CORPUS CHRISTI ARMY DEPOT, Texas - When we are in the darkest of times, we begin to doubt that we will ever see the light shine again.
For Corpus Christi Army Depot employees in the Tail Rotor Shop, what they saw at dawn's early light after Hurricane Harvey roared through during the night of Aug. 25 was all they needed to organize and help those in desperate need.
This is only one of the many stories of kindness, compassion, goodwill and heroism that came from the destruction left by Harvey. There are so many more that will go untold, but all will be remembered by those helped by the hands of a stranger: the helping hands of hope.
In the aftermath of the storm as recovery efforts went into full swing at the depot, employees were placed on Administrative Leave. Like many other work sites, it's not unusual for the camaraderie that exists in a shop to also extend to off-duty hours.
Wasting no time, the shop got together and gathered tools for co-worker Brian Moore, an aircraft mechanical parts repairer and tool planner, who needed help clearing debris and fallen trees in his neighborhood in Aransas Pass, one of the hardest hit areas.
Moore was without water and light for days. Even under those circumstances he still helped his neighborhood clear fallen and shattered trees from roofs, cars and walkways…and even barbequed for them. Despite the recent loss of his brother, who died in Minnesota as Harvey devastated Texas, he continued to give his all to help others.
Moore continues to assist residents in Aransas Pass with damage assessments and clearing trees from alleyways for American Electric Power (AEP) to be able to access and repair the downed power lines.
Frank Guerra, who works in the shop as a URS Federal Services contractor sparked the effort to go do something for those in need with a Facebook post. The call was answered quickly by shop co-workers and family who joined the effort to clear debris and trees for those in need.
After cutting all the trees, they asked, what else are we good at? The answer: Barbecue!
So the shop employees and their families set up a camp at Buck's Convenient Store in the City by the Sea subdivision on Old Hwy 35. "Bill" allowed the group to set up camp and cook at his store all day and even provided the volunteers with free ice. All along the stretch of highway were electrical crews of linemen restoring service who were treated to a great meal and a cold drink. Members of the shop collected money to buy chicken and sausage to feed the volunteers who assisted in the time of need. The need was unending, so they returned day after day to the area of devastation to serve a hot meal to the linemen and residents.
In the Tail Rotor Shop, as many as five members suffered serious damages to their homes. Roger Gallegos and his family were displaced by the storm but continued to barbecue for their neighbors in the Rockport Fulton area for two more days before being called back to work. David Vargas and John Castillo also suffered severe damage to their homes and are receiving assistance.
Michael Vasquez, Supervisor of the Tail Rotor Shop, despite having suffered damage to his own home and the temporary displacement of his own family in the aftermath, understands the deep need for help at a time like this. He is proud of the collective effort put forth by the shop crew.
"We know they need our help in every way possible right now, so we simply choose to be a part of people helping people," Vasquez said. "That's the real story in all this. We're just people helping people."
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