By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

As those of us who were on the ground in Haiti can attest, the earthquake disaster brought out the very best in mankind, and still does today. The call for help was answered all around the world. It brought those with the best skills, the best equipment and from the very best humanitarian relief organizations.

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

I could be writing this from Greensboro, North Carolina. I was supposed to go down and back late yesterday for work, but the weather forecast gave me pause. The forecasters were correct, and had I not listened to them I'd likely be among the thousands cooling my heels in an airport terminal today.

North Carolina is getting hammered by the snow storm that barreled in from the south. Flight delays and cancelations are just a part of the dangerous mess it's leaving behind, and we'll have a lot more on tonight's broadcast.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

During the State of the Union, I turned to David Gregory and Andrea Mitchell and blurted out the obvious: I could never be president. The specific reason I gave was that I'd bankrupt the nation by re-starting an all-out push into space – back to the moon, to Mars and beyond.

I mention this (and we will tonight on the broadcast) because of the report out today (a preview of more on Monday) saying the American "manned space flight era" is about to come to an end, for the foreseeable future.  For all of us romantics of a certain age, there has always been a space program.  Despite the setbacks and the loss of life, we've still pushed onward.  We kept going.  Much of the technology in my Chevy SUV is thanks to the space program. That feeling you get at the end of "The Right Stuff"? 

By Mara Schiavocampo, NBC News correspondent

Linda Benoit is a 50-year old nurse from New York. She is also Haitian born. When she saw the images from Haiti's disaster she just knew she had to come. "If I didn't come, it wouldn't be me," she said. You can see Linda's full story on Nightly News tonight.

There are so many others like Linda here. Many Haitian-American medical professionals felt compelled to come, to help their homeland. "We have to be the ones to step up to say we're not going to allow somebody else to clean our house for us," said Witlet Maceno, a 29-year Registered Nurse from Brooklyn, New York. Like Linda, Maceno took time away from work and his family (he has a five-month old baby) to volunteer here in Port-Au-Prince. His efforts are grassroots and effective. He borrowed a truck from his sister and has partnered with the non-profit group Can-Do to pick up supplies from the airport and deliver them directly to hospitals and medical tents. No middle man, no red tape. He saw a need and is filling it.

Witlet says there are about 30 of his peers here, members of the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad and the Haitian American Nurses Association. They are working around the clock to distribute medical supplies and treat patients. The need is overwhelming, their work beyond valuable. When I spent time with Maceno and Benoit at the General Hospital yesterday doctors were literally asking them to discharge people to make room for other patients. They are treating them as fast as they can, doing their best to save life and limb, and prevent infections from spreading. They do it because this is their country, but also because they can't stand by while others suffer. "I think God put me on this earth to help people," says Benoit. "And my happiest moment is when I help people."

VIDEO: Nursing the homeland back to health

Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad
www.amhe.org

Haitian American Nurses Association
www.hana84.org

Can-Do
www.can-do.org

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

As I see it, with the addition of a simple add-on keyboard, the new Apple iPad can become a lot like...an Apple laptop.  It plays the same music as an iPod, so there's that.  At 1.5 pounds, it weighs slightly more than most books—but they say when it's used as an e-reader, it's very easy and intuitive to turn the page—almost like, say, turning a page.  I wonder if a paper version of their e-reader will become available?  That would be so great—something you could carry around and not have to power up—you could go right to the spot in the text where you left off, and instantly start reading.  Perhaps that will be the next big thing.

By Joo Lee, NBC News producer

With the Olympics just days away, excitement is building! There are a few people who may well be even more nervous than the athletes. As Robin Gorog, mother of snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, describes it, "It is equal parts incredible pride, incredible love and an incredible stomach ache!" I asked her and a few other "Olympic moms" to tell us how they're preparing themselves and what advice they're giving to their kids. Our mom squad includes: Robin Gorog, mom of snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler; Eileen Hamlin, mom of luger Erin Hamlin; Linda Krohn, mom of alpine skier Lindsey Vonn; Linda Marsicano, mom of speed skater Trevor Marsicano; Pat Teter, mom of snowboarder Hannah Teter.

