Watching His Buddies' Backs Dave Justison, right, works a security issue in the field with demo quality assurance supervisor Ted Woodson. LA-RFO photo by Spec. Larry Gleeson. Back to Features

By Dave Harris, public affairs specialist, Louisiana Recovery Field Office

Most disaster response missions last 30 to 90 days.  Not with Hurricane Katrina.  The unprecedented national disaster launched an equally unprecedented, multi-year Army Corps of Engineers recovery effort that inspired scores of combat vets to answer the call to free 40 parishes in south Louisiana from the clutches of the monster storm’s wrath.

Shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of fellow Corps volunteers in an operation fraught with hazards, one vet compared his Katrina days in the Louisiana Recovery Field Office to his Navy tour in Vietnam: quickly bonding with teammates, donning protective gear in the face of danger, looking out for his buddies, and watching his back, impatiently determined to achieve unconditional victory in this 21st Century Battle of New Orleans.

The disaster response and recovery mission in Louisiana provides the combat vet with plenty of action and taps into his skills and battle-hardened instincts. The 72-hour weeks and chain of command fit him like a glove.

Working with the Army and the Corps, the combat vet has the best of both worlds: the familiar military know-how, discipline, cohesiveness, camaraderie, reliability and readiness coupled with civilian choices, hometown roots and community ties.

Having served two tours in the waters off Vietnam as a fire control technician repairing and operating gunfire control radars, Dave Justison of Louisiana Post 7194 knows about tragedy, both in the Navy off Vietnam and in Louisiana.

During each of his Vietnam tours, his ship’s big guns provided support fire for ground troops, sending in 10,000 rounds – twice. His ship, the USS Lloyd Thomas made the news in 1971.

“I was scared – a gun mount blew up and killed three men,” Dave recalled.

He had intended to make the Navy his career, but “you hear about a woman in every port? I married the first one, Bonnie, when I was stationed here at the Algiers Naval Support Activity,” he said. He was originally from Delaware. 

With strong family ties to Louisiana, Bonnie persuaded Dave to leave the Navy and stay in town.  In 1974, he found his way to the Army Corps of Engineers’ New Orleans District for a 30-year career before retirement.

Then came Katrina.

“This is where I live. Or lived.” He corrected himself. “Katrina took everything from me except my bills.”

He came back to the Corps as a reemployed annuitant, much like a number of former combat vets, such as the Corps of Engineers’ Louisiana Recovery Field Office assistant director Mike Smith, VFW Post Commander from Beverly, Ohio, and a Marine combat vet who also fought in Vietnam.

Many of vets are members of the Corps’ reemployed annuitant program, aimed at tapping the wealth of experience and knowledge of the Corps senior experts.  Vet retirees brought an extra measure of composure under fire, discipline within chaos, and a focus on mission.

Now Dave has resumed his duties as a security and law enforcement specialist, often dealing with tough situations, such as threats or shooting incidents near Corps recovery crews.

He coordinates with New Orleans police to protect Corps teams demolishing the 17,000 houses rendered useless by Katrina or picking up enough debris to fill 5-6 Superdomes.

The Corps has also removed 59,000 dead trees, placed 81,000 blue roofs, and picked up a quarter million tires and 5 million pieces of hazardous household waste.  His team represents the responders’ air cover.

“This is a blessing,” Dave said of his return to the Corps of Engineers for recovery duty.  “Not only can I help the city, but I can help my family get back on our feet.”