A Blog detailing the insanity of my medical practice and the stupidity of everyday life.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
May 18, 1980
I'd like to offer a remembrance for David A. Johnston (1949-1980, age 30). He died 33 years ago today in the service of his country and humanity. His body has never been found.
He believed scientists sometimes had to take serious risks if the knowledge gained would save the lives of others.
David Johnston, roughly 12 hours before his death.
In 1983, I had the awesome experience of being part of a group allowed into what they then called the "red zone". Essentially, we were inside the blown-out north side of the crater. Four things stand out in my memory: the utter moonscape desolation of the area, the boiling-hot water in the small creek that ran down from farther inside the crater, the occasional deep rumble and tremor that made my heart stop, and the little feather-lined duck's nest with eggs hidden under a fallen incinerated tree trunk. Life always finds a way.
A few years ago we made the trek up to Mt. St. Helens. Stood in the theater of the Johnston Ridge Observatory and watched as the presentation about the eruption ended and the curtains opened and showed us the view into the crater.
I'll never forget how that made me feel.
When it's a clear day, I can see the mountain from my bedroom windows. It seems so... meek. Calm and serene.
It's worth a trip up there if you ever have the chance.
I imagine he thought he was at a fairly safe distance. At that time, volcanologists had never seen an eruption like that (where the force was released up and out instead of just up). Thank you for the reminder. Ever heard of the Kraffts?
For my senior high band trip we'd saved money from several years worth of candy bar sales (most of which were consumed by members at $1/bar for one that would cost nearly $10 in this day and age).
Our destination was a rival basketball team near Sitka, I believe it was Kenai High. I brought the futuristic '1984' to read in-flight for an American history assignment.
After months of practicing the music and planning, we took off from Anchorage International on Alaska Airline at night and made the circle in the sky, when it was announced that Augustine was erupting and we weren't going to land after all.
But we did see Augustine from above and she looked like glowing embers in the night over the Pacific.
Some of us never did recover from two years on a steady diet of chocolate with almonds. The snow was beige the rest of winter.
Thanks to pioneers like Mr Johnston, we know much more about volcanoes. Thanks to the other pioneers, we don't have to see others killed in the line of duty. Note that he is using pencil and paper to jot his notes!
I'm glad for this remembrance, but I wish you had put more information for those who aren't familiar. I remember reading about David Johnston's death shortly after Mount St. Helens erupted (on my little sister's 8th birthday). We lived in Salem, OR, at the time, and my math teacher, Mrs. Curry, had recently had many of her students up to her cabin for a skiing field trip on the north side of the mountain. We laughed later at the thought of archaeologists uncovering our reading book, Encore, in the buried ruins of her cabin.
Mount St. Helens is very special to my sister and myself, and David Johnston, Harry Truman and others are heroes to us because of their dedication to the mountain.
I quote a previous comment"Anonymous Rural ObGyn said... Very glad I googled David A. Johnston and read about this remarkable person. Thanks for your remembrance. " Thank You, I too Googled him and learned a lot about a person I knew nothing about. There are heros out there. Jackie in MD.
The first twelve years of my life, I lived in Vancouver Wash. and looked at that mountain everyday from my living room window. When it erupted, we were living in Seattle and didn't know about it until about 10am when I happened to turn on the radio. My brother-in-law, lived in Stanwood Wa. about forty miles north of Seattle and he heard the initial boom at 8am.. Funny how that works. If possible try and find the video and audio of David Crockett, he was an employee for one of the local TV stations (I think KINGTV) and got caught in the blast. It's a really harrowing account of what happened to him that day. He thought he was going to die, but fortunately he made it through.
Exactly the same thoughts as RuralObGyn. I Googled and read lots more on this remarkable man. Thank you for the remembrance and bringing him to our attention.
He wasn't supposed to be on the mountain that day, he was covering for a fellow scientist who had a family emergency. He also was said to have a bad feeling about being that close, thought it was very unsafe and was going to erupt at any moment. He was right. I was 13, living in Port Angeles, Washington. I was standing on the porch of my aunt's house, when we heard the boom. My aunt at first thought it was a sonic boom, found out very quickly it was Mount St. Helens. We got quite a bit of ash, remember cars having inches of ash on many coming through town, ash coated everything. I cannot imagine how much worse it was for the cities surrounding the mountain. Thanks for posting, I love your history posts as much as the funny ones.
May 18th , the day Pope John Paul was born--he along with another Polish fellow of the time caused the death of a Communist Empire, yes,those 2, not Ronald Reagan as some would have you believe. My wife born, May 18. My daughter born May 18, My brother died of cancer May 18 at age 39. It is an auspicious day in my mind. We were preparing my daughters birthday party for her kindergarten friends and we could not be there as we were with my brother who was giving up life. I cry joy and sadness ever year since.
I was born on May 19, 1980 and the joke is that when Mt. St. Helen's erupted, my mom's water broke with my brother and I. Our presents this year included a vial of ash from the mountain.
What a day that was.
ReplyDeleteVery glad I googled David A. Johnston and read about this remarkable person. Thanks for your remembrance.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! Great man indeed, very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteHad to Google him and couldn't help but think of all the other scientists and doctors who have lost their lives in the name of science and medicine.
