Biography

Dianne Dempsey-Legnon has a master’s degree in education and a librarian and reading specialist certification. She is also a teacher consultant for the Acadiana Writing Project at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her work has appeared in Louisiana Cultural Vistas, the Times of Acadiana, and Face Magazine.  Her debut novel is entitled Belair Cove: A Novel of Life, Love, and Loss in a Prairie Cajun Village.

Schedule

10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
State Capitol, House Committee Room 3
Discussion
Biographies of Honorable Men

11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Barnes & Noble Bookselling Tent
Book Signing

A Louisiana Soldier: Willis A. Fontenot

Willis Fontenot grew up fishing the bayou waters, hunting for game, and racing bareback on horses with little knowledge of the world beyond Belaire Cove, Louisiana. But as the Allied powers sought to invade Europe in 1943, duty uprooted Willis, thrust him into one of the most difficult times in history, and altered his view of humanity forever. Narrated by his third daughter, Willis's story of sacrifice and survival follows his journey as he unveils memories and reflects on life experiences as he falls in love, trains for war, and crosses the ocean to battle the enemy as a member of a battalion that battered German positions for over three hundred days. While conveying his fears, love for his fellow soldiers, despair, and ultimately his desire to survive, Willis shines a light on members of a courageous generation that persevered under horrific conditions to ensure freedom.