UPDATE: Badger Jake is most likely in the Dominican Republic right now. His father is updating his posts. American Airlines charged them for overweight bags and lost one with water purifiers and food for the guys while they are there. Keep up-to-date on Jacob Wood and his team on Jake’s Life. Also, if you want to help financially, the medical team that has volunteered needs assistance. The follow up medical team consists of a doctor and his 5 assts (3 nurses, one Army reserve combat medic, and a medical asst.) Check this post if you can help.
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There are a vast number of veterans out there that have unique skill sets. Some dangerous, some amazingly helpful.
If you have never read the blog Jake’s Life, you would be unaware of a former University of Wisconsin football player turned Marine sniper. He recently got out of the Marines and has been working towards attending a prestigious business school to continue his education. He also recently stopped blogging because he didn’t have time.
Then the earthquake in Haiti happened.
Jacob Wood has coordinated with some former Marine buddies and others in a stunningly fast plan to go into the Dominican Republic, cross the border into Haiti, and to help set up an aid station plus help with any search and rescue efforts.
You can read his posts in order here, here, here, and here.
An excerpt from one of his posts reads as follows:
Our advance team, consisting of two Marines and two firefighters, and being led by two individuals local to the area, is flying to the Dominican Republic this Saturday. Once there, we are being housed for the night by a friend of our local guide. On Sunday we have reserved tickets on a bus heading all the way to Port au Prince. We have obtained personally signed paperwork from both the Dominican Republic and Haitian embassies in Washington, DC, guaranteeing our safe and unchallenged crossing at the border checkpoint near Jimani.
That is some fast work and I am proud that these men and women are doing something proactive to help the Haitians in this devastating time. If you can aid them with a small financial donation (the method of donation is here), that would be great, but I’m sure prayers and positive thoughts would be just as appreciated because this is going to be a very hairy trip for them. They are not going in under the auspices of a large aid organization or with government help. They are doing it as citizens of the United States willing to help a people who are struggling to survive.
Good deeds, indeed.
