VIDEO | Watch Friday’s F-15 flyover at St. Tammany Health System in Covington
Two Louisiana Air National Guard F-15 Strike Eagles fly over St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington on Friday, May 1, 2020. (Photo by Tim San Fillippo / STHS )
By STHS Communication Department
The Louisiana Air National Guard gave the team at St. Tammany Health System a high-flying salute midday Friday (May 1), in the form of a flyover from two F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jets.
Several dozen members of the staff at the Covington hospital fanned out over the parking lot awaiting the aerial display, while countless others peered from the facility’s upper-floor windows.
Those gathered -- doctors, nurses, administrators and other healthcare workers -- broke out in applause as the jets finally came into view around 12:11 p.m. for the first of what would be multiple passes over a 25-minute period.
It was the latest in what has been a staggering communitywide outpouring of support for STHS since the start of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. Others have included signs erected on hospital grounds, a visit from members of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and donations of food from myriad restaurants and community groups.
Friday’s flyover, originating from the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in New Orleans, was part of a larger display of gratitude organized by Barksdale Air Force Base and the Louisiana Air National Guard and which saw flyovers at hospitals throughout the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas.
“We thank the dedicated men and women who are in the front line combating the COVID-19 health crisis,” Maj. Gen. James Dawkins Jr., commander of the 8th Air Force and Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, said in a news release. “The special … demonstrations are not only a tribute to these individuals, but also serve as a visible reminder of Americans’ solidarity and drive during a very challenging time.”