Finding Higher Ground, May 25, 2011

Finding Higher Ground in Mississippi & Tennessee

© Gordon McCall, May 25, 2011

8 a.m. – Directly to the police chief’s to get him to sign the release form for the film. Had to wait 45 minutes but eventually he came out signed the release, wished us well and we were off for breakfast. Ended up at a Cracker Barrel. I was finally able to make contact with Willie for his interview but he said he wouldn’t be free until noon and that he’d call us. I have a feeling he really doesn’t want to do this, which is fine because he has much bigger issues to deal with. His sister’s house is under the water and he’s trying to find a way to rebuild it.

Went to the antique store for Kent to pick up a small item for his daughter, discovered that Rich had sat on his glasses and broken them in two. We made an emergency stop at an opticians and, low and behold, for $25 they gave him new frames, installed the glasses and we were on our way.

10 a.m. – We are watching a re-enactment, interactive map in the Visitor’s shop at the National Military Park that was once the battlefield of the seige of Vicksburg during the Civil War. This battle and Gettysburg turned the war forever in favor of the union.

10:30 – We begin our tour. In order to get through it in 2 hours or so you have to drive, it’s so big and the battle covered so much ground.

Our concerns that the battlefield might be under Mississippi flood waters is unfounded since the defensive perimieter of the city, which was besieged by Grant and his army, is high up on the bluffs that surround the town. The bluffs and the Mississippi were supposed to be impregnable defenses and they were for a time. A few earlier attempts to dislodge the soldiers by the Union Army failed. But Grant finally outflanked the Confederate garrison by making the risky move of going deep behind enemy lines and coming at the town from the southeast, exactly where they didn’t expect it and couldn’t really defend it.

Our visit to the battlefield has turned out to be a truly memorable and moving journey through an incredibly well-maintained national historic site. We couldn’t have imagined it before seeing it. It’s also the first Civil War battlefield I’ve visited and it was definitely worth the wait.

The battle was very complex and protracted. A total of twenty thousand men were lost in the fighting. When you walk the field and see the monuments and the gravesites, along with the incredibly hilly geography of the place, it’s astounding. And very moving.

We finished the tour about 12:30.  I think we've ended up with many great photos and video clips. I had a profoundly moving experience standing alone inside the rotunda of the great Illinois monument. It's open skylight is incredible. You look straight up and see the clouds floating by miles above and feel the weight of the history decorating the marble walls surrounding you. When you speak, even softly your voice echoes. For me its the perfect acoustical accompaniment to this history - voices from the past echoing through time.


12:45 p.m. I just phoned Willie and no answer so we’ve decided that his interview is not going to happen. He had indicated he'd get back to us but he didn't so we'll leave him to his own, more serious, concerns. We eat lunch at McCallisters and briefly re-visit the small privately owned Civil War museum.

Then we hit the road heading north. Our trip has taken us as far south as we could go. We’re simply out of time and money. But, I’m hugely grateful for what we’ve seen and what we’ve accomplished. We’ll definitely have a good film out of this when all is said and done. I figure the editing process will take a month or so. I’m also very grateful to Rich and Kent for their great partnership on this journey, and especially Kent for flying all the way from Canada for this event.

We head up Hwy 55. All has proceeded as normal, the day is bright and sunny but it’s about 3:30 p.m. and I just got word through my i-phone weather app (thanks Rick Thomas) that there’s a tornado watch in Memphis and Cape Girardeau, Missouri – both destinations we’re headed toward. We’ll be keeping a keen eye on the weather. Right now it’s 84 degrees and sunny with a beautiful blue sky but that can change quickly.

5 p.m. and the situation has definitely deteriorated. The sky is black with scudding clouds, wind is high and radio reports are saying there’s definitely a massive weatherfront and tornado heading to Memphis from Arkansas. We discuss options like trying to head back the way we came, head west, head east but nothing makes sense. We decide we have to make a run for Memphis and try to get a hotel room. I imagine many people will be trying to do the same thing so it could be tricky getting a room.

The reason no other option makes sense is we’ve just discovered we’re already well inside the massive weather front and couldn’t possibly outrun it in any direction. Just a few minutes ago we had discussed, at my urging, to go back to Tunica to get a photo of the Blue and White restaurant. But that means traveling  back roads and adding an extra half hour. I decide it’s not worth it. Everyone agrees. We instead decide to check into the nearest hotel that looks substantial – i.e. has a chance of surviving a tornado even if damaged. In simpler terms- thick walls! After learning that the death toll in Joplin, Missouri is now 125 and counting and that 10 people were lost in a tornado in Oklahoma yesterday, we are definitely concerned.

5:30 p.m. – the tornado warnings are coming thick and fast. There may be more than one.

6:00 p.m. – all radio stations are on emergency broadcast. We apparently have 24 minutes to find shelter.

6:15 – south Memphis – we head to a Hilton. No rooms available. We dash over to a Comfort Inn – thank God – rooms available and the 4 story structure looks strong. We check in, go to our rooms, I prepare an emergency kit with my backpack and return to the lobby to watch the news with Rich and Kent and other guests. There is is concern in the room. We watch the pending tornado approach us. Massive thunder, lighting and wind. Sky a strange yellow color. Rain starts hurtling downward, a massive downpour. We go to Kent’s room  to watch and wait. We discover Tunica may take a direct hit. That’s unbelievable after what they’ve been through with the river. I also can’t help but think how our instinct saved us from making a side trip there a few minutes ago. But miracle of miracles, by 7:30 the tornado has passed over us and not touched down. In fact by 8:30 it is reduced to a severe storm and Memphis is left unscathed. That was truly scary. Big sigh of relief, phone calls home, which we’ve all been doing regularly throughout the afternoon. Everyone’s relived. Irony of ironies, Lafayette, Indiana where both Rich and I live is under tornado watch. While we’ve been dealing with it here in Memphis, Eloise and Leslie have been dealing with it at the other end. Eloise has prepared the basement for emergency as we discussed. Fortunately, this also turns out to be a severe storm with no tornado touchdown. Unfortunately, one did touch down in Lafayette a couple of weeks ago – no loss of life but the threat is oh so real.

We head to our respective rooms and beds. I leave my tv on for emergency reports. Exhausted.