DEER ISLE — Laos is the most heavily bombed country in history. During the Vietnam War, the United States dropped 270 million bombs on the tiny, neutral country. Almost a third of the bombs failed to detonate. Today nearly 80 million live bombs remain, waiting to arm, explode and kill. Lao people still are killed and maimed by these bombs; they fear daily for their children and they can’t farm their own fields without the risk of sudden death.
Several governments support bomb clearance works in Laos, but the pace has been painfully slow. The mission of Restoration Laos is to provide a bomb clearance team that would not otherwise exist. Villages that would have had to wait years longer to be cleared can be made safe now, and when Lao children and adults find bombs in their homes and fields, we respond immediately.
Restoration Laos was founded by Michael and Darreby Ambler of Bath. They first visited Laos as tourists, fell in love with the beauty and hospitality of the country, and then began to learn about the “Secret War” and its legacy of bombs. Restoration Laos is incorporated in Maine and is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Learn more at restorationlaos.org.
Michael Ambler is going to speak about Restoration Laos on Sunday, June 22 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Brendan-the-Navigator Episcopal Church, 627 North Deer Isle Road, Deer Isle. The public is invited to attend.