The tsunami disaster takes me back to the year 1946.

I was in the Army in Japan on a three-day pass to a seacoast beach in eastern Japan.

At 1 a.m., we were awakened and moved into the streets where several Army trucks were waiting for us. We were told there had been an earthquake in the Pacific Ocean and we were told to be ready to load onto the trucks and move into the mountains that were very close to the beach.

We waited several hours and then were allowed to go back to our normal activities because the tidal wave was not going to reach us. During the time we were waiting the natives were explaining to us that the cats and other animals were acting unusual.

This was 60 years ago and those were good common-sense precautions. It is hard to believe these same precautions were not made in a present-day situation.

Vernon Wark

Brewer