In Their Honor: Preserving the Legacy of Black Veterans in Iberia Parish
For generations, African American veterans have served this nation with courage and dedication, yet their stories have too often faded with time. This Veterans Day, the Iberia African American Historical Society and the Shadows-on-the-Teche, in partnership with the Robert B. Green AL Post 533 & All American VFW Post 12065, invite the public to join a commemorative cemetery walking tour honoring African American veterans Sat., Nov. 8, at 11 a.m. at St. Matthew Cemetery (Fulton Street, New Iberia).
Tickets are $15 per person, with a portion of the proceeds supporting a full year of care for a veteran’s grave site, including grass cutting, landscaping, and basic preservation. Tickets can be purchased online.
Participants will place a commemorative flag at the grave they adopt and receive a personalized veteran profile that shares the story behind the name, including the branch of service, years served, military conflict, and a photograph when available.
This act of remembrance extends beyond a single day. By adopting a grave, participants help restore dignity to the final resting places of African American veterans whose sacrifices built and defended our freedoms. Together, we ensure their service is never forgotten and their memory endures through continued community stewardship.
The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, New Iberia Chapter, proudly serves as an event sponsor, supporting efforts to research and preserve the stories of African American veterans interred at St. Matthew Cemetery.
About the Iberia African American Historical Society:
The mission of The Iberia African American Historical Society is to foster the appreciation, understanding, and teaching of the long, rich, and unique history of African Americans in Iberia Parish; and also, by example and through programs and activities, to encourage and promote research, preservation, and publication of historical materials related to the history of African Americans in Iberia Parish. The IAAHS is a not-for-profit organization that funds special programs and events through donations. For more information, and to become a member, visit IAAHS.org.
About Shadows-on-the-Teche:
The Shadows-on-the-Teche, National Trust for Historic Preservation site, opened to the public in 1961. Their mission is to work as stewards to preserve this historically significant former site of enslavement, to tell the true and inclusive history of the site, and to engage the community in programs that promote art, culture, and education.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns and operates the Shadows-on-the-Teche, is a private, non-profit organization. The Shadows does not receive funding from the federal, state, parish, or city government. The site supports itself through admissions, special programs and events, and donations to the Friends of the Shadows. For more information, visit their website.
(Updated 10/24/25)
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