– Representatives of the Louisiana/Mississippi Blinded Veterans Association Regional Group presented a tactile Braille American flag plaque to the St. Martin Parish Government at this past Tuesday’s Parish Council Public Works Committee meeting. Gary Schoelerman of the veterans group spoke to the committee about the donation.
The association was founded by 100 combat blinded veterans at a rehabilitation hospital in Connecticut on March 28, 1945. BVA worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide comprehensive medical and rehabilitative services and benefits for blinded veterans and played a role in persuading the VA to assume responsibility for blinded veterans’ treatment and rehabilitation.
The first Blind Rehabilitation Center to assist blinded veterans in adapting to civilian life was established in 1948 and the number of BRC facilities has grown to 13 since then. BVA also persuaded Congress and the VA to expand eligibility to veterans whose blindness was not the result of their military service.
“In 2010, President Obama declared March 28 as National Blinded
(Chris Landry) Veterans Day to honor all veterans who have lost some or all of their sight, either during service or after service,” Schoelerman said.
Flag
The tactile flag was designed by Randolph Cabral, president of the Kansas Braille transcription Institute and the son of a blind WWII veteran and features raised stars and stripes with the Pledge of Allegiance embossed in English on the white stripes and in Braille on the dark stripes.
Congress unanimously authorized placement of a bronze monument of the Braille flag at Arlington National Cemetery in 2008 as a tribute to blind veterans. BVA has since given hundreds of framed plaques bearing copies of the Braille flag to VA facilities, libraries and other public buildings around the country.
“We’re proud to be able to donate this flag and plaque to our St. Martin Parish government,” Schoelerman said. “This one was sponsored by the Community Association of Acadiana Giving Day. About a year ago they had enough funds to buy a few of these and decided this would be a great place to give one.”
The plaque will be placed in the lobby of the parish government office building on Port Street in St. Martinville, Parish President Pete Delcambre said.
