University of Virginia Library

Dirty Heroes

The grim hunt for bodies and much of the
digging out that followed the tragic flood in
Nelson County last month are now nearly
over. Nelson County and the tragedy that
devastated it will soon fade from the minds of
the nation; but for its citizens, nothing will
ever be the same.

It sometimes seems that the greater the
tragedy, the greater the determination to
recover on the part of the afflicted and the
compassion of those who see their suffering
and try to aid them. Such was the case with
the Nelson County flood, and before it fades
from our immediate consciousness, we would
like to pay tribute to the men and women
who responded no nobly to the suffering they
saw around them.

There are so many of them that it is
difficult to cite a limited number without
committing an injustice. But the members of
the University Flood Relief Committee,
particularly Father William Stickle, will
probably not soon be forgotten by those who
benefited from their assistance. For several
weeks, a bus load of approximately 30
University students whose composition varied
each day put in eight-hour days shoveling
mud. Then there were the faculty members
and townspeople who helped, such as Mr.
John Israel of the History Department, the
Trailways and Yellow Cab Bus Companies who
donated the transportation, right down to
Rock Weir, who donated the beer that
refreshed the volunteers on their homeward
trip.

Much of what could be accomplished by
manual labor has now been done. Unfortunately,
Nelson Country's needs are still great,
if of a different nature. The people now need
heavy machinery to help them clear their land
again. They need assistance in planning the
structures and roadways that must be built to
replace those washed away. And they need
money.

The University can still be of great aid in
this, the long term job of recovery. We
understand such efforts are beginning and
trust that they will continue. It might well
have been Charlottesville which was covered
with mud on that night of horror.