Monroe’s Connection to the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima

The famous picture is legendary. A group of Marines after a hard fought battle for the tiny island of Iwo Jima during World War II, strain to raise an American flag attached to a flagpole on Mt. Suribachi. Did you know, that very flag made an appearance in Monroe? In early January 1950, the John … Continue reading Monroe’s Connection to the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima →

WWII Soldiers Making a New Year’s Meal

In honor of Monday's upcoming Veterans Day, I give you this photo, which includes a Monroe soldier named Arzellous Howard: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8e02776/ . I think the order is wrong and the names read from left to right. Mr. Howard is the one on the far right. Thanks to all who have served, especially those of the … Continue reading WWII Soldiers Making a New Year’s Meal →

German Prisoner of War Camp in West Monroe

Did you know that during World War II, there was a prisoner of war camp in Ouachita Parish? It sat where the West Monroe Convention Center is now. The facility housed around 200 of Erwin Rommel's Africa Korp that had been captured by American forces. The men were sent to work on local cotton farms … Continue reading German Prisoner of War Camp in West Monroe →

Index to the Monroe Morning World Servicemen’s Edition

This index is for the February 6, 1944 Monroe Morning World Servicemen’s Edition. In this newspaper, local white men and women serving in the military were profiled with a short biography and picture. This index gives the name, section of the newspaper they appeared in, the page number in that section, the column on the … Continue reading Index to the Monroe Morning World Servicemen’s Edition →

The War Dead of Ouachita Parish

I am not claiming this to be totally accurate by any means. I have compiled this list from many different sources, right or wrong. I just want a good list as a jumping off point for future interested researchers! What this is, is a list of Ouachita Parish people who gave their lives while defending … Continue reading The War Dead of Ouachita Parish →

Selman Field Navigation School

A booklet was recently rediscovered which contains a lot of photos and information on the old Navigation School. If you are interested in the field, you can check it out here: https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-orv%3A129

Fighting Men of Louisiana Index

After WWII, a vanity print book was published, highlighting some of the soldiers who had served in that war from Louisiana. It was called "The Fighting Men of Louisiana". It included a biography of the soldier along with a photo. Several different editions were published, each highlighting a section of the state. The Ouachita Parish … Continue reading Fighting Men of Louisiana Index →

A List of Ouachita Parish High School Alumni Who Fell During War

Back in May, 1945 Ouachita Parish High School's seniors had a newsletter called the Ouachita Lion. It served as a sort of yearbook since the yearbook wasn't publishing during WWII. On one of the pages of the May, 1945 issue, they paid tribute to what they called "Gold Star Honor Roll". Basically, alumni of OPHS … Continue reading A List of Ouachita Parish High School Alumni Who Fell During War →

The Twin Cities Prepare For War

Imagine the U.S. at war against a country which could send enemy planes to fly over major cities with bombs. That is exactly what the country was facing during WWII. You had to be prepared, and Monroe was no exception. Among our collection is this little rare gem of a poster, asking area residents to … Continue reading The Twin Cities Prepare For War →

A Selman Field Navigator’s Letters Home

The website is called, "The Yap Island Missing Air Crew Project". In 1943, a young man from the New York, NY named Martin B. Unger was sent for training at Monroe's Selman field. A year later his plane along with he and his crewmates were shot down by Japanese fighters near Yap Island in the … Continue reading A Selman Field Navigator’s Letters Home →