|
"Operation Noah, we'll top you off!" the tower called. Who knows how he managed to guide the tank truck to us? There wasn't much fuel needed. Then came the dangerous part, the passengers. They came in a long string of busses that appeared out of nowhere over a field.
We got twelve busloads, seven hundred all told, and twenty-five boxes of food to feed them. The whole loading process proceeded like a finely executed military operation. In seven minutes the doors were closed, and one minute later we were lining up for the runway.
During the loading shots could be heard in the distance, but no one regarded them. It didn't even strike me until we had time to think, how desperate the situation must have become that people would start shooting at one another in times like these.
"I think the people in this city are the lucky ones," I said to Ken. "They stand a chance to be all rescued. In the moment of this deep crisis the world appears to be responsive to the human need and will do all it can to meet the emergency."
"This won't last," said Harry. "In a day the airports will be out of fuel. When the fallout comes down on the East Coast, there won't be an airlift operating to rescue anybody. Nothing happens without fuel, and the fuel cannot be produced without a functioning economy. People won't go to work when they are scared for their life. Nor will there be food when the transportation and distribution system breaks down. More people will likely die in the chaos of the economic disintegration than will die of radiation related causes."
Ken muttered something about Harry being mad. Eventually though, he agreed, wondering if there was enough fuel in Honolulu to sustain the airlift for more than a day.
Honolulu was a different world altogether. This became evident before we even saw the islands. There was order on the islands, politeness, and concern. We were the first of the great airlift to reach Honolulu. Low clouds concealed the islands as we began our descent. The air traffic control center reported showers and gusts, advised on breaking conditions. The runway was ours, we were told. We had priority over everyone. No wait was imposed. This was VIP treatment. The weather was insignificant, compared to the nature of the operation. Gusts or no gusts, we were coming in. We were heavy, but not too heavy.
As we disembarked we were welcomed as honored guests. They were obviously aware that the nature of this airlift was such, that it would soon touch the lives of nearly everyone on the island. Still they opened their doors in a magnificent welcome. In a way, I realized, it had already touched everyone.
An appeal for accommodation and volunteer help had gone out. It had met with a strong response. Banners were strung across the halls on the arrivals level. "Welcome operation Noah," they read. The Salvation Army was present with food counters that resembled World War II field kitchens, dispensing soup from boiling vats, and hot chocolate, coffee, milk, tea, and sandwiches. Service clubs had set up other tables. Numerous organizations eager to help meet the most urgent needs of the flood of refugees were present, and it seemed that more were expected. Church and social groups offered assistance for those who required special care. The National Guard was also on hand to provide transportation to hotels and homes.
I wondered if this great urge to help was not in effect a celebration of a growing awareness that the nuclear war had remained limited to just a single missile, a fact that must have seemed most unlikely at first, something that we hadn't had time to contemplate before.
The same warm reception we got on the ground, had previously been extended to us in the air. "Welcome to Hawaii, Noah One," the tower had greeted us as soon as we signed on. We were given VIP treatment in every respect but one. "Could you fly another mission?" the tower practically requested in the first sentence. "We've got no replacement crew yet, and as you know, the situation is critical back on the mainland."
Next Page
|| - page index -
|| - chapter index -
|| - Exit -
||
|
