DESIGNING A BLANK SLATE

BY MARY DITCH | PHOTOS BY MISTY LEIGH MCELROY

To an interior designer, nothing is more tempting than a home with clean lines and a blank slate. This was the dream come true for homeowners Rene and Nicole Himel. As an interior designer, Nicole was thrilled to purchase the patio-style home which appealed to her love of clean lines, simplicity, and contemporary design.

“The majority of the homes I decorate in the area are of a traditional or transitional style,” shared Nicole. “So, when designing my own space, I took full advantage of letting myself make bolder and edgy style decisions.”

The home was built by Terre South of Houma in 2014. It features three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The home is just under 2,000 square feet.

“As our youngest daughter was starting college, we knew we didn't need a lot of space, but we were looking for something large enough to entertain our family with little to no upkeep,” explained Nicole. “As a family we have celebrated many milestones on the screened-in patio which we added after purchasing the home. It has become our gathering place for birthdays, weddings, graduations, and family crawfish boils.”

The spacious kitchen and dining area serves as the perfect space to host holiday dinners, which the family does every year. The patio area is just off the dining area, allowing guests to gather outside as well, enjoying ample seating and a fire pit. POV

BY ISABELLE GAREIS | PHOTOS BY LAUREN HEMSTREET

"Family Legacy" takes on a whole new meaning for Josh and Ron R. Bourgeois, two brothers who are serving as part of the third generation of volunteer firefighters with the Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1. Members of the Bourgeois brother's extended family, from uncles, to nephews, to grandfathers, and even their own fathers and sons, have given their time and energy to the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department to help keep the community safe.

The history of Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1 is a long and rich one— in 1858, the Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1 was born, and has since then been active except for a few years during the American Civil War. The fire company was officially incorporated in 1872, and is considered to be one of, if not the, oldest volunteer fire department in the state of Louisiana. Shortly after, in the early 20th century, Ron and Josh Bourgeois' great uncle Anthony Oncale was born— and would soon go to begin this family's legacy with the Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1.

"Our grand-uncle Anthony joined first, and then our grandfather Oscar Oncale and the rest of his brothers followed. I joined this fire company on February 1st, 1985," began Josh. "Becoming a volunteer firefighter is a tradition in our family. It wasn't 'if' you became a firefighter in our family, it was 'when." Josh's younger brother, Ron, joined the fire company just a few short years later in 1988. "I was extremely proud when I joined," said Ron. "It was such a great feeling to follow in the example our grandfather and father set."

Both Ron and Josh explained that the tradition of joining the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department was not limited to just one descending line in his family. "At one point, my grandfather, every one of his brothers, brotherin-laws, and more were a member of this fire company," said Ron. "We even claim extended third and fourth cousins who serve as part of our family line! Right now, we currently have four generations of extended family members volunteering. Growing up, seeing all our uncles and our grandfather serve as firefighters— it made us want to continue the tradition too." The brothers' grandfather Oscar even signed both Josh and Ron's companies run smoothly." The brothers explained that part of their work includes organizing beloved events such as the Thibodaux Fireman's Fair, which serves as the primary ways the volunteer department raises funds.

Josh and Ron went on to discuss the important ways that the Thibodaux Volunteer Department are working to help improve the Thibodaux community and continue the legacy of the Thibodaux Fire Company No.1, particularly by reaching out to the younger generation. "We have something called a Probationary Program, which began at E.D. White High School," said Ron. "This allows students to begin training as volunteer firefighters at just 16-years-old. They go through the same training a professional firefighter would, use the same equipment— this means that at age applications to become members of the volunteer fire department.

Both Josh and Ron followed a similar path through their time with the Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1, advancing through the ranks of Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, Captain, and finally were voted as members of the Thibodaux Fire Board, where the two brothers now act in an advisory capacity with the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department— particularly overseeing the best ways to raise, spend, and allocate funds. "We are essentially now a part of the governing body of the Fire Department," said Josh. "We help oversee the business end of things, to make sure all the volunteer fire training efforts to include young community members in the volunteer fire company, has helped keep membership with Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1 constantly growing. "We have members who range from 18 to 90 years-old— some with over 60 years of service," said Josh. "We always say that all firefighters are firemen, but not all firemen are firefighters. For example, if you are younger and still in training, you may not have not been into a hot zone to fight a fire yet. We also have older members who have never been into a fire in their life, or may not be able to anymore. However, all these members still have such an important role in keeping this department alive. We welcome everyone in, find them a role, and are so appreciative of everything all our members do to help out." This attitude of inclusion and acceptance within the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department has helped members of all ages find a place within the company, and the proof is evident—Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1 has grown to include more than 100 members, with more than 500 in the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department as a whole.

