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1968 - Yingling Fire Tragedy
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November 21, 1968 - Yingling Chevrolet fire - 4 firefighters lost.
November 21, 1968 - Yingling Chevrolet fire aftermath.
Leaving the church at Chief McGaughey's funeral.
Funeral procession passing in front of Station No. 1.
| On the evening of Thursday, November 21, 1968, a fire alarm was received for the Yingling Chevrolet Company at English and Topeka. As the fire was being fought, the roof suddenly collapsed on the firefighters trapping them under tons of burning debris and wilted, twisted steel. Chief Tom McGaughey, Chief Fire Inspector M.O. Wells, Firefighters Dale J. Mishler and Jimmy Lee Austin were killed in the line of duty. For those fellow firefighters at the scene, as well as those who manned the stations that night, the tragedy and the horror of it all was etched in their minds forever.
For the past eight years, the department had flourished under the dynamic leadership of this man. Through his drive, innovation, and vision, he had restored that which had nearly been lost to the department, pride, honor and dedication to the highest of professions, that of being a firefighter. On that fateful night, what had been a special time in the history of the Wichita Fire Department passed on. Like the phoenix, the men of the department, united as one, would arise from the ashes of this tragedy and continue their service to the community and their fellowman. The following days were spent in the solemn duties of honoring the dead, seeing to their internment. The funerals were attended by all brother firefighters not manning stations as well as hundreds of citizens and firefighters from out of the city and state. As the Chief's procession left the church, it proceeded by No. 1 Station, the men on duty stood at attention in a last display of respect to their fallen leader.
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Related to 11 - The Reawakening |
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