(TheIndependentStar.com) – In a stunning display of American heroism, West Virginia coal miners have accomplished what government bureaucrats deemed impossible.
These blue-collar patriots, known as the “West Virginia Boys,” rebuilt a crucial 2.7-mile stretch of Highway 64 that Hurricane Helene destroyed in North Carolina.
Their efforts have allowed displaced residents to return home, exposing the contrast between community-driven solutions and ineffective government responses.
The miners completed the reconstruction in just three days, restoring a vital transportation link for residents who had been forced from their homes for over a month.
While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other government agencies waste time, these brave men took matters into their own hands.
Local resident Robin Phillips, who was unable to return home since the hurricane, expressed her gratitude: “The river swallowed the road, so I haven’t been home since the hurricane.”
Volunteer Logan Campbell emphasized the unity that emerged in the face of adversity. He said, “To see this many wonderful men, women, all races, different political views, none of that matters at all in these situations.”
“Different road crews came in and said ‘it’s not doable, the people who live between Bat Cave and Chimney Rock will be trapped in all winter,” said Dan Lewis, another volunteer.
Lewis exposed the bureaucracy plaguing government agencies, adding, “The DOT (North Carolina Department of Transportation) said ‘yeah, we’ll send some engineers down here and assess the situation.’
“Then the West Virginia boys came in and said, ‘We’ll have this road punched in in about three days.’ No s***,” he continued.
“The Army Corps of Engineers took a look and said they’d send some surveyors and engineers, the same thing the DOT said pretty much,” Lewis explained. “I told them you might as well not waste your time because the West Virginia guys will have this road built before you finish your paperwork.”
The volunteers’ words add to the concerns of many residents, who feel abandoned by FEMA and other emergency responders as some are still waiting for aid.
For instance, Bat Cave resident Curtis McCart noted the evident absence of any official presence in the area.
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