Thomas, I went to Lafayette Elementary in the 4th grade. I have lived all over La. in my life.
My dad is buried in Prairie Ronde at the Cursillo Center, Sacred Heart Church, just outside Opelousas. Mom is from Church Point and we are cousins, on mom's side of the family, to Charlene Marie Richard, Little Cajun Saint, who is buried in Richard.
It is always nice to have another Frenchman around.
I live next to the Atchafalaya Basin around Lafayette but in the country. Definitely a huge Catholic presence here because the Acadians who settled here left France for religious reasons.
My dad's family is from Paris, France, and mom's is French/Indian from Canada. I got slammed pretty good with the French side of all things
I have been to Ft. Polk. When I was in high school I lived in Tioga, La, an some of my friends and I went to a carnival there. I had never seen so many soldiers in one place before.