December 26 marks 15 years since a devastating tsunami struck the Indian Ocean, killing hundreds of thousands of people.Looking Back: Remembering the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
SIU Carbondale Journalism Professor Bill Recktenwald was vacationing in Sri Lanka that day. In an interview shortly after his return to the United States, Recktenwald described the fast-moving wall of water.
"When the wave was in at its maximum, it was tossing cars around like toys. It was knocking walls over, fences, the big concrete fence around the hotel was pushed over, part of the office was collapsed."
Recktenwald returned to Sri Lanka several times after the catastrophe, working with locals and others who vacationed with him in rebuilding heavily damaged areas. He says crises like the tsunami illustrate the need for wealthy nations to remember their responsibility to help others around the world.