Colonel, U.S. Army
Louis Blanchard was born in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. During his early years, he drove the school bus while in high school and attended Civilian Military Training Camp at Fort Barrancas, Florida. He served in the Coastal Artillery and worked during the Great Flood of 1927 as a volunteer. While at LSU, he served in the ROTC for four years under Commandant Troy Middleton. He worked his way through school as a security guard, dormitory monitor and janitor. He was also on the gymnastics team and taught lifesaving skills.
Blanchard earned a degree in mechanical engineering from LSU in 1933 and was the administrator of a Civilian Conservation Corps unit. In 1941, he was called to active duty and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served with the Infantry Test Board at Fort Benning, Georgia, helping develop better uniforms, tents and support equipment.