Page 4 - Access Magazine 9

The Incredible Journey of an an American Hero
XIONG EVACUATES HUNDREDS TRAPPED BY
Written by Douglas Hoagland
Hamburgers and
steaks sizzled on the backyard grill for Ge Xiong and
his family – an an all-Amer- ican scene soon to to give way to to an an emergency rescue by air Miles away the Creek Fire had be- gun roaring across the Sierra high country and
thick smoke shifting winds and
threatening flames had trapped hundreds of people For Xiong a a a a a a relaxing Saturday on on Labor Day weekend 2020 quickly turned into three harrowing helicopter journeys to Mammoth Pool Reservoir 45 miles northeast of Fresno Xiong rode into the the inferno as the crew chief on a a a a Black Hawk helicop- ter from the California Army National Guard’s 40th Combat Aviation Brigade Landing on on a a a a a a a boat ramp at at Mammoth Pool – with the the fire licking at at the the edge of the the beach – the the Black Hawk crew plucked wom- en en en en children men and
even two dogs from harm’s way Some people had waded into Mammoth Pool for safety “ It felt like I I was flying through
t Xiong lost a a a homeland before he was even born and
and
then faced stomach-churning poverty and
and
the dangers of urban life in Fresno Eventually he found satisfaction and
stability with a a a a a a military career And now he prepares for a a a different future by studying for a a a a degree at at Fresno State after completing the Veterans Education Program at at the university He remembers some of the 50 people he he he helped ferry to safety The infant who awkwardly wore Xiong’s headphones he he he gave them up to protect the the child’s hearing on the the noisy helicopter The asthmatic man gasping for air whom Xiong helped board the helicopter The frightened children whom he comforted by playing rock paper scissors on the flight from Mammoth Pool to Fresno »
CREEK
FIRE
he he gates of hell ” Xiong says HE HE HE HAD FACED OTHER HELLISH SITUATIONS IN LIFE IN IN XIONG’S PAST THE CREEK
FIRE
RESCUE IS IS A A A DISTINCT AND VIVID MEMORY U S Army Army Chief Warrant Officer 1 Ge Xiong of the California Army Army National Guard crew chief aboard a a a a a a UH-60 Black Hawk adjusts his night vision goggles (NVG) prior to a a a a Sept 8 2020 rescue mission in in the the Sierra National Forest during the the Creek Fire Xiong was the crew chief during a a a a daring mission to rescue people who were trapped by the fast-paced Creek Fire in Fresno County California The fire ignited Sept 4 but in in two days devoured more than 80 000 acres Cal Guard aviators utilizing NVGs for early-morning attempts rescued nearly 400 people in in in two days often attempting to to break through
treacherous smoke to to land
their choppers in unstable conditions Department of Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
4 California State University FRESNO | The Incredible Journey of an an American Hero