 Some natural events are so powerful, affect so many people that they become points of reference in the lives of those people replacing dates and years. After a while, the events transcend their own circumstances and become yardsticks by which personal histories are measured. In northern Peru, on May 31, 1970, such a natural event took place. The earthquake that struck Peru lasted only 45 seconds, yet it and the events it triggered killed 66,000 people. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the Western Hemisphere. How do you make sense of 66,000 people dead and a half a million homeless? How can a human mind comprehend a shrug of the earth's shoulders that obliterates old towns and causes a river to reverse its flow? How can people far away know anything of a little girl's terror or an old man's helplessness at seeing the disappearance of the only home he has ever known? What immediate response makes any sense when it's all over and the terrible statistics have been compiled? What immediate response except, I'm sorry. When it was over, Peruvians moving slowly and almost disbelief at what had happened to them began returning to what remained in their homes. Sin belief for their plight was abundant, but once the initial shock wore off, the response to the awful tragedy went far beyond words. To Peru's pleas for help came real tangible aid. New faces suddenly appeared. Foreign languages were suddenly heard as representatives of nations all over the world began arriving in Peru. They all had the same goal, to bring relief and comfort to those who needed it as quickly as possible. A truly international aid effort was underway. Along with the people came the goods that were needed most. Medical supplies, food and building materials were funneled toward the stricken country along with the planes and helicopters to deliver them. Liversidal helicopters repeatedly filled their bellies with what was needed in certain places and took off to get it there. And as the choppers did their work, the children of Peru at least returned to an almost normal existence. For America, the Peace Corps was part of an assistance program that would grow as the months passed. Two hundred volunteers already in the country began helping Peruvians dig out. Their sense of the tragedy was heightened by the knowledge that two of their colleagues had died in the first moments of the quake. In addition to the work begun on land by Peace Corps volunteers, the aircraft carrier Guam was quickly turned into a floating hospital. A continual flow of injured people was shuttled to the Guam to receive what was for many their first medical attention since the quake. Activity aboard the carrier was unceasing, for the injured never seemed to stop coming. And as those broken in body were flown aboard, supplies from the ship's huge holes were taken to land to aid those still there. To help overwork Navy personnel, some Peace Corps nurses, hurriedly dispatched from the United States, worked with Peace Corps medical directors in treating people brought out of the ruins. Meanwhile, other nurses boarded helicopters and were taken directly to those who were too seriously hurt to be evacuated. But the efforts of the Peace Corps didn't end aboard the Guam or in the rubble of Peruvian villages. Former Latin American volunteers with critical skills were requested to go to Peru. Were you surprised and calm back? Clearly, but I have critical skills, so I'm not that surprised. Well, what is your skill? Architent. I'm Sandy Snively. I'm from Morgan Hill, California, which is just south of San Jose. I was a volunteer in Brazil from 1964 through 66. And while in Brazil, I set up an oxidation campaign in epidemics and a rehabilitation campaign after a polioepidemic. What is your specialty? I'm a physical therapist and I'm anticipating doing something with the rehabilitation efforts posted quickly. Last Friday they called me at three o'clock in the afternoon and said, be here Monday. So I had about two hours to withdraw from school and get shots and try to get my deposit back from my apartment in Austin. But I knew the guy you owned before, like it was my own village. I mean, I love the area. It's really more of an emotional thing with me than anything. We flew right down over the aluvion as it, the same direction it took as it wiped out the young guy. And that's as dramatic a portrayal of a disaster that I think you could possibly imagine. I mean, it's the height of a potential disaster. Now, there's an area, the area that is affected by the disaster is, affects about 800,000 people. They figure over 50,000 have died in this six, seven, 800,000 probably homeless, at least with homes that are not livable or certainly won't be livable come this winter when the rains come. And it affects an area about the size of Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Denmark is the size of this disaster area. The two main areas are on the coast, Cosma and Chimbote, the main towns. And then the Khaihon de Wailas, the Waraas being the main town affected. The bombing raid couldn't have destroyed a town even more than this earthquake did. It just buried everybody, completely, buried them alive. The destruction the confronted the returning volunteers as they found out into the countryside was staggering. It seemed endless, everywhere they faced broken homes, wrecked churches and stores in ruins. Immediately after the quake, ten cities were erected to give temporary shelter to the homeless. But as important as the temporary homes were, the volunteers were play in putting their skills to use in building permanent structures that could withstand the strain of another quake. The kinds of advice that we're trying to give the people on the rebuilding of their houses is to improve the structural strength of these buildings. We're working with a Peruvian agency called Cooperation Popular or COPOP. And this agency is the one which has been charged with the reconstruction of rural housing. The goal of the Peace Corps Assistance Program was to provide Peruvians with the knowledge and skills to rebuild their country. The earthquake in Peru struck with incredible force. In some areas, nothing, not even rubble, remained of what was before. Peace Corps volunteers, architects, city planners and engineers are spending their two years service helping that country to rebuild. If anything good can be gleaned from a tragedy of such immense proportions, perhaps the quickly answered cry for help was good. In a very real sense, the spirit of man was tested and that test was passed. And perhaps what the volunteers are helping to rebuild will be more durable and serve the people of Peru better than what stood previously. Maybe it'll help the living forget the pain and the fear of the past and make their future easier. Just to see that operation out of the valley is a real inspiration. It's the most beautiful example of the family of men and certainly what the Peace Corps stands for.