Remembering 3.11

Sitting here on March 11th it's impossible not to think back to eleven years ago today. My kids were young and they could see how upset I was, sitting in front of the television all day and all night watching the horrendous aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Not since September 2001 had I felt so helpless. Yet somehow, time and again, we see tragedy bring out the best in people and that's where I chose to focus. The United States response, with Operation Tomodachi, was brilliantly executed by our government and military. Volunteers the world over traveled to Tohoku to help. Even here in Colorado, Japan America Society of Colorado led efforts to raise funds and have every dollar sent directly to the three hardest hit prefectures in the Tohoku region. This tragedy somehow managed to highlight the incredible U.S.-Japan friendship and the importance of that alliance. It's this friendship that our efforts at JASC bring to the forefront through our work and programs. Let's take a moment today to remember the 15,900 people in Japan who died that day and the 2,500+ who remain missing. And let's also remember to hold our friends close.

-Claudine Locascio
JASC Executive Director