Akiko Yoshinaga and Tsuyoshi Takasawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
At 4:59 p.m. Tuesday, the stern gate of the USS Tortuga--a dock landing ship of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet--opened slowly 10 kilometers off Miyako, Iwate Prefecture. About 25 minutes later, a 40-meter landing craft utility boat (LCU) docked inside the 185-meter-long vessel.
About 30 divers and other personnel were aboard the LCU, a vessel that transports soldiers and vehicles during emergencies. The divers had just spent about four hours mapping wrecked cars and concrete buildings that were destroyed and sent to the bottom of Miyako Bay by the March 11 tsunami.
Divers and crew from the Tortuga have been removing debris and wreckage from the sea bottom so Hachinohe Port in Aomori Prefecture could reopen to large ships.
The vessel left Sasebo Naval Base in Nagasaki Prefecture just four hours after the earthquake hit on March 11.
Six days later, it took on about 280 Self-Defense Forces personnel and 100 vehicles at Tomakomai Port in Hokkaido and transported them to Ominato Port in Aomori Prefecture, shuttling them onshore via the LCU. The divers then went to work helping reopen Hachinohe Port.
Adrian Ragland, commander of the Tortuga, said seeing the first tanker carrying liquefied natural gas enter the port was very moving. Although their job was not directly related to saving lives, Ragland, 38, said he felt they were helping deepen ties between Japan and the United States.
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Helping a friend
The U.S. Navy is playing a key role in providing humanitarian aid for victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami as part of "Operation Tomodachi." In addition to the Tortuga, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and several assault ships are working in close cooperation with the Self-Defense Forces along the Tohoku region's Pacific coast.
At 2 a.m. Wednesday, Ensign Veronica Kennedy entered the Tortuga's bridge, which sits about 20 meters above the waves. The 22-year-old engineer was on night duty until 7 a.m.
Before her shift, Kennedy had slept for about three hours. Since the ship left Sasebo on March 11, she has slept about four hours a night. But she is used to it now and said the lack of sleep is worth it because of the importance of the mission.
Watching TV reports about the disaster on the ship on the afternoon of March 11, Kennedy said she could not believe her eyes. Looking at towns and villages devastated by the massive earthquake and tsunami, she felt like she was watching a movie.
The ship's loudspeakers soon blared, "All senior officers gather on deck immediately! This is not a drill, gather immediately!"
Because it was a Friday, most of the crew was not on board, but word was sent out and the ship left for the disaster-hit areas just four hours after the call.
Kennedy said Japan is as important to her as her home country and she wants to contribute to its reconstruction.
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Ever vigilant
At 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday, an MH-53 helicopter landed on the Tortuga's rear deck, an area as large as six tennis courts.
The relief personnel that arrived on the 40-minute flight from Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture were immediately tested for radiation.
The ship's living quarters are separated from the outside by two sealed steel doors to prevent chemical, biological or radioactive contamination from entering. The air pressure inside the ship is also kept higher than the outside to keep radioactive substances out.
At 9:55 p.m. that evening, five minutes before lights-out, Lt. Madson Carter spoke over the ship's loudspeakers, leading a prayer for Japan.
While serving as a public relations officer, the 32-year-old chaplain also provides emotional support for the crew. He said he prays for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami every night.
Many family members of U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan have left the country due to fears about radiation leaks from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. But Carter's wife and three children have said they are not leaving and will wait for him back at Sasebo.
Carter said he truly believes Japan will recover from this terrible tragedy.
(Apr. 4, 2011)
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