Sean Penn’s plea to his fellow celebs at a Cannes gala “Haiti is watching us tonight like you cannot believe.” Reuters reports that the event raised $2 million for aid to the poverty stricken nation still reeling from the massive earthquake of January 2010.

Lest we forget:

Our coverage of the Haiti earthquake and its aftermath

U.S. Geological Survey – report of the 7.0 earthquake on January 12, 2010

CNN – special report on the Haiti earthquake

USAID – American assistance provided to the Haitian people after the earthquake

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

An aerial view of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort, shows the devastation of the 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti Jan. 12, 2010. Approximately 230,000 Haitians are reported to have died as a result of the earthquake. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Chelsea Kennedy. Click for a larger image.

January 12, 2010: The United Nations reports

The earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010 affected almost 3.5 million people, including the entire population of 2.8 million people living in Port-au-Prince. The Government of Haiti estimates that the earthquake killed 222,570 and injured another 300,572 people. Displacement peaked at close to 2.3 million people, including 302,000 children. At least 188,383 houses were badly damaged and 105,000 were destroyed by the earthquake. Sixty per cent of Government and administrative buildings, 80 per cent of schools in Port-au-Prince and 60 per cent of schools in the South and West Departments were destroyed or damaged. Total earthquake-related loss is estimated at $7.8 billion, equivalent to more than 120 per cent of Haiti’s 2009 gross domestic product.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Jay Wamsley holds a Haitian toddler during a humanitarian visit to one of many small villages outside Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 2, 2010. Wamsley, an environmental health and safety officer, is temporarily assigned to Port Security Unit 307. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Eggers.

In October 2010, cases of cholera began to appear in Haiti. The illness had not been seen for generations and it spread rapidly. As of December 26, 2011, the Haitian Ministry of Health reports 522,946 cases of cholera since then, and a total of at least 7,011 deaths.

The situation two years after the earthquake remains grim. Over 500,000 Haitians remain in nearly 1,000 refugee camps. The deaths and illnesses from cholera continue, though improvements in sanitation and availability of treatment have cut the death rate nearly in half.

The World Food Program states

Haiti is a food deficit country. It relies heavily on imported food – 50 percent of national requirements are imported. Food prices have been rising since the end of 2010. In a country where approximately half of the population lives with less than $1 a day and three quarters have less than $2 per day, this increase has led to an overall loss of purchasing power for the majority of Haitians. WFP is using its three main programmes – school meals, nutrition and cash and food for work- to alleviate the impact of rising food prices on the most vulnerable.

Still, for the first time in 25 years, the Haitian government has all three branches functioning. The Caracol Industrial Park will open in March and its first tenant, Korean textile firm Sae-A, has committed to creating 20,000 new jobs. About half of the rubble created by the earthquake has been removed with 30-40 percent having been recycled into new construction. Much of the remaining “rubble” consists of buildings that have been condemned but the owners believe they can be salvaged.

U.S. Southern Command has conveyed a supply of disaster response equipment to the Haitian government. The United States has donated 12 boats, four sport utility vehicles, and 11,000 hand-crank radios to Haiti’s Direction de la Protection Civile (DPC).

When the Jan. 12 earthquake struck, Ross and Lt. General Ken Keen, SOUTHCOM’s deputy commander, were at the home of the U.S. ambassador in Haiti.

“The entire earth seemed to come alive for what seemed like an eternity, but it was only 50 seconds,” Keen said. “We could see a cloud of dust rising up over the city like smoke, and we could hear the screams below.”

Ross “sprung into action,” Keen said, saying she was going to find the members of her group at the Hotel Montana, where they had been staying. “She’s a leader with a can-do attitude.”

There was no way to travel through the city by car.

Ross walked four miles to get to the five-story, 145-room hotel, which would become one of Port-au-Prince’s most gruesome sites of death and destruction. The hotel had completely collapsed.

She found a small passageway in the debris. She crawled inside, but her passage was blocked.

Magri was buried beneath the roof of the hotel, wedged in a space the size of a dinner table, he estimated.

“I was hyperventilating,” said Magri, who suffered fractured ribs and other injuries. “Then, I began to think `this is an obstacle course. I need to get to that light.’ ”

In the days leading up to the earthquake, Magri had an annoying cough. It was that cough that enabled Ross to locate him underneath the wreckage.

“It was amazing,” said Magri when he first heard Ross. “I heard a little tiny voice saying `Sergeant Magri?’ like a question. When I responded, she said `Oh my God! I can’t believe it.”

Five hours after the earthquake, Magri was freed.

