#Japan #Earthquake: US Marines to the Rescue

Asahi Shinbun (in Japanese; 9:29PM JST 3/27/2011) reports that the US Marines landed in a island off the coast of Kesennuma City in Miyagi Prefecture:

The US Marines from Okinawa landed on Oshima, an island off the coast of Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture on March 27, which lost their ferries in the tsunami and has been isolated from the mainland. They delivered boxes of relief goods, and equipments and vehicles necessary to restore electricity, using the LCU [Landing Craft Utility].

Early morning of March 27, 40 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit landed in Kesennuma Port in their LCUs from USS Essex (amphibious assault ship) parked outside the harbor. They loaded the goods, and headed for Oshima. On arriving in Oshima, they unloaded the goods with the help of the residents. They also brought the workers to to restore electricity, and electricity was being restored in part of the island. They also measured the radiation on the island.

When the March 11 earthquake hit, the 31st MEU was in Southeast Asia for a emergency rescue training, but headed back to Japan on hearing the news of the earthquake.

This is not the first rescue mission by USS Essex and the 31st MEU, either. They have been conducting the relief missions, which they dubbed "Operation Tomodachi ("Friends" in Japanese)", since March 20, without much fanfare in Japan.

Here's in their own words, from the 31st MEU website about the March 27 operation, by Lance Cpl. Garry J. Welch:

OSHIMA, Japan — Two U.S. Navy landing craft carrying Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Amphibious Squadron 11, as well as disaster relief supplies and Japanese electrical utility trucks, arrived in Oshima Island, March 27.

Oshima Island has been without running water and electricity since the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami ravaged the northeast coast of Japan, March 11.

“This island was supplied with water from a pipeline from mainland Japan,” said Kiichro Onodera, a local city worker. “After the earthquake, the tsunami destroyed the pump station. Since then, people have purified the water in the city pool and made it drinkable; that’s all we had.”

The Marines delivered nearly 2,000 gallons of water to the island today. Approximately 900 gallons were brought directly to a junior high school, which was being used as a shelter for 450 locals displaced by the disaster.

“This water will help supply over 3,000 people,” Onodera said. “People will now be able to shower, and do things they have not been able to do since the disaster happened.”

The Marines also delivered 1,738 meals ready to eat, 136 tarps, and 300 health and comfort kits to the Japan Self Defense Forces to distribute to those in need.

The health and comfort kits contain baby wipes, sun screen, toilet paper, soap, tooth paste and tooth brushes, shampoo and conditioner, lotion, eye drops, foot powder, razors, lip balm and tissues.

In addition to delivering humanitarian aid, the Marines and Sailors also transported local electrical utility vehicles from Kesennuma city to Oshima Island, to assist with restoring power to the isolated community.

The trucks were brought from the mainland port of Kessenuma nearby by a U.S. Navy landing craft because the bridge to the island was destroyed by the tsunami.

“This will help us to restore vital lifelines to Oshima from Kesennuma as soon as possible. Oshima island residents are suffering greatly,” said JSDF Maj. Shinya Takase, operations officer, 1st Division, 41st Infantry Regiment, in charge of disaster response in Kesennuma. “There is no electrical power at all. These vehicles will help them and help ease the situation. Japanese forces and Marines are doing very well in working through this together. At this moment, there is no other option to get these vehicles to Oshima. That is why we are so grateful for your help.”

With the landing craft transporting the vehicles, the vital infrastructure needed by the people of the island began to be repaired. By 5 p.m. today, the Marines of the 31st MEU received word that electricity had been restored for the first time in 16 days, due to their efforts in assisting the Japanese workers.

“We are extremely grateful for your cooperation and help,” Sasaki Masaetsu, maintenance manager in Kesennuma who rode an LCU to Oshima Island. “We now have a 400 kilowatt emergency generator, two bucket trucks, one crane, and a tools and materials truck, which arrived on your landing craft. We have 450 displaced people here on the island. These trucks will help us provide power for the displaced persons’ shelters, and the remaining homes, so they can have heat and light. It is an extreme honor to have the Marines here, we did not expect it, and we are so thankful.”

