As we honor veterans this Veteran’s Day, the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs says COVID has presented challenges to several observations in 2020. Veterans Secretary Colonel Joey Strickland says ceremonies that are normally held at VA homes are closed to the public this year.
“We are hosting visitation for immediate family members to come see their veterans but not for the general public,” said Strickland.
Strickland says several schools are holding ceremonies across the state to honor vets and in Bossier City today a Women’s Veterans statue will be dedicated.
To assist Louisiana vets Strickland says the department works with several organizations whose sole focus is to place veterans in the workforce and now there is a new program to help vets become business owners.
“The governor announced a new veterans’ initiative called PAVE to help veterans who want to start businesses,” said Strickland.
Strickland says helping veterans during the pandemic has been a challenge for the department, not being able to meet in person and attend conferences, but they are doing the best they can.
“It’s tough it’s an abnormal way for us to do business, but a lot of what we do is by computer, by ZOOM and we’re having to adapt to a new challenge,” said Strickland.
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