I was one of the group that spread and moved the plywood sheets and slogged in the mire for hours freeing the liner. Once we got it up to the more solid area and the wreckers' cable reach I took off to the State Line(Nugget, now). Beat up! When I snuck into my room, at about 8:45 PM, I stood and sat in the shower with all my clothes and shoes on and let the water rinse most of the mud and goo into Wendover's sewer. I did not clock the event, but I know I was in the shower for an hour. About 10:30, I greeted a bunch of other helpers as they slogged into the casino from the parking lot. My god, they were a filthy, muddy mess. I'm sure they went up to their rooms and did exactly the same thing I had.
For awhile, at the start, I thought we could never move, let alone free that heavy, heavy, monster. I remember the relief we all felt just being able to inch it onto that first plywood sheet. Gene acted like it was just one more thing. I knew Betty was relived and Tom was Tom, unflappable. I still feel a bond with all the people in that bunch, that evening.