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

By Paul Maassen

Published August 19, 2015 at 9:00 AM CDT

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Members of the Arkansas Army National Guard helped orchestra the evacuation of the convention center.

Chris Mickal

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Troops were lined up on Loyola Avenue awaiting orders for their mission in New Orleans.

Chris Mickal

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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

This month, as part of WWNO's ongoing Katrina 10 coverage, we bring you The Katrina Files: Reflections from First Responders. This series is based on oral histories conducted by The Historic New Orleans Collectionand hosted by Paul Maassen.

This episode features interviews with the 39^th Infantry 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.