Some are volunteers, and some were just told to stay. Some are workers at the nuclear facilities and had just a few months to go before retirement. Some are young fathers whose families have accepted that they might never see them again, and some have families who quietly weep over the sacrifice their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers are making.
What is Their Mission?
These unsung heroes are being called the Fukushima's Faceless 50, and their purpose, since the nuclear reactors were deemed at-risk, has been to try to reduce and negate that risk - at all cost. These men are considered the last line of defense in a situation that could have disastrous results for both them and their country. Not much is known about these workers. They simply accepted what had to be done, suited up, and entered the dragon's den. There was no fanfare, or kamikaze send off, even though this could very much mean death at the end of the mission for some, or all of them.
The situation these workers are facing is something straight out of a horror film. They ferret their way through the labyrinth of equipment, and the only lights to work by are the small flashlights they carry. Periodically they stop in the dark and quiet, listening for the small explosions that are inevitable as the nuclear reactor becomes more degraded. They continue to pump sea water into, what some are now calling, a hopeless situation. They do this knowing that the monster, though cannot be seen, is lurking there in the dark and will make its presence known to them soon. Maybe not today, maybe not next week, but it waits for its own time, to take its toll on the workers. That monster is radiation.
A Land of Dignity and Pride
Japan has long been known for its people"s dignity and grace. They have seen their fair share of hardship and strife and always, with a quiet dignity, have risen above it and forged ahead. This situation is no different. In a land where men are identified by the job that they hold, and employees have a real sense of loyalty and devotion to the companies that employ them, in their minds this is just something that has to be done. Indeed, the Japanese are a people raised with the belief that it is better for an individual to sacrifice if it is for the good of the group.
Radiation levels have soared since the danger became imminent. Tokyo Electric Power, which runs the damaged nuclear plants, has said almost nothing about what is happening in the reactors or about the workers inside. No one knows how long these brave workers will remain in the radiation laced facility. Japan's Health Ministry has raised its numbers on the levels it will allow these workers to be exposed to, from 100 millisieverts to 250 millisieverts. This is five times the amount to which American nuclear workers can be exposed.
What is to Come?
Scientists and researchers all have their independent theories on just what is going to happen. The only real, tangible thing we can measure this against is Chernobyl. In terms of the severity and subsequent consequences, nothing has come closer to the devastation of Chernobyl than Japan's Fukushima incident.
We must remember that Chernobyl also had its volunteers, and from what they endured after they left the site may give us some insight into what these people - these heroes of Japan - could face in the next several weeks, months and years of their lives.
Pamela Rodriguez - I am a 51 year old mother of three and having completed the first half of my life, I am now embarking on my life - part two. In part ...
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