MOM'S ADVICE?
Robin Gorog (Gretchen Bleiler): "The biggest thing Gretchen has to deal with is how big the Olympics are and how not to let her nerves get in the way. Since she went to the Olympics in Torino (who gets to go to the Olympics once much less twice!), I have told her to look at this as the BONUS ROUND and to just try to take deep breaths and enjoy every minute of it."

Eileen Hamlin (Erin Hamlin):

"With all the hoopla of the next few weeks, stay true to who you are and where you're from. If pressure is looming, let your coaches step in, and as always, have FUN, slide fast."

Linda Krohn (Lindsey Vonn): "

I'll say that I don't give Lindsey any advice - she's doing GREAT, so I wouldn't mess with success!"

Linda Marsicano (Trevor Marsicano):

"Follow your head and your heart! Remember the journey - the highs and lows - that got you to this point. Don't take for granted the privilege it is to skate for your God, your country, and your family."

Pat Teter (Hannah Teter):

"I feel I shouldn't (and don't) give her any advice about competing. All I can do is be there to support her in the wonderful young woman that she is, and remind her how much we love her, no matter what."

WHAT DO YOU WANT AMERICA TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHILD?

A young Gretchen Bleiler (photo courtesy of Robin Gorog)

Robin Gorog: "America should know that Gretchen is a very normal young woman, who came from a very normal background. She set her sights on competing in the Olympics when she was very young and she put in the hours and worked and did what it took to get her to Torino and now Vancouver. If that meant being on the hill when all her friends were at the movies, that's what she did. Any young woman who works hard and sets her goals high can succeed."

Eileen Hamlin: "America should know that Erin is the local athlete, the kid down the block, your son, daughter, brother, sister, cousin, teammate, niece, nephew, that found a passion, worked hard in all areas of her life for many years and has realized her focus and determination have paid off. She is an Olympian."

                                
Below: Erin Hamlin (photo courtesy of Eileen Hamlin)

Linda Krohn: "I think America has been seeing what a humble, gracious person Lindsey is. She's done that all herself."

Linda Marsicano:

"Trevor is an example to all kids who have been bullied in school and suffered from depression that there is hope! You don't have to let the bullies define who you are and depression is nothing to be ashamed of. There is always someone out there who cares and wants to help - don't give up. Dare to reach out and ask for help! YOU MATTER AND ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!"

Pat Teter:

"That we are so proud of all the wonderful things she has done with her celebrity status of being an Olympian and being a role model for others. She has committed herself to help others and has become an inspiration to all of us to do the same in whatever way we can."

At left: Hannah Teter (photo courtesy of Pat Teter)

GOOD LUCK CHARMS? PRE-GAME RITUALS? LAST-MINUTE PREPS?

Robin Gorog: "I try not to throw up... I have told her there is no reason for her to be nervous as I am nervous enough for both of us!"

Eileen Hamlin:

"Several good luck items will be traveling with me, such as my 1980 winter olympic snow pants, (yes, they still fit), a lucky sweater given to me before the last olympics by Erin's former teacher, my secret gold foil (long story), and a lucky coin given to me when we found out the games were in Vancouver, (same gentleman had given me a Lire before Italy)."

Linda Krohn:

"I do have a ritual of watching her in every race - getting up at 3 or 4 in the morning requires it's own ritual - and the music alarm turned WAY UP! And I always say a prayer before every run; that is the only way I can watch her! And my cat, Cocoa, sits on my lap (right by the fire place) in front of the computer. I scream if she wins and Cocoa jumps off - that has been happening a lot lately!"

Below: Lindsey Vonn (photo courtesy of Linda Krohn)

Linda Marsicano:

"I have to say that our faith is our guide and our ritual is praying! Our last minute preparation is to remember that it took everything we had to get him there and he was worth it. Our goal was to give Trevor the opportunity to achieve his dream and we will share the Olympic experience through him, and are grateful for the technology that will allow us to do so."

     Below: Trevor Marsicano (photo courtesy of Linda Marsicano )    

Pat Teter:

"Prayers for safety and peace for my competitive children, and wearing my Team Teter shirt."

