Resolution could force flag’s removal

Five American flags fly at Hero’s Park in Thibodaux.

But that might not be the case for much longer thanks to opposition to the flag that sits below the middle one – a POW/MIA flag.

The Thibodaux VFW has provided flags for the monument since its inception, but Quarter Master Johnnie Guillot has threatened to take them all down after former Commander Thomas Tabor’s accusation that the POW/MIA flag should be banned from the site.

“I’m going to call the [current] Commander and take all the flags down,” said Guillot. “Mr. Tabor can do whatever the hell he wants … he can put them up there.”

In 1995, Tabor served as Commander of the Thibodaux VFW, and he flew a POW/MIA flag at the monument.

Tabor said the city of Thibodaux built the monument through donations from citizens to “honor war deaths from Lafourche Parish who were killed in action and that an American flag for each war would be flown over the monument.”

In response to the POW/MIA flag, the park’s three founders mayor Warren Harrang, Ed Gros and Earl Brown sent a letter to the Lafourche Parish Council March 21, 1995 asking the council to adopt a resolution to keep the monument at Hero’s Park for its original purpose.

On April 12, 1995, the council passed a resolution stating only the American flag for each war may fly at the Hero’s Park monument.

Upon receiving the council’s decision, Tabor removed the POW/MIA flag.

Fifteen years later, the POW/MIA flag is back, and Tabor’s attempts to contact District 1 councilman Jerry Jones for several months have come to no avail.

“The POW/MIA flag must be taken down before Memorial Day ceremonies not to offend the people who donated money and pushed only to fly the American flag over the monuments,” Tabor wrote in a letter to Jones prior to Memorial Day this year.

Guillot argues the council’s 1995 decision came before U.S. Congress specified the POW/MIA flag to fly on Memorial Day as well as every other patriotic holiday in 1998.

“It’s a federal flag now. We’ve got two former POW’s living in Thibodaux,” said Guillot. “I don’t know why they don’t want the flag up there.”

Tabor approached the council last week requesting they force its removal, but Jones continued to stay neutral.

“I will not contact anyone for that flag,” said Jones. “If [Guillot and Tabor] have a difference of opinion, then [they] need to sit down and talk.”

Jones added he feels he shouldn’t take a side, because he has never been in the armed forces.

“Any force, branch in the service is a hero to me, so I don’t want to look at it that one is better than another,” said Jones. “They all protect the United States.”

Council chairman Daniel Lorriane said he would place a request at Tuesday’s Lafourche Parish Council meeting agenda to send this dispute to District Attorney Cam Morvant’s office for review.

Because the council’s ruling in 1995 was a resolution rather than an ordinance, the parish cannot force the flag to be taken down by law.

But if Guillot takes down all six flags, Morvant’s opinion may be moot.

A Missing In Action flag flies in tribute at Thibodaux’s Hero’s Park. RICHARD FISCHER