Blowing in the wind Redux

Surprise! I made it through another year. Older and wiser. This will probably be a day of introspection as I remember how things were and how they have changed; I guess that goes with the territory. And here I am, listening and watching reports of Hurricane Gustav as it comes ashore in New Orleans. Live and in color. Amazing.

Right outside the window I have some local sound effects for the hurricane coverage; our own wind gusts are now into the 35 mph range. New Orleans=steady at 67 mph with gusts to 117. No comparison, but it makes for more realism. Especially when I just crack the window open a little bit and generate that eerie moaning sound. Music to watch hurricanes by.

Yes, I have been in a hurricane. Hurricane Donna, in September of 1960 while I was stationed at the Naval Hospital in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. All very exciting for a twenty year old from California.

Now here’s a shocker. I just Googled Camp Lejeune so that I could place a link in the post and I read the section on History and Pollution. (About halfway down the page)

“In 1982, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were found to be in Camp Lejeune's drinking water supply. VOC contamination of groundwater can cause birth defects and other ill health effects in pregnant and nursing mothers. This information was not made public for nearly two decades when the government attempted to identify those who may have been exposed.”

“…numerous base housing areas were affected by the contamination, including Tarawa Terrace, Midway Park, Berkeley Manor, Paradise Point, Hadnot Point, Hospital Point, and Watkins Village.”

Shocked? No, not really. Just typical.