Forty-two years ago Joe Yuzuik, was a senior in high school. He volunteered for early enlistment with the Marine Corps. By 1968, he was stationed at Red Beach outside of DaNang, which was a world away from his home in Bridgewater. In Vietnam everyday was a life and death struggle. What Joe didn’t know was that his picture of life at home was about to change forever.

Joe’s sister Conni was in a near fatal crash with two of her friends. She was thrown through the windshield. The police at the scene thought that she had died.

For Joe, all it took was a phone call. “It’s hard to remember the details because I was in shock but I do remember the call came from the American Red Cross.” Joe recalled, “They told me that one of my sisters had been in a car crash and that she was in a coma. They were not sure if she would survive.” The call came from the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services(AFES). The process started at the local Red Cross chapter.

“In Vietnam I just existed so when I got the call I reacted like a Marine rather than the fact that it was my sister.” Joe was afraid his sister would die before he got home. He remembers that the American Red Cross coordinated his return home.

When Joe finally made it home he realized how close to death his sister had come. Conni, who now lives in Arizona, said “We were so grateful that the Red Cross brought Joe home. We needed him. I will always be grateful.” Their mother, who had previously lost a daughter, now had three sons at war and Conni in critical condition. It was too much to bear. “Joe not only provided a lot of support to the family, but to me during my recuperation. He got me to see the bright side of every day” recalled Conni. The Red Cross helped Joe apply to serve out the rest of his tour closer to home so that he could help care for his sister. Joe credits the American Red Cross for helping him when he and his family needed it most. Today both Joe and his wife Nancy help support Marines and soldiers through Operation Jersey Cares, an organization of volunteers which gets much needed care packages to service men and women. They also recently helped to recognize new recruits through the local Red Cross chapter’s recognition program with the Somerset Patriots.
According to Malcolm Plager, Director of Emergency Services, “When an AFES call comes in, we know how important our work is, and taking the information and verifying it takes priority in our office. We must ensure that the communications are handled quickly and with accuracy. Time is of the essence.” The information that the chapter relays ranges from important news such as the death of a loved one, serious illness or the birth of a child. These urgent messages are delivered through a worldwide network of Red Cross volunteers and employees to members of the armed forces anywhere in the world including ships at sea, isolated military units and embassies.

The chapter also works with the local military recruitment station in Somerville providing a program called “Get to Know Us Before You Need Us”. The program briefs military personnel and their families prior to deployment, about the communication links, counseling and other social services available if needed. This brings peace of mind to military members and to their families. The chapters AFES program is solely funded by donations. To support this program please contact the chapter.