Flashback: Hurricane Katrina Relief
May 18, 2009
Flooding Three Weeks after Hurricane Katrina
One of the greatest experiences of my life was the opportunity to be a part of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort in 2005.
The Category 5 storm struck the coast in late August and it was quickly decided that the USS Iwo Jima would be heading up the military efforts. We all went home, packed our gear and reported in first thing in the morning. We had no idea what was in store…and no idea when we were coming back.
We headed to pick up 2,000 marines from the 24th MEU and thousands of pounds of food and supplies. The Iwo was originally assigned to go to the Biloxi, Mississippi and start up the efforts down there. Biloxi was devastated. Although not affected by the floods, the entire city was in shambles. I volunteered to be in the first unit to deploy ashore. For the first time in my life, I was a part of something that was really making a difference. Something that was actually changing lives. But our presence in Mississippi didn’t last long, they needed us to redirect to New Orleans immediately.
The scene in New Orleans was critical. Our ship served as the only working airport, hotel and hospital for the area. Injured civilians were continuously being brought onboard…one man with a knife sticking out of his chest. Flight Ops were being conducted 24 hours a day. We were housing DoD staff, aid organizations and basically anyone else you could think of. I was given the opportunity to meet Vice President Dick Cheney and his family. President Bush came a few times and stayed aboard. I did have the option of meeting him or taking a helicopter ride of the city…so I took the helo ride 
.
In the time we were stationed in Louisiana, I helped restore a church and promenade area and was able to provide meals and relief to workers who had come from all around the world to do their part. It was the longest month of my life, but the most rewarding. I would do it again in a second.
