SAN CLEMENTE, Peru -- Marines from Special Marine Air Ground Task Force 24, under the command of Marine Corps Forces South, completed a humanitarian action here Friday in an area slowly recovering from a devastating earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter Scale which hit the community of San Clemente particularly hard last August.
The Marines, invited by the Peruvian government to remove debris from San Clemente, worked with the aid of the city government of San Clemente and with the Peruvian Marine Corps.
“We are here to help improve the lives of the citizens of San Clemente. We removed more than 2,500 cubic meters of debris from the city,” said LtCol John Klink, Special Marine Air Ground Task Force executive officer, and officer in charge of the humanitarian action here. “We finalized seven different projects, clearing streets of earthquake debris, and also clearing debris from dangerous turns in the Pan American highway which made driving very hazardous."
"We also finalized three community relations projects. We fixed the school's playground, we cleaned the local clinic, and we provided medical exams to the citizens of San Clemente," said Klink. "The entire area of San Clemente looks devastated, but it also shows the resilience of the people here -- the entire city feels like a construction zone. But there’s still plenty to be done.”
"We suffered during the earthquake,” said Isabel Quince Prada, of San Clemente. “Here’s where we have suffered the most.”
The humanitarian aid is part of a military exercise called Partnership of the Americas 2008, which aims to improve relations with partner nations and to increase the operational preparedness of naval forces participating in the exercise, including Marine Corps forces, in the American continent.
"We were not expecting the help of individual citizens of San Clemente. However, they also came out to clear debris. Picking up rocks and basically helping us to remove debris once they saw us cleaning their city. Every day the community came out to help us," said Klink.
The humanitarian aid also includes basic medical exams given to the community of San Clemente.
“We gave health check ups to kids. We administered exams to check blood pressure, vital systems check ups, heart and lung check ups," said Navy corpsman Pat Stanosheck. “We also orally administered Motrin for back aches and Tylenol for fevers
“I am delighted! What happiness,” said Prada. “So many kids are happy. Look at how they play and love the Marines. They don’t want them to leave.”
Cpl. Anthony Eskew, 21, from New Oxford, Pa., was one of the Marines who spent their free time playing with the kids of San Clemente. “I felt wonderful helping the community,” Eskew said. “But I specially liked cleaning the school and playing with the kids. The kids attacked me with joy in their faces. Playing soccer, running, playing in the playground.”
The humanitarian action in San Clemente is part of a series of similar community initiatives occurring in Peru during June. During May, SPMAGTF 24 completed community relations projects in Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, and in El Salvador.
Partnership of the Americas aims to train a multinational force in combined naval operations with the objective of elevating joint operations, as well as mutual confidence, cooperation, and friendship. One important aspect of the deployment is to support civil authorities in allied countries with humanitarian and community based projects.
The Marines of SPMAGTF 24, made up mostly of Marines from the 24th Regiment, will finalize POA 2008 on the 22nd of June.
“Look how the children are crying because the Marines are leaving. The kids are staying behind crying. We still need help,” said Prada.