Families of veterans killed in 1973 New Orleans fire attempt to retrieve bodies | News US News
Family of WWII veterans killed in one of the most horrific attacks LGBTQ+ The U.S. community is still trying to recover his remains 50 years later and provide what is considered a proper burial.
Ferris LeBlanc, who grew up in California and helped American forces defeat Nazi forces in the Battle of the Bulge, was killed on June 24, 1973 when an arsonist set fire to the second floor of a gay bar in New Orleans’ French Quarter neighborhood. He died along with 31 others. . Leblanc Two days after his 50th birthday, he went to a bar called Upstairs Lounge.
Authorities identified him from a ring on LeBlanc’s finger. According to reports, no one came forward to claim his body, so he was buried in a field behind a cemetery once contracted by the New Orleans government to house the city’s unclaimed poor. ABC and Local Times Picayune newspaper newspaper.
In 2015, LeBlanc’s relatives learned he had died in the Upstairs Lounge fire. The discovery came when one of the family members, who for years wondered if something had happened to him that caused him to lose contact, searched his name on Google.
“Ferris… was basically just dumped in a pit,” LeBlanc’s nephew Skip Bailey told the New Orleans television station. WWL In an interview published on Sunday. “And he was never served.”
Bailey then helped the family find information to locate the unmarked grave where Ferris’ body was buried.
Unfortunately, city government and cemetery officials told LeBlanc’s relatives that cemetery records and maps that could help locate his grave were destroyed. They were lost in a flood that occurred while the federal levees guarded them. new orleans It failed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The city and cemetery were also embroiled in financial lawsuits, making it nearly impossible for Bailey’s family to work together to recover his uncle’s remains.
New Orleans Municipal Councilman JP Morrell has been among those who have since tried to help Bailey’s family recover LeBlanc’s remains. In a statement to The Guardian on Monday, Morrell said the archaeological department’s staff had asked to see if staff at the office could help Skip Bailey and his mother, Marilyn LeBlanc Downey. He said he had reached out to prominent companies and experts.
Morrell’s office said in a statement Monday that a statewide organization known as the Cemetery Restoration Task Force ultimately decided that LeBlanc would “have a fitting funeral for those who fought abroad” during World War II. “We look forward to helping you receive it.”
The city councilor said the group had “successfully recovered lost remains in recent years, [and] We are excited to work with the Special Committee to finally bring this veteran home for the first time in 50 years. “
“We will not stop searching until Ferris is returned to his family, who have nothing but love and fond memories of Uncle Ferris,” Morrell added in a statement.
Meanwhile, as locals watched the 50th anniversary of the Upstairs Lounge arson, the city’s deadliest fire, Skip Bailey told WWL: We want to bring him home and that’s all we’ve been fighting for since 2015.
“I have to find him. That’s my goal. I don’t want my mother to die…without knowing we caught him.”
Filmmaker Lloyd Anderson, who made a documentary about the Upstairs Lounge fire and assisted Bailey, appeared at a publicity show in New Orleans. source of information They met on Friday to discuss the circumstances of the arson. He told how a gay man named Roger Dale Nunez got into trouble in the lounge, broke his jaw in a fight, and was kicked out of the store yelling “I’m going to burn this place down…”. “
Anderson, who helped Bailey’s family find LeBlanc’s grave, said the Upstairs Lounge caught fire minutes later.
Nunez was not arrested despite facing heavy charges. He died by suicide in 1974.
Scholars have long argued that the apathetic response of much of New Orleans to the Upstairs Lounge fire epitomizes contemporary anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice.lloyd anderson movies The Upstairs Lounge Fire It included footage of a man describing how he heard someone leave the scene while the flames were smoldering. “That’s going to teach you bastards.”
It’s unclear if the man was just a passer-by or was involved.
Additionally, Anderson said only one church in the city (which has a mostly freewheeling reputation internationally) has hosted a memorial service for the dead at Upstairs Lounge.
The fire was the deadliest attack on an LGBTQ+ property in U.S. history until the 2016 Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, which killed 49 people.
The Pulse killings also took place in June, which is also the annual Pride Month, which celebrates LGBTQ+ achievements and LGBTQ+ achievements. 1969 Stonewall Inn Uprising in New York, a key moment in the civil rights movement of the community.
New Orleans city’s Upstairs Lounge fire 50th anniversary celebration pleads guilty to five counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder for killer of five people at Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ nightclub in November2 done the day before. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 23, also did not challenge the prejudice-based crime charge and could face life in prison as part of the plea bargain.
