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sitting in his front
yard, the tattered
remnants of what was
once his home in the
background, hurricane
survivor Gary tatum talked quietly
with a group of Kentucky
officers.
the Vietnam veteran said
he and his family had never
left their Gulfport, Mississippi,
home when Hurricane Katrina
pummeled the coast; the
storm’s savage destruction left
them with nothing. they slept in
sleeping bags on the front porch
and stored what food they had
in coolers on the lawn.
the officers, moved by his
plight, immediately wanted to
help. they connected tatum
with a red Cross official who
could get him a meager amount
of money to help buy the necessities
that his family needed.
“He said, ‘I never dreamed
that help would come in the
form of officers from Kentucky,”
said Kentucky Vehicle enforcement
Maj. David Herald.
“that was without question
the best moment that we had
down there because we really
got in close and got to touch
Hurricane Katrina
Kentucky Kentucky Law Law Enforcement Enforcement Aides Aides Katrina Katrina Victims Victims
/Photo courtesy The Lexington Herald-Leader
Public information offi cer
/Jacinta Jacinta Jacinta feldman feldman feldman manning, manning, manning, Public Public information information offi offi cer cer
these people and see the hurt
that they had,” Herald said. “It’s
something to stand there and see
the destruction of the property
and the buildings, but to see the
hurt and the heart, that’s what
touched you.”
Herald was one of more
than 250 Kentucky law enforcement
and corrections officers
who braved the sweltering heat,
unbearable stench and ever
present dangers to assist in the
recovery efforts following one
of america’s most devastating
natural disasters ever: Hurricane
Katrina. Far from their
Bluegrass jurisdictions, the officers
helped with everything
from pulling stranded citizens
from their flooded homes to
enforcing curfews and curbing
would-be looters to filling out
paper work for the red Cross.
“I am proud that so many
Kentucky law enforcement and
corrections officers volunteered
their time and talents, and put
their own personal lives on
hold, to help families in need in
Louisiana and Mississippi,” said
Lt. Governor steve Pence, who
is also the secretary of the Justice
and Public safety Cabinet. >>
Winter 2005| KENTUCKY LAW ENFORCEMENT