From: Don & Miyoko Helle <dhelle@din.or.jp>

Uncle Dwight and extended Family,

I'd like to share the two experiences I've had.

First allow me to start this off right, my family was never seen "Every

Sunday" at the Church.  As kids Jeff & I attended Sunday school but that was

more for social skills, sharing toys etc... than for religious belief.  When

I was about 10 yrs I remember asking Dad why we didn't go to Church every

Sunday like allot of other kids did?  He replied that, "There is no doubt in

my mind that there isn't a God, but I don't need to go to some building to

pray to the man above.  Nope, everyday I walk through the woods and see the

wonderful things he's made I know that there is someone up there.  If I ever

feel the need to pray I just look up into the sky and talk with him".  As a

kid I felt great relief in his words.  As an adult I find comfort in his

"Cowboy" approach to religion, we are in Gods presence everyday of our life.

Dad died in May of '90, at the time I was active duty in the Navy stationed

aboard the USS Midway.  Luckily for me the aircraft carrier was in port

(Yokosuka, Japan) and I got the call to come home.  There, I met many of you

for the first time that I can remember.  Dad and Mom had been divorced for a

few years and he was only vows away from being remarried to Toni Pairen.

"He always said that marriage is in the heart and not on the finger".  The

following year I was on shore duty working as Military Police.  Policemen

always work in shift and I had the "mids" so I was trying to catch some

zzzz's one afternoon on the couch.  Somebody shook my shoulder and said,

"Don, Don wake-up, you awake?" I replied, "Yeah I'm awake".  "Don, How's

everyone doing? I want you to take care of Toni and watch over your sister,

alright?". Just then, through the fog of sleep I knew I recognized that

voice, and looked up and just felt all warm and tingly.  I got up and walked

around the room trying to convince myself that it was just a dream.  But I

can remember his voice as clear as a bell.

My only other experience also coincides with my fifteen minutes of fame.  Do

you remember the Sairen Gas attack on the Tokyo subway?  There were four

American causalities during that event and I was one of the four.  After all

of the excitement, whistles and bells I finally made it to work.  There I

felt weak, difficulty in breathing and had a monstrous headache.  We were

told that everyone who was involved needed to go the Hiro Hospital.

I walked there with the aid of a friend and checked in to have my blood

pressure taken.  The nurse no sooner put the band on my arm and I felt like

I was going to pass-out.  I did, I was conscious but couldn't open my eyes.

It was like the sensation just prior to waking up in the morning, you can

hear....but you haven't opened your eyes yet.  I was placed on a stretcher

and wheeled into the emergency room, there I was stripped of my clothes and

covered with a blanket.  I heard all of the excitement around me as the

staff was assessing my condition.  Then in all of this noise a very clear

ladies voice said in perfect English, "We're going to give you a shot; to

speed your heart rate up, just relax".

I felt the needle pierce my skin, then like some bad movie I felt my heart

pick up speed like it went on the governor, it was racing... felt like it

would beat itself right out of my chest cavity.  I panicked and started to

hyperventilate "compounded my own problem" then all hell broke loose.  I

understand enough Japanese to know that they said, "They've already lost

four victims this morning to this and didn't want to loose another".  They

wheeled me into a room for cardiac arrest, where they have these flood

lights.  With my eyes still closed the light was so bright and warm, just

like the sun.

I've never died before (Obviously) but wondered if this warm light was "The

Light?" you hear so frequently?  With my eyes closed I saw Dad standing next

to me with the gown & mask everything....but I saw his eyes.  I was so

scared I wanted to cry, I told him my wife "Miyoko" was pregnant with our

child and I didn't want to leave.  He just looked at me and looked over the

scene and said I'd be alright.  An instant later the doctors gave me the

most god awful shots I've ever experienced in my life. I remember waking up

in the hallway behind some scene waiting to be taken to the recovery room.

Remember there were thousands of people injured and nearly everyone had the

hospital flooded.  I was concerned about being forgotten behind the screen.

Later that day Miyoko came in, I struggled for the next two days breathing

and underwent months of blood testing.  Through it all I've never forgotten

my angle, my Dad.

Don Helle