Five years ago.

[killerpigeon]

IT'S GOING TO HIT MOORE!"

I had wakened, after a few hours of sleep, by my future wife, and Aunt. The sirens were sounding and I was not ready, personally or professionally. I helped my Aunt into her shelter and closed her in. I was an Oklahoman now, it was time to chase. I grabbed my wife, and my med kit, headed for my truck. It was time to chase.

I took this photo.

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[killerpigeon]

LIKE ANY OTHER DAY.
Today, Five years ago, right now, I was at work. Hoping to get off soon. On my way home, released at 730am. I would run up on a car near an intersection with a flat tire. I was still in uniform, but off duty, headed home. I told them to pull into the 7-11 up the street. I would change their tire at that 7-11, it was a mom driving her high school daughter to school. At this same 7-11 hours later, two adults and one baby would be killed.

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[killerpigeon]

GRANDMA AND THE OTHER MAN.

I ran to my grandmother’s house, only to find her house in ruins. My grandmother’s house was destroyed. My brother-in-law, Amy (future wife), and I tore apart her house. We found her, bloody and injured, still in her wheelchair, in the living room of her ruined home. A hero jumped out of nowhere and with him and us, we carried my grandmother out of the ruins. We grabbed her wheelchair and rushed her to the main street. I worked on her wounds and started an IV.

While I was taking care of my grandmother, bandaging her wounds and after starting the IV, an older man stumbled up, supported by a random person. Suddenly, I had two patients, one my grandmother, one a random older male that was pale, cool, and diaphoretic. He was sick and injured. I helped him into a waiting ambulance/ I would transport my grandmother by cop car and the older man by ambulance.

Both would unfortunately die.

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[killerpigeon]

THE NEEDS OF THE MANY, AIRMAN, WALGREENS.

Instead of staying at the hospital with my grandmother, I decided to return to the same point with the officer that drove us in. I decided to head back to the disaster area. She would want that, "the needs of the many." I told my grandmother I loved her, kissed her on the forehead, and turned her over to the capable staff of Southwest Medical. My sister rode with and stayed with grandmother.

When I arrived back to the site, it was an obvious ruin. Few units had arrived and it was still a massive uncontrolled scene. I come across four Airman tearing apart a destroyed house. I asked them if they had a victim, they said "no." I asked who or where their Officer was. They looked around in confusion. I took command of them and gave them orders. I ordered them to separate and run down the streets as individuals, if they found a victim, grab everybody around and get them out of the ruble. Within minutes, we cleared five blocks.

In the mass chaos of the trauma, I had used all my equipment. I no longer had any bandages or "stuff." I had used all my first aid on my grandmother and the random guy. I was now out of supplies. I concluded that I needed to throw a brick into the Walgreens down the street to resupply. As I rounded the corner, of the street I was on, I was met by two girls, wearing Walgreens uniforms, with a shopping cart full of everything. They had been hit also, and the supervisor authorized the employees to take carts full of supplies to walk through the area.

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[killerpigeon]

I have more to say, but it's a heavy burden. I'll add more soon. FYI, this is kinda like therapy for me.

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[kwaynem]

I wish you didn’t have to go through that but at the same time I’m glad you were there to help everyone thanks for your service and sorry you lost your grandmother

 

[TerryMiller]

Thanks for your comments, and especially thanks for your service.

 

[killerpigeon]

http://kfor.com/2013/06/07/emsa-medic-saves-grandmother-after-tornado/

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[killerpigeon]

http://kfor.com/2013/08/02/family-remembers-grandmother-latest-tornado-victim/

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[Glock 'em down]

I was there in the aftermath.

I worked private security for a company out of Texas, watching pipeline sites. Well, this same company also handled AT&T mobile charging stores/stations.

I was summoned to provide security at the Moore community building where AT&T were setting up. I saw tons and tons of people working like crazy helling people out.

I'll never forget, around 11pm, a man from Time magazine approached me, wanting to do an interview. I more or less laughed in his face and told him to go just a few blocks south...that was where the real heroes were.