FH in the Philippines

February 18, 2006

Just a little note from Japan...Fearless Husband's ship, the USS Essex, is in the Philippines now, and will be arriving at the village of Guinsaugon on the island of Leyte at daybreak on Sunday morning (our time--Saturday night your time) along with the USS Harpers Ferry to help with the devastating mudslide you may have read about. This is what he wrote to me this morning:

"We were pulling into port in the Philippines and just as the ship was ready to cast the lines to dock we got the word and pulled out again. We shut off last night (to stop rumor central) and didn't open up again until today after we got our marching orders. Go ahead and read the news for Philippine mud slide this week. We had to evacuate the spaces last night at 11:00. Being on a ship we have to be self sufficient which means we carry all sorts of stuff onboard--stuff like chemicals which sometimes leak. Nobody was in serious danger and we all got out in an orderly way."

FH is safe and sound, and he and his shipmates are glad they were already close, so they can help the disaster victims. The estimates are that around 1,800 people are feared dead, including 250 kids, mothers and teachers, who were celebrating "Women's Day" at a local elementary school. Please keep those in the Philippines, FH, and his shipmates in your thoughts and prayers.