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

I think it's safe to claim that of the three network evening broadcasts in our time slot, we air the most obituaries.  To me, it's a source of enormous pride. I believe the act of noting and remembering the deceased is also a wonderful way to take stock of our own lives.

Tim Russert and I always used to joke that the first section of the newspaper that we both read each day was the "Irish Sports Pages," which is the dark and indelicate slang of our shared heritage for the obituaries.  It's true—I've always believed some of the most important "news" in a paper (and on the web) has to do with news of those who have just died. I believe obituaries tell us about who we are and where we've been, as we learn about the others who have shared in our journey.  If you're a 50-year-old American, like me, you can say you lived in the time of JFK and Nixon, Mandela and Cronkite, Hepburn, Springsteen and Russert.  The giants who walk among us make for the signposts of our life and times. They aren't the most important people in our own everyday personal lives—the prominent, headline obituaries in the paper are usually about the people we aren't lucky enough to know.  Instead, the regular folks get what my parents called "paid obituaries," the death notices usually written and submitted by families. They can often contain wonderful details and the flowery, mournful language of families who miss them dearly. We all like to think we'll be missed.

In our newsroom, it's well known that I write the obituaries.  I put as much care into writing them as I do the items at the very top of the broadcast, where wording and tone and facts are absolutely critical. I usually try to mention military service, and find the rare surprising biographical fact.  No two of us are alike (thankfully) and all of us have done something worth re-telling.

On Monday night, I learned of the death of former Senator Charles McC. Mathias. He was universally known as "Mac," and was universally considered one of the giants of the U.S. Senate. As a student of politics and American history, I had followed his career since I was old enough to know who he was.  I knew his death marked the end of an era, and came to work on Tuesday determined to devote some air time to remembering the Senator.

I wrote a short obituary with great care.  I mentioned that Senator Mathias was roundly considered to be the last of a breed: a liberal Republican.  I mentioned that President Lyndon Johnson would never have been able to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act without him, and added that he'd been famously called "the conscience of the Senate" by the Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield.  Mansfield, a proper and upright product of Montana, was never known to throw words around carelessly.  When he said that about Mac Mathias, he meant it, and it stuck.

Richard Nixon was deeply suspicious about Senator Mathias, which the Senator later wore as a badge of honor.  Mac Mathias said more than once that the Republican Party should be the party of its greats: Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower -- and his own party sometimes deeply disappointed him.  Conservatives considered him a mislabeled Democrat.  A political veteran assured me on Tuesday, "Mac Mathias could never be elected as a Republican today."

Because our air time is limited, because we have to find space for such stories alongside a slate of coverage from Haiti, a new NBC poll and a preview of the State of the Union speech, there were details about Senator Mathias I had to leave out.  He was born into a prominent Maryland family.  He had served in the Navy and was well-educated.  He was a handsome man, physically imposing but thoroughly gregarious. He was against the Iraq war and he endorsed Barack Obama.  He loved the Chesapeake Bay and fought hard to keep it clean and prosperous. He died of Parkinson's Disease. He was 87 years old.

After the broadcast on Tuesday night, I took the train to Washington.  When I arrived at my hotel, I received an email—relayed through my sister-in-law, from a close friend of the Mathias family. It read in part, "I was at the Senator's house when it came on (the air), and you should have seen how happy it made the family and Mrs. Mathias." She went on to thank us—for reminding viewers, "how great Congress could be when men like the Senator were there." Considering my on-air remembrance of the Senator was no more than 30 seconds long, I was surprised and delighted to learn that family members had been watching.

When I write an obituary for the broadcast, I always have the family in mind.  It's not why we do them, but they are an important audience. I try to envision people I don't know, dealing with the raw, initial sadness of loss...and I try to imagine how it must feel to hear of a family member's life and legacy—in the hands of a journalist who didn't know their loved one personally. Hearing from the family this evening re-affirmed my belief that we perform something of a service by choosing to remember those who've left us.  After all, it may someday be said that we lived in the time of Mac Mathias.

Editor's note: While Nightly News producer Clare Duffy is in Vancouver covering the Olympics, her 81-year-old mom, an actress, is making her Broadway debut. Her inspiring story was told this morning on the Today Show, and Clare has also written this post.

