by Takao Nogami, I-Asahi Shimbun
U-HIGASHI, Isifunda Sase-Okinawa–OwayenguMarine wase-US u-Matthew Hoh wake wasebenzela izwe lakhe eSifundeni sase-Okinawa, ehola izivivinyo zempi ehlathini lapha.
Namuhla, u-Hoh kanye nabanye omakadebona bezempi base-US abahlanu bajoyine imibhikisho yansuku zonke ephikisana nokwakhiwa kwama-helipad ase-US Marine endaweni efanayo yehlathi.
Bathi kuwukusangana ukucekela phansi ihlathi eliningi enyakatho ye-Okinawa ukuze uqeqeshe impi.
Omakadebona bangamalungu eVeterans for Peace (VFP), iqembu laseMelika elilwa nempi. Bajoyine imibhikisho ngaseTakae, isifunda sase-Higashi, kusukela ngasekupheleni kuka-Agasti. U-Hoh nabanye ababili bangaphambili Amasosha Asolwandle ase-US eqenjini phambilini bebemi kulesi sifunda esiseningizimu impela.
Ababhikishi bafuna kumiswe iphrojekthi ye-helipd futhi baqhubeka nokungqubuzana kusukela ngoJulayi namakhulu amaphoyisa abhikisha abuthwe evela kulo lonke elase-Japan.
Omakadebona bathi bebelandela lokho abatshelwa nguhulumeni waseMelika ngaphandle kokubuza imibuzo besebancane. Kodwa-ke, baqala ukuphikisana nezenzo zamasosha ngemuva kweMpi yase-Iraq yango-2003 kanye nezinye izingxabano ezazihlanganisa i-Afghanistan neVietnam.
Umsebenzi wokwakha amahelipudi amane ubulokhu uqhubeka eduze kwaseTakae kusukela ngoJulayi ngemva kokuba umisiwe ngenxa yokuphikiswa kwendawo. Ama-helipad amabili, aqedwe ngo-2014, okwamanje asetshenziswa Amasosha Asolwandle ase-US.
Iphrojekthi ye-helipad isuselwe esivumelwaneni samazwe amabili sango-1996 sokubuyisela ingxenye yezwe laseCamp Gonsalves, indawo yokuqeqeshwa kwempi yasehlathini yase-US Marine Corps engamahektha ayi-7,800 enqamula e-Higashi kanye nedolobhana elingumakhelwane laseKunigami.
Umbandela owodwa wesivumelwano wawuwukuthi ama-helipad ayisithupha—ilinye libe ngamamitha angu-75 ububanzi—azokwakhiwa phakathi nehlathi eduze kwaseTakae ukuze athathe indawo yalawo asendaweni azobuyiselwa e-Japan.
UHoh, 43, ulazi kahle ihlathi. Wayehola amasosha ekuziqeqesheni kabili ngenyanga endaweni yokuqeqeshwa emahlathini, kodwa wathi ukuzivocavoca okunjalo kungenziwa e-United States.
Abaholi baseJapane nabaseMelika, waqhubeka, bazobona ukuthi babengalungile ngokuphelele mayelana nephrojekthi ye-helipad uma bebeka unyawo ehlathini, alichaza ngokuthi lihle futhi alilingani emhlabeni.
UHoh uthe uzibonele izinhlobonhlobo zezilwane ehlathini ngesikhathi eziqeqesha.
Wengeze ngokuthi yena kanye nabanye odokotela bezilwane bazimisele ukudonsela ukunaka emhlabeni wonke kulokho okwenzeka eTakae futhi bagqamise impi yabantu base-Okinawan ngokumelene nokuba khona kwezempi yase-US.
I-Okinawa, emele amaphesenti angu-0.6 omhlaba wesizwe, iyikhaya lamaphesenti angama-74 ezizinda zase-US eJapane.
Omakadebona bekumele bahambe e-Okinawa ngoSepthemba 9 baye e-United States.
Ithimba lomakadebona lisungulwe ngemuva kokuthi i-VFP inqume ngazwi linye engqungqutheleni yayo yaminyaka yonke ngo-Agasti yokufuna kumiswe umsebenzi wokwakha i-helipd.
Leli qembu liphinde licele ukuthi kuhoxiswe ukuthuthwa okuhleliwe kwemisebenzi ye-US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma e-Ginowan iye esifundeni sase-Henoko e-Nago, kokubili esifundeni, kanye nokunxusa ukuthi i-tilt-rotor Osprey isuswe enkundleni yezindiza i-Futenma. I-Futenma ukuphela kwesizinda sase-US e-Japan lapho kuthunyelwa khona indiza ye-Osprey enomsindo. Izindiza ze-Osprey ziye zabandakanyeka ezingozini eziningi phesheya kwezilwandle, nokufa kwabantu.
Omunye wamalungu avelele e-VFP umqondisi wefilimu owawine i-Academy Award u-Oliver Stone. Le nhlangano, eyasungulwa ngo-1985, inamalungu alinganiselwa ku-3,500. Isiza imibhikisho emelene nezisekelo zamasosha ase-US emhlabeni jikelele futhi ikhuthaza ukuthula.
Amaphoyisa ophiko lwezidubedube abasuse ngenkani ababhikishi kusukela ngasekupheleni kukaJulayi njengoba bezama njalo ukuvimbela iphrojekthi ye-helipd ngendawo yokuhlala nangezinye izindlela.
