The Sabine Hall of Fame is proud to announce their selection for the 2026 Good Citizen Award is beloved, local historian Rickey Robertson.
“This year’s banquet will highlight America’s 250th birthday,” Chairman Pete Abington stated. “We could not think of a more appropriate, deserving honoree for Good Citizen than someone who knows the history of Sabine Parish from top to bottom,” he said.
The group’s annual spring banquet will be held Tuesday, March 31, at VFW Post 4858 at 1738 San Antonio Ave. in Many at 6:30 PM. The banquet will include a seated dinner, entertainment, a wonderful slate of deserving award recipients and the unveiling of a bronze plaque. Banquet proceeds will benefit the Harmony Cove Lunch Program, a weekly outreach of Harmony Cove Baptist Church southwest of Florien.
This year’s selection for Good Citizen, Rickey Robertson, is well known to most throughout the parish, but may be best known for his research and knowledge on the history of the Louisiana Maneuvers of the 1940s.
Rickey was born Jan.
22, 1956, to Bud and Minnie Robrstson of the Peason Community near Florien. He was the oldest of three boys and big brother to Ronnie and Kendell. His dad was a farmer with 800 head of cattle. His early life was characterized with simple, country living on the farm with family, and the friendships of those who lived nearby. He and wife Patsy married in 1982 and continue to live in the Peason community. Additionally, he is pastor at Cold Springs Baptist Church in Anacoco.
Robertson attended elementary school at Plainview High School where his mother was a teacher. When Plainview was consolidated in the 1960s, he transferred to Florien High to compete his education, graduating second in his class in 1974.
Those years at Florien furthered his interest in history and gave him opportunities to learn as much as he could about history, and especially local history. He was mentored by teachers who inspired his continued interest and motivated him to take part in preserving the stories and lore of the area. One such educator was Micky Czencvic, his high school American History teacher, who emphasized the need the preservation of history by students. Throughout his childhood, Richey was fortunate to collect the memories of friends and neighbors shared at gatherings or on front porches of the old days they experienced living in Peason. His inspiration to learn as much as possible about the history of Peason continued to thrive.
He began his professional career at City Service Refinery in Sulfur, dealing with pollution control where he worked for seven years and also earned college credits in that field throughout his tenure. Following the closure of that center. Rickey secured a Public Safety position at the Division of Public Safety (DMV) in Many.
His next career pursuit was to attend the Louisiana State Police Academy to prepare him to serve in public service for the State of Louisiana. In this capacity, he spent the remainder of his career as a Louisiana State Trooper until his retirement in 2009. During his time there, he was promoted to Supervisor where he was assigned to instruct and train new and experienced troopers. Much of the training he provided was held in Alexandria and Baton Rouge over several years. The training focused on the High Regulatory Act which updated procedures and protocols. During those years, he received a commendation for saving the life of a fellow trooper who suffered a medical emergency.
Following retirement, Robertson focused on his love of history and the stories he had heard growing up of local events folks in his home area had experienced. Hs family had lived through the Great Depression, World War I, World War II and the Korean War. They had members that were listed as Missing in Action and Killed in Action, who returned safely. History was readily available through the memories of the veterans and their families of those eras.
His first venture in sharing what he had documented and collected was to write articles for The Sabine Index beginning in 2000. He enjoyed providing stories of the history and significant events of Sabine Parish. This column was welcomed by the public who anticipated and appreciated Robertson’s new features.
Shortly after his work appeared in The Sabine Index, Rickey’s reputation as a skilled historian began gaining recognition by historical entities across the state and beyond. He was contacted by Dr. Patsy Barbara from the history department at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and asked to collaborate with her on a book she was writing. The initial book resulted in a four-volume set when completed. His contribution was the history and documentation of the Louisiana Maneuvers in Sabine, Natchitoches and Vernon Parishes during the early 1940s. This event was a staged training of U.S. soldiers using all the equipment and vehicles of war in a mock setting led by Generals Patton, Eisenhower and Bradley, among other historical figures, to develop, test and plan strategies of war.
Rickey continued to partner with Dr. Barbara on additional projects over the next several years. Additional projects that he collaborated on included a series of interviews of former military men and women from Monroe in the northern part to Sulfur in the south. The veterans interviewed shared their recollections of the war efforts and assignments, including work assigned to women in the field of mechanics for trucks, planes and Jeeps. Together, Dr. Barbara and Rickey wrote and produced a 30-minute video on the Louisiana Maneuvers to inform and educate researchers and students about those events.
In 2009, Robertson was contacted to share his research and writing with Stephan F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX because of its proximity to the Sabine area and because of local students attending that university. Rickey’s work was uploaded into the university’s web resources as a worthy source of information for researchers.
Rickey was contacted at various time from 2010-2020 by the U.S. Department of Defense, who requested photos from his collection of historical events and places to hold on file as official records for the government focusing on regional history of this area.
Another honor was when Robertson was contacted to provide documentation of the 192nd Battalion Kentucky National Guard unit’s participation in the Louisiana Maneuvers for a Duke University produced documentary. The units who trained in the Louisiana Maneuvers were stationed in the Philippines nine days before Japan landed to form their assault and mitigated the outcome. For this effort, Ricky received a letter of appreciation from the Kentucky governor granting him the honor of being named an Honorary Kentucky Colonel.
Additionally, Robertson was recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2010 by a nomination for DAR History Documentation on the Louisiana Maneuvers and History in Sabine Parish.
Ricky continues his work sharing the documents, photographs and interesting stories of the Louisiana Maneuvers and their impact on regular occasions in a variety of settings. He can be seen at local veterans’ events, presenting at schools, libraries and meetings specific to history. It is for his wealth of work and encyclopedic knowledge of local history and historical preservation that the Sabine Hall Fame named Mr. Rickey Robertson the 2026 Good Citizen.
Please watch future issues of the Sabine Index for more information about this year’s slate of worthy honorees.
Banquet tickets at $50 per person or tables may be obtained at the office of Robert Gentry, 605 San Antonio Ave., Many; Nichols in Many; from Martha Henderson at (318) 294-3362; from Laurie Gentry at (318) 332-7873; or at the Office of Senator Alan Seabaugh, 515 South Capitol St., Many.
Major event sponsorships are also available. Contact one of the above persons for details.