2016 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 144
BY SENATOR JOHN SMITH
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To commend the Fort Polk Heritage Families and the Heritage Family Association on the
occasion of the tenth anniversary celebration of the Heritage Family Day Reunion.
WHEREAS, between 1940 and 1945, the United States War Department, now the
Department of Defense, took possession of privately owned land in Vernon Parish,
displacing more than six hundred families and over three thousand people from their
homesteads, livestock, and the graves of cherished loved ones, and they were faced with
building their lives anew; and
WHEREAS, a portion of the property was condemned and the land acquired through
the powers of expropriation and eminent domain, powers allowing states and governments
to seize private land for government or public use, as the threat of a looming world war
necessitated the building and improving of military bases and airfields; and
WHEREAS, the Fort Polk heritage families occupied land that is currently the site
for the Fort Polk Army Installation and Peason Ridge artillery training range; and
WHEREAS, in April 2007, the leaders of the United States Army Joint Readiness
Training Center for Fort Polk became concerned about the potential risk of losing an aspect
of American history by failing to preserve the stories of these families who were uprooted
and dispersed throughout the country; and
WHEREAS, the Joint Readiness Training Center convened a cultural resources
workshop to develop plans for preserving the rich cultural heritage of these families, their
ancestors, and their descendants; and
WHEREAS, from that workshop and with the plans having been developed, the
Heritage Collection Project proceeded, beginning with the original settlement of the area in
the 1820s through the resettlement that took place in the first half of the 1940s as the country
readied for world war; and
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WHEREAS, the Heritage Family Collection of Fort Polk's displaced families was
created and it was determined that the collection would be housed in the Fort Polk
archeological curation facility and a second copy of the items in the collection would be
lodged at the Northwestern State University archives in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where all
the items are preserved and many are available to the public; and
WHEREAS, a portion of the collection is currently available online and this
compilation of photographs, documents, and firsthand accounts have contributed to the
important historical record; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Region Two Folklife Center at Northwestern State
University has conducted oral interviews to include in the collection and research material,
such as conveyance records, marriage licenses, and death notices, all public records, and
have been added to the documents and records donated by the heritage families; and
WHEREAS, the resilience and determination of the subsistence farmers who were
resettled from Fort Polk came from a strong faith and a belief in the importance of family,
both values which have been exhibited by their ancestors who have committed both time and
energy to the Heritage Family Association and the compilation of the collection; and
WHEREAS, these heritage families have continued to display their dedication to
their community and their country and, to date, there have been more than two hundred
members of those families who have served in this nation's armed forces; and
WHEREAS, the integrity and cultural richness of the collection is greatly dependent
upon the interest and contributions of the heritage families and their commitment to the
history and heritage of Fort Polk and Vernon Parish; and
WHEREAS, the Fort Polk Heritage Families and the Heritage Family Association
can be proud of the contribution they have made to maintaining the history of the sacrifices
made by the families who were displaced from their homes and their very roots and allowing
these sacrifices to be honored through the annual celebration of the Heritage Family Day
Reunion; and
WHEREAS, Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Facility created a Heritage
Family Day Reunion to recognize, honor, and memorialize these families, and the first event
was held in November 2007, and the tenth annual event will be celebrated later this year.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend the Fort Polk Heritage Families and the Heritage Family Association on the
occasion of the tenth anniversary celebration of the Heritage Family Day Reunion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Mr. Gene Haymon, a representative of the association.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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