Memorial Day Air Show

These are from the preparation for the Memorial Day Air Show 

The following are from the salute to veterans breakfast, where they got to preview the show. 

Joplin: 36 hours after the tornado, part 2

I left the apartment complex and started walking towards where Chris was. We were trying to find a church that was supposed to be giving out food and medical help.

At the church I stumbled upon a group of guys from all over Missouri who came to help, not really knowing specifically how. They were driving around with giant trucks and chainsaws and heavy machinery, helping people chop up the trees that had fallen in their yards. Everyone was so willing to help everyone else with whatever they needed. There was an incredible sense of community.

Mike, the guy I hung out with all day.

I was told these are the biggest pickup trucks you can buy. They were ridiculous.

At this point the guys heard that someone had been found alive in a house and they decided to go on a search and rescue mission. This is where I saw the full destruction of the tornado. As far as I could see in every direction was destroyed homes. It was really hard to wrap my mind around. All the guys had a story to tell about the night the tornado hit. One of them said that he had come immediately to the area shown in these pictures to see if he could help. He said he saw mothers and fathers running through the torrential rain carrying their children and owning only what was on their backs.

Clouds started rolling in for the next storm, which dumped more rain on the already soaked belongings.

They didn't find anyone.

Joplin: 36 hours after the tornado, part 1

I went to Joplin on May 23, the day after the tornado. We got in late and couldn't see anything that night. The next morning Chris Parks and I got up at dawn and started wandering. It wasn't until way later in the day that my brain started to process what we were seeing. Here are some of the photos from that morning. They aren't edited down to my top 5 favorites or anything. This is just what I saw.

The first half were taken around where the Wal Mart and Home Depot were.

This is an apartment complex that I stumbled upon. There were no people anywhere and the only thing I could hear were dozens of fire alarms going off in the abandoned apartments. 

More to come.