Marines have always been looked up to as leading the assault. Recent violent weather in the South Eastern United States with some 151 tornados hitting the ground has brought the Marines forward once again, in helping their neighbors.

Southern states, such as Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia suffered huge losses in both life and property this during the week of April 26th. The latest report is that there are over 341 situations in which people lost their lives. The majority of these occurred in Alabama. Marines are helping in taking action to work with their local disaster relief organizations to search and recovery and support for others doing the same thing, currently. A good example of Marines working to help their neighbors is one individual by the name of Carl Jones in Birmingham, Alabama. After the storms, he immediately mobilized a bunch of his friends and began reaching out to neighborhoods in both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, two of the hardest hit areas in the state. They started by contacting other Marines in the hard hit areas to find out who needed immediate help with their situations. Communications were tough, but Carl found a way to keep in touch with those working out in the field to gather information and pass it along to others who are in a position to help. One person his friends came in contact with had lost literally everything, including his car and his house. There was another person who lost everything, with a pregnant wife about to deliver twins. In these situations and many more, Carl Jones began making arrangements for delivery of goods to help these people out, set up donation focal point for distribution of goods, contact veteran support groups. Support has come from Marines in the state of Alabama, but also from neighboring states and places as far away as California. He has begun co-coordinating support organizations to assist with temporary housing and clothing. Carl Jones is a former two terms Marine Corps League Detachment Commandant in Birmingham, and is effectively using this line of communication through the Department of Alabama Commandant. In turn, National Vice Commandant for the South Eastern Division of the Marine Corps, Dave Gardner, is opening more and more lines of communication to assist those in need in the states hardest hit by this disaster.

More information will be forthcoming as received. Please pray for those hardest hit in this major weather event, and keep your ears open for any way the Marines can help in your area.