By NBC Nightly News producer Clare Duffy

I come from a family of performers -- some paid, some pro bono, all meeting with varying levels of success and acclaim on stage and screen. But never have I been more proud of my mother, Alice Duffy, a remarkable parent and human being, who this month made her debut on Broadway at age 81.

The play is Noel Coward's "Present Laughter", starring Victor Garber, a Broadway veteran known to TV fans as Jennifer Garner's father in "Alias", among other roles. My mother has a tiny part in the show, and she's on stage for about 10 minutes, but she makes the most of it -- as she does with every part she plays. She could have made a career out of it, as her brother did -- the late, and truly great Peter Boyle. But my mother did what a lot of women of her era did, she focused her energies on family -- raising three children. But she never lost her love of the theatre. When she got back into the theatre in Boston as a character actress, doing plays, television commercials and even movies, I learned a very important lesson -- that it's never too late to do what you love. And I've loved the chance to see my mother admired by her fellow actors, reveling in a world that's helped her get through some very hard times -- losing my father, both of her siblings and, just four months ago, my sister. When my friend and colleague Anne Thompson suggested doing a story on my mother, she demurred, claiming her part wasn't big enough. I don't know anyone who's got so much to brag about, but who's so disinclined to do so. But Anne and my friend, producer John O'Rourke, persisted and I think what they've come up with is a story that should inspire anyone of any age. Take a look:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

While other legitimate stories compete for our time and attention, I'm proud that our coverage of Haiti on tonight's broadcast -- and this week in general -- is about at the same level its been for days.  We have a de facto Port au Prince bureau, with a bureau chief, several producers and camera crews and three correspondents. 

It remains such a massive and urgent need. I would urge any of you who haven't given to find a charity you support and give what you can, as my wife and I have tried to do.  There have been huge problems and great frustrations, but that is not the fault of the victims. They are still, millions of them, living desperate lives...while we all have so much.  Last night we profiled a doctor who left his life in the States and flew to Haiti. That country is full of people like him, and I hope those previously unfamiliar with Haiti and Haitians learn something from this tragedy: about their work ethic, their faith, their stoicism and seemingly endless capacity to endure. Thanks for listening.

We hope you can join us tonight.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

Frequent viewers (and readers) know my biases: during NASCAR season I root for anyone named Earnhardt, during baseball season I root for the Yankees, and during football season I root for the Giants.  This year is different.

With great emotion I cheered the Saints victory last night -- and it is fueled by much more than football.

I remembered being in the Superdome as Katrina hit full-force. The ramp to the field level was slick with water and motor oil, and I fell, and landed on my back.  But it was a fortuitous fall: I looked up at the roof (while returning to my senses) and saw a ray of daylight coming in.  I alerted the General Manager of the Dome -- and together we watched that pin-hole grow as the winds increased. Eventually a huge chunk of roof was torn away, and rain was falling on the stands and on the center of the turf surface.  We now know the horrors that transpired inside the Superdome (including the death of a man not far from us that day) -- and they were still on display when we went back weeks later, in the form of needles and human waste in the stairwells.  It was a living hell in the days following Katrina.  I'm rooting for the Saints to win the Super Bowl because I root for New Orleans.  Because this company has cared enough to send me (and the broadcast) back there 14 times since Katrina, and because we took a stand in that great American city, this year I have a favorite team in the big game.  For all those who love New Orleans -- and understanding that Colts Nation thinks differently -- wouldn't that be something?

Welcome back for a new week, and we hope you can join us starting tonight.

By Robert Bazell, NBC's chief science and health correspondent
 
There are so many organizations doing great work in Haiti -- and most certainly deserve financial help.

But I want to call attention to one I reported on this past week. I know it well and have been visiting there for decades. GHESKIO is a group of medical workers who have been carrying out heroic efforts  to combat HIV/AIDS for some 27 years. As soon as the quake struck, the group immediately took on the task of providing food, water, shelter and medical care for thousands from the nearby slums.
 
If you can contribute, please go to http://www.gheskio.org/  to donate money. Please don't send anything else. They will use the money well.
 
