Rebranding leads to growth for La. Military Museum in Abbeville

You don’t have to travel far to take a journey through Louisiana’s military history.
That can be done right here in Abbeville, at the Louisiana Military Museum.
Located at 911 Revis Sermon Loop at the Chris Crusta Memorial Airport, the facility has been in Abbeville for more than 10 years. However, an effort to reinvigorate the museum has ramped up during the past couple of years.
Elista Istre, Ph.D., has been heavily involved with the rebranding of the Louisiana Military Museum, formerly the Louisiana Military Hall of Fame and Museum. Istre, who serves as a consultant for the museum, met with members of the Rotary Club of Abbeville to report on numerous events and what is to come.
“Over the past couple of years,” Istre said, “it’s gone in a new direction. We are trying to get it off the ground and up and running again.
“Our focus is to honor our veterans and remember their stories.”
Istre said that is done through exhibits and programs and by interacting with veterans themselves.
“We want to create a space for them to come and always be welcome,” Istre said.
As for programs, 2021 included plenty. The museum opened its doors for Memorial Day, Patriots Day (Sept. 11), and Veterans Day.
“I remember a young veteran who just returned from Afghanistan,” Istre said of interaction during the Memorial Day event. “He told me that he had tears in his eyes walking up the event. He told me that seeing all the cars and that many people cared, made him tear up.”
Hearing veterans’ stories, as well as seeing them come together, is special, Istre said.
“It’s nice to create a space for them to do that,” Istre said. “On a personal note, it’s always rewarding to see these young guys interact with the older veterans.
“They honor and respect these gentlemen.”
These stories can now be told and heard in freshly renovated museum.
“Some of the panels on the exhibits had aged,” Istre said. “We wanted to revamp things to appeal to a wider audience.”
Part of the renovation is new display cases, which are being built in-house, something Istre said is saving thousands of dollars. In addition, members of the National Guard offered a helping hand during the renovation.
“We took everything off the walls,” Istre explained. “The National Guard came in during the summer and helped us paint.”
There is another welcoming look when you enter the museum.
“Someone kindly donated a $5,000 desk to us,” Istre said. “Now we have a front desk. We also got some furniture to go in our gift shop.”
Among exhibits is one dedicated to Medal Honor recipients.
“Louisiana has 28 Medal of Honor recipients that go back to the Civil War,” Istre said. “We honored all 28 of those.”
There are thousands of names that are included in the museum’s Veterans Database. Istre said there are more than 5,000 entered into the database.
“It’s neat to see the kids come in and look up their grandpa,” Istre said. “We have had troops who have come in and looked up family members.”
For those who have serviced who are not currently entered, Istre encouraged them to take the easy step.
“You can go to our website (lamilitarymuseum.org),” Istre said. “There is a link to click that says Veterans Database. You can submit your information, documents and photos.
“We are constantly collecting more.”
This time, tours of the museum are by appointment. For more information, visit lamilitarymuseum.org or call 337-898-9645.
“We do get a lot of visitors,” Istre said.
There is sure to be many more in the future.
“We don’t think the sun is setting on our plans or on our dreams,” Istre said. “To our board of directors, and all of the good-hearted people, who have helped us get to where we are, thank you very much. I can say 100%, without a doubt, the veterans appreciate it so much. And the civilians are very appreciative as well.”
Members of the Rotary Club are among those “good-hearted” people helping the museum grow. The club will help the museum expand into the second hanger that it owns at the airport. Istre said that will allow for more room when the museum holds events. It will also be available to rent for other functions.
“Rotary has graciously agreed to pay for the materials,” Istre said. “We are excited about that expansion. We are appreciative of the Rotary for helping in that.”
It’s not just funds being put up by the club.
“We are also going to have service days to go work,” Rotary President Annette Mudd said.
Service is an appropriate word, as the museum is dedicated to honoring the lives and stories of Louisiana natives who have served this country.
“It’s rewarding to see people come in and look at all these things and enjoy them,” Istre said. “It’s gratifying to see active duty come in.
“It reminds them of that legacy and heritage that they are a part of.”