History of Korean War Monument in Metairie.
Korean War Monument in Metairie, Lousiana
On November 1, 1988, the Louisiana chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA) was established with 19 members, as a subset to the national Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA).
Its first officers were:
President: Anthony Bickel
1st Vice President: Sherman McWilliam
2nd Vice President: Ronald Rutledge
Secretary: Bob Hatfield
Treasurer: Henry Montalbano
In 1993, one of the members, Bob Hatfield, had the idea to build a Korean War Monument to honor the 589 Louisiana veterans who died during the Korea War 1950–1953. A memorial committee was established, and it took three years of fundraising to build the memorial. Eight committee members and their wives worked tirelessly to raise funds. Donations were all small, but the committee raised about $150,000. Dolly Huhner worked as committee treasurer and processed all the funds and documents.
Original Committee Members, 1996
From left: Joseph M Lichtenstein. Jr., Milroy J Beydler, Harold J Schwalb. Jr., Robert L Hatfield (Chairman), Lamar O Hooks, George L Huhner Jr., Clyde P. Livaudais, Louis J Huhner
Korean War Monument built in 1996, Metairie, Louisiana
Sheriff Harry Lee was a very popular elected official of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. He was first elected in 1979, and was re-elected six times. He served for 28 years and six months until his death in October 2007. Harry Lee was very helpful to the memorial project and was the first person to donate $10,000.
Harry Lee told George Huhner to see Bill Allister, who owned the Napoleon Room. The Napoleon Room in Metairie was well known to the locals for bingo games for fundraising events. The owner gave them a free room every Sunday from noon to 1:00 p.m. for three years so they could raise money with bingo games, pool tables, and gambling.
Sheriff Harry Lee. 1932-2007
Harry Lee also connected committee members with Frank Stewart, who owned Lakelawn Cemetery, about building the monument. Since cemetery workers are experts in marble and stone engraving, this was a great connection. Frank Stewart and his men built the monument and donated all the engraving fees, which would have cost $1 for every letter. There are 589 names on the 16 marble plaques—one name on the list was left out and added later.
The location of the memorial, monument square, already had police and firemen monuments, so the Korean War Memorial was added to the front section. Originally, the monument was a copy of the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC. Thus a reflecting pool was added in the front of the plaques. Later the pool had to be dismantled since Jefferson Parish decided it was too dangerous for children who could fall in, especially during Mardi Gras season.
The Korean War Memorial was officially dedicated in a ceremony on July 27, 1996. George Huhner, Jr. led the ceremony. The July 27th date is very significant—it was the date the Korean War armistice was signed in 1953 to end the fighting.
George Huhner dedicates the monument on July, 27, 1996.
After the memorial was built, the founding memorial committee disbanded. But there was still $2,841.57 left in their treasury. It was decided to send these funds to the National KWVA, and it was sent by George Huhner. George Huhner and Lamar Hooks also went to Jefferson Parish to formally sign over the Korean War Memorial to Jefferson Parish on August 12, 2013.
The committee members dwindled, and the Louisiana Chapter of KWVA disbanded in 2013.
The officers in 2013 were: President George Huhner, Jr., First Vice President Lamar Hooks, and Second Vice President Clyde Livaudais.
George L. Huhner, Jr. 2017
Sadly, Clyde Livaudais (right) passed away on April 19, 2020. As of October 2020, George Huhner and Lamar Hooks are the only two remaining members of the original founding committee of the Korean War Memorial of Metairie, Louisiana.
Written and documented by Sun Kim with information provided by Dolly and George Huhner, Lamar Hooks, and the KWVA National Organization.