L to R: Maj. Byron Martin, Mr. Tom Bowen, Gen. Claude Astin

DISASTER RELIEF

I realize, of course, that this is nothing new under the sun. Not only do we have some wonderful pictures from our past that show this very work being done in the early 1900’s and that other organizations have been doing a wonderful job of reaching out in this way to their communities but I happen to know that this same work was being done as early as the time that Jesus walked this earth in the form of a man. It was Jesus himself, who constantly turned from his travels to reach out to those who were in need of help. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, forgave the sinner and even raised the dead.

For myself, it began after September 11, 2001. I remember clearly what I was doing and the effect that it had on me as I watched those planes crash over and over again into the twin towers and witnessed the destruction to the Pentagon. I was working in Arlington, VA at the time and actually heard the explosion at impact to the Pentagon. One month later, I was asked to come back into the work. My father, Gen. Paul E. Martin (who served the Washington, D.C. Corps as their Commanding Officer for over 46 years) was retiring and I was asked to take the position to continue his work.

I struggled to create a plan that would encompass this three-part program;

Weekly trips to downtown Washington, D.C. to give food, clothing and blankets to those living in the streets. Respond to fires covering Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland.

Be prepared to respond to large disasters occurring on the East Coast during natural and national disasters.

Things were going too slow for my intentions, but coming along. Then, I met Mr. Tom Bowen last year in June at our Buffalo, NY Council Meeting.

Tom is a bona-fide Christian hero of Ground Zero in New York, New York.

He began the ministry, as he and his fellow rescue workers would recover bodies and parts. They would pray over them for the families they left behind. He began a ministry of healing while he worked to help recover the wrecked bodies to be properly laid to rest. Tom took the time to help me by leading me to the CISM Training Program (Critical Incident Stress Management) and the ICISF. An organization that trains for disasters.