2 November 2007 – Mexico – As families in southern Mexico battle against rising floodwaters, Salvation Army relief teams are assisting those forced from their homes. Colonel Olin O. Hogan, leader of The Salvation Army in Mexico reports: ‘From the earliest stages of the emergency in Tabasco’s capital, Villahermosa, Major Margarita Alemán and her soldiers have been assisting those affected by the rains.
With 70 per cent of the city flooded, The Salvation Army children’s home has been converted into a shelter for displaced families. From there, relief teams are preparing and distributing food to people trapped in their houses. The home itself is not affected by the floods.
Salvation Army personnel from around the country are supporting their colleagues in the affected areas. Major Manuel Padilla, Regional Coordinator for the South East Region, and a team of workers has deployed with their emergency canteen to Villahermosa to help those affected. Officer cadets studying at the training college, under the leadership of Captains Luís Camarillo and Eric Ramírez, are deploying to the area with two more canteens.
Major Mike Caffull, International Emergency Field Operations Officer at International Headquarters in London, reports: ‘The state of Tabasco is suffering its worst flooding in more than 50 years. With 300,000 people trapped in their homes, and more rain forecast, we expect the situation to become even worse.’
For weary soldiers during the Second World War, The Salvation Army was a welcome reminder of home.My father was a military surgeon during the Second World War. In June 1944, he went ashore with one of the first waves of soldiers at Normandy. Often stationed right behind the front lines, he would perform emergency surgery for hours on end. Many men were able to return home alive because of his care. 
