You Are My Sunshine 

I worked at the Sunshine Mine from 1979 until it shut down in 2001, which was the end of the post-fire era. I worked with or around all the fire survivors interviewed in this program. I actually tramped through the Valley just after the fire, but we kept going. I moved to the valley in 77 and have pretty much been there ever since. Of course, Sunshine was often shut down, so while I was a Sunshine Hand, I also worked in Alaska at a goldmine rehab out of Sitka; another time [82] I drove up the Al-Can to Anchorage, then up to,and north past Fairbanks rustling small mines. In 87 my wife, myself and my two girls moved to the UP of Michigan and I went to work at the Ropes Gold Mine for a year. But I always came back to the Silver Valley; in the valley I worked at the Bunker Hill Mine, then the Galena Mine before hiring out at the Sunshine in 1979. After the shutdown at Sunshine in 2001 I worked at the Stillwater Platinum and Palladium mine until November of 2003. I worked last underground at the Lucky Friday in early 2004; then I was diagnosed with MS, so my mining days were over at that point. No matter where else I worked after I worked at the Sunshine; I was always and still am a Shine Hand..Until the shutdown in 2001, there was an old drift that stunk of the wood and foam smoke from 1972. This was on 3700 and I believe the level has been flooded for years.

I live in Idaho and was unaware anything like this ever happened in Idaho history. RIP all those who died in this disaster and those who have died since the taping of this documentary. And to those family members that were left behind and the survivors you have not been forgotten and our prayers are always with you.

I still remember my parents telling about it and my uncle told me about it and i heard it from everyone, and i have a lot of friends who had loved ones in the mine. We will never forget any of those miners who perished. They were our friends, family, fathers, uncles, brothers, they were all loved

I worked with Tom, of the two men who were rescued after spending ten days trapped in the mine. Tom came to work for the Forest Service out of the Saint Maries office of the United States Department of Interior. Tom, I and other members of the Forest Service Survey crews stayed at a Forest Service Camp near Avery for the week. Friday night would find us celebrating at the bar at Saint Mary's.

One more note I wish to make. The Sunshine Mine re-opened last year according to news reports I have found so it is now back in operation to my knowledge.

Woops make that it re-opened in 2008 I misread the reports.