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Associated Press
Relatives of the victims of the Japanese high school fishery training vessel Ehime Maru cried yesterday as they accepted sympathy cards and money donated by hundreds of Americans.
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| Dale Long, representing the town of Greeneville, Tenn., cries as he expresses condolences to family members of the Ehime Maru crew, from left, Mikie Nakata, Kazuo Nakata and Ryosuke Nakata.
Associated Press pool photo |
In an emotional presentation, Earl Okawa, executive director of the Japan-America Society of Hawai‘i, gave $2,000 to each of the four families staying in Hawai‘i for the Navy hearing into the Feb. 9 accident in which the Ehime Maru, rammed by a U.S. submarine, sank nine miles south of O‘ahu.
"Your sincere, warm support reached our hearts directly. We are so touched," said Ryusuke Terata, whose 17-year-old son is among the four students missing since the collision.
"We’ll never forget everything you did for us, for the rest of our lives," he said as he accepted the gifts, tears rolling down his cheeks.
The USS Greeneville, practicing a quick surfacing maneuver, smashed into the Ehime Maru, which was carrying high school students on a fisheries training voyage. Of the 35 people aboard, 26 were rescued. The nine missing, also including instructors and crew, are now presumed dead.
Donations have already reached $100,000, Okawa said. He said contributions are still pouring in and the rest of the money will be distributed to the families of the other victims, to the survivors and the students’ high school.
"We know we can never feel the pain and suffering you have endured. However, we hope that in a very small way, our gesture to reach out to you, to touch you, to tell you that we, too, are very much saddened by this tragedy and that we want to support you," Okawa told the family members.
Separately, letters and cards signed by schoolchildren and residents of Greeneville, Tenn., were presented to the families by Dale Long, who heads a friendship group for the Greeneville’s crew. The submarine is named for the Tennessee town, about 60 miles east of Knoxville.
"We traveled here to show our sympathy from Greeneville," said Long, his voice trembling as he tried to hold back tears. "We are so sorry, and we grieve with you."
Long said he felt bad about the accident and began the card campaign.
"I wasn’t even sure if the family members wanted to meet us, but I’m glad we came," said his wife, Linda, who accompanied him.
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