Flood Rescue Volunteers Are Inspirational

Harry Smith: Natural Disaster Brings Out The Best In Red River Flood Victims

(CBS)  CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds had a wonderful piece on Sunday Morning this week.

Reynolds has been in Fargo, N.D. and Moorhead, Minn. covering the efforts to hold back the flood waters of the Red River.

What Reynolds focused in on was the remarkable volunteer effort that filled and distributed millions - yes millions - of sand bags.

Tens of thousands of volunteers showed up. And the point Reynolds made so eloquently was the only reason they were there was to help their neighbors.

I had a similar experience in 1993 when the Mississippi River flooded.

After reporting all day we’d go over to work the sand bag lines. We met people who drove hundreds of miles, worked dozen hour days, fed themselves and even found their own places to sleep.

These were people giving of themselves for something greater than themselves.

After weeks of TARP and TALF and bailouts and bonuses, these volunteers were the best story.