Re: Tsunami Aid
I'm sorry I'm so late with this reply. It's worth bringing up, under the circumstances, and this situation is very close to my heart just now. <br />Triton, I've worked side by side with some of your Aussie soldiers here, and they're fantastic to have around. A few have been on the ship to stay the night, get a hot meal, or just wash some laundry. Those guys work their tail off, and they're always ready to throw in and volunteer to help when they're needed. I've never heard any of them ask what would be in it for them, and they don't complain. They just work, and for all of us who have needed help loading boxes from trucks to helicopters, they are greatly appreciated. <br />I'm disappointed, sometimes, to see governments get in the way of progress between the countries of this world. For some people here, there is complaining going on about the pushiness and inconsideration of the UN workers, various aid groups, low-level vip's, and so on, as they come aboard, take up valuable space on helicopters, get in the way without offering up any help, etc...And in some cases, they're right. Sometimes, those people get in the way. Sometimes, the Indonesian government makes jerks of themselves by refusing to let us fly essential training flights from these waters, in order that we might continue to fulfill our mission of protecting our own country when we leave. Sometimes, the rebels here insist on becoming an annoyance and forcing the differences of Muslims and Americans in front of the overwhelming show of support by Americans in the face of this crisis. All of that is only one side of the story, though. Here's another:<br />Two days ago, I had the pleasure of being flown by helicopter from the ship to the airport at Banda Aceh. It seems rather basic now, our mission here. In short, volunteers like myself go ashore for the purpose of loading and unloading boxes of food from trucks to helicopters. From there, the helos fly out to the outlying villages that were devastated by the tsunami. <br />For about 8 hours, we moved food. Nothing more or less. There were about a hundred of us ashore, and we were supplemented by a handful of Aussie soldiers, and a couple from Britain. We moved approximately 140,000 lbs. of food on the day when I was ashore. Overall, choppers have delivered about 3.5 million lbs. of food to outlying villages. The weather here, being right on the equator, is around 90 or 95 degrees, with well over 100% humidity. Nevertheless, there was not a complaint to be heard. No one quit working and sat down. Not once. Every single person who has had an opportunity to fly over the devastation of this land knows that there are thousands of men and women here who no longer have homes. There are thousands more who no longer have children, or parents, or friends. <br />The support by so many countries has been overwhelming. Please know that, no matter what you read in the news or hear on the television about what governments, religious factions, or rebel groups are saying and doing, there are people here who will starve tomorrow if we don't put helicopters in the air. They may not agree with us politically, but isn't that the right of every person in every nation-to choose what they will believe in, or whom they will worship? It's the right we are so proud of as Americans. It's time to put aside our petty differences and remember that these are people, no matter whom they pray to at night. And if the United Nations, Indonesian rebels, or anyone else gets in the way of progress here, let me thank God for putting me in this place at this time to balance the effect. <br />I'd love to post pictures for everyone. My internet connection, under the circumstances, is just too slow to download pictures to a server, and so on. If anyone wants them, my email address is in my profile. I'd be happy to send them on.
