The Sea Services After Katrina: Dedication, Courage and Inspiration

By JOHN A. PANNETON, National President

Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician 2nd Class Joel Sayer, a rescue swimmer, stood on the rooftop of a house in New Orleans and listened as the people inside screamed for help. They had fled to their attic to escape the rising floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and now they were trapped. The people inside had no way out, and Sayer couldn’t get in.

But Cmdr. Pat Gorman, idling high above in an HH-60 helicopter, saw a solution to the dilemma. Avionics Electrical Technician 2nd Class Stephanie Sera, the aircraft flight mechanic, hoisted Sayer aboard and they raced for a fire truck several blocks away. Lowered to the street, Sayer borrowed an ax, returned to the house, chopped a hole in the roof and pulled the desperate family to safety.

A few days later, Navy OS3 Nicholas Mateik found a way to help get the New Orleans Harbor Police back in business. Many police squad car tires had been damaged by glass, nails and other debris. But when Mateik and others from the USS Shreveport accompanied police to the local Wal-Mart for repairs, they encountered a parking lot full of civilian vehicles with similar damage. They were in for a very long wait.

Undaunted, Mateik, Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class Enrique Vidal and Cryptologic Technician 1st Class Noel Flynn asked the Wal-Mart manager to let them use idle tire repair equipment. They had the squad cars back on the street in about three hours.

Meanwhile, Lance Cpl. Ricardo Ruiz, of Marine Expeditionary Unit 11, relied on his language skills to help communicate with a contingent of Mexican Marines working on the restoration of D’Iberville Elementary school near Biloxi, Miss. Along with Dutch sailors from the HMS Van Amstel and U.S. sailors from the USS Bataan, the U.S. and Mexican Marines cleaned up the school and grounds for use as a shelter and food distribution center.

These stories of courage, improvisation and hard work are indicative of the efforts of thousands of men and women of the sea services who swarmed to the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard responded quickly with massive resources to provide rescue and relief services during the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

The Coast Guard dispatched 25 cutters, 43 helicopters and hundreds of small boats to the cities and towns of the Gulf Coast. Coast Guard helicopters were in the air over the Gulf Coast on the afternoon of Aug. 29 as Katrina’s winds diminished to tropical storm conditions.

The Navy sent 15,000 people and more than a dozen ships, including the carrier USS Harry S. Truman and the hospital ship USNS Comfort. The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan chased the storm to the Gulf Coast amid 14-foot seas. The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima docked at New Orleans and functioned as an operations center and local airport for rescuers.

Days later, Iwo Jima put to sea, chasing Hurricane Rita across the Gulf of Mexico and deploying its helicopters in thunderstorms with winds up to 60 knots to reach the homeless in the coastal areas of Louisiana.

The Marine Corps sent 2,600 Marines and a variety of heavy-lift helicopters and amphibious assault vehicles with special capabilities for rescue-and-relief operations.

In the days after Katrina struck, it was obvious that some governmental structures and processes simply failed to function. But every American can take great pride in the performance of the men and women of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Their dedication and courage inspired others to join the rescue effort. Through their outstanding leadership and training, they were able to save thousands of lives and, once again, earn the thanks of a grateful nation and the continued respect of the Navy League of the United States.

Semper Fidelis.

I want to hear from you about the Navy League. Contact me at jpanneton@navyleague.org or by mail at 2300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3308.