Life in rural Alaska provided many opportunities to experience the still raw land. Hunting and fishing were the mainstays for most families during this time in Alaska’s history and it was no different for the Hrebar family. Tony’s father was an avid outdoorsman and fisherman in his own right and in addition to the rich bounty from the bay and inlets of southeast, Sitka black-tailed deer were also a staple in the Hrebar household. Always looking forward to more experiences and opportunities to provide for his family, Tony’s father often talked about hunting moose, which were only found on the mainland. As the last week in August 1971 approached with no appearance from Tony, it became evident to his father, the Cordova moose hunt with friends would not include him this year. Finally on September 3, 1971, Tony made his arrival to meet proud parents, Anthony Eugene and Carmen Hrebar! The elation of this day was followed by one of the most heart wrenching events to rock the community of Southeast Alaska. On September 4, the ‘milk run,’ as it was affectionately called, left Anchorage that morning with scheduled stops in Cordova, Yakutat, Juneau, and Sitka before heading for its final destination in Seattle. Family friends and neighbors, with hundreds of pounds of moose meat from the successful hunt in Yakutat, boarded the plane headed for home. However, that fateful day, Alaska Airlines Flight 1866 would not deliver its precious cargo home, shortly after turning east for its decent into Juneau, at 2,500 feet above sea level, the Boeing 727-100 exploded on the eastern side of a ravine in the Chilkat Range. 111 souls were lost that day, and after 50 years it is still considered Alaska's worst air disaster. The loss was most acutely felt by friends and family in the little village of Kake. Five of our own; Dr. Frederick Reich, Clint Schilstra, Dave Oswald, Ray Van Ness, and Lorenz Kaufman would not be returning home that day. Tony’s father, my father, would have been soul 112 on flight 1866, if Tony had chosen to arrive on time. Thank you Tony for giving us 8 more years with our father. ~ jennifer