The US Military: World's Best Humanitarian Organization

Tsunami victims continue to receive relief from the US Military and the humble forces from countries including Australia and Japan. Here is an excerpt from a tsunami zone dispatch by a member of our armed forces:

We sighted these people on a stretch of road approximately 2 miles long, and decided to try to offer them a ride to Banda Aceh. The stretch of road that they were on was cut on both ends by new channels several hundred yards wide as a result of the tsunami, effectively eliminating any hope of them being able to leave this road by any means other than helicopter or boat. ... One of my crewmen got out to offer the ride, and to his surprise was greeted by a boy no older than 10 who spoke English almost as well as he did. The boy, translating for the adults around him, said that they couldn't go. This was their home and they needed to stay, but asked if we had any food or water for them. Sadly, we had given the last of our supplies out at our previous drop zone. It broke my heart to have to leave them with nothing, but I've made a promise to myself that tomorrow, I will visit them again, and I will make sure they have some rice and water to keep them going for a few more days.

Read the whole thing here.

The men and women in the military are just like you or I. Generally, they are good folks. I used to always tell people that best people I have known are the families of the Navy personnel I grew up beside on military installations up and down the East Coast. Emails like the one cited above continue to confirm that impression.