When the organization began Haitians were suffering intense discrimination around the world because of AIDS. Under the Duvalier government in Haiti, it was literally a crime to mention AIDS. But these doctors carried on and, recently, they have been giving out life-saving HIV therapy to tens of thousands of Haitians. Amazingly, immediately after the earthquake they were able to resume giving medications to about 80 percent of those patients (probably close to the number who survived the quake), on top of all the other challenges they faced.

GHESKIO,  by the way, is the acronym in Creole for the Haitian Group for the Study Of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections. Because it had been illegal to say the word AIDS — or later HIV — the name stuck. The project works jointly with Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York and gets some fund for its AIDS efforts from the U.S. government.  The Haitian doctors who run the organization could have long ago gotten good jobs in the U.S. or elsewhere  But they stayed because they love their country. Now they need all the help they can get to help their neighbors survive.

The full list of charities active in Haiti can be found here.

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

How is our country and where is it heading? Is there a disconnect between what we are seeing and what the president is seeing? 

By Mara Schiavocampo, NBC News correspondent

72 hours. That is the window of time most experts give for finding survivors of a disaster. Today (Saturday) a 24-year old Haitian man was pulled alive from a pile of rubble, 11 days after the powerful quake struck, and hours after Haitian officials declared the rescue operation officially over.

I was out with my crew chasing another story when we saw a news alert that a man was alive inside of a collapsed hotel. We immediately re-routed ourselves and started looking for the location. A few minutes later our desk in Port-au-Prince e-mailed me, asking if we could check out the report. "We're already on our way", I replied.

It took a little longer than planned. For one thing, the news alert listed the name of the hotel wrong, so we started out on a wild goose chase looking for a place that didn't exist. But once we got the name right we got there pretty quickly. A large crowd had gathered in front of a massive pile of rubble that used to be a hotel. A few French rescue workers stood on the pile. If we hadn't known something was happening there we never would have guessed it. Everyone was so calm.

The big moment was equally tranquil. With no fanfare and no announcement the rescue workers started carrying something down the pile. I saw the hanging IV bag before I saw an actual person. A crush of reporters, photographers and cameramen surrounded the stretcher.

One of the rescue workers pulled me on top of a barrier so that I could get a better view. And that's when I saw him. A young man in a t-shirt and jeans, looking virtually unharmed, smiling.

Right away a woman started yelling "We're the family, let us through, let us through." Two men - presumably the survivor's brothers - hopped into the back of the ambulance when he was loaded on. The doors shut and the ambulance drove away. The entire thing took about three minutes. But it was 11-days coming for the young man.

I got back to the bureau feeling genuinely happy. Just full of joy. In the midst of so much widespread despair and destruction, my heart swelled at the sight of that young man, his nightmare over, his family relieved. I thought of his smile, and instantly, one spread across my face as well.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

I'm back in New York tonight for Nightly News after a safe journey out of Haiti early Thursday.

My colleagues Ron Allen and Michelle Kosinski remain there, and both will be on tonight's broadcast.

Much has been made of Haiti's declaration that the search and rescue phase is over, especially since a man was just found alive 11 days after the earthquake. Obviously, search efforts are still going on, but officials at some point have to make those tough calls involving survival odds, allocation of resources and growing health and safety concerns.

We asked @nbcnightlynews followers on Twitter whether they watched last night's star-studded telethon to raise money for Haiti, broadcast by NBC and several other television networks, and whether they were moved to contribute. Here are some of the responses we received:

@landongodfrey: yes, watched & was moved to contribute, even though have given to three aid agencies since the earthquake.

@kimeste: Definitely! Gave what I could Missed Katrina telthon b/c elec was still out Last nite was incredible Timbrlke & Morrs rocked.

@simpleelovlee: Yes! Such an emotional and moving event.

@cherie_lily: Yes, I watched & tweeted about #HopeForHaiti last nite... Our school will be taking up donations & sending them as well. Local @ConvoyofHope is there.

@myfreedomfirst: No, maybe if Obama and Congress focused on the economy, I would have money to give.

@ClairWyant: No, but I wish I did, love music... especially if it is live!

