This is from a guy that works in the LSU Athletic Department.....
it's going around on email.
William Martin wrote:
From: "William Martin" To: "Bill Martin" Date:
Wed, 31 Aug 2005 02:51:35 -0600 Subject: The PMAC will never host
an important event like it did tonight.
Little did I know what I would be doing following Hurricane Katrina's
aftermath but as I type right now, there won't be a more gratifying
or more surreal experience I went through tonight. We went up to the
office today and held a press conference regarding the postponement
of the game and it was the right decision. As the PMAC and Field House
are being used as shelters we decided as an office to do everything
we could to help the situation.
At first, we were just supposed to make copies of this disaster relief
form
for all of the people. The copiers will never print a document more
important than that. It's weird. Nearly 12 hours ago we were running
off
copies of game notes for a football game that is now meaningless.
We
printed the copies and carried them over to the Field House at 6:30
p.m. I wouldn't leave the area for another 8 hours.
On the way back to the PMAC in a cart, it looked like the scene in
the
movie Outbreak. FEMA officials, U.S. Marshalls, National Guard, and
of
course the survivors. Black Hawks were carrying in victims who were
stranded on roofs. Buses rolled in from N.O. with other survivors.
As
Michael and I rode back to the PMAC, a lady fell out of her wheelchair
and we scrambled to help her up.
We met Coach Miles and Coach Moffitt in the PMAC to see all the survivors
and it was the view of a hospital. Stretchers rolled in constantly
and for the first time in my life I saw someone die right in front
of me. A man rolled in from New Orleans and was badly injured on his
head. 5 minutes later he was dead. And that was the scene all night.
What did we do, we started hauling in supplies. And thousands of boxes
of supplies. The CDC from Atlanta arrived directing us what to do.
One of the U.S. Marshalls was on hand so the supplies could not become
loot. I asked him what his primary job was. He serves on the committee
of counter terrorism, but once he saw of the disaster, he donated
his forces to come help. He said the death toll could be nearing 10,000.
It was sickening to hear that.
After unloading supplies, I started putting together baby cribs and
then IV poles. Several of our football players and Big Baby and Tasmin
Mitchell helped us. At the same time, families and people strolled
in. Mothers were giving birth in the locker rooms. The auxiliary gym
"Dungeon" was being used as a morgue. I couldn't take myself
down there to see it.
I worked from 8 pm until 2:45 am. Before I left three more buses rolled
in and they were almost out of room. People were standing outside,
the lowest of the low from NO. The smells, the sights were hard to
take.
A man lying down on a cot asked me to come see him. He said,"I
just need someone to talk to, to tell my story because I have nobody
and nothing left. He turned out to be a retired military veteran.
His story was what everybody was saying. He thought he survived the
worst, woke up this morning and the levees broke. Within minutes water
rushed into his house. He climbed to the attic, smashed his way through
the roof and sat there for hours. He was completely sunburned and
exhausted. Nearly 12 hours later a chopper rescued him and here he
was.
We finished the night hauling boxes of body bags and more were on
the way. As we left, a man was strolled in on a stretcher and scarily
enough he suffered gunshots. The paramedic said he was shot several
times because a looter or a convict needed his boat and he wouldn't
give it to him. Another man with him said it was "an uncivilized
society no better than Iraq down there right now." A few minutes
later he was unconscious and later pronounced dead. I then left as
they were strolling a 3 year old kid in on a stretcher. I couldn't
take it anymore.
That was the scene at the PMAC and it gives me a new perspective on
things. For those of you who I haven't been able to get in touch with
because of phone service, I pray you are safe. Send me an email to
let me know. God bless.
Bill Martin LSU Sports Information
