Memory from the Car by Darron Collins
I can hardly call this a report from the “field” as I thought of writing it up comfortably cornered in the backseat of a Nissan Xterra. And it’s a memory of yesterday rather than a report from today. Anyway…meet Captain Dana Naquin. We met him and his crew under the decks at the Dauphin Island Ferry. He’s a welder and, born and raised in New Iberia, Louisiana, is as Cajun as they come. He’s worked the spill for five weeks now and has just about had enough of his temporary life here in lower Alabama.
Dana Naquin, Boat Captain (Photo by Pinar Ozger)
Right below his ANIMAL tat you might be able to make out a lanyard with a handful of cards. Each is a license of sorts allowing him to do this or that in relation to the spill. Each is awarded after a certain number of hours of training. Each represents a marker of rank and a step toward better wages. Captain Naquin is in this respect something of a four-star general.
“This one,” he tells me, “is from ‘courtesy training.’ It shows that I can keep control over my crew and tells you I know not to swear at people in public. F%$*ing stupid peace of s%#@t.”
