This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way.
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The May 22, 2011 Joplin tornado remains one of the costliest tornadoes in American history. Despite this, the disaster brought out the best in many people wanting to help in any way they could. One of those people was Thad Buehler, who found a unique way to lend a hand to his fellow neighbor by founding the National Disaster Photo Rescue Organization, a group which seeks to reunite people with their lost photographs after disasters like Joplin. Take it away, Thad.
Well, I am Thad Beeler. I live in Carthage, Missouri. And am from Joplin, Missouri, grew up there. I have multiple generations of family. that have grown up in Joplin.
I spent a great deal of time in the church. I grew up in the church, loved the church. I have spent time as a pastor and ministered to people there of all generations. It's been um A wonderful part of my life and It's what brought us here today to talk about the photo work we've done. It was a Sunday night.
It was six o'clock. and we had Bible study at the church in Carthage. And my parents live in Joplin. I knew the weather was getting bad. And I was on the phone with my dad.
And he was describing how The clouds and the atmosphere looked, and I looked outside and began to see some of it in Carthage, which was a Kind of a green. Look. to the clouds and to the sky and come to find out that was ground being churned up. While I was talking to my dad, I lost. connection with him.
on his cell phone. And um I tried several times to get a hold of him and I was concerned but not terribly concerned because Tornado sirens are something that we're very used to here. We don't necessarily React in a frantic manner, but we are always elevated during that time and. When I turned on the weather channel, I see Mike Bettis standing in front. What was left of the St.
John's Hospital. in Joplin. And we began to see insulation Okay. things dropping out of the sky all over Carthage. Uh For most people they would be concerned because of what they were seeing what maybe most would know is that my parents We're directly west.
of the hospital. About a mile. which means that the tornado had passed over their house before it got to the hospital.
So, as I talked to my wife, I said, You know, I'm going to come home here shortly. And I said, We're going to have to go to Joplin because I really didn't know. Yeah. Finally, I got down there, and it was dark by then. And um It was like driving into a Tunnel.
without lights. I got to the end of the lights, of the street lights, And The Lights of my truck just didn't seem to penetrate the darkness. I could see trees everywhere, cars turned upside down. Power lines down everywhere. There was a smell of gas, and there were fires and.
Every single Landmark From Road Sign The mailbox was gone. People are crawling out of their homes. There were people up and down the roads. wandering around as if um They just didn't know where they were. People were lost.
They were in their neighborhood. But they were lost. But I got to them and they were fine. What was a God's great miracle in their life was They didn't have a basement in their home. on a single-story house.
Yeah. And the neighborhood is loaded with trees.
Well, it just so happened that the big huge oak trees that surrounded their home all fell on the roof of their house. And if you've ever seen how a tornado works, it finds its weakest point of these structures and that's how it blows the roof off.
Well, it kept the roof from blowing off. except for a couple of areas of home, So when I see them, of course, they're ecstatic to see me. I'm glad that they're okay. I'm thankful that everything's fine. And I'm going by the grace of God you're still here because the neighbor's house, all that was left was the center stairwell.
So I spent time trying to assess their needs. They weren't hurt. They were unharmed. We settled them down, got them a place to be. And then I come back the next day.
And wow. When you come back the next day, you thought you didn't know it in the dark. You really don't know it in the day. There's a toaster in the kitchen. with half a tube before driven through it.
But what was amazing and that hit me not knowing what I know today. was I walked down the hallway of my parents' house. And the same things that were on the wall, and had always been on the wall when we grew up. We're still there. And that was the pictures.
Our photographs, our family photos. Our family photos were there and sitting there untouched. had not been moves, weren't turned cockeyed. Not even touched. And down the hallway I went into a bedroom which was at the far end and I looked out the window.
And it hit me. right then. My folks have their pictures. And the neighbor doesn't even have a house. Uh So the question comes is Where did it all go?
Mm. And you're listening to the voice of Thad Buehler. Joplin. torn to shreds on May 22nd. by a monstrous tornado.
167 people lost their lives. more property damage than anyone would care to witness. When we come back, More of Thad Beeler's story. Joplin's story. Here on Our American Stories.
Lee Habib here, and I'd like to encourage you to subscribe to Our American Stories on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, or wherever you get our podcasts. Any story you missed or want to hear again can be found there daily. Again, please subscribe to the Our American Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, or anywhere you get your podcasts. It helps us keep these great American stories coming. That feeling when you check your bank account and your paychecks days away.
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It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's get real about skincancer.com.
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This is Matt Rogers from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bo and Yang. This is Bo and Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bo and Yang. You know when people try a new food and suddenly it's like, wait. That's the reaction a lot of people are having when they first try Cupie Mayo. It's the one with the red cap and the little baby on the bottle.
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And we return to our American stories and the story of the National Disaster Photo Rescue Organization as told by its founder, Thad Buehler. Let's continue with the story. It is hard to know what is important in life. until you no longer have it. Our memories are caught in snapshots all over our home.
And we realize that without those snapshots, we are losing part of our memory. And I am sitting there walking through that from 100 feet with the neighbors of my parents. going, oh my gosh. All of those memories. all of those snapshots, they no longer have them.
And we still do. You you feel blessed, but all at the same time You weep for them. Because even though you have the joy of knowing you still have it and you still have your family, there are people who lost their lives. And then to think on top of that, maybe they were safe and maybe they were okay. But now they can build their house, but they no longer have That great wedding fixture.
