{"id":5127,"date":"2016-07-12T13:15:50","date_gmt":"2016-07-12T18:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/?p=5127"},"modified":"2016-07-12T15:01:44","modified_gmt":"2016-07-12T20:01:44","slug":"last-man-standing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2016\/07\/12\/last-man-standing\/","title":{"rendered":"Last Man Standing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thirty members of the Sulphur chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart started delivering honorary folders to funerals of Lake Area veterans in 2004. As of the end of last year, the group had delivered 2,618 folders to local funerals. The Order services 11 funeral homes in Southwest Louisiana.<\/p>\n

One of the two surviving members of the Order, Lake Charles resident Henry Doiron, is convinced that the memorial folders bring comfort to the survivors of veterans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can help,\u201d says Doiron. \u201cYou\u2019d be surprised how a family enjoys having that as a memento of their loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

The attractive cream-colored folder is printed on thick stock by Knight Media. It can be spread open so that it stands alone on a mantle or table. Recipients often put a photograph of the departed loved one in one of the folder\u2019s pockets.<\/p>\n

The Purple Heart group has also supported veterans at Chennault Place. \u201cWe take care of those people and part of the Veteran\u2019s Home in Jennings,\u201d says Doiron. The Order gives contributions, throws Christmas parties, donates clothes and undertakes other support efforts.<\/p>\n

Unless something changes, the group will come to an end in July.<\/p>\n

It is simply a matter of age.<\/p>\n

\"Doiron1\"<\/a>The two remaining members of the group are Doiron, who is now 88, and Howard Young, who is 93.<\/p>\n

The urgency of the situation will become all the more obvious when one realizes that Doiron is now making his deliveries to funeral homes either on foot or on bicycle. Over his strenuous objections, Doiron recently had his driver\u2019s license pulled after a staff member at the DMV said he failed a driver\u2019s test.<\/p>\n

Fortunately for Doiron, he feels that he\u2019s up to a long walk in the June sun. \u201cI\u2019m in good shape,\u201d he says. \u201cAnybody who sees me doesn\u2019t think I\u2019m 88. Being military, I took care of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, he doesn\u2019t choose to make long walks in the midst of a thunderstorm. He keeps a close eye on the local forecast. \u201cWhat I do depends on what the paper says today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Military Service <\/strong><\/p>\n

From his early days in ROTC at McNeese in the 1940s, Doiron seemed a likely candidate for a life in the military.<\/p>\n

In his time at McNeese, Doiron was commander of the ROTC unit. He also did the sound effects for McNeese\u2019s KPLC radio shows of the time. He went on to get a bachelor\u2019s in commerce from LSU.<\/p>\n

Early in his military career, he served as part of the U.S. forces in Occupied Japan. As he was nearby when the U.S. became involved in the Korean conflict, Doiron was tapped to participate in that military operation. He served in the 25th Infantry of the U.S. Army.<\/p>\n

\"Military_Order_of_the_Purple_Heart_logo\"<\/a>Doiron had a close and violent brush with death in the massive battle for the Pusan Perimeter when a North Korean soldier shot him just as Doiron was taking aim. The bullet struck Doiron in one of the hands he had on his rifle.<\/p>\n

Although it took Doiron a while to reconstruct the series of events, he eventually determined that the bullet had struck the LSU ring he wore on his hand. The ring, he says, \u201csaved my life. That bullet would have come straight to my face.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that realization was a while in coming. After the bullet ricocheted, it tore through the strap and stock of Doiron\u2019s rifle, hurling bits of metal into his face. Because of the blood on his face, Doiron initially thought his most serious wound was in that area.<\/p>\n

The bullet\u2019s impact was marked by a small knick in the ring. Years later, when the ring\u2019s stone came loose, Doiron sent it to Balfour for repair. The company beveled out the knick in the ring. \u201cThey thought they were doing me a favor,\u201d he says. One reason Doiron was wearing an LSU ring in the first place was that at the time he attended McNeese, the school was part of the LSU system; it was called \u201cMcNeese of LSU.\u201d He recalls that at the time he attended McNeese \u2014 then a two-year college \u2014 its colors were red and gold. As the college gradually changed its structure and went from college to university, Doiron saw its colors change to purple and gold and, finally, blue and gold.<\/p>\n

Doiron was a career officer in the Army. He estimates that he traveled to nearly 100 countries during the course of his career.<\/p>\n

Volunteer Years<\/strong><\/p>\n

When he retired from the military as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1968, Doiron returned to Lake Charles. When he began job-hunting, he was repeatedly told he was \u201coverqualified.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t need the money,\u201d he says. He finally decided to devote his time to volunteer work.<\/p>\n

He worked for 12 years for the Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau and for 13 years for the McNeese Archives. He has continued to do volunteer work for the archives throughout his retirement from civilian work.<\/p>\n

Doiron funded several McNeese scholarships. He\u2019s a member of the Living Oak Society and was an early inductee into the McNeese Alumni Golden Scholars Society. He was a participant in McNeese\u2019s Veterans Oral History Project.<\/p>\n

Doiron was honored for his extensive work with the McNeese Alumni Association with the Distinguished Service Award in 2015. He was the first McNeese alumnus to establish a gift annuity for the association. He has donated to the group for the past 25 years.<\/p>\n

\u2018Something Lasting\u2019 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Doiron will go on doing volunteer work for the McNeese Archives and Alumni Association. But the more demanding tasks of the Military Order of the Purple Heart will soon be behind him.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s entirely understandable that Doiron is reluctant to see the group\u2019s work end. No doubt that reluctance explains the fact that he\u2019s carried on with the work as long as he has.<\/p>\n

Doiron was on the scene when the Sulphur Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart was founded in 1996.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very valuable thing to keep going,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s something lasting. When the funeral\u2019s over, what have they got?\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to do your bit for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, or just learn more about the group, call 436-6945.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thirty members of the Sulphur chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart started delivering honorary folders to funerals of Lake Area veterans in 2004. As of the end of last year, the group had delivered 2,618 folders to local funerals. The Order services 11 funeral homes in Southwest Louisiana. 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