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Show Tough SI Utah Storm of 1967 Featured in Current Reader's Digest The catastrophic blizzard which threatened the very existence of the vast Navajo Indian reservation two years ago is recalled in a major article in the December issue is-sue of the Reader's Digest. Author Thomas Gallagher recounts events of the storm which began with "a few gentle snowflakes" on Dec. 12, 1967 and of the "tragic, yet triumphant, days that followed" until rescue operations oper-ations were completed three days after Christmas. During Dur-ing those 16 days, he writes, the blizzard disgorged over five feet of snow in some places and built up drifts of over 20 feet, brought winds of up to 40 miles an hour and below-zero temperatures and cost the lives of some 8500 animals. Yet incredibly, considering consider-ing the length and ferocity of the storm, only 11 Navajns lost their lives. Credit for limiting the extent of the disaster is attributed in the article to courage on Ihi part of Navajo leaders and tribesmen, effective relief and rescue work by individuals individ-uals and organizations, and a U. S. Air Force airlift, which carried thousands of tons of hay to stranded animals. ani-mals. With headquarters at Win dow Rock, the Navajo capi-tol, capi-tol, rescue operations were in full swing by Friday, Dec. 15, Gallagher reports. Helicopters Heli-copters were winging in from California. Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas. Kan-sas. Motor convoys led by plows were bringing in men and equipment. The Santa Fe Railroad donated boxcars box-cars of hay to the reservation. reserva-tion. The Save the Children l i Federation airlifted u Nothing and ZU . manufacturers sent T'r,V 40 SkiD it Foxtracs. ir When the storm let lm December 19, fo&d P fn- From Lufc. ft Base, Ariz., i6 C 119 r F Boxcars" took off. nJb j winch were tunW J" bales to stranded r horses, sheep and The article conclude V-quoting V-quoting Chairman Ral, Nakai, the Navajos'S leader, who said- "y, j ' you who came so sf'v : our rescue have our "evi -lasting gratitude." |