Airmen of mercy

Airman, March, 2005 by Orville F. Desjarlais, Jr.

"It's only been the last couple days that people have been coming around," Nurse Thompson said during the third week of the humanitarian operation.

She said aid was slow in coming to Kahawa. The children needed water and medicine. It seemed the eastern coast, the worst hit area on the island, was getting the bulk of attention. The Air Force was using rescue helicopters to shuttle food throughout the island, while cargo aircraft flew in relief supplies. The Marines were helping clear debris, and the Navy was hauling in heavy machinery, but aid had yet to reach this particular village.

The first aid to reach the village came in the way of a Navy 0water truck. Since salt water had contaminated the village well, the fresh water was a welcomed sight. The children, ever resilient, laughed and drank deeply from the truck's spigot.

There were about 800 children at Kahawa. Nearly all of them were homeless. Many didn't have parents or grandparents.

Nurse Thompson gave them crayons and paper and used art as an emotional outlet. The children drew dead bodies in waves. They depicted dying and wounded villagers on land. An overturned train dominated many of the pictures.

They described what was in their pictures in matter-of-fact type tones. Unemotional. Detached. It was as if they weren't really there.

But they were there. As was nurse Thompson, who was repaying a debt incurred on Sept. 11, 2001.