Who decides which names go into the walkway at the Broussard Veterans Memorial? Whoever sends in a brick order over the next ten weeks.
The City of Broussard announced an engraved brick campaign on October 13 for the memorial now going up at the Broussard Sports Complex at St. Julien Park. It asks for orders by December 31, 2026, "to help ensure placement." Construction is set to wrap up in early 2027. That leaves a short stretch where the most personal part of the memorial is still open. The flagpoles, plaques and benches come from the plans. Every name in the brick walkway comes from someone who placed an order.
The bricks have a second job. The city says every dollar from the campaign goes toward maintaining the memorial, so it stays a place where veterans and their families are honored for generations. So the names in the walkway also help pay for its care.
A ridge above the new pond
The memorial sits on an elevated ridge on the north side of the sports complex at 701 St. Nazaire Road, looking over a 3.7-acre retention pond. Plans include historical plaques, multiple flags, bench seating, the engraved brick walkway and an open lawn for group events.
The site plan on the city's memorial page fills in the layout. At the center is a circular flag court with the U.S. flag, ringed by pillars for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, National Guard and Coast Guard. Branch tablets and a stage sit alongside. A paved walkway runs past benches and a reflection court with a kneeling soldier statue, then on to the entry panels.
The layout matters for the brick campaign because each tier has a set place in the memorial.
Where a name lands, and what it costs
| Tier | Where it goes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Pavers ringing the branch pillars, chosen by branch | $150 |
| Tier 2 | Pavers at the branch tablets, chosen by branch | $150 |
| Tier 3 | Commercial business pavers, engraved with the business name | $100 |
| Tier 4 | General walkway pavers, for a veteran or a family name | $100 |
| Tier 5 | A family name plate on the donation plaque, not a paver | $350 |
The two $150 tiers are the only ones tied to a single branch. For both, the city says each branch has its own stock. A Navy veteran's brick at the Navy pillar comes out of the Navy allotment, apart from the Army or Coast Guard pavers. Families who want a name at a specific pillar are choosing from a supply set aside for that branch.
Tier 4 puts names along the walkway people use to reach the flag court. Tier 3 gives Broussard businesses a separate place, engraved with the company name. Tier 5 skips the ground entirely. It adds a family name plate to a plaque headed "These families made this memorial possible."
You can add medal symbols to any paver for a flat $25 per brick, however many you add. The options are the Bronze Star, Silver Star, Gold Star, Purple Heart and Medal of Honor. The surcharge doesn't apply to the Tier 5 plaque.
Fitting a service record into 18 characters
Each paver has three lines, and each line holds up to 18 characters, spaces included. Line one is the name. Line two is rank, branch and years of service. Line three is the tour of duty or conflict. The sample paver on the city's page shows how tight that is:
P ESTEVE COMEAUX CPL USMC 1937-41 WORLD WAR II
The second line of that sample uses 16 of its 18 characters. It fits only because "Corporal" becomes CPL, "United States Marine Corps" becomes USMC and the end year is cut to two digits. Medal symbols are engraved after the three lines and don't count against the character limit. Business names on Tier 3 and family names on Tier 4 and Tier 5 also have an 18-character maximum.
For most families, the hard part is the drafting. Before opening the form, it helps to:
- Find the veteran's discharge papers or a family record with the exact rank, branch and service years.
- Write out the three lines and count every character, spaces included, until each line is 18 or fewer.
- Pick the tier that matches where you want the name to sit, and the branch if you choose Tier 1 or Tier 2.
- Decide whether to add medal symbols at the flat $25.
- Submit the online order form and pay in the step that follows.
The city announcement also says paper order forms are available at Broussard City Hall. Payment works one way only. The memorial page says payment is made online right after the form is submitted, orders without payment are void, and the city doesn't accept cash or checks for the memorial. It also warns that bricks are installed in bulk runs, so long waits are possible. The city presents the December 31 date as the way to help ensure placement, but it hasn't published an installation schedule.
The memorial is one part of a larger build at St. Julien Park
The memorial is one piece of a bigger expansion at the complex. According to Developing Lafayette, the BSC Court Resort will add 24 pickleball courts next to the park's 8 existing tennis courts. Sixteen of the pickleball courts will be covered, and the facility will have a concession stand, a pro shop and an observation deck over the courts. Trahan Architecture + Planning of Lafayette designed it. A new 190-space asphalt parking lot and a sidewalk will link the parking area to both the courts and the memorial.
KLFY reported in August 2025 that the city approved an $8.95 million budget covering the tennis and pickleball facility, the memorial and the parking. The official groundbreaking came on March 11, 2026. The city's early 2027 completion target applies to the memorial specifically, and no opening date for the court facility has been announced.
The shared sidewalk and parking lot mean the memorial won't be a stop people have to make a separate trip for. Anyone heading to the courts or the ballfields will park in the same lot and walk the same sidewalk. Mayor Ray Bourque described the memorial to Developing Lafayette as "a respectful and peaceful place to gather for reflection and to recognize their service and sacrifice."
Marking Veterans Day this year, before the memorial opens
The memorial won't be ready this November, and the City of Broussard events calendar shows no city event on November 11. Nearby options are listed:
- Sunday, November 8, 3 to 5 p.m. A free Veterans Day concert at the Heymann Center in Lafayette, listed on the Community Foundation of Acadiana's nonprofit calendar under the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
- Wednesday, November 11, 5 to 7 p.m. A Veterans Day Tribute at Steamboat Pavilion and Bouligny Plaza, 128 W. Main St., New Iberia, according to Iberia Parish's tourism listing.
- Every November 11, 2 to 4 p.m. A recurring Veterans Day Ceremony at 102 W. Main St., New Iberia, listed by Lafayette Travel. That listing doesn't give a 2026 date, so confirm before you go.
For families who want to honor someone in Broussard itself this season, the brick order is the way to do it, and the city asks for orders by December 31 to help ensure placement.
Sylvia's team has spent years on Acadiana causes, including the St. Jude Dream Home, and we pay attention when a project like St. Julien Park adds something permanent to Broussard. If you'd like to talk about how the park's build-out is changing that side of town, or if your family is placing a brick and wants to share the story behind the name, Sylvia McLain would love to hear it. Let's Connect.
