Of all the hundreds of interviews I’ve done with WWII veterans over the many years, this one ranks at the very top of the “truly remarkable” category. John Mestayer was a soft-spoken fellow, kind and courteous, and led an infantry platoon into combat in France with the 95th Infantry Division. He was the only WW2 veteran in my hometown who wore an eye patch—a wartime injury that stayed with him his whole life. Some said it was from a sniper bullet; others said it was from shrapnel. No one really knew, because he never talked about it--until 2003, when I interviewed him for the "To Honor Our Veterans" oral history project. This a story of faith, courage, leadership, and duty—and it speaks to the humility of that great generation.

This episode brings to life wartime letters written by young Cajun soldiers just days after the Normandy landings of 1944. Through their words, we hear how French-speaking GIs connected with civilians, found pride in their heritage, and forged bonds across war-torn France. Featuring preserved family letters from the Broussard brothers of Breaux Bridge, reflections from their descendants, and a tribute to veteran Albert “Spoony” Sponheimer from the Stephen Ambrose Historical Tour group, this episode weaves the written record with living memory—and traces the Frenchie story back to the very beaches of Normandy, revisited decades later with the renowned tour company that keeps this history alive. Link to Bob Anderson’s article: https://stephenambrosetours.com/d-day-remembrance-pvt-houston-duhon-and-albert-spoony-sponheimer/

We venture to the Pacific Theater and follow the journey of Millard Mannina, a Cajun from Jeanerette, Louisiana, who had a harrowing experience in some of the bloodiest battles of the war. His main job wasn’t fighting the enemy from a foxhole or shooting down Japanese Kamikazes—his mission was to build the critical airstrips on Saipan and Okinawa that allowed the Air Corps' powerful B-29 bombers to bring the air war deep into the heart of mainland Japan. Mannina was on Okinawa—the last major island battle in the Pacific—in 1945 and watched each day as the big four-engine bombers took off from the hastily constructed airfields and disappeared over the horizon. The sights, the sounds, and the saga of the engineers' work on these enemy-held islands left a lasting impression on him.  As we memorialize the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa, Millard Mannina’s story is a fitting tribute to those unsung heroes who helped bring an end to the war in the Pacific. We also welcome a rep from the National Museum of the Pacific War to talk about their new developments, including the Society of Sons and Daughters of WWII vets. Visit the museum for more info: www.pacificwarmuseum.org

In observance of this upcoming Memorial Day, I dug way back into the vault of old presentations and pulled out this 2008 tribute to Iberia Parish WWII veterans for a special event at the old Sliman Theater in my hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana. The event was a grand affair, in a pack house full of veterans and their families and hosted by the Iberia Cultural Resources Association. The audio quality is not the best, but the message of gratitude to this great generation still rings loud and clear today. Unfortunately, like so many communities across the nation, there aren’t many WWII veterans left. But events like this remind us all of their sacrifice, courage, and contributions to our way of life.  

Finding stories of Frenchies through letters, interviews, and family memorabilia has been a collaborative effort over many years. The families of veterans have played no small part in preserving and sharing these stories. This episode features stories of Charles Ducote, Alton Girouard, John Bacque, and Prigeon Fontenot--one of the last living Frenchies of WWII, who my son and I had the honor of interviewing in 2021.

On this Veteran's Day, we revisit a recent Frenchie event at the Roy House, home of UL Press and the Center for Louisiana Studies. This October 3, 2024 gathering marked the official launch of the Frenchie book. Center director Josh Caffery and my son Jackson Theriot join us to talk about this memorable evening that featured special guest Shirley Guidry, one of the last Frenchie WWII veterans from Louisiana. 

In this episode titled “Finding Frenchie," we revisit the origins of this project and pay tribute to many of the families who graciously shared stories and memorabilia about their Frenchie WWII veterans. This project has had many influences over the years, perhaps none more important than a feature story written by George Morris in the Baton Rouge Advocate in Nov. 2019 titled “Cajun Frenchies helped to win the war.” That newspaper story was a catalyst for re-launching this Frenchie project, which 5-years later turned into a book, titled Frenchie: The Story of the French-Speaking Cajuns of WWII published in Sept. 2024 by UL Press. 

This June 6th marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day when the free world again turns its attention to the beaches of Normandy, to honor the sacrifices of so many and to pay tribute to the last of those who liberated Europe in WWII. In this episode, we reflect back on the 60th Anniversary of D-Day when I had the honor to visit the grave of Houston Duhon, a Cajun killed at Omaha Beach on the first wave. His best friend in the service, Carroll Mestayer, jumped off the Higgins boat with him and carried his lifeless body to the shore. Carroll survived the battle and lived to tell the story of that event on Bloody Omaha Beach and about his journey across his ancestral homeland as a French-speaking Cajun.

On August 11, 1944, a 15-man OSS Special Forces team parachuted into the mountainous region of Southern France to rendezvous with the French Underground and sabotage enemy troop movements. Roy Armentor and Claude Galley—two Cajuns from south Louisiana—were part of this Operational Group codenamed PEG. For two weeks, they conducted hit-n-run missions behind enemy lines alongside their French counterparts. Both were severely wounded and were taken in by local French people. The Cajun French language, which they had been told to forget growing up in school, proved invaluable to their experiences in WWII.

Of the 450 men in US Army VII Corps HQ, only one spoke French—Ned Arceneaux, from Lafayette. As the Quartermaster for his unit, Ned was in charge of precuring all the supplies. When they landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944, Ned’s French-speaking abilities proved invaluable to his commanding officers and to his comrades. He served as an interpreter for Gen. J. Lawton Collins, known as “Lighting Joe,” one of the senior leaders in the European Theater during WWII.