As happy as the Japanese were to receive the supplies, the Marines and Sailors of the 31st MEU were just as happy to lend a helping hand.

“To be able to come out here and do this was mind-blowing,” said Sgt. Kyle O. Mills, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear assessment and consequence management technician, 31st MEU. “We all saw the destruction on the news, but you just don’t know what it’s like until you are out here experiencing it firsthand, it was great to be able to do something to help these people.”

CBRN Marines were present during the operation as a precautionary measure to monitor radiation levels; ensuring there were no unexpected levels. In the event of any possible contamination; Marines were ready to decontaminate any equipment and personnel exposed.

“We took readings every half-hour to ensure it was safe,” said Mills. “For the entire operation the levels remained completely normal.”

As the day came to an end, and the Marines returned to the LCU’s, everyone who was involved knew they had made a difference.

“We came here to help our Japanese friends and support them in any way possible,” said 1st Lt. Robert Jankowski, the engineering platoon commander with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st MEU. “This operation was very successful, we were able to give help and disperse aid to the displaced. All the Marines did a great job.”

The 31st MEU’s involvement is part of a larger U.S. government response, after a 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Japan causing widespread damage. The 31st MEU is ready to support our Japanese partners and to provide assistance when called upon.

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US to Send the Marines to #Libya!

To the shores of #Tripoli...
Send the Marines!
For might makes right, until they've seen the light...
They've got to be protected, all their rights respected,
Till somebody We like can be elected ...

(Tom Lehrer "Send the Marines")

Fox News tweet as follows:

#BreakingNews: #RobertGates says U.S. is sending hundreds of Marines, 2 amphibious ships to help with #Libya evacuation, humanitarian relief

Evacuate WHO? All the US embassy personnel have been evacuated already.

And here's Tom Lehrer for you:

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US Ambassador to Japan Shouts at Japan's Ministers in Rage Over Okinawa Base

Chicagoland thuggery goes to Japan.

Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) came to power, promising "change" (just like the new U.S. administration). Unlike the U.S. counterpart, though, they are actually trying. One of the things they are trying to change is the relocation plan of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in Okinawa.

Between Japan's Aso administration and U.S.'s Bush administration, they agreed in 2006 to move the Marine airbase in Futenma, Okinawa, to another city, Nago, also in Okinawa. The strong opposition of Nago citizens as well as environmentalists' opposition (the base would be built on a landfill over coral reef) was totally ignored. Now, Prime Minister Hatoyama, whatever his political calculation is (or lack thereof), seems aligned with the citizens of both Futenma and Nago in opposing ANY U.S. military presence at all in Okinawa. He has delayed the decision on Futenma until next year.

This has angered the Obama administration, which has just expanded the Afghan war. Defense Secrerary Gates went to Japan and threatened Japanese of "serious consequences" if they didn't do the U.S. bidding. President Obama couldn't solve the Futenma issue when he visited Japan. (Why did he go to Asia, to begin with?) Now, Japan and the U.S. have started high-level negotiations in Tokyo to resolve the relocation issues.

The American Ambassador to Japan, John V. Roos, a big Obama campaign donor with zero foreign and diplomatic experience or knowledge, is a member of the U.S. negotiation team. He apparently blew up on the first day of the negotiation, according to Sankei Shinbun:

"In a closed session of the negotiation, Ambassador Roos flew into a rage and started shouting at Japan's Foreign Minister Okada and Defense Minister Kitazawa."

Don't you dare renege on the promise under Bush administration!

That sounds like Rahm Emanuel cloned.

(Sankei Shinbun, by the way, seems highly approving of the rude manner of the ambassador. The newspaper is heavily right-leaning, and heavily pro-U.S., a combination possible only in Japan.)