That's sitting over the mantle, or their children's pictures of when they were born, you know, and mama cradling them, or memories at church, baptisms, none of that. We grieve that. Because there's nothing that takes the place of that picture. The people may be standing beside you, but the moment in time that those folks were together in that moment. is gone.
Well, as communities come together, and some communities. Come together better or quicker than others in the Joplin disaster. People came from everywhere and they came quickly and they wanted to help. Local communities wanted to help and just do something. to make a difference.
The people at the church wanted to do something. They were, most of them older, weren't able to get out and pick up pieces of wood and debris, but they could do something to try to help their neighbors. And that's when we had a gentleman come by the church. and said, I found a photograph in my yard. And he said, what am I supposed to do with it?
Yeah. And that's when Truly. when the idea of the National Disaster Photorescue was born. Uh We started asking questions, and we saw on Facebook. Good intending people from everywhere trying to connect these pictures that they were finding in their in their neighborhoods, in their backyards, in their farm fields, out in the street.
They were picking them up as they were trying to help people. They were posting them on Facebook, hoping that someone would see them so they could get them back. I sent a email, a blanket email off to the American Red Cross. Uh I had no idea what I was doing. I basically said a prayer before I said it and I said, God, if this is supposed to go somewhere or this means something, then bear fruit from it.
And so three days later, I got a call. from a gentleman, his name was Michael. And Michael said, I heard that you were interested in trying to return photographs. And he says, I've been looking for people that want to do the same thing. And he says, I will help you.
if you want to do this.
So with his help. With learning to do press releases and the right equipment and how we were supposed to scan. I don't know how he knew all these things. And I will tell you if you're a faith believer at all. Michael walked with me.
From About June of 2011. Through Christmas Day. Uh 2000. That was the last correspondence I heard from him. And Several times after that, I wanted to go back and tell him thank you.
and that I appreciated all the work and everything he had done. But he had disappeared. I went back to the American Red Cross and I said, I'm trying to find Michael. And they looked and searched. through everything and Long story short.
Michael doesn't exist. with the American Red Cross. I've done everything I can to find him.
So all of this has been put together. with the help of so many people, and faith-believing people, people in the community that just want to help. Yeah. Our first picture. photograph that we gave back.
was the 1st of September of 2011. Man, it was such a big Homecoming. For these Yeah. the picture back because they lost their mother. Oh.
Well, our local TV station, bless their hearts, was so helpful. And they would put three or five images that we selected every day. on an afternoon and evening broadcast. One photograph in particular was actually a s, it was a picture of pictures. And if you have one of those long mirrors that goes on the back of your bedroom door.
Someone had taken this green frame, removed the mirror, and placed photographs. There had to be a hundred pictures on that. Right. The next day I receive a phone call. from a lady who says, I think you may have My pictures.
She says, I saw it on the evening broadcast and I have to come and pick him up. Will you be there where I can pick him up tomorrow? And I said, yes. I didn't know specifically what she was referring to because she was so anxious to just come and pick it up. The next day she walks in and introduces herself.
And she says, The photograph I'm looking for actually is many photographs and it's in a green frame. I said Ma'am, we have your pictures. And she broke down. She could not hold it. And what I didn't understand more than just about the photographs and the fact that we had it.
was it was the only picture of her grandfather that was remaining was a little picture in the center of that frame. with him in a hat and a vest. Her life was on and in that frame. And She says I got my life back. I don't know how else to describe A situation where you give somebody something back and they say, I got my life back.
Because she did. And it was a blessing to me to know that I can make such a difference. over one frame in somebody's life. It changes you. When you hear stories like this, it changes you as a person.
First of all, you're so grateful and thankful to be there for them. You're thankful for your own life. and you realize just how important These little Seemingly unimportant pieces of paper. put people's lives together. By the way, we are still giving away pictures to this day.
Ten years later, we're still giving them back. In total, in Joplin, we've reunited. Right at 18,400 photographs. with over a thousand families. But for us, it's never been asking for something in return, only being willing to give to others.
so many times as a pastor. We tell our congregations that we need to be neighborly to those around us.
Sometimes we find it easier to give money. to someone who's going to a foreign land to spread the word of God. Than it is to be across the street from someone. Who's our neighbor to ask them? if you need God.
This is a ministry. That completely takes away that veil. We're not there trying to get money because we don't ask for anything. We're not asking for their time, we're not asking for anything except for them. to have something that is so special.
Back. What Jesus did on the cross. was to give his life and ask for nothing. and return. When we give something and ask for nothing in return, I don't know a more Christ-like thing.
It is exactly what we're supposed to be. in the shadow of the cross. Uh And a great job by Monty on the production, and a special thanks to Thad Buehler. And to find out more about the National Disaster Photo Rescue, Go to National Disasterphotorescue.org. That Bueller's Story.
Here on our American story. That feeling when you check your bank account and your paychecks days away. And of course, your calendar's all. Good news! With Chase Secure Banking, your direct deposit hits your bank account up to two days faster.
So when your friends are like, and your bills go, you have the peace your deposit brings. And the best part? There's no monthly service fee for 17 to 24-year-olds. Thanks to Chase Secure Banking. For Chase Secure checking only, eligible direct deposits may be credited up to two business days early, depending on when the payer submits the transaction.
Member FDIC. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint.
It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. US and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSEs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's get real about skincancer.com.
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Ready to race? Earn your competition license and learn real wheel-to-wheel racecraft. Stop watching, start driving. Go to racevir.com. That's racevir.com.
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