@CarySkelton: I was very deeply moved, but couldn't call in. I donated to Doctors without Border & AmeriCares last week, but will again!

@danjukic: 1.Yes, very classy & enterta'ng. 2. No. Haiti will need $ for a LONG time. I will wait until it's clearer how best to help.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

A very simple message to leave you with as the weekend begins: please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.  Please give what you can during tonight's telethon—or to the charity of your choice—especially if you've been holding off until now.  Amazingly, people are still being pulled out alive. Just today, an Israeli squad rescued a young man.  Hopefully this will be the weekend when the doctors get their supplies, so they can soothe the misery of the suffering.  Perhaps some of the great LA County rescue squad members can come home, to help deal with the misery in California.  We'll be following it all for you, and we'll be watching it all along with you.  Tonight the news from Haiti is competing with the President's new initiative, with the new terrorism advisory from the British, and other news. I did want to alert you to a story on Haitian orphans that our own Mark Potter says ranks with the most emotional events he's ever covered—it's about children who tonight are safe with their new parents, in their new homes.

Have a good weekend—we'll see you on Monday night.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

My case moved further up the chain at the Air Force, and I've received a call from a senior officer to inform me that a directive has gone out, calling for all possible measures to ensure the comfort of the Haitian evacuees being airlifted out of Port Au Prince.  Again, nothing but thanks from the senior ranks for my suggestions, and I'm thankful for that.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

I heard from a high-ranking Air Force official last night. It seems they read this blog in the Pentagon. The concerns I raised (gently, respectfully and reluctantly, given my appreciation of the work of our military) have been acted upon--they were raised in a meeting yesterday, where all of the military branches gathered to discuss the components of this airlift of Haitian evacuees.  Effective immediately, an effort is underway to show greater sensitivity to their passengers, while carrying out the herculean task of moving so many people to a new (to them) world.

They have actually adopted an idea I had on our cargo flight home. Since the Air Force can't find Creole-speaking personnel on short notice to be on board every rescue flight, the policy from now on will be to do what we did on our flight: ask for a volunteer from among the evacuees to make announcements and answer any questions. The senior official was effusive in his thanks--which made me very glad I had posted what I did.

And I learned an incredible fact yesterday. It has to do with the astounding (and so necessary) generosity we are seeing toward Haiti these days: Haiti, the fourth poorest nation in the world, donated $36,000 to Katrina relief. Given their economy and disposable national income, it was a large and generous sum. Something to remember.

I hope you can join us for our broadcast tonight.

By Mara Schiavocampo, NBC Nightly News digital correspondent

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

As we continue pouring ourselves into the coverage of this tragedy, there are stories that we have aired that deserve circulation around the world.  First, the awe-inspiring rescue as reported by our British partner network, ITN, and second, the work Ron Allen is doing in Haiti.

The story thread actually started on the Air Force C-17 cargo plane that carried us home—I was approached by a man who told me the story of the orphans and gave me his business card. On it he had written, "48 BABIES RESCUED/NOW SAFE BUT NO FOOD." He wanted to make sure I got the message, above the din of the engines at altitude—and he wanted to make sure we covered the story and went to the aid of those beautiful children. And that speaks to the randomness of Haiti right now. Sometimes a random encounter—a rescue squad taking a left at an intersection instead of a right—an airdrop of food and water—a weary man who spots a reporter on a cargo plane home—can make the difference between life and death. By the time we landed in New Jersey, I had emailed our de facto Haiti Bureau Chief, Madeleine Haeringer (who, as Richard Engel's producer all these years, is no stranger to living outdoors in some of the worst conditions in the world), who had started to get a crew to the story. The result will hopefully save those 48 young lives.

We have only been back from Haiti for four days, so I can easily re-capture the desperation as the new pictures and reports come in. I still have reminders buried deep in my bag. The hoarding and survival instinct kicks in—and so I still have beef jerky and other items that I zealously guarded just days ago as hugely valuable. We thought nothing of our living conditions—sleeping on the ground (in our case the concrete of the airport tarmac), barricaded against the rats patrolling the area, or in Ann Curry's case, sleeping in an Air Canada baggage container—at least it was off the ground. Nothing that happened to us mattered. Nothing. How can it? We were surrounded by death and starvation. Hell on earth.

