i got a scholarship playing football at wvu. i went in there and met my wife. we were married. i got hurt playing football. my grandparents and the whole block burned down. we lost everything. the coal mines burned up. all this happened in 1968 in a short amount of time. we had 58 miners that got blown up. my dear uncle john was one of the fatalities. i grew up with the coal fields and understanding the real challenges that we had any opportunities that it provided. my next-door neighbor was harry dunmar. in 1954, i was seven years old. harry used to play ball with me, right across the street. one night he did not come home. his wife, i said when is he coming home? the mine had just blown up. she said he will be late tonight. two or three days went by and she is probably trying to figure out how to tell this seven year old boy that he is not coming home. i recall that. i really do. fast-forward to 1968. my uncle, the same person who lived in the same house that pinchy lived in, the same cutting machine that he was on. this is all part of who we are. fast-forward to when i becom

i got a scholarship lane football at wvu. i went in there and met my wife. we were married. i got hurt playing football. my grandparents and the whole block of burned down. we lost everything. the coal mines burned up. the dollar happened in 1968 in a short amount of time. we had 50 a miners that cow blown up -- 58 miners that got blown up. my dear uncle john was one of the fatalities. with the coal fields and understanding the real challenges that we had any opportunities that it provided. my next-door neighbor was harry dunbar. in 1954, i was seven years old. harry used to play ball with me full top right across the street. one night he did not come home. his wife, i said when is he coming home? the mine had just blown up. she said he will be late tonight. two or three days went by and she is probably trying to figure out how to tell this seven year old boy that he is not coming home. i recall that. i really do. fast-forward to 1968. my uncle, the same person who lived in the same house and that pinchy was on the same cutting machine that he was on. this is all part of who

we were married at wvu. i got hurt playing ball.fathers, grandparents, the whole block burned down. we lost everything. the coal mine blew up in 1968. all this happened in 196in very short period of time. 58 miners, 78 miners got blown up and lost their lives. more than 50 are still entombed, my dear uncle john was one of the fatalities there. but you see i grew up in the, with the coal fields understanding the real challenges we have but also the opportunities they provided. my next door neighbor growing up was pinchy dunn mire. that had to be 1954. so i was seven years old. harry used to come play ball with me. he was across the street. one time harry didn't come home. mercer his wife, when is pinchy coming home? the mine just blew up. pinchy is going to be late tonight, honey. would two outleads went by, how will she tell the little 7-year-old boy that pinchy is not coming home, i recall that, i really do. fast forward to 1968, my uncle, the same person that lived in the house that pinchy lived in on the cutting machine, got blow

i got a scholarship playing football at wvu. i went in there and met my wife. we were married. i got hurt playing football. my grandparents and the whole block burned down. we lost everything. the coal mines burned up. the dollar happened in 1968 in a short amount of time. we had 58 miners that got blown up. my dear uncle john was one of the fatalities. i grew up with the coal fields and understanding the real challenges that we had any opportunities that it provided. my next-door neighbor was harry dunbar. in 1954, i was seven years old. harry used to play ball with me, right across the street. one night he did not come home. his wife, i said when is he coming home? the mine had just blown up. she said he will be late tonight. two or three days went by and she is probably trying to figure out how to tell this seven year old boy that he is not coming home. i recall that. i really do. fast-forward to 1968. my uncle, the same person who lived in the same house and that pinchy was on the same cutting machine that he was on. this is all part of who we are. fast-forward to when i be