There is never a dull day in Guinsaugon, Leyte, where a multi-national team of rescuers are risking their lives searching for landslide survivors.

A US Marine and a long-lost relative were reunited, and seven Taiwanese rescuers marooned in a field of mud themselves had to be rescued by a Chinook helicopter yesterday, Commander Manuel "Don" Biadog, chaplain of the United States 3rd Marine Expedition Force, said.

Biadog, who is originally from Talisay City, Negros Occidental told the DAILY STAR that US Marine Sergeant Kim Miller was reconciled with Atilano Susaya, his late grandfather's brother, and one of his few surviving relatives in the Philippines.

Susaya, who is in his 70s, traveled seven hours by land from Tacloban to Guinsaugon after he saw Miller on television with the rest of the US Marine rescuers, Biadog said.

"When I heard about it, I contacted the USS Essex to look for Sgt. Miller. Finally, the Command allowed him to come back," Biadog said.

Miller, 23, from Orange County, California, had already returned to his Navy ship anchored off the coast of Leyte Island when he was told to get back to Guinsaugon where he had been digging for bodies earlier, because someone wanted to see him, Biadog said.

When Miller saw his grandfather it was a tearful reunion for both of them, Biadog said.

"My mom's dead, and my grandfather died while I was in Iraq. They first told me it was my grandfather waiting to see me. I thought, that can't be true. It's his brother. He, too, raised me," said Miller.

Miller was born in Angeles City to a Filipino mother and an American father, and moved to the United States in 1999.

Biadog said he also served as interpreter yesterday when Filipino rescuers sought the help of the Marines to rescue seven Taiwanese trapped in mud.

A US Marine Chinook helicopter rescued the Taiwanese from the middle of the wasteland, Biadog said.

In Bacolod, a classmate of US Marine Staff Sergeant Trini Yabut also called the DAILY STAR to ask how he could get in touch with him.

Fr. Arnold Aldana said that after they graduated from high school at the Colegio de San Agustin, he and his classmates lost touch with Yabut who left for the United States and they had not seen or heard from him since.

Yabut, who used to live in Luzuriaga Street, Bacolod, is part of the US rescue team in Guinsaugon and was featured in the DAILY STAR yesterday.*CPG

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