At approximately 10:15 p.m. on June 21, 1983, a violent explosion ripped through the No. 2 Left entries of the McClure #1 Mine in Dickenson County, Virginia, operated by Clinchfield Coal Company. Ten miners were working in that section at the time: three would survive, but seven would lose their lives that night.

Investigators later determined that a failure in ventilation allowed methane gas to accumulate in the workings. When the buildup ignited — likely via electrical arcing or other fault — the explosion devastated the underground passageways. This disaster not only struck at the heart of a mining community but also exposed the thin line between routine work and life-and-death hazard beneath the mountain.

For families above ground and miners below, the hours that followed tested their faith, resolve and the bonds of brotherhood. What started as just another shift turned into an ordeal — one that would forever change how a town remembers, honors and rebuilds.