The Heroes of Hurricane Katrina

Popular Mechanics has several articles about Hurricane Katrina...and this link is to the article about the local heroes who helped out:

"In the wake of Hurricane Katrina hundreds of volunteers rushed to New Orleans, bringing their own skiffs, airboats and helicopters. Working with local law enforcement, military units, even state wildlife officials, these ordinary civilians launched one of the largest ad hoc rescue efforts in U.S. history.

Photo:Seven days after Katrina hit New Orleans, an S-61 is still flying rescue missions. Civilian volunteers, working independently and with military and police units, saved thousands of residents.

The federal, state and local response to Katrina came in for immediate criticism and will likely be debated for years. But in the first days after the storm, the national press largely overlooked the heroic civilian reaction, and downplayed the role of military forces--including Navy, Coast Guard and National Guard assets--that were deployed mostly out of TV-camera range. The early fatality predictions were nearly apocalyptic--up to 10,000 dead. But the actual fatalities proved to be a tiny fraction of that figure, thanks mainly to the massive resources that were brought to bear. The Armed Forces Press Service would later report that various branches of the military rescued more than 14,000 people. And that doesn't count the people picked up by local medevac and sheriff's offices and hundreds of volunteers.

No one knows how many civilians came, but they did--in helicopters and airboats, fixed-wing airplanes and runabouts, from Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and New Orleans itself. The civilian effort represents millions of dollars in donated time, hardware, fuel and supplies. In Dillon's case, it costs about $250 per hour to operate the Blue Ghost....

Photo:Answering the Call: Hunting and fishing guide Michael Beeson (second from left) trailered his airboat 600 miles from Lake Texoma, Texas, to volunteer in the New Orleans rescue operation. Two city policemen are to the right; to the left, one of Beeson's guides.

Thanks to Popular Mechanics....Thank God SOMEONE is noticing the everyday heroes...