Kruep's Corner

Fukashima 3-11-11

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3-11-11

I was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan on the USS George Washington. We were in the yard for routine ship’s maintenance about a month + before our scheduled deployment.

My mother was in town, visiting for about a week at this time. We were taking her to the airport in Tokyo, just about to get onto the tollway.

My car, the trusty Nissan BlueBird, started to rock back and forth as we approached the toll booth. Being the 3rd car in line to the booth, I could see my car sway left and right, at first I thought I had a flat tire, as I was slowing and rocking slowly and not too much. By the time I was about to pay at booth, the lady in the booth, visibly grasped her heart, and the doorway as fear fell over her face. She knew. What we didn’t know, was that it was for a sure an earthquake, and the magnitude.

We paid, I quickly checked for a flat, then entered onto the toll road. As we headed North, we traversed tunnels (thru mountains) and over bridges, as less and less cars came South. We arrived closer to the outskirts of Tokyo and a larger bridge. We were trying to listen to the radio, but the only English speaking station was the base radio playing some music. On this bridge, in the Southbound lanes (3) was an overturned flatbed semi, which had lost a full size Tractor off of it, landing onto a mini van, smashed (in the middle lane). The last lane, trickled one car at a time, normally flowing of 3 lanes out of Tokyo, had been reduced to one car every 30 secs.

We had seen our first sign of destruction, but we pressed on. More bridges, more tunnels, only now, we were aware of the possibility of damage to any of these. On the top of another bridge, near the Tokyo Bay we could see for a long way. We could see smoke, lines of cars, but still hadn’t the foresight to see…

Dead stopped Traffic on the highway now going North. Those leaving Tokyo, those normally driving, had all came full stop, due to some Bridge or Tunnel, needing to be assessed. We sat and waited for over 2 hours. We, and many others, peed on the highway. We had walls of concrete to our left and right, nothing but cars for 8 lanes stuck ahead and behind.

Finally, a break in the stillness, the far lane was allowed off of an exit. LET’S GO! I inched my way over, fighting the genius drivers. At the bottom of the ramp, was another toll gate, actually STILL COLLECTING their $1.25 or whatever the conversion was. Ridiculous. We needed to be escorted the hell out of there, little did they know. What was normally an 1.5hr drive, became 11. 5 times as long!

My mom was worried about missing her flight, as a normal traveler may be. Uh, do you see what is happening? We may have a larger issue. Arrival at the airport.

We walked inside, a cool 8 hours late, hoping to reschedule and then find a hotel. HAHAHA Well, the airport was closed due to the runway and needing an inspection. The lobby had ceiling tiles all over the ground, the Starbucks had everything normally on shelves, on the floor. The travelers, had already assumed a position of comfortably waiting it out. There were no flights to get on.

We then decided to try to find a hotel, a mere 11 hours after every other person doing the same. After 6 walk-in attempts and every hotel we could find being full, we ended up sleeping in the blue bird in the parking lot of a hotel. I can’t recall if we went in to grab breakfast or not, but that seems like a good idea now.

The next morning, we discussed driving back (I needed to as I had Duty on the Ship the next day), but Mom needed an airport to be able to leave. At this point, the Earthquake was the only disaster of the 3 that had seemed to matter to our situation. She elected to get dropped off at the airport, to get another ticket, and to wait. I took some flak for this, as “leaving my mother in a disaster”, but, this was her only and quickest way out. Plus, I could have always gone back if it took longer. She stayed a day and half, before getting on a plane, borrowing people’s laptops to post on Facebook all the way. (She didn’t travel with a laptop, nor cell phone at that time)

The ride back, only 10 hours this time, allowed us to hear of the Tsunami on the radio, only to see images later that day. Unimaginable.

The next day the “Shooters” all discussed options as what to do. Nearly all, elected to try to get our families out on a plane for the time being. Why? We had now heard of the Fukashima Nuclear plant issues. The multitude of misinformation and lack of guidance reigning down from the powers that be in the Navy and/or US, was ridiculous.

It took nearly a week for the Navy to make the same decision, and offer up a “Voluntary Miliary Assisted Departure”. This was simply a DEBACLE. I will have to save a majority of this for a book, which will need DOD review, but trust me, the paperwork, double work, double standards, lack of info, and actually figuring out what to do for sailors and their families, not easy, nor fun.

The Earthquake, The Tsunami, The Nuclear Situation, The “VMAD”, each a disaster on their own, combined into memories and tale for the ages. Oh, then we went on a deployment…

Til Next time my friends.

-Kruep