Tangipahoa's First-Ever Veterns Day Celebration - November 1st

COURAGE, SACRIFICE, HONOR

Tangipahoa’s first-ever memorial celebration honors veterans by recognizing their bravery, sacrifices, and unwavering commitment to our freedom.

Parish Councilwoman Strader Dufreche Cieutat, along with the Downtown Ponchatoula Revitalization, the American Legion Post 47, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1052, and a large committee of parish residents, have come together to organize a heartwarming Veterans Memorial parade and celebration. The celebration of Veterans Day will be held on November 1, 2025. It will begin at 9:30 am with a parade traveling along Ponchatoula’s main street and ending at Memorial Park for a celebration lasting until 2 pm.

Tangipahoa Parish’s City of Ponchatoula has the distinction of being Louisiana’s first Purple Heart city. The Purple Heart is awarded to those wounded or killed in action and signifies that a service member has paid a heavy price, sometimes risking everything in the line of duty.

Councilwoman Cieutat was quick to clarify that the event is not just for Veterans Day, but as a celebration of every veteran across the entire parish.

The committee wanted to find a meaningful way to thank veterans for their dedication, sacrifice, and bravery. As a result, they have planned an unforgettable day. The parade plans include color guards bearing the flags, bands playing military music, floats and other vehicles carrying veterans, veterans on motorcycles escorting a float that honors the MIA (Missing in Action ) and POW (Prisoners of War), veterans from the Sheriff’s office riding horses, local military units with their military equipment, and veterans of the USS Ponchatoula riding in perhaps a boat.

At the park, the event will begin with a special opening ceremony by the Victory Belles, recognizing military honor recipients along with an invocation, a flag-raising, and the singing of the National Anthem by country musician David St. Romain. Veterans groups and military service organizations will have information tables. The Swing 101 Band and other live entertainment are booked. A tribute wall, military-related displays, and a vintage car show are in the works.

Highlighted participants include 101-year-old veteran George Van Zandt, and International Mrs. Louisiana 2025, Courtney Strickland-Vircari. Members of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart are also planning to join in the celebration.

For more information, visit Ponchatoula Celebrates Veterans on Facebook or contact Strader Cieutat directly at 985-355-0588 or district10@gmail.com.

“This event is intended to honor veterans from all of Tangipahoa Parish. Although it is being held in Ponchatoula, everyone is welcome, and all veterans will be celebrated.”

Leading it all: Mr. George Van Zandt proudly serving as Grand Marshal in the Inaugural Tangipahoa Veterans Parade.

For most, turning 101 is a milestone worth celebrating quietly. For local resident and WWII Veteran George Van Zandt, it’s another opportunity to serve his community. This year, he will be honored as the Grand Marshal of Tangipahoa Parish’s very first Veterans Day Parade, a role he accepted with a humble smile and a condition which he was quick to share.

“I reminded them that I am 101 and a half,” he said, “I’ll be there if the good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise.”

During his service, he spent 654 days in combat, including 121 days when his division advanced 5,000 feet up a mountain in Japan to secure control. Though he’s grateful for the honor, Mr. Van Zandt has a sobering perspective on memorials. “Shiny guns, shiny boots, and polished uniforms aren’t what combat looks like,” he said. “Combat is death and dead bodies. But if the memorial makes them happy, I’ll be happy with them.”

Despite his own memories of war, Mr. Van Zandt recognizes the importance of community remembrance and is proud to lead the way—hopefully in a classic military Jeep, if all goes as planned.