Normandy Provides Helping Hand to Villages on La Gonave
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS100205-23
Release Date: 2/5/2010 3:36:00 PM
By Ensign Adam R. Cole, USS Normandy Public Affairs
LA GONAVE, Haiti (NNS) -- Sailors from USS Normandy (CG 60) delivered humanitarian assistance to the population in the Haitian island of La Gonave Feb. 2 in support of Operation Unified Response.
La Gonave lies about 20 miles off the coast of Haiti, and the island itself is a little over 30 miles long. The area that Normandy has primarily been responsible for providing relief is on the southwestern edge.
"While we know that much of the heavy lifting is being done in Port-au-Prince," said Normandy Commanding Officer Jeffrey T. Griffin. "We know we are making a significant impact to the people of La Gonave, especially the internally displaced people that fled there after the earthquake."
Normandy has been delivering humanitarian rations, provided by a U.S.-based non-profit humanitarian food-aid organization called "Kids Against Hunger." More than 70,000 portions of those rations, which is essentially a nutria-grain mix with the calories of a full meal, medical supplies and about 700 gallons of water have been delivered to the coastal towns of Boden, Pointe des Latanier and Pointe a Perrot. Three separate visits were made to Boden and two to Pointe des Latanier.
Normandy initially visited Petit de Nippes on Haiti's southern peninsula region, and MEDEVAC an 11-year-old girl with yellow fever, as well as gave them 20 gallons of fuel for the town generator to provide power to the town for a number of days.
"It's a humbling and rewarding experience," said Griffin. "This is certainly a different type of mission than what we train for, but we're more than happy to do it. I was able to personally go ashore when we sent aid to Pointe des Latanier, and I was able to see firsthand the gratitude from the people we were helping."
Normandy's embarked helicopter detachment, the Mayport, Fla.-based Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 46, Detachment 3, has been crucial in the assessment and assistance process. Helicopters have been taking pallets of the "Kids Against Hunger" boxes and delivering them to designated landing zones near or inside the towns.
"It feels good to be helping the people of Haiti in this manner," Lt. j.g. Matthew Headley, a pilot with HSL 46, Det 3, who went with the Normandy crew to Point a Perrot. "We so often take for granted all that we have, as Americans. [Here] We were delivering basic essentials, food, water, and medical supplies that are commonplace to us, but is something they desperately need. I can't get enough of this mission."
For each assessment and assistance mission, Normandy launched rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) to survey along the coast of La Gonave. If piers were not available, Normandy Sailors were ferried ashore with the assistance from local fisherman. The shore party, a 25-man team, would then coordinate with local leadership to set up a distribution center. If possible, a helicopter landing zone would be set up to further receive humanitarian aid supplies via air delivery.
Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class (Surface Warfare) Maxy Baskin, a native of Haiti, has been a crucial link by acting as the shore party's translator for each visit.
"This is amazing to be able to help my [native] country like this," said Baskin. "It is just great to be able to give aid in this manner, to touch people's lives directly, to know that you are giving them something they truly need."
Nearly every Sailor on Normandy has had the opportunity to go ashore and participate in the mission.
Lt. Cmdr. Michael Faust, Normandy's chief engineer, was the officer-in-charge on Normandy's second visit into Pointe des Latanier. He observed a "resilient community," one that was grateful for the help and that was very much about helping each other, even giving some of their aid to a nearby settlement.
"The children were priceless with endless smiles," said Faust.
All those that go say they have been touched by what they have witnessed in the severity of conditions, including the joy of the people, particularly the children and their good cheer. The kids play games such as "kick the can", "telephone" and "tag" with great glee.
"The kids don't have much, but what they do have, they make the most of," said Fire Controlman 2nd Class (SW) Melanie Chesonis, who enjoyed dancing with the kids and playing their games. "It's not us helping them, but them helping us in giving a different perspective of the world."
Normandy deployed Jan. 13, from Norfolk to support Operation Unified Response, the U.S. Southern Command-led effort to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to Haiti in the wake of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that occurred on Jan. 12.
As the Navy component command of U.S. Southern Command, NAVSO's mission is to direct U.S. naval forces operating in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions and interact with partner nation navies within the maritime environment. In support of Operation Unified Response, C4F is tasked to coordinate the U.S. Navy's response to disaster relief in Haiti following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Jan. 12. The focus of Operation Unified Response is to alleviate the suffering of survivors and support humanitarian relief efforts.
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