Archive for April, 2011
As the wheels of the jet left the runway of Narita airport and lifted off from the soil of Japan, the appreciation I felt of having had an intense and rewarding experience was strong. There is an aspect to relief missions that gives something back, which is not always immediate but comes to awareness at unpredictable [ READ MORE ]
Today, Fuel Relief Fund will finish our mission in Japan. When temperatures started rising slowly and the region started gradually stabilizing, it became clear that the continued need for heating fuel was diminishing. We considered donating different fuel products but then determined that those needs were being met by the Japanese government. It was time [ READ MORE ]
Japan, April 15, 2011 The devastation, the complete obliteration of numerous communities has been documented many times in this blog and elsewhere. Ted, Sosha and I have written about the horror of what we’ve seen here. Although it is difficult not to speak of it, for it is so awesome in its magnitude, I wish [ READ MORE ]
Japan, April 13, 2011 We are in a new area today; two communities that are on the edge of the Southern and Western limit of our range ability. They are in a district called Higashimatsushima and have been isolated from the main relief effort taking place in central areas. The Japanese Army is there now, [ READ MORE ]
Yesterday was the one month anniversary of the great earthquake and devastating Tsunami that occurred off the Northeast coast of Japan. People throughout Ishinomaki stopped whatever it was they were doing at 2:46PM and, with hands held together and heads bowed forward, they silently honored the moment. Where before that time - an hour, a [ READ MORE ]
It is a cool, bright morning in Kazuma, across the river and East of Ishinomaki City. We’re set up with our fuel truck in front of what once was a small shopping mall, now is a huge rubble pile and building shells. Sosha has just returned from traveling through the neighborhoods that remain at least [ READ MORE ]
Fuel Relief Fund’s Chairman, Ted Honcharik, was featured in a news story in Riverside’s newspaper The Press-Enterprise today. Look at the link to the story here of Ted’s journey to aid in Japan. http://www.pe.com/localnews/riverside/stories/PE_News_Local_D_wjapanfuel08.2802395.html To find out more about Fuel Relief Fund and how you can help, go to: www.fuelrelieffund.org[ READ MORE ]
Japan, April 7, 2011 At around 11:30 p.m. I was woken to a great shaking, a deep and growling noise and clattering sounds that seemed to be coming from every direction which lasted around 20 seconds or so. I immediately jumped out of bed and went out the door. Luckily, my location in Ishinomaki is high [ READ MORE ]
Japan, April 4, 2011 I’ve been on the NE coast of Japan for five days now. The weather remains cold and often windy. We’re set up in Ishinomaki City in Myagi Prefecture using this place as our base. The earthquake epicenter was 45 miles due east of here. We have a car to use during [ READ MORE ]
Hiyoriyama is a quiet, beautiful park on elevated ground about a kilometer inland from the coast of Ishinomaki city. At this park, I witnessed a far-shot of the districts below, of the unbelievable disaster that had taken place in this city. I wasn’t able to accept, to comprehend, what I saw. It was unreal. Surreal. It wasn’t [ READ MORE ]
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