JUNO BEACH, Fla. — When it comes to service, the LeJeune name carries a long and proud history. 

As Veterans Day approaches, Erin LeJeune, a senior manager of insights and analytics in FPL’s marketing and communications department, and her father, retired FPL employee Fredy LeJeune, reflect on a family legacy that stretches back more than a century.  

Gen. John Archer Lejeune, one of the most famous generals in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps, is Erin’s great-great-great uncle. Gen. Lejeune was the first Marine Corps officer to lead a U.S. Army division during World War I. In 1941, Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was established as a Marine Corps training base and named in his honor. 

Erin says her father never knew the general, who passed before Fredy was born, but the name continues to stand out. 

“I was shopping for office supplies recently when a Marine there heard my name and asked if I was related to General Lejeune,” Erin recalls.  

She also wants to clear up one common misconception about the family name. 

“Most people think it’s pronounced Le-June, but our surname is actually pronounced Le-Jerne, based on our Louisiana heritage,” she says.  

“When we say, ‘It’s Le-Jerne,’ people say, ‘What’s the matter with you?’” Erin laughs. 

Erin still has family in New Roads, La., a small town near the Mississippi River where a statue of Gen. Lejeune stands proudly in the town square.  

“He looks exactly like my grandfather, so when I was young, I thought it was my grandfather,” she says. 

The family’s connection to military service doesn’t stop there. Fredy served in the U.S. Navy, as did his brother, while his father served in the U.S. Army. Before retiring, Fredy worked as a shift supervisor at FPL’s Indiantown power plant for more than 20 years. He was even part of the team who helped open the plant in 1995.  

Fredy takes pride in flying the U.S. flag on his house, and the LeJeune name will always be a meaningful reminder of service to his country.  

“My dad feels very connected to his military service,” Erin says. “He is proud to have served in the Navy, and he has the utmost respect for active-duty members of the military and veterans, as do I.”