Driven By Valor

The Regional Military Museum in Houma is taking new steps to honor local and visiting veterans in a very special way. The local museum recently received a donated Chevy Camaro, on which the previous owner had printed names of hundreds of veterans who had served in the military from World War I all the way up to modern day. The local Regional Military Museum now proudly displays this impressive tribute to veterans from all over the country—even deciding to continue the previous owner’s work by adding new names of Terrebonne Parish veterans to the car to honor these local heroes for their service.

The impressive “Tribute Camaro,” as it is affectionately called, was originally owned and operated by the late Morris Arcement. Morris served in the United States Marine Corps for 12 years during the Vietnam Era, before purchasing what would later become the Tribute Camero to honor veterans far and wide in 2015. Soon after purchasing the Camaro, Morris began the long process of meticulously printing the names of past veterans and fallen heroes across all corners of his car— eventually the doors, the bumper, the hood, and even the roof of the vehicle were covered with the names of veterans he knew and many he served alongside. He did not just stop with the names of his friends, but also included the name of every single United States President who served in the military from World War I on, and multiple veteran celebrities including Elvis Presley, Glenn Miller, Douglas Fairbanks, and more. “Arcement honored veterans from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan,” said Will Theriot, President of the Board of Directors at the Regional Military Museum. “If you served in the military and are a veteran, Morris put your name on this car.”

Morris passed away in November of 2021 at the age of 65, which left his family with the question of what to do with this remarkable tribute to past and current veterans. “A young lady called the museum one day, who turned out to be Amberlyn Arcement, Morris’s youngest and only daughter,” said Will. “She explained that her father had purchased a car in 2015 to honor all of his friends who were in the military by printing their names around the vehicle. Amberlyn told us that since he had passed away, she and her family did not want the car to be sold and put out on the street with these names on it. She asked if we would accept it at the museum,” continued Will. “And of course, we were happy to.”

While having the Tribute Camaro as it was would have made an incredible addition to the Regional Military Museum, the local museum has always prided itself on offering a uniquely personal experience to its visitors. The Regional Military Museum encourages visitors to learn about the actual men and women who fought in these wars, rather than just the war itself, taking particular pride in the role that the southern Louisiana region played in many of the nation’s large-scale conflicts. This mindset inspired those who volunteer at the museum to continue Morris’ legacy and vision for the Tribute Camaro, by continuing to print names of every veteran from or visiting Terrebonne Parish who came to visit the Regional Military Museum. “The Camaro had 800 names already printed when we received it,” said Will. “So we asked Amberlyn if it would be possible for us to add even more. She said yes, and we were so excited to not only put the Tribute Camaro on permanent display, but continue her father’s project.”

The Tribute Camaro now proudly holds more than 2,000 names of veterans who have served in the United States Military, with every branch of service represented. “We have a lot of local people from Houma and Terrebonne Parish recognized on the car, but we actually have names from all over the United States,” said Will. “We have names of veterans from Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and more. When visitors come through the museum, if they are veterans and want their name printed on the car, we do it.” Will explained that the project is a bittersweet one— as of our press date in June, the Tribute Camaro had room for about 20 more veteran’s names before it was completely out of space.

Will explained that having the Tribute Camaro at the Regional Military Museum has been a wonderful addition to their exhibits and what they can offer to the community. “The Tribute Camaro has become quite an attraction,” he said. “People love coming to see it and are always in awe looking at all the names, especially seeing how local veterans are honored. Our visitors have not seen anything like this before. There are a lot of people who come to look for the names of their family members who are recognized on the vehicle, which is really special to see.” The Tribute Camaro is just one of the many ways that the Regional Military Museum is working to honor local veterans with their exhibitions. “May was Veterans Month, and we had a whole Veterans Appreciation Day here at the museum,” said Will. “We had over 300 veterans who came, got to see the car, and had their names added. It helps everyone to feel honored and seen for their service.” The Regional Military Museum hosts their annual Vietnam Appreciation Day every March, as well as several open houses, events, and more throughout the year to help recognize veterans.

“We are adding onto our museum and finding new ways to honor our veterans constantly,” said Will. “Donations and projects like the Camaro help to make our museum even better for those who come to visit and learn about these wars and the lives of the heroes who served in them.” Visitors can go see the Tribute Camaro on display now at the Regional Military Museum during their operating hours, pay tribute to those who served, and maybe even see the name of someone loved and familiar honored on this special display.