Miami Herald

This story is a classic example of the way our military drops the ball on publicizing American heroes in uniform. The only story I can find of this woman’s heroism is in a civilian paper. The military issued a PDF press release before the award and nothing after. The PDF is defective and will not allow itself to be copied. The remainder of mentions for her award are at the bottom of all the stories about a similar award for a male officer later in the year.

Sgt. Melvain StGeorge, a supply clerk with Company A, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, and native of Montrouis, Haiti, debarks a Landing Craft Utility, Aug. 1, in Port-de-Paix, Haiti. Throughout Haiti, StGeorge served as a Creole translator to key leaders from Haiti and the USS Iwo Jima. Marines and Sailors of the Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Continuing Promise 2010, participated in a ten-day mission in Haiti and provided medical, dental, optometry and engineering to the Haitian citizens. Photo by Sgt. Samuel Beyers

The Marine Corps is home to thousands of Marines born in places other than the United States. These Marines are used to deploying all around the globe, sometimes at a moment’s notice. Sometimes these special individuals get the unique opportunity to return to their home country proudly wearing the eagle, globe and anchor.

Six Marines currently deployed to the Caribbean, Central and South America spent ten days in their home country, Haiti, where they served as translators for Marines and Sailors of the Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Continuing Promise 2010 and USS Iwo Jima.

Gunnery Sgt. Felder Domond, Cpl. John H. Michel, and Lance Cpl. Frantz Rosemond, natives of Port-au-Price, Haiti, Staff Sgt. Vladimyr Merci, native of Liancourt, Haiti, Staff Sgt. Vanes Alabre, native of Port-Salut, Haiti, and Sgt. Melvain St George, native of Montrouis, Haiti, traveled from medical sites to engineering sites translating Creole to English and English to Creole to ensure key leaders of Haiti and the USS Iwo Jima knew how daily operations were being executed and ensured the Haiti crowd remained calm, as they waited to seen by a medical provider. Their presence was absolutely essential in the success of the humanitarian mission.

During the CP10 mission in Haiti, personnel aboard the USS Iwo Jima provided medical, dental, optometry, veterinary and engineering services to the people in Port-de-Paix and Saint-Louis de Nord.

Domond from Combat Logistics Regiment 27 and staff noncommissioned officer in charge of the Logistics Combat Element, and Merci, a supply chief with Marine Air Control Squadron 2, Command Element, worked with United Nations Haiti National Police, mayors of Port-de-Paix and Saint-Louis de Nord and leaders from USS Iwo Jima in translating plans and missions of the operations in Haiti.

At the medical sites, when hundreds of Haitians crowded and formed disorganized lines, Domond and Merci intervened and restored order before the scene turned into a riot.

“We needed to calm everyone down in order for (Haitians) to receive the help they were waiting for,” said Domond. “We feel like this is where we were born, and we wanted to help them out by simply talking to them and without anyone causing violence.”

Aside from their translating roles, the six Marines were able to talk among their fellow Haitians. Staff Sgt. Vanes Alabre said many Haitian citizens remembered him when he went out to the different sites.

“We would pack up and leave pretty early and before I left they would thank me and the Marines for what we were doing,” said Alabre, an aviation life support systems technician with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 774, Aviation Combat Element of Special-Purpose MAGTF. “The next day I would return to the same site, and they always said hello. It was very humbling to be there and help them out.”

For some Marines aboard the USS Iwo Jima it was there first time stepping onto Haitian soil during a deployment. For Merci and St George, it was there second time deploying to Haiti in 2010. Shortly after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 12, 2010, Merci, and St George, embarked aboard the USS Bataan with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit en route to Port-au-Prince for Haiti relief efforts.

“My mom never wanted me to join the Marine Corps,” said Merci. “It wasn’t until I told her that I was going to Haiti after the earthquake to go and help our people. She was proud to know I was going to help our people, and if it weren’t for me being in the Marine Corps, I may have not gotten the chance to go back and help.”

During the time that St George and Merci spent in Haiti from January to April, they served as translators, so they could understand how the Marines were providing aid in clearing out debris and passing out food and water.

“It was extremely rough seeing what the tremendous damage the earthquake did,” said St George, a supply clerk with 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, Ground Combat Element of Special-Purpose MAGTF. “Helping out was a noble deed, and it was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed my time helping out after the earthquake and helping out the people in Port-de-Paix. They don’t have the same medical options we have in the U.S., and it was nice to see that we can give them a helping hand.”

When the Haiti-native Marines were in Haiti, they were home. They were able to show that they can support their countries … both the United States and Haiti.

