Vets share war stories with next generation

Members of the Regional Military Museum on Barrow Street in Houma have served in occupied Europe following World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and they have plenty to teach young people about past conflicts.

But young people’s interest in those parts of U.S. history can be scanty, members of the museum said last week as they prepared to commemorate Veterans Day today.

Houma resident Merlin Robichaux, 80, a museum member who served with the U.S. Constabulary in Europe after World War II, had few words when asked about how much young people know about the wars.

“Not much,” he said.

Museum president C.J. Christ, also 80, who was a B-29 pilot during the Korean War, said the museum is committed to teaching kids about the conflicts using the resources the facility has on hand, which include military uniforms, a piece of Navy artillery, a model PT boat and numerous workable military vehicles.

Board member Hymel Henry, 75, a Houma resident who was an artilleryman with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Korean War, is working on bringing in a tank from Camp Beauregard near Pineville.

“Our mission is to stamp out ignorance of military history,” said Christ, who in 2003 helped begin a monthly military history discussion program at the Terrebonne Parish Main Library.

“We put kids in Jeeps, sit them on guns, sit them on ducks (boats). We have a special mission,” he said. “They’re not being taught in school. This museum teaches that.

“We have an extensive military library here,” Christ said. “We can cover any military subject. We have a tremendous amount of information about World War II, but we cover all wars.”

Christ said youngsters have their pictures taken at the museum, which places a stamp on the photos reading, “Compliments of the military museum.” “It gives us credibility,” he said.

“They get elated,” said museum member Jan Trahan, 66, a Dulac resident who served with the U.S. Navy in the Vietnam War.

Last week, museum members took a group of young people aged 2 to 9 – along with a few adults – out on the water riding inside a landing craft.

“They got to wave to the skippers on the Intracoastal,” Trahan said.

“They will remember that,” Christ added.

Members will also go to area schools to put on demonstrations as part of Veterans Day activities, according to Trahan.

And the museum has an impressive collection of items to display.

Among the vehicles – besides the three Jeeps and the duck boats – are two track-laying vehicles and a Vietnam-era personnel carrier. Despite their mild-sounding name, duck boats were used during D-Day, Hymel said.

On Veterans Day today, some of the museum’s vehicles will be driven around Houma, said volunteer Ricky Whipple. Whipple starts the vehicles once a week to help keep them in running order. A few are stored across Barrow Street from the museum in a warehouse.

Museum members will hold a Military Appreciation Night at the Golden Corral in Houma on Monday and on Dec. 5 will feed a group of U.S. soldiers who are being deployed.

This past Independence Day, the museum helped to stage Houma’s first 4th of July parade. The celebration saw free hot dogs being handed out and had Vandebilt Catholic High School girls dressed in navy garb.

“We led the pack to put on the parade in Houma,” said Christ, who lives in Houma. “We have a committee to put one on next year. We’ll do it bigger and better next year.”

Regional Military Museum volunteers Jan Trahan (left), Jim Walker (center) and Will Theriot are shown alongside one of the museum’s display vehicles. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER