RSS Feed

Louisiana’s French speakers were in serious demand during World War II, especially when interpreters were needed as GIs fought their way across France after D-Day.
But south Louisiana’s French speakers were also wanted for their fighting ability and even their typing skills.
Men from south Louisiana caught the eye of the Marine Corps early in the war.
At the beginning of 1942, the brass sent Capt. Bob Mouton, a former congressman and a member of the Marine Reserves, into the byways to “get the best men from the bayou country.”
A newspaper report noted that Mouton “speaks good French, speaks bayou French, speaks good Spanish and bayou Spanish, and then, too, he speaks English.”
He was to use his skills on “a vast pool of young men who are perfect Marine material.”
Mouton told a reporter, “They can shoot straight, they can handle a knife, they’re good physical specimens, and they love a scrap. If that doesn’t make them good Marine material, then, moi, je suis fou.”
South Louisiana soldiers showed that Mouton wasn’t exaggerating about their straight shooting when, as the armed forces newspaper Stars and Stripes reported, “officers and men of a … infantry battalion from Louisiana … won all four events in which they entered [in a marksmanship competition], thereby setting a record.”
According to that article “at the time of mobilization the entire personnel conversed in French, even to the commands of the officers and noncoms, as many of the men couldn’t understand orders in English. …
"The men have done an excellent public relations job in helping the French people obtain a better understanding of America and Americans.”
You have to wonder about the “understanding of America” given by these soldiers, many of whom had never traveled more than 20 miles from home until the war.
It was probably a bit different than the “understanding” a GI from New York or even New Orleans might give.
As the war was winding down in 1945, Congressman James Domengeaux sent out an appeal for “typists and secretaries familiar with the French language.”
He said they were “urgently needed by the French government for positions in Washington,” where paperwork was piling up for lack of bilingual office workers.
French officials regularly cited the work of Louisiana GIs in their country, but there were also times when we commended Frenchmen, and south Louisiana language skills helped there, too.
In April 1945, “in a dramatic ceremony” held in a part of France under U.S. control, Roger Godart, “a member of the French Forces of the Interior,” was given a gold wrist watch “for courage and aid to U.S. forces.”
The award was given in the name of Gen. George Patton, but someone who spoke fluent French was needed to make the actual presentation.
That was, of course, a soldier from Louisiana, Col. Roy Dalferes of Lafayette.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, "Cajuns and Other Characters," is now available from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

The Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans is offering a cooking demonstration and meal on Aug. 7.
Chef Byron Bradley will teach participants the ins and outs of Southern cuisine, featuring a different state each Friday. On Aug. 7, Bradley will teach about the history and food of Florida.
He will teach participants how to cook conch fritters, Cuban sandwiches and key lime pie, while they sit back sip on complimentary beer, wine and champagne.
SoFAB, located at 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, is following all COVID-19 guidelines issued by the City of New Orleans and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The class is limited to 25 people, and participants will be spaced out at least 6 feet apart. Masks will be required and sanitizer will be available to all guests.
The class is $100 for adults and $90 for SoFAB members. Museum admission is included in this price.
Bradley is a native New Orleanian, who was classically French trained in New York. Passionate about Creole and Caribbean foods, he is a 2015 recipient of the Chefs Move Scholarship and a pupil of great chefs from New Orleans such as Leah Chase and John Besh.
He was a featured contestant on Food Network’s Chopped (Season 35, Episode 11). His passion for food is deeply rooted in the culture of New Orleans.
When he is not teaching at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, Bradley is running his own private food club, Haute.
To register for the Aug. 7 class online visit https://southernfood.org or call 504-569-0405.

From the National Hurricane Center

Tropical Storm Gonzalo Intermediate Advisory Number 9A
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL072020
800 PM AST Thu Jul 23 2020

...GONZALO STILL HEADING DUE WEST...
...EXPECTED TO BEGIN AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD
ISLANDS ON SATURDAY...

SUMMARY OF 800 PM AST...0000 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...9.7N 49.9W
ABOUT 775 MI...1250 KM E OF THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH...95 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 275 DEGREES AT 13 MPH...20 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1000 MB...29.53 INCHES

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
----------------------
At 800 PM AST (0000 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Gonzalo was
located near latitude 9.7 North, longitude 49.9 West. Gonzalo is
moving toward the west near 13 mph (20 km/h). A westward to
west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is
expected through the weekend. On the forecast track, the center of
Gonzalo will approach the southern Windward Islands Friday night and
move across the islands Saturday and into the eastern Caribbean Sea
Sunday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher
gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next day or two,
and there is still a chance that Gonzalo could become a hurricane.
Weakening is expected after Gonzalo moves into the Caribbean Sea.

Gonzalo is a compact tropical storm, and tropical-storm-force winds
extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1000 mb (29.53 inches).

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT 23/2100Z 9.8N 49.4W 50 KT 60 MPH
12H 24/0600Z 10.0N 51.2W 55 KT 65 MPH
24H 24/1800Z 10.5N 53.8W 60 KT 70 MPH
36H 25/0600Z 11.1N 56.6W 65 KT 75 MPH
48H 25/1800Z 12.0N 59.7W 65 KT 75 MPH
60H 26/0600Z 13.0N 62.6W 60 KT 70 MPH
72H 26/1800Z 13.8N 65.6W 55 KT 65 MPH
96H 27/1800Z 14.5N 72.0W 40 KT 45 MPH
120H 28/1800Z...DISSIPATED

CENTERVILLE -- The St. Mary Parish School Board voted Thursday to delay the opening of school three days to Aug.10 to give staffs more time to get acquainted with plans to deal with COVID-19 restrictions and precautions.

Aug. 7, the date originally chosen to begin the new school year, is also the date when Gov. John Bel Edwards' proclamation mandating masks in public, closing bars, limiting crowd sizes to 50 people, and keeping Louisiana in Phase Two of federal mitigation guidelines is set to expire.

Whether those measures are allowed to expire and whether Louisiana moves into less restrictive Phase Three guidelines after Aug. 7 depend on how the Edwards administration views the COVID-19 statistics at that time. The level of COVID mitigation statewide will guide the precautions schools must take.

Some people feel the delay should have been even longer.

The School Board voted down a motion, after a sometimes contentious discussion, that would have delayed the resumption of classes until after Labor Day, which is Sept. 7.

The votes came after a presentation on the plans for reopening.

School Board member Pearl Rack said she believes more time is needed to hear what teachers and parents have to say about the reopening.

"We do need to stop and get forums and hear what they're saying and then come back and make a decision ...," Rack said. "I can tell you know how I feel because I have two grandchildren in the public school system. I have a daughter who's a teacher in the public school system. This is a good plan, but a lot of things aren't in place."

She asked who will be responsible for making sure children practice social distancing on buses, and how the district will deal with children with diabetes or sickle cell.

Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said the staff has gathered information from families to which more than 5,000 children belong, has followed up with calls about specific needs and has developed a list of frequently asked questions.

"We've been working on this for months," Bagwell said, "and we've tried every means possible to get information and feedback from the people it most directly impacts, and that's the teachers, the parents and the kids."

Parish Councilman Craig Mathews came to the lectern repeatedly to ask for a delay.

"There are people watching this," Mathews said, pointing to a camera used to live-stream the meeting, "your constituents, wondering why we can't delay this three or four weeks."

Mathews said the plan presented to the board Thursday wasn't so much a plan as a rehash of guidance from state and federal officials.

But School Board member Wayne Deslatte, who angrily asked Mathews to stop interrupting the meeting at one point, said that while some parish residents want to delay the opening of school, others want schools to open. Those worried about in-person contact can opt for virtual learning, he said.

School Board President Michael Taylor said he doesn't see the point in delaying the reopening until September.

"This staff has spent days and weeks and months on this," Taylor said, "and it's fluid because we don't know if we'll be in Phase One or Phase Two or Phase Three. So they have to do three different plans."

After declining steadily through April and May, Louisiana COVID-positive tests and hospitalizations began surging upward again in mid-June. The state crossed the 100,000-case threshold Thursday, and the number of hospitalizations is now over 1,500 after dipping to 568.

Since July 1, the number of COVID positives in St. Mary has grown from 489 to 1,215 as of Thursday. Two deaths were reported during that time.