When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans back in 2005, Air Force Staff Sgt. Mike Maroney saw it firsthand.
As part of a military team rescuing people from rooftops in the flooded city, he saw his share of devastation.
But Maroney also helped airlift a family of seven -- mother, father and five children -- and the little girl in the pink shirt always stayed with him.
He took the family up, one by one, to the hovering helicopter. The little girl grinned the whole time. When they arrived at the airport, she wrapped her arms around Maroney, pressed her cheek to his and smiled.
Now, Maroney carries the memory and wants to find the little girl -- now a teenager -- to let her know she made a big impact on him.
"If I never do anything else again, that hug and that smile made it all worthwhile," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment