OT: Peter Wooten, Unsung NOLA Hero - long

I was listening to PBS just now as I was driving home and they were talking about "good" stories that have come out of NOLA. Peter Wooten is one of them. During his interview, he told how he and his family stayed in their home during Katrina and the flooding. The flooding was waist high in his home but quickly dissipated. He told of having to sleep during the mornings and staying awake at night to fight off the looters whom he had to attack with a tire iron as they tried to break into his home through the kitchen windows. Peter's eldest son (he and his wife had two sons, IIRC) told of going out with his father during the day to scrounge through the stores that had already been vandalized. They would gather up as much food and water as possible and bring it back to the family and neighbors. Peter was even thoughtful enough to bring back diapers for the babies and feminine hygiene products for the women. The son told of finding three bodies in their back yard. The son had overheard one of the local thugs bragging about killing the old people so that he could loot their home and he let his father know who the braggart was. Peter went to the closest large intersection, kneeled down, took off his shirt and used it to flag down a military helicopter. The armed men on the helo displayed their guns but Peter knelt in the intersection, clasping his hands over his head in supplication. The men on the helo sent a military truck and Peter told them about the murders and led the soldiers to the perpetrator who was duly arrested. Fearing reprisals from the rest of the gang in the area, Peter convinced the soldiers to take him and his family out of the area. They were all taken to one of the military airbases that are taking in refugees. Peter told of seeing people lined up on the tarmac -- doctors, nurses, Red Cross workers -- waiting for the evacuees to get off the plane. As the people left the plane, those workers waiting for them on the ground came up to the evacuees with open arms, waiting to hug each person. Peter said he told the person trying to give him a hug that he was too "stinky" (not having bathed in over a week) but the aid worker said that didn't matter -- "stink" could be washed off but a hug lasts forever. Each evacuee, each dirty, stinky person was hugged and helped and given their first bright bit of hope. Peter didn't do anything unbelievably brave -- he just survived. Peter didn't do anything outrageously spectacular -- he just took care of his family, friends & neighbors. Peter didn't do anything extremely important -- he just stood up to evil men and helped bring them to the attention of the proper authorities. Nevertheless Peter is a hero. ALL of the Peter's that we don't hear about are heroes and they ARE brave, spectacular, IMPORTANT members of our society. Theses people deserve everything we can do to help them return to normal. They are the unsung heroes of this disaster and their spirit, strength of character and initiative is what will bring "normalcy" and prosperity back to the Gulf States and the rest of the USA. Thank heaven for the Peter Wooten's of this country -- they bring honor to us all!