In Palmetto, there’s a 94-year-old with a memory that’s probably better than a person half his age.
He’s a WWII veteran and great-great grandfather.
“We were headed for Taiwan. I was in the invasion in Taiwan,” he said.
Viealy Leger has lived in same St. Landry Parish community nearly his entire life.
Viealy says a priest in LeBeau named him.
“He got an ‘LL’ on his name. He took one L off. Instead of Veally it’s Vealy in french,” he said.
He has three siblings- a sister, older bother and a twin.
“My grandma would cut the cord. She said ‘Hold on you got another one coming.'”
He said his father was the blacksmith in town.
“He done a lot of grinding sugar cane and corn meal for people,” he said. “He had a steam rig a long time ago. I had a picture and I can’t find it.”
At 18, Leger enlisted in the service and got married while in boot camp.
His wife lives in senior care now. They’ve been married for 75 years.
They four children-all boys.
“We got married by a judge in Palmetto. A judge of the town and janitor at the school. She followed me to California,” Leger said. He likes to joke about the honeymoon. He was was shipped out as soon as he returned to boot camp.
“My honeymoon was overseas,” he said.
Leger was vivid memories of the war. He said they’re keepsakes of his life and where he’s been.
“I was an expert with the pistol and an expert with the rifle,” he said.
His twin brother was in the service too, but they weren’t together. Until one day, he ran into him.
It had been 14 years since they last set eyes on each other.
“My brother was in Okinawa. I met him there. Can you image? After 14 years, I hadn’t seen him.”
Leger said he has been a hunter since he was 7 years old. He said he remembers that too, as if it were yesterday.
