Flag – Why Florida?

[Chipallina]

I’m quite sure a few of you have been at Flag during a hurricane watch, I particularly remember in the early ‘90s stacking sandbags upon sandbags in the pouring rain around the outside of the Sandcastle, the sky was literally a green/black colour, I looked up and saw 3 water funnels very close maybe a mile or two away but I wasn’t worried! This is the OT building!

FSO would postulate the hurricane shifting direction, at all costs it had to miss CW, in hindsight I wonder why didn’t we postulate the hurricane just losing momentum - this was brought back to me especially after Katrina - I’m so glad I wasn’t there shifting that thing because of the sheer destruction it caused to the South.

Does anyone know if LRH had a specific reason for placing FLB where it is?

[Nec_V20]

Why Florida?

Because that is where Cubans go to live and Americans go to die.

[programmer_guy]

Does anyone know if LRH had a specific reason for placing FLB where it is?

Probably because it was the easiest and quickest place in the U.S. to land his ships coming from the Meditteranean. That's my guess. Maybe some of the old-timers can make a better guess.

[ozzie]

Apollo was originally going to come into Charleston South Carolina. Never did because of the Govnt (FBI or whatever) waiting for the ship there. Apollo then diverted to the Carribean and was around there for some time before everyone moved ashore.
If you read Kima Douglas et al affidavits etc on the internet you will get the full story on why Florida.

The Apollo never docked in Florida - all the crew were bused for hours to reach Florida, and originally arrived in Daytona where they temporarily set up ( all the management staff anyways) while the Fort Harrison was being readied. The whole move was a story in itself.

Ozzie

ps Florida was always called the Gateway to Heaven because of the amount of retirees there, it was a big joke when Flag first got there - most of the neighbours were very old people and some said all Scn had to do was wait and they would all go to "heaven" and Clearwater would be Scn. Kinda sick - but those was strange times.

[Chipallina]

Apollo was originally going to come into Charleston South Carolina. Never did because of the Govnt (FBI or whatever) waiting for the ship there. Apollo then diverted to the Carribean and was around there for some time before everyone moved ashore.
If you read Kima Douglas et al affidavits etc on the internet you will get the full story on why Florida.

The Apollo never docked in Florida - all the crew were bused for hours to reach Florida, and originally arrived in Daytona where they temporarily set up ( all the management staff anyways) while the Fort Harrison was being readied. The whole move was a story in itself.

Ozzie

ps Florida was always called the Gateway to Heaven because of the amount of retirees there, it was a big joke when Flag first got there - most of the neighbours were very old people and some said all Scn had to do was wait and they would all go to "heaven" and Clearwater would be Scn. Kinda sick - but those was strange times.

Thanks Oz and PG it's always interesting to know how things started out.

[Björkist]

Apollo was originally going to come into Charleston South Carolina. Never did because of the Govnt (FBI or whatever) waiting for the ship there. Apollo then diverted to the Carribean and was around there for some time before everyone moved ashore.
If you read Kima Douglas et al affidavits etc on the internet you will get the full story on why Florida.

The Apollo never docked in Florida - all the crew were bused for hours to reach Florida, and originally arrived in Daytona where they temporarily set up ( all the management staff anyways) while the Fort Harrison was being readied. The whole move was a story in itself.

Ozzie

ps Florida was always called the Gateway to Heaven because of the amount of retirees there, it was a big joke when Flag first got there - most of the neighbours were very old people and some said all Scn had to do was wait and they would all go to "heaven" and Clearwater would be Scn. Kinda sick - but those was strange times.

I drove by a elderly care home a few weeks ago and there was a banner outside that read, "Your Journey Home Starts Here."

[Snuffy]

FLA - home of the newly-wed and the nearly dead.

[OHTEEATE]

I'm a Florida resident, and live fairly close to CW, but not right in it. The population is fairly "mature", but with a nice mix of younger families, tourists, and young single people. It's flat, and you have to go a long way for mountains, but we have great beaches, and water sports of all kinds are the big thing here. I get dolphins swimming by within 100 feet of my front door, quite often. The International airport at Tampa is an easy connection from Europe, LA or NY, or Orlando, which gets lots of incoming Europeans. It's fairly uncommon to get really cold weather, with warm to hot being more usual. I think sessionability has something to do with it. Some people find it too hot in Summer, and arrange services in Spring and Fall, which is my preference. It's really only uncomfortably hot from July to October, and you just have to stay in the air conditioning more and drink lots of water. The stuff about salt and potassium is all bullshit, if you ask me, as we haven't taken it since leaving and don't see any difference at all. Some people just go North in Summer, those that can afford to.

[Kilia]

LRH liked the name "Clearwater"..."Clear"...water...get it?

[Alan]

At that period of time the Florida real estate was possibly the lowest in the country.

The Tampa Bay - St Pete area had a lot going for it.

A major international airport, lots of accomodations, a depressed economy.

Alan