NEW ORLEANS -- Distinguished guests of the U.S. Coast Guard gathered in the brightly lit atrium in front of a large painting titled “Rescue Me” suspended high on a granite wall in the Hale Boggs Federal Building in New Orleans, Aug. 25, 2015. The painting is dominated by the bright orange of a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin hovering over New Orleans’ Ninth Ward and Industrial Canal, plucking stranded survivors from the toxic flood waters and devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Created by Louisiana artist Dale Fairbanks, the painting was created as a gesture of gratitude to the Coast Guard for their historic response during the rescue and evacuation of 33,500 residents from the ravaged city during Hurricane Katrina.
“When I look at this painting, I marvel at the sheer human effort that was put forward in the face of such a challenging and pivotal time for our service, and for everyone in this region,” said U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. David Callahan, commander of Eighth Coast Guard District.
According to Callahan, the post-Katrina rescue effort required more than 5,600 Coast Guardsmen and more than 60 aircraft used in rescue operations. Roughly 30 cutters and more than 120 boats were mobilized and over 40 specialized teams of Guardsmen with specific mission capabilities were deployed in support of the rescue effort.
“For us in the Coast Guard, it was a herculean effort, to say the least,” Callahan said. “There were many images Mrs. Fairbanks could have chosen to capture, but it’s admittedly one of the most iconic images from Katrina.”
Fairbanks also addressed the crowd, thanking her family and friends for their support during the two-year process of completing the painting. She also commended the Coast Guard for their efforts to rescue stranded New Orleanians in 2005.
“It is too small a token of my gratitude, but I decided that no canvas, regardless of the size, could capture the full heroism of the U.S. Coast Guard; it belongs to you,” Fairbanks said.
The dedication ceremony was one of dozens of events this week commemorating the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, 2015.