Japanese Fire Fighters tell families "We won't be coming home"

[The Afrodactyl]

For those of you that haven't heard:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Fukushima-Nuclear-Plant-Workers-Are-Heroes-After-Risking-Own-Lives-To-Avert-Meltdown-In-Japan/Article/201103315954904?lpos=World_News_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15954904_Fukushima_Nuclear_Plant_Workers_Are_Heroes_After_Risking_Own_Lives_To_Avert_Meltdown_In_Japan_

A number of Japanese firefighters have essentially volunteered for a suicide corps to save Japan. These men have volunteered to stay at the reactor site to continually douse it with water to keep it cool and stable. The radiation levels are so high that these poor men are expected to start dropping dead within the next few weeks, despite any radiation suits. Some have started losing their hair already.

These men called their families today and told them that they loved them, and that this was their final goodbye to their wives and children.

My heart goes out to these brave, brave men. Men that are giving their lives in order to save Japan. I can only imagine the trauma and despair that the families are going through.

In short, this thread is a memorial to the brave souls that have volunteered to die to save their country and loved ones.

:EDIT:
I've recieved one or two messages from people. I'm confirming here and now that the government did not decide to send these men to their deaths. They volunteered themselves. Stop inboxing me telling me that the news is lying to me.

 

[Ruwrak]

If any culture on this world has a sense of discipline and selfsacrifice, it's the japanese.

 

[Stoic raptor]

Brave men indeed.

I hope they make it back somehow

 

[Harlemura]

Usually sob stories don't get to me, but this one hit me. Don't think I'd handle getting a call like that from my dad...

I know me saying I'm sorry for everyone involved on some forum doesn't do anything to help, but my thoughts are with them either way.

 

[Taxman1]

This dwarfs anything I ever done, really inspirational.

 

[Irridium]

Wow... thats... something else.

I doubt some random person on the internet means anything to anyone, but my thoughts are with them.

Good luck, and godspeed.

 

[El Poncho]

I hope they will be remembered for generations to come.

 

[Chamale]

That's very brave of them. I remember reading that firefighters at Chernobyl compared themselves to kamikaze pilots - and now some Japanese firefighters are giving their lives to save their fellow countrymen.

This is a massively courageous thing of them to do, but is there honestly no safer way to do it?

They could have continued rotating out the firefighters to keep them from excessive exposure, but they don't have enough volunteers willing to get non-fatal radiation poisoning.

 

[Trogdor1138]

That's quite incredible to hear, courageous and very sad...

Is there no other way to do it? Surely there must be a way without them having to go through that sacrifice?

One thing for sure though, people like this are the real heroes in the world that show how amazing humanity can be.

 

[Jark212]

Wow, that's just heartbreakingly inspirational...

This is history in the making...

 

[Fawcks]

Is there no other way to do it? Surely there must be a way without them having to go through that sacrifice?

Some power companies are moving lines to the power plants; if they can get a power line in there successfully, they can power the coolant systems so that they won't need to do it manually anymore.

From what I understand, they have several groups of people going in, 15 minutes at a time. Who knows how long a break they get after each shift, but you know... Still highly dangerous.

 

[Internet Kraken]

This is truly extraordinary courage, something I could never do and for that these brave men have my total respect. It always amazes me the lengths some people will go to to save the people that they love and protect their home. I really don't know what else to say beyond that.

 

[Professor Cubbage]

I feel really ashamed for not caring about Japan during this difficult time. I hope the courage of these men will never be forgotten.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

Those are some truly brave men. Far braver than I could ever be. I wish them all the luck in the world.

 

[Jack of Spades]

Japan, they may the weirdest and most perverted stuff made there, but at least their honorable and also well-mannered from what I hear. Really says a lot about their culture.

 

[TheRocketeer]

So that others may live.

That's the highest cause.

 

[BanthaFodder]

utterly heartbreaking...
god bless these brave, brave men... I will remember them and their families in my prayers...

 

[ilspooner]

My heart goes out to all the familes who have to deal with all this trauma. And I really hope that these firefighters can somehow live.

 

[UnmotivatedSlacker]

I salute these brave souls. There are no known words to describe how much respect I have for these guys.