Gov. Bobby Jindal made Memorial Day an official state holiday through his recent declaration.
STATE OF LOUISIANA
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
BATON ROUGE
PROCLAMATION NO. 17 BJ 2008
______________________________________________________________________________
LEGAL STATE HOLIDAY – NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY
______________________________________________________________________________
WHEREAS, the people of Louisiana recognize and honor on National Memorial Day the heroic men and women who sacrificed their lives through military service;
WHEREAS, National Memorial Day provides an opportunity for remembrance of their patriotic commitment to the democratic principles of freedom and equality;
WHEREAS, the last Monday in May has been federally established as the day to celebrate National Memorial Day; and
WHEREAS, R.S. 1:55(B)(2) allows the governor to proclaim National Memorial Day as a legal holiday and a day of rest in the state of Louisiana;
NOW THEREFORE I, BOBBY JINDAL, Governor of the state of Louisiana, by virtue of the
authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the state of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows:
SECTION 1: National Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, 2008, is declared a legal holiday in the state of Louisiana and shall be observed as a day of rest and remembrance.
SECTION 2: On National Memorial Day all state buildings flying the flag of the United States of America shall display the flag at half-staff until noon and shall thereafter raise the flag to the top of the staff in accordance with guidelines of the United States Flag Code, 4 U.S.C. §1 and 36 U.S.C. §174, et seq.
SECTION 3: Insofar as practicable, the appointing authorities and/or heads of all institutions, offices and departments of the state (hereafter “appointing authority”) shall permit the officers and employees under their control to observe National Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, 2008, as a day of rest and remembrance. Nonetheless, an appointing authority shall have discretion to require said officers or employees to work on the holiday when, in the appointing authority’s judgment, it is required for the efficient administration of a state facility, the operation of which is necessary and indispensable to the citizens of this state.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of Louisiana, at the Capitol, in the city of Baton Rouge, on this 7th day of May, 2008.
/S/ Bobby Jindal
GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA
ATTEST BY
THE GOVERNOR
/S/ Jay Dardenne
SECRETARY OF STATE
Sincerely,
s/Anne S. Soileau
Director
According to the Visit St. Bernard website, volunteers are sought to place flags at Chalmette National Cemetery.
Memorial Day at Chalmette National Cemetery
May 23-25
Chalmette National Cemetery will be open for Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 23 through Monday, May 26, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to place and remove flags. Flags will be put out on Friday, May 23 beginning at 7 a.m. and will be removed on Tues. May 27, beginning at 7 a.m. Flag placement and removal will each take 4-5 hours. Volunteers do not need to pre-register but may just come to the cemetery on the project days. More information is available by calling 504-589-3636, ext. 228.
8606 W. St. Bernard Hwy.
Chalmette
504-281-0511
Two articles posted on my Yahoo! Group about Memorial Day Events in Louisiana.
Cemetery ceremony to celebrate veterans: Flags will be placed on graves of soldiers
By Carroll Nox Devine
Memorial Day Events Scheduled
By Kim Gritter
“…Post 3798 will present another program Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at the Chalmette National Cemetery, 8606 W. St. Bernard Highway, next to Chalmette Battlefield, the site of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.
Volunteers are needed on Friday to help place the flags, and to pick them up on Tuesday. Volunteers should meet at the cemetery at 7 a.m. both days..”
St. Bernard Catholic Church
“…In May, for Memorial Day, the Veterans place flags on the graves of our fallen service members. The Knights of Columbus are there for Mass, and following Mass there is a ceremony held in the cemetery by the altar dedicated to our heroes. ..”
Louisiana Genealogy 