LEYTE -- It happened once and it happened again. American soldiers arrived in Palo beach Tuesday to fulfill a promise to help Filipinos. Right next to them stands the memorial of General Douglas MacArthur and the American soldiers who returned to Leyte during World War II also to fulfill a promise. Instead of guns and ammunition, this batch of American soldiers brought with them a machine. They say it's their weapon against the lack of drinking water in Leyte in the aftermath of Typhoon "Yolanda." The machine turns sea water into safe drinking water. The soldiers say the irony of their arrival in palo beach isn't lost on them. "It's ironic that sixty something something years later, we are here again… It's a symbol of the undying friendship between the Americans and the Filipinos," said Capt. Trevor Holmes of the US Marines. In Tacloban City, Japanese volunteers set up medical tents to provide aid to those injured from the typhoon. Most of the victims received treatment for the first time. Language was not a barrier in these tents as the Japanese volunteers said they understand the pain the Filipinos are going through. For Japanese volunteer Matsuda Shigehiro, the wounds of tragedy run deeper as he lived in the Philippines for two years. "Kami po ang medical mission mula sa Japan. Gagawin namin ang lahat para tumulong sa mga biktima ng bagyong Yolanda," Shigehiro said. The Malaysian contingent, meanwhile, set up water purifiers around the airport to provide clean drinking water for those staying at the terminal. Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Adlan says he has gotten to know how resilient Filipinos are over the last few days here. "We saw children that are victims and they are so strong, i hope they continue to be strong," Aldan said.. Firemen volunteers from France also went to the Bethany Hospital in Tacloban to bring medical aid and to help reconstruct the destroyed facility. They say what they are doing is part of a fireman's duty -- to save lives. The stories of foreign volunteers in Leyte prove that in the face of tragedy borders are erased and the world responds to those who need it most. - report from Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News
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