Posted on 09/20/2005 6:46:47 PM PDT by hombre_sincero
Edited on 09/20/2005 7:57:07 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Sept 20, 2005
Here's some of what was told to me tonight by my son < name withheld > who is in the 82nd Airborne in New Orleans.
I don't know whether or not I sent you that video clip of that poor woman being "assisted" in leaving her home, (CHP officers tackled her and dragged her from her home) but ..... said tonight that since he'd been helping get people on planes at the N. O. airport, he'd heard so many similar stories, he lost count.
He talked with one 75 year old woman who was bruised and beat up so bad... and she had a similar story.
TONIGHT, September 20th, .... was talking on the phone with his sister when he was called to formation. Afterward he called her back and told her why they were called. Then he called me and told me.
The MAYOR of New Orleans, Nagin, was visiting the troops "thanking" them for helping to move people out of the city. He went down the line of troops thanking them and handing out what looked to be lapel pins with the seal of the state of Louisiana on them. When he got to my son, < xxxx > held his hand out as everyone else had been doing, but just at the last second he turned his hand so that the pin that would have been put in his hand dropped to the ground. The Mayor bent to pick it up and put it in < xxxx >'s hand and < xxxx > said, "Shove it up your A- -". Immediately, his Sargeant Major barked at him from 30 feet away (< xxxx > said it fairly loudly) and called < xxxx > over to him.
He dressed < xxxx > down for his remark saying, "You just don't say that to the Mayor of New Orleans". But everyone knew it was for "show". Everyone in the outfit knew the stories that have been passed around regarding the actions or rather the IN-action of the mayor in this whole disaster.
Here's one of the stories that the sky marshalls at the airport told < xxxx > personally. The DAY BEFORE Katrina made landfall, the BRAVE MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS brought his whole family to the airport and got on a "bird" (that was the word that was used) and flew to San Antonio. BIG BRAVE MAN that he is.
There was no getting on television and making a public announcement to "get out of the city"... but he himself got his own family to safety.
Also, regarding the inner city residents: This was also told to < xxxx > about Nagin. Nagin WANTED the military there to "weed out the undesireables". Whatever that means, and you can draw your own conclusions... but < xxxx > was led to believe that it meant the down-and out-ers, homeless, and the very poor were to be "gotten rid of". < xxxx > said he could hardly believe what he was hearing.
I keep thinking about that woman who was "assisted" in leaving her home, and what < xxxx > said about hearing so many stories like that he'd lost count.
And you KNOW the news isn't tell you half of what is really going on...
< name withheld >
You missed one... check again and have the System Admin fix it.
Missed Two.
thank you for your post ... from what i gather, your information is true
thank you for your post ... from what i gather, your information is true
I believe Nagin was very much to blame as well as Blanco. However, this story doesn't make any sense to me. I'm not buying it. A well trained member of the 82nd Airborne would NEVER act like that, never. If told he would accept a pin from ANYONE. I was in the service and did exactly what I was told as did my fellow soldiers.
Usually I would agree with your assessment, but I know both the mother and her son.
The mother is prone to an exagerration or two, this one was not one of those occasions. I also have a report from some of the nurses who went down there for the rescue/recovery also - now that letter did have some "enhanced recollections", but theirs also was generally true.
Back to this soldier - the part of his VERBAL response to the mayor I think was more what he wanted to say, but the part about dropping the pin, and being "taken to task" by his 1st sgt is believeable.
I could admit I was guilty of similar conduct - actually our entire company .... errrr.... never mind - don't want THAT story known! ;>)
Thanks for the reply.
The mayor did send his family out of town. I think it was right after Friday night. He was called at home by the governor that night. Early reports were that he flew them out by helicopter. It was reported in multiple news stories.
Ditto
THANKS for the ping!
82nd Airborne
ping
bump
'These guys are the problem down there.'
you saying they are bums?
Perhaps your hearing should be checked. Or maybe your source is impeachable?
Elaboration on your part would remove the suspicision, or maybe increase it?
These guys are the problem down there.
The 82nd?
Not saying they're bums... just saying the 82nd is the reason troops are not allowed to patrol with ammo. They bitched and moaned about not being able to carry so now the Guard and some police units had to turn over theirs. They don't know what they're doing, it's not their job to clean up or police.
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