Malcolm Dykes: The Arctic Blast of 1963

The 1960s were an exciting and tumultuous time in America.  It was a decade that saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the moon landing, among many other historic events. I offer up my 'unforgettable' historic event I participated in that I wish I could forget. If you think it's bad lately, read on. 

The following is the historical account of what we are experiencing right now here in the deep south of Dixie: 

"The New Year's Eve 1963 snowstorm was a significant winter storm occurring from December 31, 1963 to January 1, 1964 over most of the Southern United States.  Travel was severely restricted for a couple of days following the snowfall.  The strong winds accompanied by heavy snowfall set historic new snowfall records.  Tree branches and power lines were downed as over a foot of snow fell in a band across eastern Mississippi." Quote end quote. 

I was 13 years old and living with my parents in Arizona when my oldest brother Don called to ask them if he could pick my handicapped brother Roy Gene and me up on his way from Ventura Calif. back to visit the rest of the family here in Walthall County MS. It was to be a post-Christmas pre–New Years trip back home. 

This was the days before the Weather Channel came into existence and no one could predict what we were about to get ourselves off into. 

Don was driving an old wore out red Corvair that needed to be dumped in the wrecking yard riding on 4 'may pop' tires. You remember them, those ill-fated cars with the motor in the rear, the worst product to come out of Detroit. Nader, at the time a consumer advocate and political consultant, criticized many automakers.  But the most notable casualty of his infamous 1965 book, Unsafe at Any Speed, was the 1960-63 Chevrolet Corvair, which he referred to in the first chapter as “the one-car accident.” I know firsthand what Nadar was talking about. 

We started experiencing snow flurries when we got to El Paso TX, but we plugged onto our regret.  I don't know where it happened, but the old darling started dying when Don stopped at a red light, something in the electrical system was malfunctioning. No interstates then so we had to travel the 2 lane ones and go into numerous towns thus causing many stops and the old car dying at each. Roy was asleep in the back seat, and I was sitting in the front passenger seat when one too many stops had the hateful thing die. In a fit of anger, my normally mild natured brother hollered out, "Get out boys, I've had enough...." 

Roy moaned out from under the thin quilt mother had tossed him before departing, "Why, what are you going to do?" Don said, "I'm going to set a match to this thing, I've had enough!!" Thankfully it cranked and we headed on to more thrills and chills! As we were clipping along one night in the rolling hills of Texas, Roy and I was asleep, and Don was singing one of Hank Williams's old honky-tonk tunes when he hit an ice cap, and we went into a spin. Round and around we go, where we will stop nobody knows!  

Somehow, we stopped headed back in the direction we had come with all three of us bugged eyed and fully awake. As he turned and headed us back in the right direction back upon the road he was singing "Lord I'm Coming Home," the old altar song we sing in church! Words fail me to describe the ordeal as it unfolded day and night, night and day, the better part of a full week. Breakdowns, flats unending. 

I remember one in particular that stands out more than the rest happened near Sulphur LA. Don had the old darling jacked up and it fell off the jack doing damage to the axile, so we had to get a wrecker to haul us in to have it repaired. I can never forget all three of us climbing up in the wrecker with the driver like sardines packed. 

Like another old Gospel song, "Through many dangers toils and snares, I have already come," we drove up into my sister's driveway ready for a hot bath as we had none for a week.  She told us the water pipes had been frozen for 3 days and no baths were forthcoming! 

I, Malcolm (Bro. Mike) Dykes, do attest the above statements are all accurate and true. 

The winter blast of 1963. 

God bless you and God bless America.