La Veillée

Episode 304 - The Last Frenchies: Cajun French Veterans of WWII

During WWII, young men across the United States joined the army to fight the Nazis and liberate France. In Louisiana, a significant portion of these young recruits had a hidden asset: their native language was French. These Cajun-French-speaking soldiers became known as "Frenchies" as their language skills proved indispensable to the war effort in France. Now, 80 years after D-Day, only three known Frenchies remain: Prigeon Fontenot of Rayne, Norris Morvant of Thibodaux, and Shirley Guidry of Jennings. We speak with these heroes about their experience in the war, their fight for freedom, their upbringing in Louisiana, and their Francophone identity.