Pray for Japan

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit northern Japan. A subsequent tsunami wiped out entire areas and large parts have still not recovered. Over 2,000 people remain missing (presumed dead) and over 15,000 lost their life.

I remember we were supposed to ship out to Japan days after the earthquake. Our orders were pushed back by several weeks until it was determined it was safe to enter Japan. The US government had a wake up call in natural disaster response, as communication between the main base and all the housing detachments was tenuous. The failing nuclear power plant (damaged by the earthquake) prompted the US government to evacuate all non-essential military affiliated personnel.

Here in Yokosuka, the earthquake was huge and went on for what many people say was, "longer than normal." The earthquake was then followed by a power outage that lasted most of the day.

Take a moment as you go about your day today to think about those people still living in temporary shelters, people that lost loved ones, and those who lost their lives two years ago today. There are some heart-wrenching stories out there about families who tried to run from the tsunami wave, but elders were too sick or slow to make it and had to be left behind only to later be found dead.

Be thankful and grateful for the things you have. Hug those your love and tell them how much they mean to you often.

As a final note, here's a video taken by one of my workout buddies of the pool at Purdy gym on Yokosuka base. In the first part of the video, you see the pool and then water outside the pool. The water outside the pool (where the lifeguard chair is) is actually a walkway around the pool. ((As a side note, my friend did go back in and get the ladies bag because he's a super nice guy.))