Phone Call from Haiti

Sam called this morning....yippee yahoo!

He and his platoon from the 82nd Airborne are living in an outbuilding at the Haitian University Hospital in Port-au-Prince (engineers have deemed it safe <---say a prayer on that one, will ya)... cots lining the rooms (literally touching each other) no running water, one electric outlet (guys are taking turns charging phones and ipods) muggy weather (90's during the day cooling slightly at night, they keep the windows open all the time) living in the same uniforms they arrived in (says you get used to the smell:) and reading or listening to music in their spare time. They are living on 2 MRE's a day and bottled water. As soon as I get a mailing address, I'm sending FOOD (and a few books).

The soldiers are providing security for the hospital, making sure only medical personnel and patients go in and out. They also ride on transport trucks to the airport, accompanying patients who need to be flown to the states or the hospital ship for more extensive treatment. The doctors have thanked them for being there, they feel much safer with a military presence. Sam has seen aid workers from all over the world, some are camping out on the hospital grounds, as are many of the patients.

He says that the Haitian people seem resigned to their situation but determined to survive and are happy to see the army guys wherever they go.

We are so proud of our son.....continued prayers for the military, aid personnel and the people of Haiti. May God's grace and mercy be shown and acknowledged.

SSgt. Julio Escareno with Charlie Company 1/132th watches as a woman is taken through the front gate of the Port Au Prince hospital complex after seeing doctors. Ft. Bragg's 82nd Airborne Division is tasked with security. The 82nd along with thousands of others are flooding into the country which was ravaged by a 7.0 earthquake a week ago to render aid and security.

Photo credit: Chuck Liddy. More on the situation at the hospital here.