Loma Prieta Earthquake 1989
I was stationed at Fort Ord, California and in Company Command on 17 October 1989 when the Loma Prieta Earthquake hit with a magnitude 7.2. We were without power for several days as the Santa Cruz Power Station had been damaged. What would you do if you were suddenly without power for a week or more?
9-11 at the Pentagon
I was assigned to the Pentagon on 9-10-2001. On that day, I went to work and asked if I could have the next day off in order to move my family. I was granted the day off. On 9-11, I was in the middle of moving when I learned about the terrible events of that day. On 9-12, I returned to duty and was immediately placed in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) where we began planning for the war in Afghanistan. At one time during the planning and preparation phases of this war, I was transferred to the super secure Raven Rock Mountain Complex near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to continue my part in the war effort.
1973 Arab Oil Embargo
In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) began to target Israeli allies in an embargo of crude oil. The embargo lasted from October 1973 until March 1974 and caused severe shortages of oil products, especially gasoline, in the United States. Cathy and I lived through this embargo. We still remember the long lines at the gas pump and rationing of gas.
2005 Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita
On 29 August 2005 Hurricane Katrina landed in Louisiana. This caused over 50 breaches in New Orleans’ levee and flood walls. 80-90 percent of the city’s residents were evacuated. Still, there was widespread looting in the aftermath. There are famous photos where even police officers were involved in some of the looting. The military was brought in to help with law and order and to help in the aftermath recovery efforts. My battalion sent a company of mortuary affairs specialists in order to recover human remains. We also sent a platoon of fuel handlers to supply fuel to the military. I went to New Orleans just prior to Hurricane Rita (from 18-26 September 2005) to bring a command presence and comfort to my soldiers. I saw first hand the devastation. We were housed at the New Orleans Airport. My driver and I slept at Gate C9.
2012 Wild Fire
This is my house with a fire raging right behind it. In 2012, a wild fire broke out in our city on the mountain. The fire got to within 3 city blocks of our house. We had to evacuate until the fire was contained. We were given two hours to leave. What would you take with you if you only had only 2 hours to prepare?
2013 Mudslides After the 2012 Wildfires
Early one Sunday morning, we were in Church services when they announced over the pulpit that there was a lot of flooding in our city and that we were needed to help clean up. We immediately left our meetings and went home to change into work clothes. Because of the Wildfires of 2012, there wasn’t enough vegetation on the mountainside to retain the water from recent rain storms. As a result, avalanches of mud flowed down the hills and into our city and into many people’s homes. This photograph was taken only two blocks away from our home.
Search and Rescue
As a boy scout, we were on a campout one time and we were hiking along with other troops. At the end of the hike, we discovered that a scout was missing. Although we backtracked along our route, the scout was not found.
This triggered a massive search and rescue mission that lasted for three days and two nights. I was part of this search and rescue. I was placed on a team and we were given a specific grid to search. There were about 10 of us on my team. We walked through the woods calling out his name and stayed within sight of each other. From time to time, our team leader would have us count off. We didn’t want anyone else to go missing.
On the third day, the scout was found alive and well. The weather, although rainy for a part of it, was relatively mild and not life threatening.
Over the years, I have wondered how this scout was able to get disoriented as a part of a larger hike with several troops. After all my years of experience, I believe that I know the answer. His leadership, both the Scoutmaster and the boys placed over him, didn’t take care of him. I knew this boy personally. I am sure that he was the last boy on the hike. I’m sure that he was so much slower than the other boys that he fell behind and made a wrong turn at some point because he could not see anyone in front of him.
Shame on his leadership. How easy it would have been to have placed him in front so that the entire troop would go only as fast as their slowest boy.
I’m grateful to this day that he was found safe and sound. But, I have seen this lack of leadership play out time and time again. Bad leadership can be deadly.
Jellyfish in New England
As a youth, I went with my family to New England one summer on vacation. We went to the beaches only to find that there was an intense jellyfish swarm happening. I remember that there were jellyfish bodies all over the beach and that you could see a lot of jellyfish in the waters. Although we were not harmed, this is a phenomenon that is occurring with more regularity. If this happens while you are swimming, get out of the water immediately. The sting from a jellyfish is no joke.
2017 Wild Fire
Five years after the first wild fire endangered out home, another wild fire was sparked in 2017 in the city where we lived. This was sparked by people target practicing with high velocity rounds in the city. This fire was small and burning on the slopes of the mountain just east of the city. About 50 homes were evacuated. Fortunately, we were not asked to leave. Still, another wild fire in our city in 5 years. Hmm.
The 1983 Utah Floods
Some of the worst flooding in Utah history occurred in the Spring of 1983. Because of unusually high precipitation from September 1982 through the rest of that Fall and the Winter of 1983, coupled with a warm Spring and a fast Spring melt, there was water everywhere.
And we were there.
We remember the rivers that were diverted through the streets of Salt Lake City.
We remember the I-15 being underwater between Provo and Utah Lake.
We remember someone was fishing along 1300 South in Salt Lake City. Of course, they didn’t catch anything. But, they were able to say that they were fishing along 1300 South.
It was a scary time because there was so much water.
But, there was also a lot of teamwork and neighbor helping neighbor during that time.
We were fortunate in that our home was not affected. But, thousands of homes were.
The Man on the Subway
In 1992-1993, I was training with the Belgian Military. One day I was traveling on the subway in uniform. Suddenly, a man fell or jumped onto the tracks. The train that I was on came to a screeching halt and subway personnel started an evacuation of the station, and of the cars of the train. I went against the grain of fleeing people and found the conductor. I offered my assistance as a U.S. Army Officer. At first, they told me that there was nothing to be done. The man was dead. Then, someone called out, “He’s alive!” The station personnel quickly accepted my help. But, they didn’t accompany me. I was all alone. I climbed onto the tracks, making sure to stay clear of the third rail. I climbed under the train and pulled the man out from under the train. His leg was severed and hanging on with only a few sinews and muscle tissue. His leg and body were mangled. I used my belt and made a tourniquet, treated him for shock and made sure he was all right until emergency services arrived. Although he lost the leg, he lived. I was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for this.