PORT ANGELES — Thanks and gratitude mixed with a sense of apology from Army Col. H. Charles Hodges Jr., the garrison commander of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, were felt after Hodges spoke to about 30 local residents gathered at tonight’s Port Angeles City Council meeting.
Hodges, dressed in Army camouflage, addressed both City Council members and residents and again apologized for unannounced training flights that brought Army helicopters over Port Angeles.
Reports from residents indicated that the helicopters arrived about 10:30 p.m. and stayed in the area until shortly before midnight Thursday. Some residents claimed they heard helicopters until 2 a.m.
“We didn’t do the public notification that we typically do,” Hodges said.
“Again, I apologize for that particular fact.”
Some residents thanked Hodges for his apology while others made clear they felt the apology was not needed, even faulting Port Angeles Mayor Cherie Kidd for asking for an apology in the first place.
“You do not owe us an apology; we owe you our deepest heartfelt thanks,” Port Angeles resident Robert Summers said during the public comment period.
“And you, Mayor Kidd, I hope you liked your 15 minutes of fame. A simple oversight blown to this, it’s disgusting.”
Hodges met with Kidd at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma Monday morning to talk about this issue.
Hodges had apologized at the meeting to Kidd for not informing city or emergency officials, such as the Port Angeles Police Department, that Army helicopter would be flying over Port Angeles last Thursday night.
Pilots flew four tandem-rotor, heavy-lift CH-47 Chinooks and an unspecified number of MH-60 Black Hawks attack helicopters, some of which had landing lights shining as though they were aimed at the houses underneath.
Port Angeles Richard Lord said he was concerned about the military’s presence over the city and asked again why public was not notified about such training exercises.
“W’ere all wondering why we’re being treated this way,” Lord said.
The training exercises involved flying to and from Coast Guard Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles on Ediz Hook in Port Angeles Harbor, Hodges said.
The flight paths to and from the Coast Guard station took them over Port Angeles, Hodges said, though the helicopters at no time hovered over the city.
Hodges said the helicopters, which kept above 750 feet in altitude, were not shining lights down on homes, though they were using landing light that could have been perceived as shining downward.
