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Mallet, Pamlico, Saginaw, Cypress, Harry Claiborne, and Barbara Mabrity would help with the recovery effort. Before any rebuilding could begin, Sector Galveston needed some fixing-up. BM1 Ed Botting, assistant ATON officer in Galveston, began clearing space for cutters to tie-up as soon as he returned from Katy where he rode out the storm. “The first thing I did when I got back was jump on the forklift and start clearing debris off of the pier,” Botting said. “As soon as the boats were able to moor-up, we started delivering supplies,” he added. Coordinating the supply of buoys, range materials and day boards to so many cutters and small boats fell directly on the shoulders of Gulihur. “It’s a huge project that is very complex, but it’s getting done,” said Gulihur. In fact, the work was getting done at an incredible pace. The Houston Ship Channel was opened to tugs and barges in just four days and opened to deep-draft vessels within a week. It was so fast, barges were returning before most of the evacuees returned home. For two months, one disaster after another struck the Gulf. From fuel prices to flooded homes, everyone felt the effects and Coast Guardsmen weren’t immune. Many of the Galveston crew’s homes were flooded or destroyed. Many didn’t have a chance to move their cars at the Setor before their storm hit and returned to find them all destroyed by the massive storm surge. The wrecked cars sat in plain sight as they labored to reopen the channel, putting off their own personal recoveries. Across the Gulf, Station Grand Isle was flooded for the second time in two weeks, but the work continued there also. In spite of the spectacle left by Ike, and all they accomplished, Gulihar said this was the most amazing part. “We’ve got people who have lost everything, but they are still out here doing the job.” They always will. Pulling Together The crew of CGC Hatchet works to replace one of the many buoys damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ike, Sept. 22. Photo by PA3 William Mitchell, 9th Dist. The Lift BM1 Ed Botting pilots a fork lift through the Galveston buoy yard Sept. 17. Photo by PA3 Patrick Kelley, PADET Houston 34 Coast Guard — Issue 2, 2008 23 uscg.mil/mag