U.S. Navy Helps Underprivileged

Officers and enlisted men from the USNS Walter S. Diehl were recently in the area and decided to make donations to the underprivileged as well as visit facilities for the physically and mentally handicapped.

The navy personnel on the ship donated a lot of items that were originally donated from San Diego especially for this purpose to the Karunyawej House for the Disabled in Banglamung. The products that were donated consisted also of items purchased locally with the help of Navy League President Mr. Peter Thorand.

After the handover Ceremony and exchange of thank you letters the visitors rolled up their sleeves so to speak and went to cut the lawn around the building and cleaned the floor within the building.

In the mean time another group of around 13 members traveled to the Banglamung Home of the Aged where they donated more neccessities. Many of the 300 or so elderly residence gave the visitors a Thai show and dance where every one joined in and had fun.

During all this the electricians and other trades people from the Ship where busy repairing ceiling fans in the sleeping rooms. Two wheelchairs where taken back to the ship for more serious repairs and will be returned to the users later this week.

With the ship in the background the Captain of the ship Khun Lawrence Carley presented Khun Ms. Rungnapa Surached, the Director of the Ruam Jai San Funn Foundation in Baan Huay Khom in the Chiang Rai Province with a large drywall box of toys for the orphans at the foundation.

Thank you letters where exchanged and the President of the Navy League Mr. Peter Thorand presented the Captain with a Plaque for the good deed’s the Officers and crew have done during their visit here.

None of this would have been successful if it wasn’t for Khun Paporn and Captain Suksit from Unithai who provided the transport of the dry wall boxes and the great lunch for all, Debra Westendorf an Officer from the Ship, Chaplain Kenny Lee from MSFSC SSU Singapore who spent a whole day shopping for all the items, arranged for the 3 drywall boxes and the box of toys to be available and all the volunteers who donated their free time for this project.