Remembering the names, honoring the lives
Photos by Chanse Watson The miner at the Sunshine Mine Fire Memorial looks over attendees, gathered to pay their respects for the dead on the tragedy’s 45th anniversary.
Rylie Gunderson extinguishes the lamps on the helmets of the miners killed as their names are read aloud at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Front and center of the memorail.
Ron Thompson (left- cowboy hat) sings to the crowd.
Pastor Bill Howard leads the crowd in prayer.
Featured speaker Dale Lavigne addresses the crowd at the memorial.
Although the tragedy occurred 45 years ago, it still affects those in the Silver Valley and beyond today.
The Kellogg High School Marine Corps JROTC presents the colors.
The mine rescue helmet lamp is extinguished after all the names have been read.
45 years later, we remember
By JOSH MCDONALD
Staff Reporter
“Robert Alexander, Billy Allen, Wayne Allen, Richard Allison, Arnold Anderson, Robert Anderson, Jose Armijo, Ben Barber, Robert Barker, Virgil Bebb.”
Every year the names are read, one by one at the Sunshine Miners Memorial.
This year marked the 45th anniversary of the horrific disaster that took the lives of 91 of the Valley’s finest.
“Don Beehner, Richard Bewley, George Birchett, Wayne Blalack, Robert Bush, Floyd Byington, Clarence Case, Charlie Casteel, Kevin Croker, Duwain Crow.”
In the late morning hours of May 2, 1972 around 11:40 a.m. two electricians on the 3700 level of the Sunshine Mine noticed the unwelcome smell of smoke wafting down the drift past their shop. Immediate rescue efforts were slow as the smoke was being circulated throughout the mine via their proximity to the fresh air intake system.
“Rod Davenport, John Davis, Richard Delbridge, William Delbridge, Roberto Diaz, Greg Dionne, Carter Don Carlos, Norman Fee, Lyle Findley, Don Firkins.”
At 1:02 p.m. the Number 10 Hoist was no longer able to be operated safely. 173 men went into the mine that morning, 80 were safely evacuated, and of the 93 miners who remained trapped 91 of them perished.
It wasn’t until May 9, that the two survivors were rescued.
“Howard Fleshman, William Follette, Richard Garcia, Richard George, Robert Goff, Louis Goos, John Guertner, William Hanna, Howard Harrison, Patrick Hobson.”
Following pastor Bill Howard’s invocation, Bill Delbridge addressed the crowd of over 100 people in Big Creek Tuesday, many of them family members of the deceased, or miners themselves.
“It was a tough day in the Valley that day. It began at 11 o’clock which is why we start at 11 every year. The community really pulled together during that time,” Delbridge said. “The families couldn’t have made it through that time without the support.”
“Melvin House, Merle Hudson, Jack Ivers, Gene Johnson, Paul Johnson, Wayne Johnson, M. James Johnston, Custer Keough, Sherman Kester, Dewellyn Kitchen.”
Following Delbridge’s introduction, guest speaker Dale Lavigne took the podium to speak at length about his memories and involvements during that trying time in our community’s history.
Lavigne, a pharmacist, spoke about how he was asked by Dr. Bob Ravelli to provided assistance to the miners anyway he could.
“Like Bill mentioned the fire broke out at 11, but by the afternoon the word had gotten out about the fire. I was the pharmacist in charge of the East Shoshone Hospital and Dr. Ravelli called me and asked that I bring as much supplies as I could find in my store to help treat carbon monoxide poisoning,” Lavigne said.
“Elmer Kitchen, Kenneth La Voie, Richard Lynch, Donald McLachlan, Delbert McNutt, James Moore, David Mullin, Joe Naccarato, Orlin Nelson, Richard Norris.”
“By the next day the whole world was aware of this tragedy,” Lavigne said. “Offers came from everywhere to help. Nearly everyone in this valley was affected by this as friends and neighbors grieved with the families whose loved ones were no longer with us.”
Lavigne then proudly discussed how the Sunshine Disaster was used to help improve mine safety and that many of the young miners went on to be very involved in mine safety.
“As I look back and see young Bob Delbridge and whole group of young men out there who are now safety people for many of the larger mines and drilling groups in the country it is apparent they have taken safety a step further,” Lavigne said.
“Donald Orr, Hubert Patrick, Casey Pena, John Peterson, Francis Phillips, Irvin Puckett, Floyd Rais, Leonard Rathbun, John Rawson, Jack Reichert.”
Following Lavigne’s message, the ceremony took an even more emotional turn as the names of the fallen were read aloud, some even read by surviving family members as the 91 headlamps that were positioned near the memorial were extinguished, one by one.
“Dusty Rhoads, Glen Rossiter, Paul Russell, Gene Salyer, James Salyer, Allen Sargent, Robert Scanlan, John Serrano, Nick Sharette, Frank Sisk.”
The events of May 2, 1972, still echo through the Silver Valley as generations were lost in the fire.
Miners as young as 19 were taken before their lives even really began, while others as old as 61 were denied the right to grow old with their children and grandchildren.
That kind of devastation doesn’t simply fade away, especially to the families who have lived with an unfillable hole in their lives.
Pastor Howard summed it up well with his prayer.
“Guide us today Lord, in our thoughts and our words. Continue to heal our hearts as we remember and reflect today on the events of 45 years ago. Amen.”
“Darrell Stephens, Gustav Thor, Grady Truelock, Robert Waldvogel, William Walty, Gordon Whatcott, Doug Wiederrick, Ronald Wilson, William Wilson, John Wolf, and Don Wood.”