Author Topic: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still  (Read 1733 times)

Leatherneck

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,028
Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« on: December 31, 2006, 12:38:25 PM »
Two years ago tonight, in a tipsy New Year's Eve call to my son, Scott, I announced my intention to travel to Thailand to see what I could do to help those wonderful folks, who were always kind to me during the Vietnam war. Scott's immediate reaction was: "I wanna go too." Over the next few days, it became apparent that yours truly was not going to be allowed to go on an unsupervised trip to SEA without serious repercussions at work in the Pentagon. Scott went ahead.

When he got there, he migrated to Khao Lak, in PhuKet Province, where the destruction had been near total. He assisted as part of the growing group of young volunteers from all over the world, doing things ranging from body recovery, facial reconstruction of corpses on a computer, miscellaneous help-tasks, to finally, addressing the destitute fishermen whose boats had been destroyed, and whose families now had no means of support. He and I are water-guys (He,too, was a U.S. Marine grin) and he migrated to the waterfront. First task was to build temporary quarters for the Bhuddist Monks, who had been rendered homeless by the waves; that done, he discerned the solution to the fisher-families' plight: build new fishing boats.

The traditional fishing boat in those parts is a 9-metre "Longtail", built plank-on-frame, and Scott and I had done some of that style building over the years. We had no experience with the pilaster-mounted "stinger" style outdrive, but there was some local talent available.

The Monks, who are in charge of disposing of old-growth teak and mahogany logs confiscated by poachers, smiled on Scott's project. Lumber was a woodworker's wet dream.

Scott negotiated a deal for a couple acres of waterfront land with the owner for a period of two years, after which whatever improvements would revert to the owner. That's february, 2007. He then honchoed the building of a boatyard and machine shop on the property, and commenced building longtails. They've produced over 100 in the last two years, giving them to local fishermen in return for one week's labor by said fisher during the construction of his boat.

He sold his business and home shortly after he got into the project, and realizes it's time to come home. His approach to coming home and having a place to live is rather unique,  and Scott-ish: he's building a 72-foot schooner and intends to sail it home to South Carolina and live aboard until his next calling becomes apparent.

The ship is progressing fast, with the hull nearly planked, and the two 80-foot masts under construction. Dad's helping a little, with advice about routes homeward, self-defense on the high seas, an iridium satphone, etc.

I'll be happy to keep you guys posted, and will appreciate any sage advice you care to offer. You can see details, pictures, and commentary at Scott's website: tsunamiboatproject.com

TC
TC
RT Refugee

Monkeyleg

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 14,589
  • Tattaglia is a pimp.
    • http://www.gunshopfinder.com
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2006, 12:54:46 PM »
Sounds like an outstanding young man.

Handy, too. Can you loan him to me for a few months? Wink

Leatherneck

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,028
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2006, 01:08:50 PM »
Yup. He's a pride to me. All on his own .

TC
TC
RT Refugee

wingnutx

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 927
  • Danish Cartoonist
    • http://www.punk-rock.com
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2006, 01:23:10 PM »
That sounds like an amazing project.


roo_ster

  • Kakistocracy--It's What's For Dinner.
  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 21,225
  • Hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2006, 01:35:38 PM »
Out.  Effing.  Standing.

I htink that is about the coolest aid project I have ever heard of.
Regards,

roo_ster

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.”
----G.K. Chesterton

Leatherneck

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,028
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2006, 01:40:43 PM »
Yep. Dumped his life for two years of helping over there. I can't believe I actually fathered this man.

TC
TC
RT Refugee

Sergeant Bob

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5,861
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2006, 06:23:56 PM »
Yep. Dumped his life for two years of helping over there. I can't believe I actually fathered this man.

TC
You done real good Pop. What a cool son! He should go real far in life with his kind of attitude and drive.

You did father a real man.
Personally, I do not understand how a bunch of people demanding a bigger govt can call themselves anarchist.
I meet lots of folks like this, claim to be anarchist but really they're just liberals with pierced genitals. - gunsmith

I already have canned butter, buying more. Canned blueberries, some pancake making dry goods and the end of the world is gonna be delicious.  -French G

Stand_watie

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,925
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2006, 07:17:23 PM »
Wow. I think that is so cool. Not just what Scott has done for the Thai's but what he's done for himself, and what the Thai's have done for him...imagine if you will (not a real imagining, but a "what if" imagining, supposing in a parallell universe a Scott who doesn't do anything worthwhile with his life from here on out) if he's a degenerate for the rest of his life, and dies at 99, lonely and sad, until on his deathbed, he thinks of his time in Thailand, and thinks, "Man, that's the one time I really did something worthwhile..something great...that one thing right there made my life worth living....

Obviously the fact that he had the chutzpah to do what he did makes the last paragraph moot...
Yizkor. Lo Od Pa'am

"You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead fingers"

"Never again"

"Malone Labe"

RocketMan

  • Mad Rocket Scientist
  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,700
  • Semper Fidelis
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2007, 05:12:17 AM »
You raised an outstanding young man, Leatherneck.  Good job.

Semper Fi to both of you.

RocketMan
Former USMC NCO
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

cosine

  • Administrator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,734
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2007, 05:13:50 AM »
You have quite a son Leatherneck. You should be very proud.
Andy

280plus

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19,131
  • Ever get that sinking feeling?
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2007, 01:34:51 PM »
Add my exuberant "WELL DONE!!" to the list!  grin

Avoid cliches like the plague!

grampster

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 9,463
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2007, 04:33:08 PM »
LN,

There ought to be a book in what he has done and how he gets home.

"Never wrestle with a pig.  You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."  G.B. Shaw

Leatherneck

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,028
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2007, 01:24:11 AM »
I agree, Gramps: and with the vagueness of his ultimate plans for *the rest of his life* documenting his 2-3 year adventure may be a needed source of income. As close as we are, I haven't been able (via international phone calls) to break out what, exactly, he intends to do when he returns stateside. I don't worry, because he's always made the most of any opportunity that arose; but myself, I'm a little more anal-retentive and like to have a plan, or at least a strategy for life. Whatever is in the cards for Scott, it likely will involve boats, building, philanthropy and maybe Thailand and some of the friends he's made there. maybe a Jimmy Carter guy with boats instead of houses? Maybe brokering one-of-a kind yachts to be built there and sailed home. One a year would provide a pretty good income. We'll see, I guess.

Thanks for all the compliments.

TC
TC
RT Refugee

280plus

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19,131
  • Ever get that sinking feeling?
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2007, 02:56:32 AM »
I just remembered I saw my Thai friend a few weeks back and I asked him about the coup. He said it was a good thing, now the rightful people are back in power from what I could gather. It just so happens I have to go back to his place this week, are there any specific questions you'd like me to ask? PM if you don't want to post them here.
Avoid cliches like the plague!

Dave Markowitz

  • friend
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 137
    • http://blogostuff.blogspot.com/
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2007, 09:53:42 AM »
What a great story!  He should write a book about the experience.

crt360

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,206
Re: Leatherneck's Son: Tsunami relief, still
« Reply #15 on: January 02, 2007, 10:35:55 AM »
That is most impressive.  It's good to know that hard working, innovative leaders like your son are out there changing the world.  Excellent website, too.  I shared it with a few others who were likewise moved and pass on their compliments.  You raised a fine kid and I wish him well in his future adventures.
For entertainment purposes only.