NEW ORLEANS — During a pandemic, the term “airborne” can make people go into hiding. On Wednesday, that word brought many of us outside.
For the second time in less than a week, health care workers in Louisiana received a military salute in the form of a flyover. This time, the gratitude came from the world famous Blue Angels.
The Navy Blue Angels and their F-18’s flew over Texas earlier in the day.
Louisiana came next. It was a military campaign to thank the nurses, doctors and first responders in the fight against COVID-19, including those at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
“We had over 100 pediatric trained nurses, that raised their hands and said we’ll go into the adult world and help in any way we can and we had over 30 pediatric physicians that went over into the adult world,” said John Nickens, CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
Patrick Haggerty is one of the nurses who volunteered to help Covid-19 patients. He found himself in other local hospitals seeing to the needs of sick patients.
On Wednesday, he made sure his two sons came to watch and feel the experience of the flyover.
“Definitely goose bumps. When we saw them fly over you felt it, this was only the second time I’ve ever seen the Blue Angels in my life,” Haggerty said.
PHOTOS: Blue Angels salutes New Orleans' healthcare workers
The Blue Angels are known for their precision and synchronization. Their timing seemed impeccable on Wednesday. They flew over New Orleans on National Nurse’s day.
“The fact that they came just for us really shows the appreciation that a lot of people are feeling around,” Haggerty said.
On the ground, concerns continue. Madhavi Samson is visiting New Orleans from India.
“It’s been difficult, my son is a cardiologist at Tulane Medical Center and it’s been a difficult time with all the COVID patients,” Samson said.
She and her husband came to visit their son in January. With travel bans and their home country on lockdown, they’re unsure when they can. Our backgrounds may different, but the things we miss under quarantine are common.
“I miss seeing people, getting together, being free,” Samson said.
The Blue Angels have been flying over many cities that have been hit hard by the virus. This was the second flyover in recent days for New Orleans. Last Friday the Air Force and the Louisiana Air National Guard flew over the metro area. In both events, we marveled at the show in the sky. A much needed display to take us from the slow and long road ahead.
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