The Tampa Tribune (Florida) May 11, 2003
Ship Blast Has Local Family Anxious
By Carl Orth
E-MAIL SENT WORD LOVED ONES WERE OK
NEW PORT RICHEY - Tension mounted for a local family last week until word came that one of its members had escaped injury from an explosion aboard a U.S. military ship stationed in the Middle East.
Susan Lamerton spent some anxious hours at her west Pasco home until an e-mail from her daughter, Virginia, arrived about 4 a.m. Thursday to say she was OK. A brother-in-law, Darren Canavan, aboard the same ship, the USS Saipan, also was not hurt.
The good news also came as a relief to Virginia's father, Walter, and little sister, Barbara. Virginia, a 24-year-old staff sergeant in the Marines, has been stationed aboard the Saipan, an assault ship, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, feeding intelligence reports to pilots.
According to a report by Globalsecurity.org, 11 members of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade were injured during an explosion Wednesday in a berthing area on the Saipan. None of the Marines suffered life-threatening injuries, according to the report. The incident apparently was an accident, Susan Lamerton was told.
The New Port Richey family also had relatives near the World Trade Center during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Lamerton said. Back then, she knew the country would wind up at war.
The fretful mother looks forward to her daughter's return when the Saipan is scheduled to depart the Persian Gulf region toward the end of May.
Copyright © 2003, The Tribune Co. Publishes The Tampa Tribune
