Before joining the U.S. Marine Corps, Cpl. Eugene Ganiron, 20, had never before traveled outside Hawaii, says his mother, Estrelita Ganiron.
Now, the Pahoa native is helping residents of Nepal with recovery efforts following two major earthquakes that have killed more than 8,500 people, making it the deadliest disaster to ever strike the nation.
Ganiron arrived in Kathmandu earlier this month, serving as an avionics electronics technician with the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469. The group is part of the U.S. joint-service humanitarian aid mission in Nepal.
“When we got the word that we were going to aid and support Nepal, I was anxious and ready to go,” he wrote last week in response to questions posed on Facebook. “I’m glad that I get to be part of something as big as this. I’ve always loved helping and aiding others and since I’m here I feel like I’m making a huge impact to the Nepalese people. This is one of the (reasons) why I enlisted, to help others that are in need.”
Since his arrival, Ganiron has worked to provide aid, food and tents for the villagers in towns outside Kathmandu, many of whom found themselves homeless after the earthquake struck.
“The 7.8 earthquake caused several buildings to get leveled in our area of operation and even more around Kathmandu, Nepal. And because of this we’ve seen a lot of families living in tents on the streets and in park areas. We’ve also experienced a couple of aftershocks during our mission here,” he said.
“The people here in Nepal are in need of many things. Things such as water, food, shelter, clothing and medical aid, the basic and essential things we need for everyday living. … The Nepalese people are glad that we came to help during their time of need. You can see the gratitude in their faces when we provide them with supplies and goods.”
The squadron has also provided evacuations for victims who were severely injured by the quake.
Ganiron is responsible for maintaining all electrical equipment on board the UH-1Y helicopter, “from the lights to the radios to the navigation to the countermeasures,” he said.
Back home in Pahoa, Ganiron’s family members say they are proud of his work, although they were also a little nervous to learn about his assignment.
“We were just so worried about the situation and what’s going on over there, said his older sister, Lei Kyna.
It was Mother’s Day when Estrelita Ganiron learned that her son was in Nepal.
“He texted me to Facebook to greet me happy Mother’s Day,” said the Hilo Medical Center nurse’s aid. “And he said ‘I’m in Nepal.’
“Since I heard he is there, I cannot sleep, I cannot eat. I keep contacting, sending messages. But there was no response until last night at midnight,” she said on Wednesday. “He wrote a very short text saying ‘I’m OK.’”
Ganiron doesn’t have regular access to the Internet and rarely gets chances to keep her updated, so every little communication from him means a lot, his mother said.
Estrelita Ganiron said her son joined the Marines so that he could go to school and pursue his dream of being a mechanical engineer. But right now, she just wants him to complete his mission and come home safe.
“I’m so proud of him doing those things and helping those victims in Nepal,” she said.
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.