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5960 Member Responds to Call for
Help in Gulf
UAW Local 5960 is fortunate to have
many fine individuals that we call members.
But sometimes someone goes so far above and beyond, what is considered
ordinary, that they require special recognition.
Rick Hall of Orion Assembly’s Material Department, who also works part
time as a Reserve Sergeant and Park Deputy for the Oakland County Sheriff, is
one such individual. This is
Rick’s story. Early on August 28,
the leaders in the Gulf Coast Region received word that Hurricane Katrina had
grown to a category five storm and would come ashore with ruinous consequence.
On August 29, Hurricane Katrina hit the
Gulf
Coast
with a fury that hadn’t been felt in that area since Camille made land in
1969. The local officials ordered
everyone out of town. Many left,
some did not and some could not go. The
next morning a three block wide breach opened in the Saint Bernard Parish Levee
then five more at various spots in and around the city; allowing
Lake Pontchartrain
to spill into
New Orleans
. The Big Easy took on water like a
pirate ship hit by a cannonball. Half
a day later eighty percent of the city was under water and the chaos began.
No power, no fresh water, no food and no way out and 110 degrees.
That’s where Rick comes in. While
many were heading North on US-10 to reach some high ground, thousands of miles
away Rick Hall was packing his gear and preparing to head into the worst
domestic disaster ever. Rick had
received an urgent page from Oakland County Sheriff, Mike Bouchard, asking him
and eleven others from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department to leave the
comfort of
Michigan
to help the people of the
Gulf
Coast
. Rick admits he didn’t know what
he was getting into but without hesitation he stepped up to help the people of
New Orleans
recover. The ride down was
uneventful until the caravan from
Oakland
reached an area about two hundred miles out of
New Orleans
. That’s where the destruction
began. Rick describes what he saw
as, “Something out of a science fiction movie . . .a modern city . . .pitch
black and nothing moving.” Rick
says, “I’ve seen tornadoes and other natural disasters but this was two
hundred miles of destruction. Trees
were lying on houses, power lines were down and no electricity or water.
I was amazed, what the storm didn’t destroy, the water did and the
looters finished it off.” Rick
worked the night shift in the Jefferson Parish on the West bank of the
Mississippi
. From
6 p.m.
until
6 a.m.
he helped keep the order and give the residents that stayed in town comfort and
a feeling that they were not alone. The
entire region was under Marshall Law and a Lock Down.
New Orleans
was a “hot zone” and a strict curfew was being enforced.
This meant everyone that Rick encountered while on patrol was breaking
the law and every traffic stop was a felony traffic stop, guns drawn and order
the car’s occupant out. The only
problem was the jails were uninhabitable so the best they could do was take
names, confiscate firearms and tell the individuals to get out of town.
One evening Rick’s group got word that a young girl was in danger in
the city. Together with a local
EMS
unit, they headed into the crushing darkness to respond to the call.
Pushing corpses and snakes aside, they found an eight-year-old girl
inside a home, surrounded darkness and showing signs of severe heat exhaustion.
In the night heat, with shots ringing in the distance, Rick’s patrol
stood guard while the EMS Technicians treated the young lady.
When they started to leave the EMS Technician was fighting back tears and
said, “I’m amazed people from
Michigan
would come, I thought we were in this all alone.”
Well, UAW members don’t do “alone.”
When other’s are in need UAW 5960 members step forward time and again
to relieve the stress on those who cannot fend for themselves.
While in
New Orleans
, Rick says he was treated great. The
contingent from
Oakland
County
stayed at the Avondale Truck Stop/Casino nine miles from
New Orleans
where they gassed up their vehicles at the local oil refinery.
Rick says, “ The southern hospitality was great.
These folks really like their Gumbo and I loved their Gumbo."
Rick Hall’s volunteerism in
New Orleans
is just another example of the UAW membership’s willingness to help.
Rick made many friends while on patrol in
New Orleans
including Chris Thomas, a local sergeant who worked along side Rick.
Chris has invited Rick back to ride on his Department's Mardi Gra Float
in the spring, if the
Big
City
is ready to party. Great job Rick!
UAW Local 5960 owes you a great debt of gratitude for making us all look
so good and for helping those who had fallen on hard times to pick themselves up
and get going once again. You are
truly a hero.
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