Summarize this content to 100 words Family of WWII veterans killed in one of the most horrific attacks LGBTQ+ The U.S. community is still trying to recover his remains 50 years later and provide what is considered a proper burial.Ferris LeBlanc, who grew up in California and helped American forces defeat Nazi forces in the Battle of the Bulge, was killed on June 24, 1973 when an arsonist set fire to the second floor of a gay bar in New Orleans’ French Quarter neighborhood. He died along with 31 others. . Leblanc Two days after his 50th birthday, he went to a bar called Upstairs Lounge.Authorities identified him from a ring on LeBlanc’s finger. According to reports, no one came forward to claim his body, so he was buried in a field behind a cemetery once contracted by the New Orleans government to house the city’s unclaimed poor. ABC and Local Times Picayune newspaper newspaper.In 2015, LeBlanc’s relatives learned he had died in the Upstairs Lounge fire. The discovery came when one of the family members, who for years wondered if something had happened to him that caused him to lose contact, searched his name on Google.”Ferris… was basically just dumped in a pit,” LeBlanc’s nephew Skip Bailey told the New Orleans television station. WWL In an interview published on Sunday. “And he was never served.”A still image of Ferris Leblanc smiling in a family video aired by WWL-T Photo: Via WWL-TVBailey then helped the family find information to locate the unmarked grave where Ferris’ body was buried.Unfortunately, city government and cemetery officials told LeBlanc’s relatives that cemetery records and maps that could help locate his grave were destroyed. They were lost in a flood that occurred while the federal levees guarded them. new orleans It failed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.The city and cemetery were also embroiled in financial lawsuits, making it nearly impossible for Bailey’s family to work together to recover his uncle’s remains.New Orleans Municipal Councilman JP Morrell has been among those who have since tried to help Bailey’s family recover LeBlanc’s remains. In a statement to The Guardian on Monday, Morrell said the archaeological department’s staff had asked to see if staff at the office could help Skip Bailey and his mother, Marilyn LeBlanc Downey. He said he had reached out to prominent companies and experts.Morrell’s office said in a statement Monday that a statewide organization known as the Cemetery Restoration Task Force ultimately decided that LeBlanc would “have a fitting funeral for those who fought abroad” during World War II. “We look forward to helping you receive it.”The city councilor said the group had “successfully recovered lost remains in recent years, [and] We are excited to work with the Special Committee to finally bring this veteran home for the first time in 50 years. “”We will not stop searching until Ferris is returned to his family, who have nothing but love and fond memories of Uncle Ferris,” Morrell added in a statement.Meanwhile, as locals watched the 50th anniversary of the Upstairs Lounge arson, the city’s deadliest fire, Skip Bailey told WWL: We want to bring him home and that’s all we’ve been fighting for since 2015.Skip past newsletter promotionssign up for Guardian US headlinesFor US readers, we offer a regional edition of our daily email that delivers the most important headlines each morning.”,”newsletterId”:”today-us”,”successDescription”:”The Guardian Headlines US sent daily”}” clientOnly>Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content funded by external parties. For more information, see privacy policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google. privacy policy and terms of service application.After newsletter promotionFirefighters and rescue workers look up at the burnt-down bar. Photo: Bettmann / Bettmann Archive”I have to find him. That’s my goal. I don’t want my mother to die…without knowing we caught him.”Filmmaker Lloyd Anderson, who made a documentary about the Upstairs Lounge fire and assisted Bailey, appeared at a publicity show in New Orleans. source of information They met on Friday to discuss the circumstances of the arson. He told how a gay man named Roger Dale Nunez got into trouble in the lounge, broke his jaw in a fight, and was kicked out of the store yelling “I’m going to burn this place down…”. “Anderson, who helped Bailey’s family find LeBlanc’s grave, said the Upstairs Lounge caught fire minutes later.Nunez was not arrested despite facing heavy charges. He died by suicide in 1974.Scholars have long argued that the apathetic response of much of New Orleans to the Upstairs Lounge fire epitomizes contemporary anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice.lloyd anderson movies The Upstairs Lounge Fire It included footage of a man describing how he heard someone leave the scene while the flames were smoldering. “That’s going to teach you bastards.”It’s unclear if the man was just a passer-by or was involved.Additionally, Anderson said only one church in the city (which has a mostly freewheeling reputation internationally) has hosted a memorial service for the dead at Upstairs Lounge.The fire was the deadliest attack on an LGBTQ+ property in U.S. history until the 2016 Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, which killed 49 people.The Pulse killings also took place in June, which is also the annual Pride Month, which celebrates LGBTQ+ achievements and LGBTQ+ achievements. 1969 Stonewall Inn Uprising in New York, a key moment in the civil rights movement of the community.New Orleans city’s Upstairs Lounge fire 50th anniversary celebration pleads guilty to five counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder for killer of five people at Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ nightclub in November2 done the day before. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 23, also did not challenge the prejudice-based crime charge and could face life in prison as part of the plea bargain.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/26/new-orleans-upstairs-lounge-fire-1973-lgbtq-bar-ww2-veteran Families of veterans killed in 1973 New Orleans fire attempt to retrieve bodies | News US News