While Josh and Ron have used their almost 40 years of service to help all community members through the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department, the most rewarding aspect of this volunteerism for them is continuing to watch their family legacy flourish. Both Ron's son, Andre J. Bourgeois, and Josh's two sons, Race E. and Max R. Bourgeois, are currently active members of Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1. These three sons are following the examples of three generations of volunteer firefighters who came before them in their family, including their fathers, numerous uncles, and great-grandfather. "I am so proud to see them following in our footsteps," said Josh. "Back when I joined in 1985, the fire truck we had was dedicated to my uncle, Anthony "Papa Joe" Oncale. I thought it was so cool he had a truck named after him. In 1987, that truck was replaced with a new one, dedicated to two of our other uncles. Little did we know that 33 years later, we would have a truck dedicated to us," said Josh, as Ron nodded in agreement. "It is so great that other members have recognized our commitment, and now we have our sons to follow behind us,"

said Ron.

Both Bourgeois brothers are looking forward to watching how their sons will continue the family legacy of volunteerism, commitment, and involvement. "We always tell our younger members that family comes first," said Ron. "Never put your family aside for this fire company. But together, you can balance your time and make everything work. That mindset has kept our legacy growing here for four generations— if you put aside your son, your daughter, your grandchildren, they won't be interested in finding their place here one day too. You need to be there for them." Josh and Ron explained that even with their deep commitment to volunteerism, they still took the time to ensure they were active members in their sons' lives. "The most gratifying thing about being a member of Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1 is seeing how it continues to grow," said Ron. "We don't consider ourselves heroes here. We do this and we love it, and it truly fills our hearts to see our sons find their passion here too— and hopefully many generations to follow." POV

BY ISABELLE GAREIS | PHOTOS BY MADISON PONTIFF

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. POV

Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes are home to multiple parks, museums and monuments dedicated to our hometown heroes. From military veterans to police, firefighters and even war dogs and K9 handlers, you will find a quiet spot to reflect on those who have served our area and our country with pride.

The museum honors and brings life to the memories and artifacts of the brave military men and women who valiantly served our Country. Offering a living history of battles fought all over the world, the museum features extensive collections of vehicles, weapons, uniforms, and artifacts including an authentic Bell UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopter, an F-4 Phantom, a full scale model of a TBM Avenger, and one of President Eisenhower's Air Force One Aero Commanders. Veteran volunteers offer first-hand accounts of their experiences and invite the community to tour the museum and learn more about our nation's military history. POV

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In honor of our country's veterans and heroes, the bayouside memorial park includes the Wall of Gratitude; Isles of Honor; Vietnam War, WWI, WWII, and Korean War Memorials; Purple Heart Bridge and Armed Services Memorial, as well as memorials for police, firefighters, war dogs and mothers of veterans. The park was renamed in honor of Houma native Roger D. Songe in 2019. Songe left behind a legacy of lending a helping hand to Bayou

Region veterans. He also secured funding to help maintain the park so it can serve an area of remembrance and tribute to those who have served our country. POV

Honoring the veterans from the South Lafourche Community, the memorial is one of the largest memorials in the United States. The South Lafourche Veterans Memorial features a 122-foot granite wall monument engraved with the names of more than 3,000 names, and dating back to the Revolutionary War. In addition to the Memorial Wall, the memorial includes a water fountain honoring the Navy, a Field of Tears, a gated area dedicated to soldiers killed in action, and a Purple Heart Monument. Situated on a beautifully landscaped lawn, the memorial offers a covered gazebo and a Reflection Pool to sit and pay respect to those who put their country above themselves. POV

This memorial was dedicated in memory of Raceland native Freddie J. Falgout, Seaman First Class U.S. Navy. He was born August 21, 1916 and was killed in the line of duty by gunfire on the USS Augusta in Shanghai, China on August 20, 1937. The sailor was the first American to die in World War II. An American flag stands at the center of the memorial, while two benches offer a place to sit honoring his sacrifice. POV

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