Members of about a dozen Washington stakes jumped in with willing hearts and hands as thousands of military personnel and their families were evacuated from the Philippines to McChord Air Force Base on the outskirts of Tacoma.

Servicemen and women and their families were evacuated from Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines after Mount Pinatubo erupted June 9, spewing rock and ash that crushed buildings and covered roads and rooftops with deep, cementlike powder. The Air Force base, home to 15,000 American military personnel and their families, is located 10 miles east of the volcano in Angeles, one of the hardest-hit areas.Thousands of Americans were evacuated from the base June 10. They were first sent to Subic Bay Naval Base, 21 miles southwest of the volcano. However, when thick volcanic ash began blowing in the direction of the naval base five days later, causing power failures, the evacuees who had crowded into the base, began flying home.

For many, their first stop in the continental United States was at McChord Air Force Base.

Church members became involved in the project through the American Red Cross. The Red Cross contacted the Associated Ministries of Tacoma asking for help. The LDS representative on the council contacted Pres. Sidney R. Henderson of the Washington Tacoma Mission, and the project grew from there.

"They wanted to get as many people as they could to fill three shifts a day at the base and provide help around the clock," Pres. Henderson said. Volunteers helped with child care or worked as escorts for the families.

Almost 85 missionaries, about half of the missionaries in the Washington Tacoma Mission, were assigned to work eight-hour shifts.

At the same time, members of the McChord Ward of the Lakewood Washington Stake became involved in the project, participating in around-the-clock shifts.

Bishop Bill Fanning received a call from the chaplain at McChord telling him there was a need for volunteers. He then contacted other bishops in the stake and members of the McChord Ward. Several sisters in the ward who live on the base went to the base child care center to see if there was anything they could do. They discovered a great need for assistance, and soon more members were contacted.

After apprising others of the need to help the children, Laurie Houchin and Judy Harper arranged for clowns and magicians to come in and entertain the children.

Frank Schilling, a high councilor in the Lakewood Stake, is coordinating the project in the area. Several thousand members have responded and assisted in the relief effort, he said.

"We have about 275 people a day assisting the evacuees," he said. "On Sunday [June 23T we had more than 300 people there working and caring for the needy."

Church members from the Tacoma South, Tacoma, Puyallup South, Puyallup and Olympia stakes joined in to help as the word spread, involving young men and young women from various wards as well as adults.

Outlying stakes such as the Federal Way, Auburn, Silverdale, Renton and those in Seattle also responded to requests for help by sending people and food to the base.

"There is not a lot of notice when the planes come in, and they come in filled with mothers and children for the most part," Pres. Henderson said. "Most of their husbands are still in the Philippines. A lot of the families have been on the road for a long time, sometimes 10 days.

"Many had to leave their homes with little notice. They were told to bring food and clothing for three days, but many didn't even bring that. Some of the kids didn't even have shoes."

About 15,000 people have come through McChord. Initially most of the evacuees were dependents of military personnel. On one flight of 328 people, 278 were children. On later flights, however, more servicemen and women arrived.

A portion of the LDS volunteers have supplemented military help by working as escorts. But most of the volunteers have been busy keeping children entertained as their parents complete the paper work. There are usually about 350 children in the base's recreation center at a time.

Pres. Henderson asked the missionaries to wear their proselyting clothes as they worked on the base, but not their missionary tags.

"They are not out there to do missionary work. They are doing this as a Christian service. We want to teach missionaries to serve their fellowman without any conditions."

Brother Schilling added: "The missionaries are so good with the little children. Their love shines through in all they do. It is so exciting to be affiliated with these young people." - Sheridan R. Sheffield