Gulfport veterans travel to New Orleans for museum visit

Riemann Family Funeral Homes transported veterans from Gulfport to New Orleans to visit the National World War II Museum on Veterans Day.

The funeral home has organized this trip for 15 consecutive years. According to the museum, more than 30,000 World War II veterans remain alive across the United States.

Tim LaFontaine, a Vietnam veteran, joined the group for the visit. He said the experience reminds him of his father, who was injured in World War II when a shell exploded beside him. LaFontaine stated that his father's service inspired him to serve in Vietnam.

“This is an outstanding uniform. Every time I see the people who wore this, it makes me a little emotional,” LaFontaine said. He added that his father gave him the morals needed to handle adversaries and that he misses him.

Robert Dell, another Vietnam veteran, said his family inspired him to serve. His stepfather, Cecil Broman, and two uncles served in World War II. Their names are etched in the walls of the museum. Dell noted that while his relatives have passed away, their names remain in the museum.

“That’s a real honor. Most all the veterans don’t get the honor that they deserve,” Dell said. He described the trip as a meaningful way to recognize veterans, stating that such recognition does not happen often enough.

Chad Riemann, president of Riemann Family Funeral Home, said the trips honor veterans’ service and pass their history on. He noted that the funeral home serves these veterans every day and uses the trip to say thank you and share the holiday. “The specialness of this place revolves around all the stories in the history that’s on every wall of this museum,” Riemann said.