Lance Cpl. Wilde Lariveaux is an administration specialist

Lance Cpl. Wilde Lariveaux is an administration specialist with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He was born in Haiti in 1994 and came to the United States with his mother when he was seven years old. Lariveaux is one of hundreds of Marines and sailors with the 24th MEU assisting in humanitarian aid/disaster relief operations under Joint Task Force Matthew.
The task force was stood up to aid government and non-government organizations delivering aide to Haiti in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, a category 4 storm that slammed the Caribbean earlier in October.
Hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Lariveaux served as a translator for troops delivering supplies to government and non-government organizations and Haitians on the ground. “I never thought that when I took the (Defense language Proficiency) test for Haitian Creole I would actually use it one day,” he said of his role in aid efforts.
For Lariveaux, going back to Haiti to help has been a surreal experience. He said if he and his mother hadn’t left the country when he was young, his whole life may have turned out differently. “That could have been me,” he said of the people affected by Matthew. ““I’m really glad I got the opportunity to do something like this and help out; it’s something I’ll never forget.”
JTF Matthew has delivered over 253 metric tons of food, water and supplies and has flown 277 hours in support of aid efforts across Haiti.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Matthew Callahan)