B*N*S*N1
Louisiana Army National Guardsmen from the 2225th Multi-Role Bridge Company in Marrero, La., bring residents of Hackberry, La., to dry land after the small town in the southwest portion of the state received massive flooding caused by Hurricane Ike. Soldiers from the company have been assigned to the area to offer assistance to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in search and rescue missions. Photo by Sgt. Angela K. Fry.Guard hauls nearly 2,500 to safe havens
Sep 15, 2008ARLINGTON, Va. -- Hauling people to safe, dry places became one of the main missions for National Guard troops after Hurricane Ike rampaged through Texas and Louisiana on Friday night and Saturday.
Guardmembers had rescued nearly 2,000 people in Texas, the hardest hit state, by Monday, and had rescued or evacuated another 343 in Louisiana, the states reported.
"We're proud of the work our troops are doing out there," said Lt. Col. James Waskom, deputy commander of Louisiana's 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. "But we've got to keep our heads in the game because there is lots of work still out there to do."
Texas Guard members utilized ground, water and air assets to help people stranded by the hurricane that, ironically, bears the famous nickname of one of the state's most famous sons. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president, was born in Denison, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, in 1890....