Posted on 09/11/2005 7:11:05 PM PDT by WestTexasWend
D'IBERVILLE, Miss. (NNS) -- Seabees stationed at Gulfport, Miss. received aid Sept. 8 from U.S. and international forces in support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts here.
U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., Mexican marines from ARM Papaloapan (A 411), Sailors on board USS Bataan (LPD 5) and Dutch sailors on board HMS Van Amstel (F 831), participated in one of the first international humanitarian efforts here, repairing D'Iberville Elementary School just outside of Biloxi.
The elementary school is currently being used as both a shelter and a food and water distribution center.
The 75 Mexican marines arrived Sept. 8 via U.S. Landing Craft, Utility (LCU), and Dutch Sailors were transported via a U.S. Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC). Both the Mexican and Dutch militaries have ships operating in the Gulf of Mexico in support of the ongoing hurricane relief effort.
Seabees, Sailors and Marines cleaned up debris left from Hurricane Katrina. They cut down and removed fallen trees, removed hanging debris from the school and cleaned areas adjacent to the school, where tin roofing and other materials had blown.
"We're only a small percentage of the manpower helping to clean this place up, but I think everyone is making quite a difference," said Dutch Lt. Cmdr. Bas Van Den Akker, supply officer on board Van Amstel. "All of my sailors are just glad to be here helping out their fellow man," added the Amsterdam, Netherlands, native.
Dutch Sailors have been helping out Mississippi residents, spending two days at a Baptist church distributing supplies directly to the public.
"The people, despite their great loss, and the other organizations involved in the relief, have been absolutely wonderful to us," said Akker. "They all make us feel our help is appreciated 100 percent."
The four commands from three different countries worked well together and had no trouble integrating with each other, despite language barriers.
"I speak Spanish, so I've been talking with quite a few of the Mexican marines and helping them communicate with other Sailors and Marines," said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Anthony Perez Vasquez, of Bataan's command, control, computers, communications, combat and intelligence department. "It doesn't even matter that a lot of our guys can't effectively speak without translation; we're all working like machines to get this place all cleaned up for the kids, and we all agree that's the important thing."
Perez said that despite the language barrier, the Sailors and Marines developed a common ground to communicate on, and with the help of a few bilingual Sailors and Marines, were able to effectively communicate and get along.
"Everyone's getting along great - it's unlike anything I've ever seen," said Marine Lance Cpl. Ricardo Ruiz, with Marine Expeditionary Unit 11, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. "All of us have the same goal out here, helping out other people who need it most. I think it's absolutely wonderful that foreign military is out here with us helping out with the exact same motivation we have toward this humanitarian relief," added the Yuba City, Calif., native.
This is the first time during the hurricane relief effort that Dutch, Mexican and U.S. nationals have banded together.
The Mexican marines are scheduled to continue working with Sailors and Seabees, and they say they're more than thrilled to be helping out the U.S. during such an important relief effort.
The Mexican marines, Dutch sailors and Sailors from Bataan were taken back to their ships via LCAC to give the other service members on their ships a chance to come out and help. The consensus among the volunteers was that the school looked astonishingly better. The school volunteers said the work the military did for them would have taken them months to accomplish without the help they received.
Bataan, Van Amstel and Papaloapan will be sending troops as needed in support of the hurricane humanitarian relief effort taking place here in Mississippi.
For the latest Navy news on Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, visit www.news.navy.mil/local/hurricane/.
MS ping / pic at the link
The french and Canadian teams just arrived today.
MS Ping
Thanks for the ping
and thanks for doing your own pinging
beleive it or I can't be here 24\7. :>)
I didn't know this!
How nice of them to help out.
Thanks for the post and ping!
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