http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_al_gore_katrina.htmAl Gore Airlifted Hurricane Katrina Victims out of New Orleans
Netlore Archive: Email flier credits former vice-president Al Gore with arranging the airlift evacuation of more than 140 hospital patients from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Description: Email flier
Circulating since: Sep 2005
Status: True
Analysis: See below
Email example contributed by Salli J., 12 September 2005:
Subject: A Story You Will Not Hear Dear Ones, Here is a story you will not hear on the endless media reports about Louisiana, because the man involved will do no interviews and has only told the press that he wants no mention of his action, lest it be "politicized".
Al Gore, private citizen with, certainly, a certain clout, began an initiative on Thursday, September 1st. He personally and privately rented and American Airlines jet and crew, got a doctor friend of his and several nurses, and on Saturday morning, he flew to Louis Armstrong airport in New Orleans, gathered up 140 elderly and ill people from the triage center there and flew them to the Knoxville, Tennessee airport. They were met by relief workers who unloaded the plane and took the people to area hospitals which were on alert and ready to welcome the people. After being checked out, those who were able were taken to a Red Cross shelter set up at a local church. Mr. Gore and his doctor had intended to make a second trip on Saturday, but the undertaking - the loading on and the loading off took several hours each, and by the time he could go back to N.O., it was getting dark and, of course, there are no landing lights at the airport in N.O. Sunday, they flew to Dallas and collected another planeload of evacuees and brought them to Chattanooga. That's as far as my information goes. I only know this because the local paper was at the Knoxville airport and got pictures of the people and Mr. Gore moving among them, helping them off the plane. His doctor spoke briefly to the local press, saying,"Al called and asked for help. So here I am."
This is the man we elected president.
Comments: True. According to press accounts, former vice-president Al Gore arranged and at least partially paid for the airlift evacuation of 270 patients from Charity Hospital in New Orleans on September 3 and 4, 2005 after being notified of desperate conditions at the facility by Dr. David Kline, a neurosurgeon who once treated Gore's son after an automobile accident. The first group of 140 patients was transferred to Knoxville, Tennessee, while the second group, numbering 130, was airlifted to Chatanooga.
To date, Gore himself has not spoken publicly of these actions.
Sources and further reading:
Al Gore Airlifts Katrina Victims out of New Orleans
Associated Press, 9 September 2005
Setting an Example (Editorial)
Houston Chronicle, 12 September 2005
Last updated: 09/19/05