Katrina’s first responders honored in Gulfport
The 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is being remembered in ceremonies, memorials and prayer vigils from Pearlington to Pascagoula and all points in-between this weekend.
At Jones Park in Gulfport Friday, hundreds of first responders were lauded for their efforts by a host of dignitaries and invited guests, including President George W. Bush, Governor Phil Bryant and former Governor Haley Barbour.
Executive Vice President of Operations Anthony Wilson, Vice President of Corporate Services and Community Relations Johnny Atherton and Vice President of Customer Services Organization Nicole Faulk and nearly 20 linemen, electric servicemen and other personnel attended the ceremony on behalf of the company.
“There’s no better place to live and work than south Mississippi and that’s because of you,” Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes said in his opening comments. “This event is about the people that make a difference every day.”
Hewes introduced Gov. Phil Bryant, who remembered his first trip to the Coast following Katrina, but focused on the steps taken by residents to build a better life.
“We have done a remarkable job. You have done a remarkable job,” Bryant said.
Former Gov. Haley Barbour was introduced as the “Responder in Chief” by his successor Bryant. Barbour said he was proud of the strength and self-reliance shown by the people of Mississippi.
“My mother used to say, ‘Crises and catastrophe bring out the best in people,’” Barbour said. “I saw that time and time and time again on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”
After lunch and a musical interlude by 5-time Grammy winner and Philadelphia, Miss., native Marty Stuart, Bryant introduced President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush to a thunderous applause.
President Bush asked the mayors of Biloxi, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis and Long Beach at the time of the storm’s landfall to stand and be recognized. He applauded their heroism in the face of the worst natural disaster to hit American soil.
“The uniqueness of America is found in the compassion of the citizenry,” Bush said. “You have made a lot of progress. You are a vibrant part of our country.”
Mississippi Power’s representatives were thanked by hundreds of attendees for their role in the restoration efforts. The recovery process kicked into high gear when the lights were switched back on.
“I thought it was a great honor, for the ones of us that were here, to represent all 1,200 of the people who were out there every day, fighting in the middle of the devastation,” Wilson said. “They had things at their homes that needed to be looked after, but they took care of our customers first. That’s who we represented today and if you asked any of them, they’d tell you the same thing.”