nyj50: the Ivan report


Parts of this entry based on previous emails sent to family members.

Everyone seems to be jumping on the Hurricane Ivan bandwagon, so it seems time I weigh in.

Monday I got a call from my "little" brother Josh, who has been stationed for several months at the Marine base in Pensacola, Fl. Since Ivan had recently been identified as a class 5 storm, the troops from his base were being bussed to Albany, GA.

Josh didn't sound very happy about it — mostly because of how this could disrupt their schedule. It is also unknown how much damage the storm could do to the base and their facilities, which would further disrupt his classes by creating a lot of repair work that he might have to be involved in. At least the troops seem well-positioned, from an organizational standpoint, to deal with such.

Latest word from him is that the 1,200 troops are being housed in an Albany, GA hangar furnished with 600 cots. Yes, you read that right: two men to a rack. Swell way to prepare for a 21st birthday! He turns 21 the 21st, by which time the troops will hopefully be back in Florida (word is they leave Saturday). Who knows what will await them there...

My friend Jessica, who recently moved to Florida from Indiana, has already survived the traumas of two storms and was quite anxious in an Ivan-related email earlier this week. As a woman on my Brooklyn street put it today: "The universe is a strange place these days."

posted @ 06:57 PM on Wed - September 15, 2004 remark! Email |  as quoted:
before I said ...  but more recently: 

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