“What are you doing, Dad?” Miguel, his oldest son, asked.

“Quick, Miguel!” he replied. “There’s still some more plastic on those big rolls. You and Ricardo go see if you can find it, quick. We’ll spell out H-E-L-P on the ground. Maybe that plane will see us.”

But this time, the engineer’s makeshift efforts were not needed. The slow-moving aircraft was heading straight for them.

It appeared to be a fixed-wing aircraft. It buzzed their outpost and dipped its wings to acknowledge that they had been spotted. But when the aircraft reached their position, everyone was surprised to see that this was no ordinary plane. First, it hovered overhead, then the engines and propellers began rotating upward so that the airplane actually became a helicopter. On the fuselage was painted the U.S. insignia, a star with beautiful blue lines, and the single word “Marines.” Manuel realized it as an Osprey, a unique type of forward support aircraft he had heard about but never seen. It had been added to the nation’s military arsenal just six months earlier.

As the Osprey gradually descended, Manuel broke into a broad smile. “Cathy, we’re safe. It’s a miracle!” Then he reached inside his collar, pulled out the little gold crucifix hanging from a chain around his neck, and reverently kissed it. “Thank You, Padre,” he said softly. “Thank You from the depths of my heart.”

The wheels of the Osprey had touched down. The giant engines were roaring like a high-powered fan. A door opened suddenly, and a crewman jumped out to help the Quintanas inside the aircraft.

“Thank God you came!” Manuel shouted over the noise. “How did you find us?”

“Last night,” the crewman replied, “the president’s science adviser saw you on a close-up scan by one of our satellites.” He motioned for Manuel to put on a headset with earphones and a small microphone.When he had slipped the phones over his head, the pilot looked around and said, “Hey, man, getting out here was the easy part. But the hard part was your staying alive. How did you do it?”

“It was a miracle!” Manuel said. “We prayed a lot.”

“I hear you. That was Dr. Eisenblatt’s guess too. I’ll tell you one thing: There’s nobody else out here. By all odds, you folks should be dead. I’m Major Paul Burns. Welcome aboard!”

“I am Manuel Quintana, and this is my wife Cathy, and my sons, Miguel, Ricardo, and Juan. I can’t tell you how glad we are to see you, Major.”