ReplyDeleteIn 1983, I had the awesome experience of being part of a group allowed into what they then called the "red zone". Essentially, we were inside the blown-out north side of the crater. Four things stand out in my memory: the utter moonscape desolation of the area, the boiling-hot water in the small creek that ran down from farther inside the crater, the occasional deep rumble and tremor that made my heart stop, and the little feather-lined duck's nest with eggs hidden under a fallen incinerated tree trunk. Life always finds a way.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago we made the trek up to Mt. St. Helens. Stood in the theater of the Johnston Ridge Observatory and watched as the presentation about the eruption ended and the curtains opened and showed us the view into the crater.
ReplyDeleteI'll never forget how that made me feel.
When it's a clear day, I can see the mountain from my bedroom windows. It seems so... meek. Calm and serene.
It's worth a trip up there if you ever have the chance.
I imagine he thought he was at a fairly safe distance. At that time, volcanologists had never seen an eruption like that (where the force was released up and out instead of just up). Thank you for the reminder. Ever heard of the Kraffts?
ReplyDeleteFor my senior high band trip we'd saved money from several years worth of candy bar sales (most of which were consumed by members at $1/bar for one that would cost nearly $10 in this day and age).
ReplyDeleteOur destination was a rival basketball team near Sitka, I believe it was Kenai High. I brought the futuristic '1984' to read in-flight for an American history assignment.
After months of practicing the music and planning, we took off from Anchorage International on Alaska Airline at night and made the circle in the sky, when it was announced that Augustine was erupting and we weren't going to land after all.
But we did see Augustine from above and she looked like glowing embers in the night over the Pacific.
Some of us never did recover from two years on a steady diet of chocolate with almonds. The snow was beige the rest of winter.
Thanks to pioneers like Mr Johnston, we know much more about volcanoes. Thanks to the other pioneers, we don't have to see others killed in the line of duty. Note that he is using pencil and paper to jot his notes!
I'm glad for this remembrance, but I wish you had put more information for those who aren't familiar.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading about David Johnston's death shortly after Mount St. Helens erupted (on my little sister's 8th birthday). We lived in Salem, OR, at the time, and my math teacher, Mrs. Curry, had recently had many of her students up to her cabin for a skiing field trip on the north side of the mountain. We laughed later at the thought of archaeologists uncovering our reading book, Encore, in the buried ruins of her cabin.
Mount St. Helens is very special to my sister and myself, and David Johnston, Harry Truman and others are heroes to us because of their dedication to the mountain.
I have friends who worked on robots that went into active volcanoes.
ReplyDeleteVolcanoes are scary, scary things.
To die while doing something for which you have great passion is.....priceless.
ReplyDeleteI quote a previous comment"Anonymous Rural ObGyn said...
ReplyDeleteVery glad I googled David A. Johnston and read about this remarkable person. Thanks for your remembrance.
" Thank You, I too Googled him and learned a lot about a person I knew nothing about. There are heros out there. Jackie in MD.
The first twelve years of my life, I lived in Vancouver Wash. and looked at that mountain everyday from my living room window.
ReplyDeleteWhen it erupted, we were living in Seattle and didn't know about it until about 10am when I happened to turn on the radio. My brother-in-law, lived in Stanwood Wa. about forty miles north of Seattle and he heard the initial boom at 8am.. Funny how that works.
If possible try and find the video and audio of David Crockett, he was an employee for one of the local TV stations (I think KINGTV) and got caught in the blast. It's a really harrowing account of what happened to him that day. He thought he was going to die, but fortunately he made it through.
Amen.
ReplyDeleteExactly the same thoughts as RuralObGyn. I Googled and read lots more on this remarkable man. Thank you for the remembrance and bringing him to our attention.
ReplyDeleteHe wasn't supposed to be on the mountain that day, he was covering for a fellow scientist who had a family emergency. He also was said to have a bad feeling about being that close, thought it was very unsafe and was going to erupt at any moment. He was right.
ReplyDeleteI was 13, living in Port Angeles, Washington. I was standing on the porch of my aunt's house, when we heard the boom. My aunt at first thought it was a sonic boom, found out very quickly it was Mount St. Helens. We got quite a bit of ash, remember cars having inches of ash on many coming through town, ash coated everything. I cannot imagine how much worse it was for the cities surrounding the mountain. Thanks for posting, I love your history posts as much as the funny ones.
May 18th , the day Pope John Paul was born--he along with another Polish fellow of the time caused the death of a Communist Empire, yes,those 2, not Ronald Reagan as some would have you believe. My wife born, May 18. My daughter born May 18, My brother died of cancer May 18 at age 39. It is an auspicious day in my mind. We were preparing my daughters birthday party for her kindergarten friends and we could not be there as we were with my brother who was giving up life. I cry joy and sadness ever year since.
ReplyDeleteI was born on May 19, 1980 and the joke is that when Mt. St. Helen's erupted, my mom's water broke with my brother and I. Our presents this year included a vial of ash from the mountain.
ReplyDelete