The base relocation was agreed upon in 2006 after an incident in 1995 of an abduction and rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. Marines. Violent crimes (rape, armed robbery, homicide) committed by the U.S. soldiers based in Japan, particularly in Okinawa, have irked and angered Japanese over the years, but this particular incident triggered an overwhelming disgust and protest against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. (One of the Marines later killed himself after raping a woman in Georgia.)

Japan, like so many other nations in the world, was ecstatic over the election of Barack Obama, welcoming the "change" from Bush administration. Now the reality sets in. Okinawa's newspaper Ryukyu Shinpo, in its editorial, has this to say to Obama administration: "Change? What change?" [rough translation from original Japanese]:

"It is highly doubtful that Ambassador Roos knew or understood anything about Okinawa's situation before he visited Okinawa. Obama administration's call for "change" rings so hollow now.

"New administrations in Japan and the U.S. have sparked the hope that problems associated with the U.S. bases in Okinawa, which have been highly contentious and divisive, may finally be resolved. But Ambassador Roos simply repeats the same old official U.S. line that the U.S. believes the current plan (move the base from Futenma to Nago, with Japanese government paying for most of the cost) is the best option.

"The Japan-U.S. working group, which is made up of ministers and high-ranking officials including Mr. Roos, is supposedly examining the issues and exploring options. But if the U.S. has already decided on the conclusion (that the current plan is the best one for the U.S.), what is the point of even negotiating?"

According to Yomiuri Shinbun, Michael Green, former senior director of Asian affairs of the U.S. National Security Council under George W. Bush, warned that if the Japanese government does not proceed with the base relocation plan as agreed, it will jeopardize the entire U.S. plan for military reorganization in the Far East. He predicted total collapse of trust between the U.S. and Japan, and threatened that the U.S. would go over Japan's head and discuss important issues with China only. (Just like it routinely bypass Korea now.)

So the Obama "Change" administration enlists a former official from the previous administration to bully the new Japanese administration. Same old, same old. I guess the occupation of Japan has never been lifted.

Japan has almost always liked and respected the U.S. ambassadors sent by the administrations over the years. The U.S. always took care to pick a respected, senior member of the diplomatic corp, senior politician, or noted scholar - Reischauer, Mansfield, Mondale. The ambassador under George Bush, Tom Schieffer, was also very much liked and respected by the Japanese politicians and businessmen. That tradition was rudely ended when Obama appointed his campaign contributor and political/diplomatic/scholarly nobody as the ambassador.

Several days ago Zero Hedge reported the rumor that Japan is planning to sell U.S. Treasuries [that they hold]. I hope the U.S. won't regret having bullied a long-time subservient "ally" if and when that rumor turns out to be true.

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9,000 Marines Heading to Afghanistan Immediately

after Obama announcement on Tuesday

I wonder what will happen to that brilliant idea of taxing all Americans to support the Afghan war. I also wonder (in shudder) what will happen in Pakistan. (Read this Seymour Hersh article on Pakistan and her nukes and American role in destabilizing Pakistan.)

9,000 Marines Heading to Afghanistan Immediately After Obama Announcement (11/29/09 Antiwar.com)

"The United States is wasting no time in throwing more troops at the war in Afghanistan. Officials say as soon as President Obama makes his Tuesday announcement of the escalation of the war, 9,000 additional Marines will depart for Afghanistan.

"The 9,000 Marines will head to the Helmand Province, roughly doubling the number of marines on the ground in the tense province. It will also be a significant portion of the estimated 34,000 additional troops President Obama will commit to the war.

"Defense Secretary Robert Gates had said the escalation would come quickly, despite caution that it was complicated to add so many troops to a war in a landlocked, virtually infrastructure free country on the other side of the globe. Still, most assumed it would be at least January when the troops started arriving.

"That the troops are all heading to Helmand will no doubt be troubling news to Pakistan, as Prime Minister Gilani cautioned only two days ago that he was worried a US escalation in Helmand could destabilize the nation’s Balochistan Province."

"Might makes right, until they see the light..."

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