As she stood watch aboard the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in Hong Kong on June 21, Seaman Grace Geroche of San Diego didn't know a typhoon was raging through her hometown in the Philippines.
RELIEF MISSION
The Ronald Reagan carrier strike group participated in a humanitarian operation after Typhoon Fengshen hit the Philippines.
 Duration: June 25 to July 3
Air sorties flown: 332
Pounds of supplies distributed: 519,000
Bottles of water delivered: 28,128
Pounds of rice delivered: 9,060
Participating units: carrier Reagan; cruiser Chancellorsville; destroyers Decatur, Gridley and Howard; frigate Thach; Carrier Air Wing 14; Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadrons 4, 37 and 49; and Fleet Logistics Squadron 30
Source: Navy Lt. Ron Flanders
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Then she received an e-mail from the cell phone of her sister, April, who was trapped by rising water in the family home in the city of Iloilo with Geroche's mother, aunt and 5-year-old brother.
“She said the water was up to their necks, that they were climbing up into the rafters,” Geroche, 22, said this week during a telephone interview from the ship. “She asked if the ship could send a helicopter to rescue them.”
Six days later, Geroche was reunited with her family in Iloilo during a relief effort that President Bush ordered for the storm-racked nation.
Geroche and thousands of other sailors from the San Diego-based Reagan carrier strike group, including about 400 Filipino-Americans, spent 10 days helping residents on the island of Panay.
They helped repair generators at three flooded hospitals and provided medical assistance to victims.
Their aircraft, all based at North Island Naval Air Station, flew 332 sorties and delivered 519,000 pounds of cargo, said Lt. Ron Flanders, a Reagan spokesman.
Frequently, the strike group's crew members brought the first outside help to the communities they visited.
“There was no fresh water. There was no food available,” said Capt. Ken Norton, the Reagan's commanding officer. “There were people on the brink of despair.”
On Thursday, the Reagan and its escort ships left the Sulu Sea south of Manila to resume their mission.
The carrier left San Diego in May for a six-month cruise. The Navy does not announce the destinations of its deployed ships, but the strike group is presumed to be headed for the Middle East to contribute to war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also could take part in a looming showdown with Iran.
“Even though it was a tragedy,” Norton said, “being able to get here in a timely fashion and bring sustenance to people who need it was very, very rewarding.”
He said the strike group was on a port visit in Hong Kong as Typhoon Fengshen blew through the Philippines June 20-22, killing as many as 1,500 people. Navy meteorologists worried the storm would barrel west across the South China Sea and pin the fleet in Hong Kong.
So the ships left port 24 hours early to avoid the typhoon, stranding more than 100 sailors ashore.
On June 24, Norton heard the president announce on television that the Reagan and its escorts were being diverted to help the Filipinos affected by the typhoon.
“We started ramping up even before we were told,” Norton said. “We were able to put people ashore within 11 hours.”
The Navy has a long tradition of offering aid after natural disasters overseas. Last year, its leaders elevated humanitarian relief to a “core mission,” one it hopes will put a friendlier face on a U.S. military that is viewed with fear and suspicion in some parts of the world.
Before dawn each day, Reagan sailors loaded pallets of water and rice aboard C-2A Greyhound airplanes and SH-60 Seahawk helicopters. The aircraft brought those staples to the flooded cities on Panay.
The sailors also worked with the Philippine military to carry supplies from staging areas outside the storm zone.
The mission carried special meaning for service members of Filipino descent aboard the Reagan.
“It's something I will never forget – to be able to go out and help those needy people,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zosimo Francisco, 54, a Philippines native and 30-year Navy veteran.
Geroche said she won't forget the reunion with her family. She visited the house where she lived until joining the Navy less than two years ago. It survived the storm but is filled with mud and still lacks electricity and clean water.
“I was crying, my mom was crying, my sister was crying,” Geroche said. “It was pretty emotional.”
She brought them some chocolates and other goodies from her Reagan shipmates.
“I told my sister I didn't just bring the helicopter, I brought the whole ship,” Geroche said.
Steve Liewer: (619) 498-6632; steve.liewer@uniontrib.com
