Homegrown son joins disaster relief efforts

Dominic Camacho—a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant—felt the embrace of his family again after five long years, flying nearly 1,300 miles from Palau to assist in disaster relief efforts on Saipan yesterday morning.

“There was no way I was going to miss out on this,” Camacho said.

U.S. Marine Corp sergeant Dominic Camacho got to see his family again for the first time in five years, when he flew over on a V-22 Osprey from a mission in Palau to aid in disaster relief efforts on Saipan. (Dennis B. Chan)

The 25-year-old Camacho hovered in with other Marines on one of two V-22 Ospreys that landed near 10am at the Francisco C. Ada-Saipan International Airport yesterday morning. The Ospreys carried water bladders, hoses, and other equipment to assist with relief distribution. One Osprey carried Rear Adm. Better Bolivar, commander of Joint Region Marianas, whom acting governor Ralph Torres greeted on her arrival.

After the destructive Typhoon Soudelor tore into the island on Sunday, Camacho said he kept in touch with family through email. He saw pictures of the devastation. Camacho, who has been stationed in Okinawa, Japan, for the last three months, wanted to help badly.

Before arriving yesterday, Camacho has only been back on island once, since he joined the Marine Corp when he was just 17 years old.

“I am happy to be here but not for this reason. I miss home. I wanted to come to Saipan but not for this reason at all.”

After flying close to 1,300 from south of Palau to Guam, he said his heart was racing on the way to Saipan. “I was nervous.”

Camacho said it was a surprise to be told two days ago that he was on his way to Guam and then to Saipan to aid in relief efforts. Camacho and other Marines packed enough for a week, not knowing how long they are going to be in the area.

“The first thing in the morning as the sun came up—we were already spinning—getting ready to take off. We took off and landed on Guam couple of hours later.”

“Our house is still intact. Thank God. But other family members—their houses are damaged. My dad and my brother told me they were housing other family members whose houses are completely gone now.”

Camacho joined the Marine Corps in 2007. He was stationed in California for his first four years. He joined humanitarian assistance disaster relief efforts in Pakistan, for the 2012 floods. After, he was stationed in Jacksonville, North Carolina, for the next three-and-a-half years before heading to Japan.

“I’ve only been in Okinawa, Japan, for about three months… and now I am here in Saipan. I was not expecting to be here,” he said.

Camacho contacted his family when he landed, who drove over to the airport. It was an unplanned reunion and a teary and joyful one.