Report from the leevee [View All]

[Skidmore]

My cousin is with the Corp of Engineers and has been down in NO for several days now, where the supplies they needed to do their jobs have been very slow in coming to them. This man's a Vietnam vet and has seen it all. He also hates * with passion. This is the e-mail I got this morning from his wife about their working conditions and his frustration with at pace of the work.


"The telephone lines there are so jammed. Try the FEMA offices in Ala. I call XXXX in the middle of the night as that is the only time I can reach him. He worked 18 hours yesterday filling sandbags for the levee. He is frustrated that things are moving so slow. They cut the funding for the Corp of Engineers this year back so far that they were on short crews anyway. They sent 4 people home the day after the levee broke and told then they didnt need them. He is catnapping on the floor of the barge. They do have sleeping bags. The mosquitos are terrible. Finally got hot food to them. These men are working day and night under bad conditions. Fished 3 bodies out of the river and were told to roll them in plastic and put them on the bank for pick up later. XXXX said at least in Viet Nam we brought our people out with dignity. "