Anything we had meant we were better off than anyone in Haiti. It can't be put any other way.  I cannot stop thinking of our team on the ground—and because I know them all well: I know these are dark days and nights. Please keep all who have responded—the soldiers, sailors, Marines and Coast Guard, the rescue and relief workers, the doctors, the ordinary citizens and journalists who are telling the story to the world—in your thoughts and prayers right alongside the souls we mourn who were lost in this awful event. They did nothing wrong to deserve their fate—why they were taken away is a question for the ages.

I hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.

By Barbara Raab, NBC News Producer

We asked some of our @nbcnightlynews followers on Twitter in Massachusetts to tell us who they voted for in today's high-stakes U.S. Senate election and why.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

We see some awful things in our line of work. And then we come home to our comfortable lives in America. As long as I live, I don't think I'll ever be able to square the two lives we lead.  After all the suffering we witnessed, I arrived home with no way to explain it, no desire to go into detail, and no explanation for why some children are born into poverty and struggle only to die young and in great pain—while my children lead such fortunate lives. I've come home from multiple trips to Iraq, Afghanistan, Indonesia, New Orleans and now Haiti asking the same thing.  I stood in line this afternoon at the supermarket and listened to two insanely entitled teenagers—wearing the logo clothing of a prominent New England prep school—complaining about obscene topics like how "tight" their mother was with her credit card, and how taxing the task of shopping had been for them. It took everything I had to remain silent and not remind them that people are suffering.  I am hoping they have parents for that—maybe they are the ones who should be reminded. But it was something my wife said last night that focused and brightened my thinking somewhat: "What if there were no United States? Have we stopped to think how much worse off the Haitian people would be?" She's right, as she so often is.

There were several things we should have pointed out, as part of our coverage while in Haiti, but could not or did not because of the crush of air time or just plain weariness. We should have listed the aircraft we saw arrive from various countries, including the prop plane from Cuba, the two giant 777s from El Al in Israel, the incredible Belgians and their crack rescue squad, the Russians, the seemingly unending stream of rescue workers from New York, California and Virginia—I happily noted their exploits were highlighted during our weekend coverage.

We flew home this weekend on a U.S. Air Force C-17—which we later learned was part of the "shake-down" portion of what will become an air bridge of evacuees from Haiti who will now become temporary residents of McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. On our flight, there were empty seats (an important point—while the Air Force was the only way we could fly home from Haiti, we would of course have been bumped, happily, from any flight full of evacuees, and this flight was not full, thus we were allowed passage...this will be, for days to come, the only way media will be able to fly out of Haiti) and about 10 members of the media alongside approximately 100-150 Haitian evacuees.  They were all tired, scared, sad, thankful, unfailingly polite and peaceful. Those with children seemed totally devoted to their cargo, and not one of the children fussed during our 10-hour journey.  In just the first two days, over 400 more Haitians have joined them, in the very nice temporary housing set aside for such purposes at McGuire.

I must confess to intervening in military affairs on the flight home. It struck me that our current wartime military has now been thrust into a giant and urgent humanitarian mission, and that was not fully reflected on this first evacuee flight.  The professional and businesslike Air Force crew on board made all the appropriate announcements, and showed their usual courtesy to their passengers, but it was clear they were used to transporting pallets of water and Humvees and generators...and not people, some of whom were enduring the darkest chapter of their lives. They boarded this cargo jet not knowing where they were going.  Many were wearing minimal clothing, and they were headed north to the dead of winter. I suggested to the media liaison on board that the Crew Chief of the flight find a volunteer to make a few announcements in Creole.  It was apparent to me that our guests were not paying attention to the announcements (those about safety, meager amenities, and updates on the flight, including such term-of-art phrases as "taking on fuel" and "off-loading passengers") and were missing out on vital information.  In what I hope becomes an act of Air Force policy, we witnessed an amazing change: the passengers who had been asleep or disinterested during the announcements suddenly came to attention when they heard their native tongue being spoken to them, with great courtesy from a young father of a beautiful little girl on board.  He was thrust into the "announcer" role and did superbly well.  I was also concerned upon landing that the Haitian visitors were subjected to almost punitive-feeling searches once on the base—bomb-sniffing dogs and metal detectors...the standard operating procedure when non-military passengers arrive, but suddenly slightly tone-deaf in terms of what these Haitians had been through.  It will simply require some sensitivity on the part of our young airborne warriors—our armed forces volunteers, who have been fighting this nation's dual wars for years now, non-stop.  There was no food available on the 10-hour journey—and while there was water, it was never handed out—it was made available in the front of the aircraft, only for those who understood the announcement in English. It was immediately apparent that many of the passengers did not realize there was water...or a bathroom available on board...until it was time to leave, when they walked by both on their way out.  To be fair: the care and comfort of human passengers on a cavernous cargo jet has not been a priority of the Air Force lately, but now it is.

