thedrifter
07-01-08, 07:06 AM
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Marines get help from Boca friends after fire hits camp in Iraq
By C. Ron Allen
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
11:35 PM EDT, June 30, 2008
Boca Raton
Family and friends of a Boca Raton Marine are collecting supplies and cash to help him and his fellow Marines after a fire destroyed their camp in Iraq.
"The whole village went up," said Cynthia Stabinsky, of Boca Raton, whose friend's son was among the victims. "These guys lost everything except the clothes on their backs. They have not had a shower in five days and they are having 130-degree weather."
An electrical fire broke out at their camp near Fallujah on June 26, said Stabinsky, a retired nurse who has known Lance Cpl. Shaun Evans, of Boca Raton, since he was 3.
Artillery in the camp fueled the explosion, which left between 150 and 160 people homeless, she said.
Evans, who turns 22 today, called his mother after the fire. He told her they were all safe. Some of the Marines who were sleeping escaped with minor injuries, she said.
"He was on duty," Evans said of her son. "The only thing he got out was his St. Christopher medal. It's been brutal."
Shaun Evans' birthday package was destroyed in the fire, she said.
The military leveled the site on Monday and new construction is expected to start soon, Evans said.
Many of the Marines have no way of reaching relatives because they lost phone cards and laptops, she said.
The Marines slept outside the first two nights, then moved to abandoned homes in the area, Stabinsky said.
Evans and Stabinsky said they hope to include necessities such as undershirts, underwear, tube socks and personal hygiene supplies for adults in the care packages.
"Think of it like hurricane season," Stabinsky said.
They also need such snacks as pepperoni, beef jerky, candies, taco ingredients, canned goods and anything with a flip-top lid.
She cautions against sending can openers and food that will melt.
Drop off donations at the Mission Bay Self Storage, 20273 State Road 7 in West Boca. There also is a drop-off site in Delray Beach.
Call 561-706-0481 to make arrangements.
Make monetary donations at any Bank of America to the Marine Fire Fund.
For information, e-mail marinehelp@yahoo.com or call Stabinsky at 561-715-7518
Ellie
Marines get help from Boca friends after fire hits camp in Iraq
By C. Ron Allen
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
11:35 PM EDT, June 30, 2008
Boca Raton
Family and friends of a Boca Raton Marine are collecting supplies and cash to help him and his fellow Marines after a fire destroyed their camp in Iraq.
"The whole village went up," said Cynthia Stabinsky, of Boca Raton, whose friend's son was among the victims. "These guys lost everything except the clothes on their backs. They have not had a shower in five days and they are having 130-degree weather."
An electrical fire broke out at their camp near Fallujah on June 26, said Stabinsky, a retired nurse who has known Lance Cpl. Shaun Evans, of Boca Raton, since he was 3.
Artillery in the camp fueled the explosion, which left between 150 and 160 people homeless, she said.
Evans, who turns 22 today, called his mother after the fire. He told her they were all safe. Some of the Marines who were sleeping escaped with minor injuries, she said.
"He was on duty," Evans said of her son. "The only thing he got out was his St. Christopher medal. It's been brutal."
Shaun Evans' birthday package was destroyed in the fire, she said.
The military leveled the site on Monday and new construction is expected to start soon, Evans said.
Many of the Marines have no way of reaching relatives because they lost phone cards and laptops, she said.
The Marines slept outside the first two nights, then moved to abandoned homes in the area, Stabinsky said.
Evans and Stabinsky said they hope to include necessities such as undershirts, underwear, tube socks and personal hygiene supplies for adults in the care packages.
"Think of it like hurricane season," Stabinsky said.
They also need such snacks as pepperoni, beef jerky, candies, taco ingredients, canned goods and anything with a flip-top lid.
She cautions against sending can openers and food that will melt.
Drop off donations at the Mission Bay Self Storage, 20273 State Road 7 in West Boca. There also is a drop-off site in Delray Beach.
Call 561-706-0481 to make arrangements.
Make monetary donations at any Bank of America to the Marine Fire Fund.
For information, e-mail marinehelp@yahoo.com or call Stabinsky at 561-715-7518
Ellie