Millersburg brothers making a difference near New Orleans
When Dale and Mitch Winfield were contracted to assist with the rebuilding effort and hurricane relief near New Orleans, they may not have been fully aware of the impact it would have on their lives. However, in the months that the two men have worked in Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana, they have realized how much they cherish their home, their life, and their loved ones.
?Ninety-percent of the homes down there are destroyed and the people in Plaquemines consider themselves the forgotten survivors,? said Mitch. ?My outlook on things has changed; you appreciate what you have when you get back home.?
The Winfields were contracted indirectly through FEMA and have been working on excavating properties that were destroyed during hurricane Katrina.
Mitch described every site as ?rubble? and every starting point for excavating is basically the same. There is nothing left to homes and buildings except piles of wood, steel, and family memories. In one instance, Mitch happened upon an excavation site where one small detail caught his eye.
?I looked up in tree and there was this little, pink shoe dangling by its shoelace,? said Mitch. ?I thought to myself; that could belong to my youngest daughter.?
The Winfield brothers have both come to realize that it is the small details that families affected by the natural catastrophe are most concerned about recovering. The small details become of the biggest importance.
Recently, a newsletter put out by the Army Corps of Engineers highlighted a story of Dale, who helped recover one small detail that made a major impact.
Marilyn Pazisley, a 60-year-old widow, was forced to leave her home in Plaquemines Parish when hurricane Katrina hit. After the storm had cleared and the waters went down, Pazisley was able to return to her destroyed property.
The newsletter article states that Pazisley?s ?deepest regret was the loss of the American flag that had draped her husband?s casket.? Her husband was a Vietnam vet and when Pazisley evacuated her home, she had not thought to grab this important symbol of his patriotism.
However, she also was unaware of the determination of Dale Winfield, who had traveled all the way from northeast Michigan to do all he could to help rebuild homes and lives. In January, Dale was instructed by a representative of the Army Corps of Engineers to contact Pazisley.
Dale, who was the site contractor at Pazisley?s home, talked with her about anything she might want him to look for while excavating the property, and she informed him about her husband?s flag. Pazisley knew that the flag had been folded as it was presented to her at her husband?s funeral and that it had been stored in a closet.
Excavating a site is not delicate work, and Dale realized that finding anyth
The newsletter stated that after several attempts and after almost giving up hope, the flag was found inside a white plastic bag.
According to the story, the flag was wet and had suffered some mold damage, but it was still folded as Pazisley remembered.
Dale not only worked to recover the flag for the Pazisley family, he also hand-delivered it to her a short time afterward.
He and his brother, Mitch, had traveled to the hard-hit area in order to work, but what they came back with was a deep appreciation for the small details that make up life.