Restoring Order and Giving Hope

The Oklahoma National Guard has a magnificent history, from sacrifices on foreign battlefields to helping Oklahoma neighbors in the aftermath of destructive tornadoes and flooding. But after Hurricane Katrina and massive flooding from breached levees nearly destroyed New Orleans in 2005, the National Guard embarked on its greatest domestic mission. Katrina struck the Gulf Coast and became the worst natural disaster America has seen. Other storms had been deadlier, but none had the impact of Katrina in complexity and human suffering. Future historians will debate the decisions of federal, state, and local government leaders in the wake of the disaster. But one thing is undisputed: The dedication, bravery, and resilience of Oklahoma National Guard troops saved and comforted thousands of New Orleans’ residents. Men and women of the Army and Air National Guard fed and sheltered victims, rescued the stranded, tended to the infirm, directed traffic, guarded important installations, and removed debris. This book is a tribute to the men and women who left their jobs and families and helped their neighbors in Louisiana.