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The Katrina Files: The Arkansas Army National Guard And The 'Shoot To Kill' Order

WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio | By Paul Maassen,
Mark Cave
Published August 19, 2015 at 10:00 AM EDT

This month, as part ofWWNO'songoing Katrina 10 coverage, we bring you The Katrina Files: Reflections from First Responders. This series is based on oral histories conducted byThe Historic New Orleans Collection and hosted by PaulMaassen.

Click here to listen to the latest edition of The Katrina Files.

This episode features interviews with the39thInfantry Brigade of the Arkansas Army National Guard, which was the first unit called after Katrina to back up the Louisiana National Guard.

When they were deployed, reports had been made that Governor Kathleen Blanco would allow the National Guard to use deadly force in New Orleans. Ultimately those remarks were never substantiated, but the troops were met with suspicion when they rolled in town.

Troops were lined up on Loyola Avenue awaiting orders for their mission in New Orleans.
Chris Mickal /
Troops were lined up on Loyola Avenue awaiting orders for their mission in New Orleans.
Although many of the AANG's supplies were in transit from Iraq, they had access to tanks and other vehicles to keep them mobile.
Chris Mickal /
Although many of the AANG's supplies were in transit from Iraq, they had access to tanks and other vehicles to keep them mobile.

Copyright 2015 WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio
Louisiana News
Paul Maassen
Paul arrived at WWNO as general manager in March 2008. Since his arrival, Paul has strengthened the station’s finances, introduced new national news and information programs, revamped the digital WWNO2 schedule to complement 89.9, and launched digital WWNO3 as an all-jazz channel. He has placed new emphasis on WWNO’s role in the community, devoting resources to local news reporting and cultural features, and encouraging new collaborations among New Orleans’ cultural organizations and the region’s public media. Paul began his radio career in metropolitan New York – New Jersey, where, over eleven years, he served as on-air personality, operations manager, and program director for four commercial stations. In 1998 he became general manager of WNTI, a public station in Hackettstown, NJ affiliated with Centenary College, where he managed an all-volunteer staff. In 2005 he moved to the Dayton, OH area to serve as general manager of WYSO.
See stories by Paul Maassen
Mark Cave