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The War Cry | AUGUST 2015
I
will never forget the fi rst disaster at which I served. On
February 26, 1972, after almost three days of heavy rain, a
dam holding back 15 to 18 acres of coalmine drainage water
broke, sending a 130 million-gallon, 25-foot tidal wave of water,
black with accumulated coal dust, into Buffalo Creek Hollow.
Because of the early hour, many residents were sleeping.
Houses were splintered, trailer homes were ripped apart as if
they were paper and highway, and railroad bridges were torn
from their foundations, tossed about like toys. The stench of decaying bodies
fi lled the muggy air. On hillsides above the ravaged areas, rescuers found knots of
survivors huddled in the few remaining houses and buildings. Only 158 people had
climbed over the mountain to safety in a nearby community.
It was one of the deadliest fl oods in U.S. history; 125 people were killed instantly.
More than 1,000 were injured and over 4,000 were suddenly homeless. And The
Salvation Army was there, meeting the basic needs of those affected, both
survivors and fi rst responders.
While a lot has changed since 1972 in the scope of our disaster response in the
name of Jesus Christ, we continue to serve as a means of expressing God's love to
those in need by providing material, physical, spiritual and emotional comfort, no
matter how large or small the disaster.
MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL COMMANDER
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
W
ILLIAM
B
OOTH
FOUNDER
A
NDR�
C
OX
GENERAL
D
AVID
J
EFFREY
NATIONAL COMMANDER
The Salvation Army Territorial Commanders
P
AUL
R. S
EILER
Central Territorial Commander
B
ARRY
S
WANSON
Eastern Territorial Commander
D
ONALD
B
ELL
Southern Territorial Commander
J
AMES
M. K
NAGGS
Western Territorial Commander
The Salvation Army National Publications Department
Allen Satterlee
Editor�in�Chief
Frank Duracher
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
Jeffrey McDonald
Editorial Director
Roger O. Selvage Jr. Art Director
Gloria A. Hull
Design & Production Editor
Ashley C. Schena
Graphic Designer
Andrea K. Ricker
Graphic Designer
Cynthia A. Edelen
Publications Marketing Manager
Charles Piercey
Electronic Communications Co ordinator
Erin Thibeau
Editorial Assistant
Esther M. Satterlee Circulation Man ager
Elizabeth Duracher Publications Outreach Officer
Melissa Hollinger
Administrative Specialist
Member of the Evangelical Press Association.
Now in its 135th year, the
"War Cry" prints
on average 180,000 copies monthly, 1,700,000
at Christmas and 750,000 at Easter.
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[email protected]
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Circulation Manager
Salvation Army Publications
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O U R M I S S I O N
The Salvation Army, an international
movement, is an evangelical part of
the universal Christian church.
Its message is based on the Bible.
Its ministry is motivated by the love of God.
Its mission is to preach the gospel of
Jesus Christ and to meet human needs
in His name without discrimination.
National Publication of
T H E S A L V A T I O N A R M Y
AUGUST 2O15
Volume 135 | Number 10
The War Cry (ISSN 1550�5286) is published 14 times a year at
615 Slaters Lane, P.O. Box 269, Alexandria, VA 22313.
Single copies $1.50. Subscriptions $15 a year USA, $15.50
Canada, $16.50 overseas (U.S. currency). Periodical postage
paid at Alexandria, VA 22314 and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The War Cry, 615 Slaters
Lane, P.O. Box 269, Alexandria, VA 22313.
�2015 The Salvation Army
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken
from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright �1996,
2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved.
H
ome represents a place of safety and security. It's where
we eat, sleep, plan, laugh, argue, think, relax and gather.
Home is a destination when we are in distress or far away,
where we store our memories and make new ones. Home
holds our treasures and becomes a treasure in itself. The old
song says, "there's no place like home." Despite technological
advances and cultural shifts, that old truth remains unshakable.
What happens to our homes when fl oods rage or winds
blow or the earth shakes? When homes crumble or fall victim to the elements, it
is far more than an insurance claim in process. We see families rushing out of
their houses with armfuls of precious things, people picking through rubble of
what used to be their house, tears falling down the cheeks of those seeing their
home in ruins. Disasters destroy more than property; they destroy our sense of
wellbeing, and attack the place we felt most safe.
When any illusion of control is snatched away, people cannot hide their need
or pretend that everything is all right. There is a desire to respond, to reach out
and help though we know nothing about the people affected. So The Salvation
Army rolls up its sleeves, rolls out its canteens, and gathers and distributes
clothing, furniture and cleanup kits. It opens its doors and its checkbooks to
help people start to rebuild and move toward fi nding a solid place to stand
again.
We offer prayers with our food, hugs with words of comfort and smiles with
the coffee. By offering Christ we affi rm that there is hope beyond this dark
moment.
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