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Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

News Release

For Immediate Release                                                                                  May 11, 2010

Kristy Wallisch 504-382-0296

Patricia Corral 504-589-3882 ext. 228

Memorial Day Ceremony Scheduled At Chalmette National Cemetery

Vietnam Veterans of VFW Post 3798 will present a Memorial Day tribute to America’s fallen troops at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 30, at Chalmette National Cemetery,

The ceremony will include a color guard, bagpiper, bugler, and remarks from post members. Vietnam War veterans buried in the cemetery and members of the post interred elsewhere will be honored by a firing salute.

Volunteers are needed at Chalmette National Cemetery in support of Memorial Day. Volunteers may meet at the cemetery on the days and times noted or may call ahead. Volunteers are welcone to work for part or all of the time required for the following projects:

• On Friday, May 28, flags will be put at every headstone in the cemetery. The project begins at 7:30 a.m. and will continue until the job is done, usually 4-5 hours. The project requires walking and bending over.

• On Tuesday, June 1, the flags will be picked up and repackaged for storage. The project begins at 7:30 a.m. and will continue until the job is done, usually 4-5 hours. Picking up the flags requires walking and bending over; repackaging the flags requires sitting and rolling the flags for storage.

Chalmette National Cemetery is located next to Chalmette Battlefield, the site of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. The cemetery and battlefield are managed by the National Park Service as one of the six sites of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Over 15,000 troops are buried at the cemetery, which was established in 1864 as a burial place for Union soldiers who died in Louisiana hospitals during the Civil War. Troops who served in conflicts ranging from the War of 1812 to the Vietnam War are buried there.

Hurricane Katrina severely damaged both the cemetery and battlefield in 2005, destroying the battlefield visitor center as well as 2500 feet of the brick wall surrounding the cemetery and damaging other buildings on the site. The cemetery rehabilitation is now complete and the last of the battlefield projects, a new visitor center, will be completed this fall. The cemetery and the battlefield are open 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily and admission is free.

-NPS-