CBS Sunday Morning leaked an an interview with actor Sean Penn, scheduled to air this weekend (and located at the end of this article), in which the Oscar-winner-turned-relief-worker in Haiti had this to say about critics who say Penn is only in Haiti for the press: “You know, do I hope that those people die screaming of rectal cancer? Yeah, you know, but I’m not going to spend a lot of energy on it.“The Associated Press picked up on that comment, and controversy is raging.

Sean Penn has every reason to be pissed at his critics. When I talked to him in Haiti (I was embedded with the 1st-73rd Airborne Cav, 2 Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne out at FOB Grey, in an abandoned country club – story and images here) he was tired, sweaty, in the middle of juggling several satellite phone calls as he tried to get generators down to the disaster response team down the hill. His camp was sprawling; two entire tennis courts. His room and board in Haiti? A tent, smaller than most families take to go camping. The rest of the space on the courts was reserved for humanitarian supplies he’d had flown in and was working with the Army to distribute.

Every evening I’d watch jealously as Mr. Penn walked into the “TOC” – the tactical operations center – at FOB Grey FOB stands for “Forward Operating Base; grew denoted their area of operation) where the leaders from the 1st-73rd, the Federally-activated FEMA DMAT team, and various NGOs would meet. These were meetings that, even with my press credentials and my embedded status, I was prohibited from joining. Nonetheless, at the conclusion of the meetings he’d often grab a seat at a table just to the right of where I’d set up my mobile office and continue to talk logistics with various NGOs. Here’s the typical banter: “We need 10, 4000 watt generators,” says one of the volunteers at the FEMA DMAT medical tent. “Worst case, 20 2500 watt units.” Oscar, Penn’s right-hand man in the Haiti effort, thinks, leans back, scratches his beard and then erupts with talk about logistics, to both the FEMA guy and Penn, who’s still sitting, diligently taking notes on a pad of paper as quickly as he can keep up with the conversation. “We could get them in through the DR,” Oscar says, tapping Penn on the shoulder to get his attention. Penn keeps writing, while confirming to the FEMA DMAT volunteer across the table “10, 4000 watts, right?” Penn says. And then he turns to Oscar and finally acknowledges his suggestion “yeah, yeah — get it done, I’ll start making calls.”

This was more than a month ago in, late January, when few knew of Penn’s presence. That’s how he wanted it. He enforced a strict ban on photography inside his camp radius, and when I talked about a photo op later on for a story I was hoping to pitch to a magazine back in the states, he wavered. “Listen,” he says, looking up at me sternly, “Right now, I’m down here because I can help, and I have a job to do, and I need to get it done. Right now, press is just going to keep me from doing that.” I feel suddenly sheepish, among the endless boxes of aid he helped bring in. I said I’d be happy to honor his request. Then his tone lightened and he cracked a smile, tapped me on the shoulder and says “listen man, I’m sorry I’m being a jerk about this, when I get back I want all the press I can get to help raise money.” I nodded, in that disappointed but understanding reporter way of nodding as he lit a cigarette I’d offered him, “I’m just here to get a job done, and I need people to understand that.”

A section of Sean Penn's camp at the Petion-Ville Country Club, now the forward operating base for a detachment of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne. The next day this tennis court would be filled with rations, Penn's personal tent on the court to the left.

Down there, in the blazing heat of the Haitian noon, it all made perfect sense, and still does. We chatted for a few more minutes, and then I walked back over the 82nd’s camp, passing, along the way, and entire tennis court filled with humanitarian rations the Army had spent the night bringing in from the airport

So for all of you who didn’t go to Haiti, and didn’t have the random pleasure of meeting up with just another of thousands of people (and tens of thousands of US Military personnel) working day and night to save Haiti, I can tell you this:

Sean Penn can get as mad as he wants. He was down there, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he saved lives. —Benjamin Chertoff

Get lots and lots and lots more more of my reporting and photojournalism from Haiti

The “controversial” clip as it aired on March 7th, 2010. Doesn’t take a super-sophisticated sense of humor understand an off the cuff joke.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

(Images: Top – Members of the 82nd Airborne division pack a truck with humanitarian aid organized by Sean Penn. Bottom: Two front loaders carry pallets of humanitarian aid organized by Sean Penn.

In terms of large, Manhattan-based organizations that weren’t doing much…. Well, here’s a photo I caught:

More images from my reportage in Haiti:

Haiti January 2010 – Images by Benjamin Chertoff

HAITI, JANUARY 2010: A girl hides her face behind the tin wall of just one dwelling In a 5000-person camp we found in Petion-Ville that, at the time, had not yet been discovered. I took this while standing on the pick-up bed of a humvee, while an intel recon team of Rangers and doctors from the 1st-73rd Airborne Cav., 2nd BCT, 82nd Airborne assessed vital medical, food and humanitarian needs at the massive tent city. Editing by Monika Robinson, MeR Design. (Thank you Monika!!)

Copyright 2010, Benjamin Chertoff
www.benjaminchertoff.com

USS Bataan, HAITI — An MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft launches from the flight deck of the Bataan during Operation Unified Response. The relief effort in Haiti is the first time the new platform has been used in a humanitarian effort.

My next piece for Popular Mechanics is up! Read on to learn how the military is developing command and control units to replace to all-important flagship of yore. Lashed to the USS Bataan’s crowded hangar deck, a group of four sea containers provides complete command and control access for a commanding Naval officer. It also gives us press types a wicked fast pipe to the internets.

 60s on the beach.

P.S.: When I need a merchandising deal, I know exactly who I’m going with.