Volunteer at a disaster area of US soldiers belonging to Yokota base

Volunteer at a disaster area of ​​US soldiers belonging to Yokota base

"September Heisei 20 - Kanto / Tohoku heavy rain" that brought enormous damage to Kita Kanto. Shortly after the outbreak, volunteers engaged in rescue activities had figures of US soldiers belonging to Yokota base. A professional group of relief activities, 60 volunteers stood up

In Tochigi Prefecture, which was reported as 'heavy rain every 50 years', landslides and landslides occurred at about 350 sites

Occurred. Many people saw news that firefighting, police, the SDF, and volunteers from the whole country also joined, and relief activities were carried out by all mobilizers. Another team rushed to this unprecedented disaster. That is 60 volunteers from Yokota Base 374 Facilities Squadron of the US Army in Japan. They rushed to Kanuma City by private car and joined the restoration work for three days from September 13 to 15.

According to the information of the US military Yokota base, they were originally the professional group, which is the restoration work of the disaster area. Members who entered the afflicted area started working on multiple teams in a distributed manner. I repaired the irrigation canal which clogged up the earth and sand by scooping the earth and sand and the fallen trees which flowed into the site of the local farmer. At Kanuma City Kaen Elementary School, which was the base of its activities, he removed the sediment accumulated in the school building and worked with neighboring residents to restore the road. By the way, during the work, U.S. soldiers turned around a corner of the elementary school gymnasium and slept in sleeping bags.

Members of Marco Furlan Kaneko, the founder of the support activities this time, had a Guatemalan father and a Japanese mother who grew up in Kanuma City. In the night of Kaneko members who witnessed the heavy rain damage from the news that the damage of the Kanuma city who spent his childhood "You can not stay even if you can stay" and called out to the fellows ", the US military Yokota The official page of the base is told. "I can not just overlook troubled people" The "local love" of Japanese soldiers, including them, who were born and raised in Kanuma, were pushing for this support activity.

Korrine Takeyama少佐：（写真右）。

It was Major Korrine Takeyama (right picture) that commanded 60 volunteers.

"Since I trained on a daily basis for relief efforts, I thought that I would certainly be useful, if it is true I would like to cooperate until 100% restoration, but I was forgiven for only three days." , Commander of the facility squadron permitted them only for 48 hours. However, some members continue to volunteer until returning vacation, Major Takeyama says. It is said that everyone feels pride that they volunteered to volunteer and rushed to Kanuma city restoration.

Volunteer Spirit I'd Like to Tell

On the morning of the third day, which is the final day of work, Kaen elementary school invited volunteer crews. The school principal expressed gratitude as follows. "I will move for someone in need, I want to tell the students the volunteer spirit of the men." Although their activities were never widely reported, the victims and the local municipal Twitter Through the SNS, waves of appreciation for support of reconstruction assistance by volunteers of US forces in Japan are diffusing.