From the Archives

So I was walking down the street late last Saturday night, checking out the bar scene with some friends, when I uttered the following: "Dude, did anyone else just see two gorillas walk around that corner?"

Many families in Japan found themselves packed but with no place to go Friday as military commands waited for orders from higher commands that would begin a planned voluntary evacuation.

Misawa leaders told the base community they need to know how many family members plan to leave Japan under a voluntary evacuation program announced Thursday.

Life started to return to normal Sunday for still-wary U.S. servicemembers and their families at most military bases throughout Japan, even as Japanese officials acknowledged Friday’s disaster may be exponentially worse than initially feared.

The military began distributing potassium iodide pills as a precaution against radiological sickness at bases on the Japanese main island of Honshu, but emphasized that no one should take the pills unless directed.

Petty Officer 2nd Class James Rivers became the face of the U.S. military’s humanitarian relief efforts for hundreds of Japanese people this week.