Two years ago today, gaiagarden, 4 dogs, a cat, and 2 cars were headed north in east Mississippi. Katrina was headed in and we were evacuating to the St. Louis area. After an overnight stay, I got in my truck with 2 dogs and headed to the Gulf Coast. I was assigned to the US Coast Guard in Mobile. From there, I had the privilege of watching the men and women of the USCG in their finest hour. It was an all out effort: active duty and their spouses worked tirelessly around the clock in the rescue effort on the Gulf Coast. I stood in awe as I talked with the pilots and rescue swimmers about their experiences in the affected areas. On Wednesday, I flew over the Mississippi coast to Keesler AFB. The near total darkness was impressive after the many nights seeing it lit up. I made it to New Orleans on Friday. The surreal picture from the air was in contrast to the human cost on the ground. The USCG Air Station NOLA was a bee hive of exhausted men and women, but their can-do attitude persisted. I was privileged indeed to have served with this group of men and women.
