For the fifth stop on the #ThanksToVeterans Tour, we headed to Louisiana to meet up with Army Veteran Elijah Talley. Since buying his home with Veterans United in the small town of Many, LA a few years ago, Elijah has dedicated himself to giving back to his community in any way he can. He takes veterans struggling with mental health on fishing trips to bring them some peace, volunteers as a coach for the local little league football team, is the first to lend a hand to anyone, and more. When Elijah told us he had an idea for an event to bring his community together, we hit the road to help him host the first-ever Veteran & Military Family Fall Fest on Toledo Bend. Folks came from Sabine Parish and beyond to enjoy a day of live music, delicious food, and the great outdoors; all while supporting one of Elijah's favorite organizations, Veterans Hunting & Fishing Networkopen_in_new.

The next day, we visited the local Disabled Veterans of America hall where Elijah spent over 100 hours rehabilitating the West Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park, which had fallen into deep disrepair. They took out truckloads of overgrowth, power washed memorial markers caked in dirt, and worked to restore honor to the names of the veterans recognized there. Before hitting the road again, the Veterans United team surprised DAV members with 14,000 pounds of marble landscaping rock and flowers to help put the finishing touches on the memorial and thank Elijah for all he's done and will continue to do for his community.