Jul 5, 2008 6:43 pm US/Central
MN Sailors Among Those Who Helped Typhoon Victims
(WCCO)
Celebrating American independence often means remembering military personnel serving all over the world. Last week, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan helped typhoon victims in the Philippines. WCCO talked to two Minnesotans aboard that ship.
A U.S. Navy video shows some of the work sailors from the Ronald Reagan carrier group did from June 25 through July 3 helping Filipino victims of typhoon Feng Shen.
Petty Officer John Dougherty, from Fridley, is a helicopter crew chief on the Reagan. He flew missions totaling 24 hours last week.
"The Philippines is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever flown over. A lot of rain forest, but there's a lot of flooding, a lot of rivers that jumped their banks, a lot of torn down houses," said Petty Officer 2nd Class John Dougherty.
Dougherty's chopper was one of a dozen flying supplies to the Philippine Island of Panay. He said it was a mission he really enjoyed.
"Everyone's clapping and cheering. They need this food and water. They've been going without, we're there to drop it off for them. It makes us feel good," he added.
Dougherty's dad, Bill Dougherty, said when the Ronald Reagan first arrived in the Philippines, some local newspapers voiced concerns about nuclear weapons.
"The newspapers have kind of switched around. They're not worried about the fact that there is a weapon of war off the coast, and now they see it for what it is, its also humanitarian efforts as well," Bill said.
Dougherty is not the only Minnesotan aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. The Captain happens to be from White Bear Lake.
"They were on the brink of disaster. So when we showed up there with bottled water and rice and stuff like that, I think we were able to help them tremendously," said Captain Kenneth Norton.
The Ronald Reagan group's aircraft moved more than 500 thousand pounds of supplies for typhoon relief in the Philippines.
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