Spirit of 9-11 Lives On In Miners

Spirit of 9-11 Lives On In Miners
by Nathan Poole, Columnist

July 29, 2002

Contributor Nathan Poole "I didn't think I was going to see my wife and kids again," was how a teary-eyed Harry B. Mayhugh, several hours after being pulled out of the Quecreek Mine in western Pennsylvania, expressed the ordeal he and eight other miners had just experienced.

Mayhugh did get to see his wife and kids again, though, thanks to the endless and selfless efforts of rescuers-most of whom are miners themselves-and thanks to the American spirit exemplified by Mayhugh and his fellow trapped miners that would not allow them to give up.

This American spirit I speak of, seen in both the trapped miners and their rescuers, could perhaps be better called the Spirit of 9-11. Though the circumstances of the terrible tragedy of 9-11 and the terrible near-tragedy of the Pennsylvania collapsed mine were much different in both scope and causes, I see many similarities in the way that Americans handled both situations.

On 9-11, Americans were shocked, but not so shocked that they were unable to spring immediately into action. In this case, while Americans fearfully watched the goings-on at the site of the collapsed mine on their televisions, Americans at the site of the collapse had begun rescue efforts just as soon as it was discovered that the miners were trapped.

On 9-11, all Americans felt for the victims of the terrorist attacks and for the families of the victims as well. In this case, every American felt for the men who were trapped down below the surface of the earth, and also felt for their loved ones who were hoping against hope that they would once again see their husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons.

After 9-11, Americans all across the nation rejoiced at the site of the very few survivors who were inexplicably pulled from the wreckage alive. In this case as well, Americans rejoiced as they saw all nine of the miners pulled, one by one, from the collapsed mine to the applause of their rescuers. In the case of the miners, I was watching television and remember thinking, when the program I was watching was interrupted for breaking news, that all of the miners were dead. It would be a miracle, after all, if even one of the miners was alive. And I remember the wonderful feeling I had deep inside as I heard Gov. Mark Schweiker announce that all nine men were alive.

The Spirit of 9-11 is a spirit that we all, as Americans, share. It is a spirit that we all, as Americans, have always had inside of us. It is the belief that our families are precious, that our neighbors' families are precious, and that we will each continue to fight to see that we all survive. We may not always agree on the issues; we may not even like each other, but we believe in basically the same things. America is great. Americans are great. We ain't giving up without a fight.

This is the point in my column where I usually try to conclude with a real hum-dinger, something that will make my reader-whether he or she agrees with what I have written or not-remember what I have written, and, more importantly, remember me. Today, though, I think it is appropriate to close by honoring those who have survived this terrible ordeal, and, in the process, have reminded us all what the Spirit of 9-11-the American Spirit-is all about. So, courtesy of the Associated Press, here is a list of the survivors:

Thomas Foy, 51. Leader of the trapped crew, according to his sister, Neva Glessner, of Garrett;

Harry B. Mayhugh. Foy's son-in-law, in his late 20s, married with two children, according to the family baby sitter and newspaper reports;

John Phillippi, of Gray. Has a young son "who idolizes everything his father does" and a wife who works at the local post office, according to neighbor Lori Supanick;

Ronald Hileman, of Gray. An avid hunter. His wife runs the Hileman day care center in Gray, neighbors said;

John Unger, 52, of Hollsopple. His mother, Mary Unger, said he owns a horse and raises cattle on the family farm when he isn't working in the mine;

Randy Fogle, 43, of Garrett. Has a wife and three children, according to a cousin; Robert Pugh, 50, of Boswell;

Mark Popernack, 41, of Somerset. Has a wife and two children, according to cousin Randy Popernack; and

Dennis Hall, 49, of Johnstown. ***

A native of San Antonio, Texas and a veteran of the United States Air Force, Nathan Poole is employed by the United States Postal Service. He lives in Irwindale, California with his wife and family.

Photo of the author courtesy of staff files