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'John Wayne' General Hits New Orleans

Posted on: Saturday, 3 September 2005, 15:00 CDT

A Louisiana native with experience in floods has been put in charge of the Army's Task Force Katrina, winning praise even from New Orleans' unhappy mayor.

Lt. Gen. Russel Honore is one John Wayne dude, Mayor Ray Nagin said in an interview this week with radio station WWL.

Stars and Stripes reports that Honore, who hails from Lakeland, La., led the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea from 2000 to 2002, dealing with flooding at many bases every year during monsoon season and supervising the installation of flood control measures.

Nagin said that sending Honore was the one thing he could give President Bush credit for -- he came off the doggone chopper, and he started cussin' and people started movin'!

CNN reported that Honore has also ordered National Guard troops and even police officers in New Orleans to keep their guns pointed down. The general told CNN that he is most concerned with getting food, water and other necessities to the thousands of people still trapped in the city.

If you ever have 20,000 people come to supper, you know what I'm talking about, he said. If it's easy, it would have been done already.

Source: United Press International

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