Meet The Crew Of Tiger Two

In a time when many people are wanting to do more in their daily lives to serve their communities and their country, the Coast Guard Auxiliary is a way for them to do just that.

He is known as Tiger Two to Coast Guard radio Watchstanders serving Florida's coastline down to Key West. Mel Marx of Flotilla 51, District 7 owns and flies a twin-engine Cessna 310. In normal times, Marx could be found checking the southeast coast for migrants and drug runners, or working on search-and-rescue missions with the active-duty Coast Guard, flying perhaps several hundred miles in a typical week. All that changed with the arrival of hurricane Katrina. In the week after Katrina came ashore, Tiger Two flew six thousand miles.

By September 21, a force of some 3,600 Coast Guard personnel had rescued or evacuated 33,544 people, and the work continues. The Coast Guard normally saves around 5,500 lives a year.

Transportation within the Hurricane zone became most important early on. Medicines, vaccines, and first-aid supplies had to be distributed, and many responders had special requests. Also, trained personnel of the many services responding to the disaster had to be transported from Texas and Florida to various locations in the New Orleans and Mobile areas. Tiger Two's sturdy, versatile Cessna could take off and land on a stretch of road, if need be.

Marx, who lives in West Palm Beach, teamed up with another pilot, Forest "Woody" Bahr, of Flotilla 69. Bahr, the Assistant Air Auxiliary Coordinator in Miami, Florida, would serve as co-pilot. "Don't know how soon we'll be back," Marx said as he kissed his wife Harriet goodbye. He and Bahr then departed on their errand of mercy.

About four hours after leaving Opa Locka CG Air Station in Florida, they arrived at CG Air Station Mobile in Alabama. This air station became their home base for the rest of the week. At this time, their ten-hour days began. Day after day, hour after hour, sitting cramped in the airplane, the tedium of flying ignored, the two Auxiliarists flew mission after mission. They found sleep, even on an air mattress, to be most welcome each night.

Transporting helicopter pilots to Naval Air Station New Orleans for flight duty, FEMA personnel to Gulfport, Mississippi, and medicine to Corpus Christi or Alexandria were some of the missions Marx and Bahr carried out within the 500-mile radius area of responsibility (AOR). Mel Marx said, "The volunteers we carried were necessary civilian workers and medical personnel -- all worker bees."

When asked about his experiences, Marx immediately responded, " It was very gratifying be able to participate and contribute to help salvage something from the horrors we witnessed firsthand that you folks at home saw on television."

FMI: www.cgaux.org