Noteworthy
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Frenchie on the Frontlines
JASON THERIOT’S PODCAST TELLS THE STORIES OF THE FRENCH-SPEAKING CAJUNS OF WORLD WAR II
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nyone who has spent much time in or around Acadiana has heard the stories of the young French-speaking Cajuns of the early and mid twentieth century who were forced to adhere to the 1921 “English only” policy in schools. Those who were caught speaking the language of their Acadian ancestors were often punished, resulting in generations of Cajuns who shirked their Louisiana French language and associated it with shame. Jason Theriot, a historian, consultant, and now podcaster, is telling very different stories about the Francophone Cajuns of the early twentieth century. Theriot has spent nearly two decades interviewing French-speaking Cajuns who served in World War II, whose
bilingual abilities proved massively helpful to the Allies in Europe and beyond. The resulting podcast Frenchie: The Story of the French-Speaking Cajuns of World War II is available on Spotify, Apple, and iHeart Radio; and will eventually be released in the form of a book, as well. “Frenchies was a name given to the World War II G.I.s who served in places like North Africa, New Caldonia, and certainly in France during World War II,” Theriot explained in an interview with the World War II Museum. Cajun soldiers who spoke French were given the nickname “Frenchies” by their comrades and superior officers. “If there was an officer who was in need of a French interpreter because he needed directions,
or he wanted to ask a local farmer some questions about where the German ‘pillboxes’ were located, they asked ‘Where’s Frenchie? Somebody bring me Frenchie up to the front line, I need him to interpret for me.” The result was a resurgence of pride in the Cajun language and culture, born from the knowledge that these men’s bilingual abilities were an asset to their country and the Allies as a whole. The idea was born from Theriot’s grandfather’s war stories—initially, Theriot planned to interview his grandfather and some of his veteran friends for a short book. His grandfather was hesitant at first. Theriot then pulled a list of Iberia Parish World War II Veterans and asked his grandfather if he knew anyone on it who might
be willing to be interviewed. By the following weekend, his grandfather had contacted dozens of his friends from the war and had them lined to tell their own stories about speaking Cajun French on the front lines—and that was just the beginning. Having grown up in New Iberia himself, Theriot makes an engaging and relatable host as he provides historical context alongside remastered oral history recordings from the veterans. When completed, his book by the same title as the podcast will be published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press. Listen to the Frenchie Podcast on Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, or at jasontheriot.com. —Alexandra Kennon
The Ground I Grew Up On
AMERICAN IDOL’S LAINE HARDY IS LOUISIANA TOURISM’S NEWEST TRUE AMBASSADOR
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aine Hardy’s been busy. In 2018, the then-seventeenyear-old Livingston native auditioned for Season Sixteen of American Idol, making it to the top fifty contestants. When he accompanied his friend during her audition for Season Seventeen, he sang “Take a Load off Annie” on the way out, and Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie practically begged him to take the golden ticket to Hollywood. “It’s sitting right here,” Richie told him of his future. “This time, you’ve got a shot.” Perry told him, “You could win this one.” 8
Photo by Dustin Haney.
And, he did. Since then, he’s released five original singles—including “Ground I Grew Up On,” in which he croons: “Might look like nothin’ but gravel roads/ and tractors rollin’ over them fields/ and prayin’ that we get a little rain soon/ and cuttin’ loose in hand me down wheels/ and knockin’ them Friday night beers back/ by the train tracks and thinkin’ that/ I’d never miss this place when I got gone/ But that’s the ground I grew up on.” In the song’s music video, which is shot in Livingston, Hardy laughs with
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friends while loading an ice chest into a pickup truck, speeding down Louisiana waterways against cypress sunsets, and playing music on the front porch in his rubber boots. His other 2020 releases, “Tiny Town,” “Let There Be Country,” and “Other LA” are also inspired by Hardy’s childhood in South Louisiana. “I love it there,” Hardy told me of his hometown over Zoom mid-May, just a few days after the release of his latest single, “Memorize You” and a return guest appearance on Idol. “Life there is just so gentle.” Earlier in May, Hardy’s passion for his home state earned him the designation as a True Ambassador of Louisiana, an honor awarded by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. He’ll be the new face of the Louisiana Office of Tourism’s “Louisiana is a Trip” campaign, an initiative designed to encourage locals to make the most of our vibrant state’s experiences through close-to-home attractions and road trips. Hardy told me he was excited to share the gospel of Louisiana tourism, especially when it comes to outdoor excursions, “and the food!” “Food’s number one,” he said. “But the music, the fishing, the people. Louisiana has good, good people.” As for his favorite
Louisiana experience? “Grand Isle. The fishing charters are incredible. Catching red fish and drum. It’s just a true Louisiana experience.” After completing his 2020 “Ground I Grew Up On” tour entirely virtually, Hardy is excited to be performing live once again, and is visiting a new city virtually every week until September. On June 5, he’ll be returning to Louisiana for the Salty Catch Trout Shootout & Concert at the Lake Charles Civic Center, which will benefit disaster relief efforts in Louisiana. As we spoke, people in Lake Charles were at that very moment looking out over a flooded city, preparing themselves to rebuild again after an impossible year. “I’m looking forward to being able to go back home, especially to Lake Charles, which has struggled so much in recent months,” said Hardy. “I’m happy to be able to go there in person, and to hopefully lift some spirits.” As he gears up for a year of travel and music, Hardy said he is happy to have another tie to Louisiana as a True Ambassador. “To be able to get this honor is just really crazy to even process,” he said. “But I’m going to take Louisiana with me everywhere I go.” —Jordan LaHaye Fontenot
