LHS Freedom Memorial

On Saturday, May 9, 2009, Lafayette High School in Lafayette, Louisiana dedicated its Freedom Memorial, the first of its kind in a high school. The display in the schools quad is designed to honor those who preserve and protect our freedom and safety--our service men and women and veterans from the Army, Navy, Marine, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Merchant Marines as well as Firefighters and Law Enforcement.

The ceremony also honored Lafayette High School alumni who died in the War on Terror by placing four benches in their honor.

The alumni soldiers are:

Marine PVT David Paul Burridge  United States Marine Corps
2003 Graduate, 19 years of age
Died September 6, 2004 due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.  

SPC Derek E. Junk
United States Army
1994 Graduate, 26 years of age
Died March 13, 2003 while serving his country in the U.S. ARmy’s Commanding General Mounted Color Guard in Riley, Kansas.

Staff SGT Jacob Gerald McMillan
United States Army
1999 Graduate, 25 years of age
Died December 20, 2006 while deployed to Operation Iraq Freedom.  

SPC  Joseph Clarence Thibodeaux
United States Army
1998 Graduate, 24 Years of age
Died September 1, 2004 in Hawijah, Iraq when his patrol came under enemy attack.