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2 Your Town Plaquemine: Plaquemine Coast Guard veteran and woodworker reflects on service this Veterans Day
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PLAQUEMINE — Coast Guard veteran Coan Bueche has a passion for woodworking in his Plaquemine shop.
The shop is on Bayou Road in Plaquemine. It is officially called Coan's Custom Woodwork or Bueche Woodworking.
"In my off time, this is where I come. This is my sanctuary," Coan Bueche said.
Bueche pilots a tug on the Mississippi when he is not in the shop. He learned woodworking there as a teenager from his grandfather.
His grandfather built houses for Hays Town and opened the shop after retiring. The walls are lined with Louisiana sinker cypress, including some that is hundreds of years old.
Bueche has built bar stools and end tables, along with dining room tables and rocking chairs. He spent more than 100 hours on his favorite piece.
Recently, St. John the Evangelist Church replaced its floors. Bueche bought some of the old wood and is turning it into handcrafted rings.
His military service started in 1986, when he planned to join the reserves. He signed up for active duty instead.
He graduated from boot camp first in his class as an honor graduate. The U.S. Coast Guard first stationed him in Grand Isle and sent him to Hawaii about a year later.
"I tell everybody, joining the Coast Guard was the best decision I made in my life," Bueche said.
"Veterans Day to me is a very special day because at our family reunion every branch of service is represented," Bueche said.
"A lot of veterans wear hats just like these, and it's not for recognition. It's to see your brother. You acknowledge them when you see them. They need to be recognized much more often," Bueche said.
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