Acadia DAR to feature Vietnam Special Forces veteran Bacque

A Vietnam veteran, businessman, civic leader and author, Odon Bacque, Jr. of Lafayette will discuss his experiences in Vietnam which he recounts in his book, A Walk in the Park: A Vietnam Comedy. Bacque will include comic experiences and situations which he encountered in the military as a Green Beret officer during the Vietnam War.
He will be the guest of Acadia Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution on Nov. 17 at 1:30 p.m. at Acadia Parish Library in Crowley. Veterans and interested individuals are invited to attend the talk.
Bacque says, “For me, my experience in Vietnam was not a horror story. It was a great development experience. He explained that his poor eyesight spared him from combat.
His book was written over 40 years after he returned from Vietnam. He relied on letters he had written to his wife from the war zone. Most of the letters were comedic in nature because he stated that he chose only to write good and funny things to her.
“Every veteran has his or her own story; this is mine.” Bacque explained. “And even though I was not a hero, I knew many and hold them in the deepest respect. My story is not meant to diminish what they did. It is only to tell what I experienced.” He will have some of his books for sale at the meeting.
Bacque graduated from LSU in 1968 with a degree in history.
Upon graduation, he entered the Army where he attended Infantry Officer Candidate School, Airborne and Special Forces Officer courses. He served with the 5th Special Forces Group, the Green Berets, in Vietnam. In 1970, he returned to Lafayette and began a life insurance career. He served as president of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce in 1982.
He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Lafayette Jaycees in 1983.
He served as Louisiana State Representative for District 43 from 1987 through 1991. He organized a Vietnam Veterans group in Lafayette.