March 20, 2005

Hello,

I am back in Guam now. After donating my plane to the relief effort and losing it, I came up about $150K short after insurance. Micronesia is now without an emergency relief plane. My plane was one of six aircraft lost so far in Aceh after the tsunami. The people operating aircraft in Aceh are operating in a high risk area and know it, but are willing to, given the magnitude of the need. The cost of losing an aircraft must be weighed into the potential overall cost of an operation. Susi Air knows they will need new props and interiors and may lose a plane but it doesn't stop them. (But then they have a lucrative Red Cross contract which will more than pay for this). I will be headed back to Indonesia in mid-April to continue to fly for Susi Air and to salvage what I can from the plane.

In addition to the numerous lives we saved with my plane through delivery of tetanus vaccines, antibiotics and other medical supplies, we also delivered oxygen to the Meulaboh Hospital so they could perform the numerous amputations necessary with rather than without anesthesia. I also continued to fly for Susi Air for 2 1/2 months, putting aside my other job (and income) for that time.

If anybody would like to contribute funds for our efforts, I would be very happy to receive it. So far this effort has been almost entirely funded out of my pocket and I DO NOT have the financial resources to be able to afford to spend $150K on the relief.

I am trying to adjust to a life of trivia after spending the last several months where nothing is trivial and every step you make is significant and saves life. Eat fly eat sleep eat fly eat sleep. That was the schedule since January 6. I did take 1 1/2 days "off" to fly to Java to get more aircraft supplies sometime in February. Only flew 10 hours in that day and a half. Then I took 24 hours off to go to Lake Toba - a resort south of Medan to try to meet someone, anyone, who had not lost friends or family. Didn't succeed but was able to breathe some fresh cool air.

By the way I have not received the funds from Ayuda and even if I do get the money, it will be 15% smaller after their cut. Lousy way of receiving funds and not even sure it is not a complete Guam black hole. Carlotta Leon Guerrero has not returned calls for several days.

Hope you are well. All my best,

Joe