Douglas B. Fournet

Douglas Fournet, born in Kinder according to Wikipedia's text, studied at McNeese State University in Lake Charles before joining the Army in New Orleans in 1966. On May 4, 1968, in the A Shau Valley during Operation Delaware, the first lieutenant was leading a platoon when he ran toward an enemy Claymore mine and took its blast with his own body to shield his men. He was 24. Part of Interstate 210 around Lake Charles has carried his name since 2001, and the Louisiana Military Hall of Fame inducted him in 2010.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu — 1.1 mi
  A 6,000-square-foot museum of southwest Louisiana Carnival with about 275 costume mannequins and 14 animated figures, opened in April 2026.
• Imperial Calcasieu Museum — 1.4 mi
  Lake Charles's history museum, founded by the Junior League in 1963, with parish artifacts, Claire Chennault's uniform and the Sallier Oak.
• Sam Houston Jones State Park — 5.0 mi
  A 1,087-acre park on the West Fork of the Calcasieu with longleaf pine, cypress-tupelo swamp, five trails, cabins and kayak rentals.
• Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point — 9.4 mi
  A free visitor center at the western gateway of Louisiana's only All-American Road, with exhibits on alligators, migrating songbirds and the estuary.

More markers nearby

• Michael J. Novasel — steps away
• Raymond M. Clausen — steps away
• Edward Schowalter, Jr. — steps away
• Jefferson J. DeBlanc — steps away