“This by far has been the highlight of my Marine Corps career,” said Alabre. “I was able to go home and help my people during a deployment and it was one of the best moments I’ve had so far.”

DVIDS
Story by Cpl. Alicia R. Giron

Haitian children in Gonaives wait for medical clinic. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Jessica M. Lopez

Task Force Kout Men moved into northern Haiti in mid June. Over 500 members of the United States military, the National Guard, Reserves and the regulars, will be working in and around the city of Gonaives. The base camp is in the village of Mandrin.

The task force is headed by the Louisiana National Guard who chose the Creole name, which means “Helping Hands”. The exercise is titled “New Horizons – Haiti 2010″ and the men and women rotating through during the June through September time frame will be working on four schools and providing a number of medical outreach services.

At any one time 500-550 Americans will be on the ground but units will be rotating in and out during the mission. It is headed by the Louisiana National Guard and many participants are from Guard and Reserve units in other states, such as Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, North and South Dakota, Texas and U.S. Virgin Islands. Troops from the Central American nation of Belize are also attached to the mission.

In a Bloggers’ Roundtable, we had the opportunity to speak with Army Col. Michael Borrel, the task force commander of the New Horizons-Haiti 2010 exercise, a member of the task force’s engineering team, Maj. Charles “Chuck” Hudson, Louisiana National Guard, as well as a member of the medical staff, U.S. Air Force Col. Thomas Steinbrunner.

Work on local schools is progressing. In addition to structural work, the American engineers are adding wells for drinking water and improved latrines. The SeaBees, Navy Construction Batt. 25, are doing much of this work, assisted by other units and the troops from Belize.

Asked about the earthquake and hurricane resistance of the new construction, Col. Borrel had this to say:

Yes, the system that was selected through the Army South engineers that we’re utilizing is the Royal Building Systems that’s — that has since been renamed the NuForm System. And it’s essentially a concrete-reinforced slab that’s 3,500-PSI concrete with reinforced rebar that is very — with a six-inch slope that’s very strong concrete slab. The walls use a smaller aggregate but at the same 3,500 PSI and the same six-inch slump (sic; slope). So it’s a reinforced concrete building.

And the roof structure facilitates a steel frame J-bolt system that’s bolted steel with the corrugated metal roof. You know, it’s much more better — much better technology, a much stronger system than any of the systems in — being utilized in Haiti. When we came on the ground, essentially, in Mandrin they were using United Nations tents, and they had a pole barn that they were using as a classroom.

So this will be a significant improvement and will enhance the learning capabilities of the children and the instructors as well.

At the facilities at the K. Georges and at the Diaquoi (sp), they were existing structures that were projects from the past that were constructed under the guise of USAID, and they are a similar concrete reinforced structure that have withstood the hurricanes and winds of the past. The grade at which we are placing these buildings is consistent with where the grade is of the existing structures and is intended to be above any type of flood area.

Staff Sgt Rebekah Chiarini, a medical provider with the 399th Combat Support Hospital, plays with children from the Vision For A Better Haiti Orphanage at the at the U.S. Army South New Horizons- Haiti 2010 Gonaives medical assistance site July 7. New Horizons, in partnership with the government of Haiti, is conducting various medical, dental engineering missions for the locals in Gonaives. New Horizons also provides valuable experience to learn in a real-world environment for our U.S. Forces. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Jessica M. Lopez

This region of Haiti escaped the direct effects of the January 12, 2010, earthquake. Gonaives was partially destroyed by Hurricane Hannah in 2008 and suffers from regular flooding. I asked Co. Borrel about the choice of location for the exercise. He told us that up to 100,000 Haitians from the quake zone were believed, by the Haitian government, to have moved to the Gonaives area. The work on the schools provides for more capacity, to allow some of those refugee children to attend school.

Ten medical exercises are part of the overall mission plan. To date, the officers report that well over 20,000 Haitians have been seen at a variety of locations. Col. Steinbrunner described this outreach as primary care only. Serious problems would be referred to the local Haitian hospitals.

Along with medical exams, Haitians are being seen by dentists and other medical professionals. At the request of the Haitian government, there are no immunizations being provided. Steinbrunner described the conditions seen to date as a mix of many things, skin conditions, parasitic illnesses and sexually transmitted diseases being predominant.

The large numbers of American troops that surged into Haiti after the earthquake are gone. Yet, a small, hardworking group of Americans troops continue to make a difference as a part of Task Force Helping Hands.

You can follow these Americans through social media:

Facebook: New Horizons – Task Force Kout Men

Flickr: Task_Force_Kout_Men_New_ Horizons_Haiti_2010′s photostream

Twitter: @tfkoutmen