U.S. Forces Heading Home After Cyclone Mission

Thousands of U.S. servicemen and women who brought food, clothing and hope to Bangladeshis who survived a killer cyclone will resume their journey home from the Gulf War today.

“Our mission was to save lives. I think we saved a lot--I wish we could have saved more,” said Maj. Gen. Henry Stackpole, the commander of Operation Sea Angel.

A seven-ship U.S. amphibious task force was diverted to Bangladesh by President Bush to speed relief to an estimated 1.7 million survivors of the April 30 cyclone that claimed at least 139,000 lives.

The 7,500-member U.S. military contingent provided the backbone and logistics for an international relief effort that had been unable to get desperately needed supplies to cyclone survivors.

During an intensive two-week operation, Stackpole said, the U.S. task force delivered 3,300 tons of relief supplies to hard-hit coastal areas and low-lying islands in the Bay of Bengal by helicopter, boat and amphibious craft. In addition, he said, U.S. military medical teams and engineers, working with their Bangladesh counterparts and international relief organizations, treated survivors and helped contain an outbreak of diarrhea caused by contaminated drinking water.

Many of the 4,000 Marines and 3,000 sailors due to leave today have been away from home more than six months. The Marines made an amphibious landing in Saudi Arabia at the start of the ground war Feb. 24 and moved into southern Kuwait, taking Iraqi prisoners and clearing pockets of resistance.