WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY TO
WCCO4 NEWS AT THE FAIR, THE
FIRST DAY OF THE GREAT
MINNESOTA GET TOGETHER.
AS WE REFLECT ON THE WORST
NATIONAL DISASTER, ONE OF HER
OWN SHARES HER STORY.
THERE WAS ONE MAN'S
HEARTACHE DURING HURRICANE
KATRINA, IT'S A PROMISE HE KEPT
TO HIS LATE WIFE.
SHE WAS SENT THERE TO CHASE THE
STORM.
HE RECALLS COVERING KATRINA AND
A HE FRIENDSHIP PERFORMED.
WE STARTED OUR COVERAGE IN
PANAMA CITY FLORIDA, AS THE
STORM TRACKED WEST SO DID WE.
WE SPENT A HARROWING NIGHT IN
PEARL RIVER LOUISIANA, THE
AUGUST OF AUGUST 29TH, NO CELL
SERVICE OR A WAY TO REACH OUR
STATION OR FAMILIES.
UNFORGETTABLE DRIVE TO BY
LOCKSY MINNESOTA WHERE WE WOULD
LEARN THE TRUE TOLL OF THE
FAMILY.
THEY WANDERED ON TO THE CREW OF
THE GRANDSON RELIVING HOW THE
HOME FLIGHT WILL SPLIT IN TWO.
THE WALL OPENED UP IN TWO.
WHO WAS WITH YOU?
MY WIFE.
SHE GONE.
THANK YOU CAN'T FIND YOUR
WIFE.
NO, SHE TOLD -- I TRIED.
I HOLD HER HEAD AS TIGHT AS
SHE COULD AND SHE TOLD ME, YOU
CAN'T HOLD ME, TAKE CARE OF THE
KIDS AND THE GRAND KIDS.
WHERE ARE YOU GUYS GOING.
WE DON'T GOT NOWHERE TO GO,
I'M LOST, THAT'S ALL I HAD,
THAT'S ALL I HAD.
AS ONE ARTICLE WRITTEN ABOUT
KATRINA SAID, JACKSON'S
PERSONAL TRAGEDY BECAME THE
SYMBOL OF THE SUFFERING FROM
THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN KATRINA
AND MILLIONS OF AMERICANS
WITNESSED HIS PAIN, ONE THING
NEVER WAIVERED HIS UNDYING LOVE
FOR HIS WIFE AND HIS PROMISE TO
TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS AND GRAND
KIDS.
SOON AFTER KATRINA, THEY
BOUGHT THE FAMILY A HOME NEAR
ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
I MOVED NEAR THE WORK A
SHORT TIME LATER.
AND HARDY KEPT HIS PROMISE
TO STRUGGLE TO KEEP ENDS MISS.
HE LOST HIS 32-YEAR-OLD
DAUGHTER TO CANCER IN 2011.
TO SEE YOUR KIDS FADE AWAY
IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE, YOU
KNOW, IT HURTS.
HE CONTINUED TO RAISE HER
TWO SONS CHRIS AND DION, THE
ONES WHO WERE WITH HIM WHEN WE
FIRST MET.
AND IT'S A PROMISE HE KEPT
AFTER HIS OWN LUNG CANCER
DIAGNOSIS.
IF I GO NOW, AT LEAST I DID
DO SOMETHING RIGHT, YOU KNOW, I
DIDN'T GIVE UP, I DIDN'T GIVE
UP.
HE SHARED WITH ME WHAT I
WANTED FOR HIS KIDS AND GRAND
KIDS, A BETTER LIFE, A LIFE
WITHOUT STRUGGLE AND PAIN.
IT'S WHAT HE STRIVED TO GIVE
THEM.
I WANT TO SEE THEM WITH A
SMILE ON THEIR FACE YOU KNOW.
HE DIED IN MARCH OF 2013, AT
THE END HE KNEW HE MADE GOOD ON
THAT PROMISE TO TAKE CARE OF
THE KIDS AND THE GRAND KIDS.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT CHRIS AND
DION FOUND STRENGTH WITHIN
THEMSELVES TO PUSH FORWARD TO
FULFILL THEIR OWN HOPES OF
DREAMS OF GRANDPARENTS AND
MOTHER.
CHRIS AND DION ARE THE FIRST TO
GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND
CHRIS JUST STARTED COLLEGE.
HARDY JACKSON THE MAN WHO
CAUGHT THE NATION'S ATTENTION
WITH HIS ANGUISH AND DESPAIR IS
PROOF THAT THROUGH THE TOUGHEST
OF TIMES SOMETIMES LOVE% VEERS.
JENNIFER TELLS US HE HOPES
TO FOLLOW IN HIS OLDER
BROTHER'S FOOTSTEPS, TO GO TO
COLLEGE.
AND JENN GETS MESSAGES