Dozens of cadets, two artillery cannons and a B-52 bomber were all involved in the LSU Salutes induction ceremony held Saturday. The annual celebration honors all U.S. veterans, particularly University alumni who served in the ROTC program. This year 15 veterans, selected on their military record and involvement with the school, were inducted into the University’s Military Hall of Honor. Unhindered by the sparse clouds, the morning sun bore down on the crowd of about 200 seated attendees. Held on the Parade Ground around the War Memorial, the ceremony started at 9 a.m. amid Tiger fans preparing for a long day of tailgating. The ceremony inductees sat upon the memorial’s raised platform alongside special guests including Chancellor Sean O’Keefe, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Student Government President Cassie Alsfeld. O’Keefe said the nation is involved in a debate about the objectives of the military, which can only be resolved through passionate discourse. He said throughout this debate it is important to maintain respect for the men and women in uniform. “It is imperative that we preserve this attitude of the people,” O’Keefe said. Landrieu also spoke at the ceremony, praising the honorees and cadets for upholding not only the image of the military but the image of Louisiana too. The Tiger Band provided music for the event, playing the national anthem after signals from an Air Force officer with a walkie-talkie. During the song, the cue became apparent as a B-52 bomber plane sliced through the sky above the ceremony. The band also played marching themes as cadets from both the University and Southern University marched across the Parade Ground. The cadets stood in four groups arrayed on the grass: two LSU Army ROTC companies, a Southern University Naval ROTC battalion and an LSU Air Force ROTC wing. The groups of cadets were flanked to the south by tan-painted army vehicles and to the north by a pair of artillery cannons. After the veteran inductions, the cannons erupted in a 21-gun salute that echoed across the Parade Ground. The inducted veterans included Capt. Alden Andre, Col. Thomas Blakeney, Maj. Gen. William Bowdon, Judge William Brown, Lt. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault, Col. Dave DeFelice, Maj. Gen. Huntington Downer, Lt. Gen. Terry Gabreski, Capt. George Jones, Col. Louis Lancaster, Agricultural Center Vice Chancellor Emeritus Denver Loupe, Lt. Col. Gilbert Slaughter, Col. Covert Soulé, Capt. Kenneth Tipton and Col. Walter White.
—-Contact Daniel McBride at [email protected]