GRAND ISLE, La., - The connection between Soldiers of the
Louisiana National Guard's 922nd Horizontal Engineer Company and the
community becomes even stronger as they work to prevent oil from affecting
the coastline here.
The 922nd worked on the west side of Elmer's Island, May 16, to build a rock
and sand barrier that will block oil from coming into an estuary and
affecting wildlife.
"A lot of Soldiers, just like me, grew up fishing in areas like this," said
Sgt. Ray A. Duplechain, an engineer with the 922nd HEC. "My dad would bring
me here for vacation. This is where I learned most of my fishing skills."
Duplechain, a native of Baton Rouge, La., felt a strong connection with the
community and the project the unit was tasked to do.
"To hear about the oil spill possibly coming into this area, you sort of go
into a protection mode," Duplechain said. "We want to keep it safe so that
future generations can enjoy it just like when we were kids."
With the ongoing coverage of the oil spill, children are already getting a
glimpse of the work that Soldiers are doing.
"My two oldest kids, ages six and seven, see the National Guard on the news
and they say 'That's my daddy. He's helping people,'" said 1st Lt. Nathaniel
F. Jenkins, executive officer for the 922nd HEC.
After operating out of Grand Isle, La., for over a week, the Soldiers of the
922nd HEC, headquartered in Gonzales, La., continue to show excitement for
what they do.
"A lot of the Soldiers, especially those who just graduated Advanced
Individual Training, say they're enjoying the experience of working on these
missions," said Jenkins, an Alexandria, La. native.
"We're on the beach protecting what we love. It can't get better than
this," Duplechain said.