Myles Cody Sebastien, age 21, from Opelousas, Louisiana, St Landry county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Wpns Co, 1St Bn, 6Th Mar, (1-1 Ad, I Mef Fwd), 2D Mar Div, Camp Lejeune, Nc
Date of death: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Death details: Hostile; Ar Ramadi, Iraq
Cemetery: Bellevue Memorial in Opelousas, Louisiana
Source: Department of Defense, findagrave.com
Jonathan Ray Reed, age 25, from Opelousas, Louisiana, St Landry county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: B Company, 1088Th Engineer Battalion, (Tf Baghdad), New Roads, La
Date of death: Friday, January 28, 2005
Death details: Hostile; Baghdad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Craig Davis, age 37, from Opelousas, Louisiana, St Landry county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 603D Transportation Company, 142Nd Corps Support Bn, Fort Polk, La 71459
Date of death: Thursday, January 8, 2004
Death details: Hostile; Fallujah, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Alton John Hebert, age 36, from Arnaudville, Louisiana, Saint Landry county.
Parents: Alton Hebert
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, July 19, 1971
Death details: Died at the Brooks General Hospital at For Sam Houston in San Antonio from injuries received May 13 while serving as a tank commander in Vietnam. He was transferred to the hospital in Texas on June 23.
Source: National Archives, Lafayette Daily Advertiser (1971)
Andrus Floyd Duplechain, age 21, from Eunice, Louisiana, Saint Landry county.
Parents: Cleveland Duplechain
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, September 28, 1970
Death details: Killed in action in Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1970)
Donald Wayne Sistrunk, age 21, from Eunice, Louisiana, Saint Landry county.
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Eunice High (1966)
Date of death: Friday, April 10, 1970
Death details: Killed by hostile fire in Vietnam while he led a group back to camp from ab ridge guard.
Source: National Archives, Daily World (1970)
Lester David Huguet, age 20, from Washington, Louisiana, Saint Landry county.
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Saturday, November 20, 1943
Death details: From November 20 through 23, 1943, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy conducted a large-scale amphibious assault on the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa as part of Operation Galvanic, the Allied capture of the Gilbert Islands. Located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, Tarawa was a crucial stepping stone in the planned U.S. offensive across the central Pacific toward Japan. The Japanese garrison on Tarawa’s main island of Betio was well-entrenched with hundreds of bunkers and gun positions behind formidable beach obstacles. The first wave of Marines approaching the shore encountered lower-than-expected tides, forcing them to leave their landing craft on the reef and wade the hundreds of yards to the beach under intense enemy fire. The heaviest number of U.S. casualties were suffered during this phase of the landing. Eventually, rising tides allowed U.S. warships to maneuver closer to shore and support the troops with effective naval gunfire. More Marines landed on the second day, launching attacks inland from the beaches and seizing the Japanese airfield on the island. However, the enemy launched vicious counterattacks and two more days of intense fighting were needed to secure Betio. The last enemy strongpoints were taken on the morning of November 23. The fighting on Betio cost the Marines nearly 3,000 casualties but enabled U.S. forces to press further across the Pacific and yielded valuable tactical lessons that reduced U.S. losses in future amphibious landings. Private Lester David Huguet, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from Louisiana, was a member of Company A, 2nd Amphibious Tractor Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. He was killed in action during the Battle of Tarawa on November 20, 1943. He was buried in Cemetery #33, Main Marine Cemetery, but after the war his remains were not located. Today, Private Huguet is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Achilles Arnaud, age 18, from Arnaudville, Louisiana, Saint Landry county.
Parents: C. Arnaud
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Sunday, December 7, 1941
Death details: Killed aboard the USS Arizona. Remains not recovered.
Cemetery: Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial
Source: National Archives, American Battle Monuments Commission, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Crowley Post Signal (1942)
Russell J. Durio, age 19, from Sunset, Louisiana, Saint Landry county.
Parents: Simon Durio
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Sunday, December 7, 1941
Death details: Killed aboard the USS Arizona
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency