Heir apparent

Evangeline Parish has a rich military history. From liberating Europe to overthrowing Al-Qaeda in the Middle East, countless parish residents have proudly worn the uniform and thereby serving their country overseas.
A select few have also been chosen to attend one of the United States military academies including one who attended the Naval Academy, Grant Fontenot; two who attended West Point, Lionel Deville and JD LaFleur Jr.; and three who attended the Air Force Academy, Todd Foret, Johnny Fontenot, and Bessie Fontenot.
The list is adding another name to it since Wesley Launey, a senior at Sacred Heart, has been accepted for an appointment to the Air Force Academy.
“It’s a blessing definitely,” he expressed, “and it’s a great honor. Not a lot of people get this opportunity, and it’s just awesome to have so much support from everyone around me.”
“It wouldn’t be possible without everybody who’s helped me along the way, especially all the faculty over here at Sacred Heart,” continued Launey. “They’ve definitely made it a lot easier, and just the constant encouragement and support has made me go through with it and finally get to where I am today.”
Beside the faculty, Launey got encouragement and support from Senator Eric LaFleur, Representative Bernard LeBas, Fr. Mitch Guidry, and Deacon Ben Soileau along with the two former Trojans, Johnny and Bessie Fontenot, who graduated from the Air Force Academy.
“I certainly congratulate him and his family on the acceptance which is a big achievement,” Johnny said. “I wish him the very best as he starts this next chapter of his life. The hard work that brought him to this point will continue to be required as he faces the challenges of being a USAFA cadet. He will be tested, but I hope he remembers during those moments that he can do it.”
Johnny continued, “Sacred Heart has a very good tradition for service academy success. Both my sister and I were prepared for the rigorous academic program and the physical achievements and had a strong moral and ethical foundation. This set us up for success as cadets and in our Air Force careers. Wesley should be very proud of himself because I sure am. Go Falcons!”
Johnny’s sister, the current Bessie Fontenot Granier, said, “I am excited for Wesley, his parents Jacob and Britney, and his step-dad Marcus (Fontenot). Wesley will get to experience this amazing opportunity. I look forward to seeing him in uniform at my 20-year reunion next fall. Go Falcons!”
Launey explained he was always interested in the armed forces and serving his country in the military. “My great-grandfather, Dave Schexnayder, was in the Air Force, and he mentioned to me about The Zoo, which is the Air Force Academy,” he said. “So, I started looking into it more and more and got in touch with a recruiter. Then it just took off from there.”
Launey first applied for the Academy toward the end of last school year. “It’s been nonstop ever since,” he said. “There’s a lot of waiting, and there’s a lot on the edge. A couple of weekends ago, I finally got the call, and it was one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever felt.”
Before getting the call, Launey had to undergo the long process. “First you have to apply directly through their admissions portal,” he explained. “In order to be even considered, you have to get a Congressional letter of recommendation or Congressional nomination from either the two senators or the representative of your district. It takes a while to do all that, and you have to do interviews and just a lot of other things.”
Launey stated he received Congressional nominations from Congressman Mike Johnson as well as both Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy.
“Students like Wesley are among Louisiana’s best and brightest,” Senator Kennedy said in a statement. “I’m so thankful that Wesley wants to serve our country. At Sacred Heart, Wesley has pursued academics and athletics. He is motivated to succeed.”
Once Launey gets to Colorado Springs, his initial objective is to become a fighter pilot flying F35s or F22s. Also when he gets there, he will be playing on the baseball team.
“The altitude over there is a little over 7,000 feet,” Launey commented. “It takes a little while to get used to it, but it would be awesome just to play and have the opportunity to serve my country and get a great education at the same time.”
Playing baseball at the academy would also give Launey a potential opportunity to play against LSU in Alex Box Stadium. The two squads square off against each on a regular basis because current Tiger skipper Paul Mainieri used to be the head coach for the Falcons.
“I actually got to watch them this year when they played at LSU,” Launey said. “I got to hang out with the players. It would be awesome to play against LSU and to play in Alex Box Stadium, especially just being around home.”
Launey knows playing baseball for the Falcons will have to be juggled with the rigourous training as an Air Force cadet. “From my understanding, the workload and the military duties are very rigorous,” he said.
But he credits Sacred Heart for preparing him along the way. “I think doing a lot over here and getting down time management and other skills like that is going to help me along with the physical aspects from sports. All of that should help me with training and just being able to go through everyday life over there.”
After Launey earns his wings as a cadet, his long term goals, as he stated, include “being able to get a great education and wanting to set myself up for success later on in life.”
Along the way of going through the process of applying to the Air Force Academy, Launey learned something that will carry him on his way to accomplishing his long term goals. As he concluded, “You just have to be yourself, and that’s what the Academy is looking for. They don’t want to see anybody who’s trying to be something they’re not.”