It was because of my familiarity with the military—on so many levels—that I spoke up. They are nothing if not resilient. They can adapt on a dime. And while basic military training is centered on a notion of an adversary, these passengers, as I made clear to the cargo crew, had done nothing wrong.  The matter I raised on the aircraft was just one of tone.  Big picture: every member of the military was working hard. Moving fast. Sweat dripping off their chins as they unloaded food and water and vehicles from huge incoming aircraft.  Then there were the tents to house the 82nd Airborne—and the electronics that needed to be set up.  They realize time is everything, and they are moving as if lives depend on it.  They do indeed.

Haiti needs so much right now.  They need doctors, they have a dire need of heavy equipment.  As so many public officials have said, they need our money.  It is the best way to help, I'm convinced.  This is not fair.  Nothing about this tragedy is fair.  No one in Haiti deserved this. We have to hope that this relief effort—when it becomes all about recovery—will also focus on reconstruction.  While we cannot return a dead child to the hands of her mother, the world community has the chance to leave behind a better country.  There IS no Haiti right now, as we have come to know it. I saw four police officers in three days, and one uniformed Haitian soldier.  We are now Haiti—not just we Americans, but those of us in all the countries in the region, and all the countries that have responded so quickly and generously. We cannot reverse what has happened there, but we can try to restore a country.

We reluctantly left members of our crew behind—they had volunteered to stay on—and welcomed the new arrivals before leaving ourselves.  We'll be back. For now, we get to take a bigger-picture look at the struggle, which we will start tonight.  It's good to be back home, though in my head I'm still very much back on that tarmac in Haiti.

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

For the first time, I saw Port-au-Prince from the air. I was invited up in a U.S. Coast Guard chopper attached to the USCGS Tahoma. What I witnessed from that vantage point was a horror. 

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

I'm barely 7 hours on the ground in Port-au-Prince and I'm running out of ways to say I'm sorry. I've already met so many people who have lost so much, including a mother who stood on the shaky rubble of her home, where four of her children are buried. We don't speak each other's language, but I hope to God she understood how my heart bleeds with hers.

Amid the grief I'm struck by how resilient the human spirit is. Communities are forming in makeshift encampments.  Men played dominoes. A proud mother beamed as she showed me her new son who was born Wednesday, just a day after the earthquake. People are finding ways to cope, but make no mistake, frustration and anger is building. All of that material we keep showing you of aid pouring off planes has not found its way to some of the stricken communities.  We'll talk about why, when I anchor our continuing coverage of the Haiti disaster from Port-au-Prince on NBC Nightly News.

Follow @LesterHoltNBC on Twitter for the latest from Haiti.
Video: Hope, despair punctuates city's struggle
Related link: How to help quake victims

By Kerry Sanders, NBC News correspondent

We are sleeping on the concrete runway.

Sleeping may be generous. A C17 parked 50 feet from our tent last night, so all we heard was a jet engine. They won't shut down without an apc to restart (auxiliary power supply).

We have MREs that were in my garage. I keep them there for hurricanes, but I had only three boxes, and there are 20 of us and more are coming.

Diesel is in short supply. We got a generous donation of 10 gallons of jp8 (like diesel). The US Army rocks!

No sleep, and a mind-bender to see all this tragedy. If I could nod off, I might have nightmares. My heart is so sad for the people here.