each November.
