Gun Confiscations during Katrina?

FerFAL,

Thanks for writing your posts and your website. It's incredibly helpful, even for a former military person. I served as a U.S. Army Officer for over 10 years. I was involved in some interesting stuff after 9/11. One of those was security of New Orleans 3 days after hurricane Katrina decimated the place. I would like to refute something I read in one of your posts. I can't say that what you wrote about didn't happen in some part of the city or by some of the local police or sheriff's that stayed around. However, I was the commander of the first military contingent that was responsible for securing the federal assets, federal prisons, red cross and evac sites, and sensitive or critical sites. We also used our large fording vehicles to go into parts of the city that was still under 2 feet of water to rescue people. I definitively tell you that we did NOT go door to door taking peoples firearms. The President had not declared U.S. martial law, therefore we did not have any law enforcement authority, neither did the National Guard. Only local police had that authority, but since 80% of the police had left, only 400 police, SWAT, and Sheriff's remained, and they had no communications, vehicles, gas, etc. they weren't real effective and relied on our command and control. They certainly didn't have the man power to go door to door stripping people of their protection. If folks were in their own house with the ability to protect themselves, we didn't really care or worry about it at first. The real threat that we were concerned with was the hundreds of criminals, escaped prisoners, and gang-bangers that thought is was their opportunity to prey on the innocent and take advantage of no law enforcement. Again, we had no authority, so we didn't even care that they were stealing anything and everything they could carry, drive, push, or pull. Our rules of engagement were very strict. Again, our mission was to deliver and provide water and MRE's (food) to areas still under water, and secure very specific sites. The police just didn't have the fire power (or show of force) and man power to do it, and to rescue people. I only saw two weapons discharges that did result in someone being shot. In one case it was a person shooting at our convoy, in which a SWAT sniper fired upon, and one was some one shoot at the police, and a SWAT sniper again fired upon. As always, the Rules of Engagement were such that we could not and would not use force unless fired upon. 

In closing, None of my 500+ soldiers ever discharged a weapon, we never disarmed a civilian, we never used force to coerce anyone to do anything. WE DID deliver hundreds of pallets of MREs and bottled water, diapers, baby formula, etc. We did rescue hundred of people from doom, disease, and ultimate demise. We did secure hundreds of red cross workers from getting over run and all supplies stolen and personally attacked. We delivered medical supplies, rescued pets, and helped restore critical resources such as power to medical sites with our generators. 

I know you sell your book and advice by creating fear. However, please be honest and truthful when describing the heroic efforts of our military. 

Darin

Hi Darin, allow me to thank you in name of all the people you helped, I’m sure your help was much appreciated. I don’t question your honesty when you say you delivered MREs, water and saved people, so please don’t question mine.

The point of the post wasn’t to honor the good men and women that serve, but to prepare for those that would either follow unconstitutional orders or simply break the law themselves, like the police woman in uniform that could be seen looting a Walmart during Katrina or the men pictured in the videos below, beating up a granny.

I would like to point out though, that it really doesn’t matter if you didn’t confiscate guns yourself. Guns were confiscated after Katrina, sometimes by force, at the time those guns where needed the most. While you (and your 500 men)  may not have confiscated, others sure did.  The problem isn’t the upstanding Americans, police officers and military personnel that refuse to follow orders against the Constitution or even their own moral values, the problem is those that will follow such orders or behave like goons all by themselves.

Here’s a couple videos that explain how the confiscations occurred:

These National Guard troops, they confiscated guns too.

If you read my blog you know I have nothing but great respect for men and women that serve in the military or are police officers. In fact, some of the few I considered friends I can trust in USA, most of them are active duty or ex military.

A friend of mine, US Marine and combat veteran, he went to help out during Katrina. He just got into his car and went to see where he could be of use. On his way back he was stopped by local police and his rifle was taken away from him, a very nice Springfield M1A Scout rifle. He of course didn’t resist and fought for months until the weapon that was illegally confiscated from him was returned.

Finally, if you read my blog you also know that I don’t “sell my book and advice by creating fear”. Mi advice is available here almost on daily basis and you don’t have to pay a single cent. I do my best to reply to emails asking for advice, some that get posted, others that don’t but, I do everything I can to help. And my book isn’t sold through fear. It sells well because Argentina went through its own economic collapse in 2001, and the honest advice of such experience is now of help to people in USA and other nations.

I would like to refute something I read in one of your posts. I can't say that what you wrote about didn't happen in some part of the city or by some of the local police or sheriff's that stayed around.

Then what are you refuting exactly? That you didn’t confiscate guns yourself? I never said otherwise, I didn’t even know you until you emailed me.

Take care.

FerFAL