*Do you remember the Myspace picture of the
"paratransit van with the rubble on the back of it."
 
*Do you recall the story I told you and your cameraman about the store on the corner...referencing to how fickle the path of a Tornado could be...
Leaving the front untouched and destroying the back?
 
Directly after the Tornado I took dozens of photograph inside and out of that destroyed building including 2 hours of video (night and day time later on) ...
to try and impress upon people the fact that it wasn't just the Westin or the Omni but also places such as Antoine Graves and buildings such as that one on Hilliard and Decatur that were severely damaged.
After the my initial disaster response (directly following the Tornado) at the several Shelters and coordination with the Mayor's Office and Gema ...
 
....I walked the blocks and communities to find what the greatest needs were around Edgewood.
 
....
As you know I was in the Gulf Coast directly after Katrina working on the initial rescue,then relief/recovery,and now rebuilding
....
During Rescue many times I came across buildings with individuals who had passed on.
......
I knew the smell in turn
....
However with no reports of deaths related to the Tornado in the area...I assumed the smell I kept smelling when I returned to the crumbled building was one of the dozens of cats that reside there.
.....
Tonight....when I pulled back in behind the building again..I saw it was demolished on one side.
.......
a person from the next building was driving out
......
I asked him / what happened / are they demolishing the building / if so / why did they leave it only half way done.
......
 
He said, "don't you know?"
A couple days ago they found a body in there, he was in there when the tornado struck.
.......
 
I reflected on asking the other Homeless individuals all around the area if they know of anyone missing
......
 
Everyone said, that all their buddies were accounted for.
 
......
 
The building I kept coming to and walking around inside.
.....
 
Well / all that time / the only person to die in the Tornado / was right next to me.
 
......
 
I feel absolutely heart stricken.
 
......
 
You see Vanessa / if I had followed my gut / that same instinct that kept bringing me back to where he was......
 
Well....I could have helped him to Rest In Peace....
.......
 
To live homeless / you live with fear daily / I know
.......
I spent almost two years homeless
......
you don't know what tomorrow may bring
......
 
For this individual to have been all Alone
.....
to see the storm and possibly the actual Tornado
.....
To die alone and afraid
....
No one deserves that
.....
 
Because I didn't think to dig through the rubble next to my feet
......
To find the source of the smell
......
To know that he remained there in a shallow grave for several more days
......
To know that there was even a chance that I could have facilitated him being extracted from the brick and insulation...to be buried with respect and not be pulled out days later after the demolition crew had shredded the steel and concrete
......
 
Well this makes my heart very heavy.
 
.......
No one should have to die the way Gregory Lee did
......
 
I left him a note in the rubble tonight as this was the least I could do
.......
 
I put the word out as well that I would like to find his family
 
.......
 
** If you know of anyone who may be able to help with this, please let me know.
 
......
I want him to be laid to rest by the one's who once knew and loved him
......
I feel I owe him that.



From The Rustic Desk Of,
Cameron Beach
The Mountain Man
__________________________

 www . TheMountainMan . Freeservers . com