Forest Service decision to deny air drop hinders recovery effort
I and six of my horses recently had the wonderful yet sad experience of participating in the expedition to search for and ultimately recover the remains of Noah Pippin.
Noah, a Marine, served three tours of duty to Iraq where he fought in the first battle for Fallujah and survived a suicide bomber attack. He also served with the Los Angeles Police Department, and at the time of his disappearance in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Sept. 15, 2010, was a member of the California National Guard.
Noah’s family refused to quit searching for him for the past two years. His parents, Mike and Rosalie, and his brother, Caleb, recently traveled to Montana to continue a personal search. The family is a remarkable story of faith, fortitude, and perseverance in search for a son and brother when there seemed little hope of success.
Although none were asked, when several U.S. Border Patrol agents in Whitefish and Eureka heard of the situation, they were moved to help in some way, even to taking their own time to participate in the search. Eight of these agents hiked the entire nearly 20 miles in, carrying heavy packs, to provide support for their fellow Federal agents.
As citizens we should be proud to have men of such character, skill, compassion, and toughness helping protect us! One would do better to pluck the hairs from a hungry lion’s nostrils than mess with these guys!!!
This began the amazing interagency and multi-county effort to once again search for Noah.
This joint effort by Flathead and Lewis and Clark Counties, Border Patrol, agents from the Office of Field Operations in Roosville, L & C Search and Rescue, and ultimately Montana National Guard, was a study on how government agencies — and even real people — can work together as public servants for the common good.
Several excellent and knowledgeable civilian volunteers also contributed time and critical expertise, including John Fuller of Whitefish who volunteered and brought three horses to the effort, and Ralph Thornton, whose knowledge of the country was very helpful.
NO THANKS, however, to the U.S. Forest Service bureaucrat who denied common sense, the plea and request of the family of this missing war hero, and requests from the other agencies involved for simple permission for an air drop of personnel, materials, and supplies, for the men.
Often those behind the desk have no idea how their decisions impact real men on the ground. I would like him (or her) to get the backside of his lap astride a horse and/or shoulder a heavy pack and hike to the area and realize the amount of pain, problems, logistics, and killing of time his decision caused the entire search party. This was bureaucratic inefficiency and game playing at its most foolish and maddening heights.
Such nonsense causes men of normal sensitivities to say, “I love my country, it is my government that worries me!” No doubt he can hide behind some regulation somewhere, and yet is there no role for common sense and human compassion? If indeed the law is the problem, it needs changed not strengthened.
This decision kept 19 men from the possibility of four days of searching because of having to hike and move camp when they could have been on a more suitable and ecologically friendly site in 15 minutes. It also caused several minor injuries and exhausted most of the team and stock before the actual search could be mounted.
It forced the stock to pack extra heavy and awkward loads many miles, and since they had to pack in the supplies for the group, they could carry no feed for themselves, forcing them to forage for what meager food was available in hurried conditions.
Whereas there could have been a home run in interagency cooperation, helping bring a missing war hero home, comfort and closure to a grieving family, and honor to the many dedicated, hardworking, common sense Forest Service personnel, this foolish and short-sighted decision brings reproach on the whole agency.
Fortunately courageous and strong men went ahead in the face of the profoundly added difficulties and brought the mission to a stunningly successful conclusion. For all who DID cooperate together, GREAT JOB!
In partial redemption to the Forest Service, permission was granted to permit a Montana National Guard helicopter to fly in Sheriff Dutton and the detective and recovery team, and extract Noah’s remains and many of the men and much of the gear.
Thank God for His clear hand upon this matter, and for such men willing and available to “serve and protect,” and for answering the prayers of this family and all those of faith that supported them. I am profoundly proud and grateful to have been permitted to share the company of such men.
Noah …. Thank you for your service and may you genuinely rest in peace. And to the Pippin family, may the God of all comfort supply you the peace of God that surpasses all understanding in your loss.
— Larry L. Lautaret