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The War Cry | AUGUST 2015
ARC program today. "Sergeants Guy
and Tasoula Nickum resurrected the
ARC program a few years later
when a semblance of a donor base
returned to the area, and they did
a phenomenal job; something, I
think, few people could do!"
Karen Miranda has been the
general supervisor at the New Or-
leans ARC since 2002. Karen re-
members the day Katrina barreled
toward the city: "The televisions in
the store were all broadcasting
weather bulletins and warnings,"
she says. "Major Dan was at the
Southern Bible Conference [in
North Carolina], and Major Lynda
was in charge here. She closed the
store at 1:00 and carried out plans
to get the men out. I went home
and my family evacuated to Beau-
mont [Texas]. When I was finally
able to return to New Orleans a
few days later (because Army
[workers] are considered first re-
sponders I was allowed in) I went
to the center to check things out.
The water was gone inside the
building, but it left a thick, crusty,
caked mud floor."
Karen went to work at the Ar-
my's EDS center in LaPlace. Every
day a line of cars stretching over
five miles waited for Karen and
other caseworkers to process them.
"It was a nightmare," she sighs.
She remembers vividly the sight of
armed soldiers. "There was no job
description during that chaos. We
just did what we could; however we
could. That lasted for about six
months, at which time Lt. Colonel
[Jake] Tritton hired me to come
back to area command to work."
Lt. Colonel Tritton was the
New Orleans Man on Other
Side of Search and Rescue
J
ames Terrebonne knows a little something of search and rescue.
The heroic service was a big part of his training in the U.S. Coast
Guard. However, there was a time when James desperately needed
search and rescue himself, through a Savior able to help those lost in sin.
When James was eight years old, his
father passed away. Due to his mother's
worsening alcohol abuse, he landed in
foster care. Yet, despite these hardships,
James performed well in high school,
even earning a few scholarships. Upon
graduation from high school in New Or-
leans, James enlisted in the U.S. Coast
Guard. He found his niche in a search and
rescue team that ventured into the Gulf
of Mexico to save stranded boaters dur-
ing Hurricanes Isaac, Gustav and Ike.
His unit was deployed again in 2010,
during the months following the BP oil
spill, to provide assistance for workers.
"That's when I met The Salvation Army;
Majors Mel and Esther James, to be exact,"
James says. "My daughter had just been
born and the majors provided my family
with much-needed items for her care.
They even invited me to the corps."
After his duties surrounding the oil
spill disaster concluded, James began at-
tending the New Orleans Citadel Corps.
But James admits he acquired "a few ad-
dictions," which began to consume him.
"It wasn't until one day in 2012 when I
drank myself into a stupor that I realized
that I couldn't go on like this. I needed to
change my life, and that I couldn't per-
form that change myself--I needed a
work of mercy and grace from God!"
James returned to the corps only to
learn that the Majors James had gone
back to their retirement home in Florida.
However, he met Chaplain Ron Hall and
the two struck up a lasting friendship.
"I learned quickly on trumpet and
drums," James explains. So, at Ron's urging,
James began playing drums for the Sunday
worship service. He also joined the Men's
Club and sang in the Corps Songster Bri-
gade. Most importantly, James gave his
heart to Christ in November 2012.
"It was during the sermon that Sun-
day: a sermon on servanthood," he says.
That sermon described Jesus as the exam-
ple of a true servant of God. This sentiment
resonated profoundly with James' identity
as public servant, searching for those in
distress and danger and rescuing them.
When James arose from the mercy
seat, his desire for alcohol and drugs van-
ished. "I felt overwhelmed with joy and a
peace that cannot be described. This
must be like people feel that I've rescued
from the waves!" he marvels.
Today, James is a uniformed Salvation
Army soldier. He remains in the U.S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary and works full time for
the Orleans Parish Prison as a protective
services offi
cer. He also provides security
containment at the New Orleans City Hall.
His life is about searching for and res-
cuing those in physical trouble as well as
spiritual trouble.
James Terrebonne knows
search and rescue from his
stint in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Christ turned the tables
on James with a search
and rescue of His own!
Disaster Response
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