Fighting Wildfire During Extreme Burning Conditions

by Jon Klingel (Cave Junction '65) | posted: 2023-07-05 17:07:33

It has become frustratingly clear that the approach to firefighting has changed dramatically, and not for the better. I recognize we need to get low-intensity fire back into some of our ecosystems, at the right time of year. We don't need fires during extreme burning conditions, at the wrong time of year;

The Rescue Jump for "Animal" Ed Weissenback

by Bruce Jackson (Redmond '69) and Bill Vaughn (Redmond '69) | posted: 2023-07-05 16:03:09

Then, with the same confident control he had just demonstrated in his descent, the pilot gently eased that 1100 straight up and out of that tight hole. Once clear of the treetops, he then stood that Hiller on its nose facing downhill and gave it full throttle.

We all stood transfixed by what had just occurred.

Daren Belsby-Good Luck on Your End Of Jumping

by Conor Hogan (North Cascades '21) | posted: 2023-01-30 15:19:54

The founding of the Forest Service belongs in the pantheon of America's proudest moments, right alongside MLK's march on Montgomery and the moon landing as an example of our nation living up to its lofty ideals. The establishment of our national forests was a seminal triumph of conservation over corruption, of working-class values over corporate greed.

Alex Coolidge NCAA D-3 Wrestling Champ

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2023-01-30 15:17:54

However, the Sports Illustrated count for the state of Iowa was one short. Missed was one of the biggest accomplishments in U.S. sports history.

Wildland Firefighters Not Served Well By Albuquerque Service Center

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2022-08-26 12:38:04

"Overall, the responses from the Forest Service are unintelligible and come chillingly close to the bureaucratic 'Doublespeak' we were warned about by George Orwell in his classic book 1984. I have rarely seen better crafted non-responses to straightforward questions."

Standing Tall-Making a Difference Merv George, Supervisor Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

by Murry Taylor (Redding '65) | posted: 2022-08-26 11:35:53

As Merv made clear, we all know that fire needs to be returned to the forest landscape. The RRSNF is on pace to have a record year with prescribed fire. But it does NOT need to be there in summers of record low fuel moistures and record high fire danger. These fires must be put out early and fast. If they're not, then you end up facing August with exhausted crews scattered all over the West, people from other areas and maybe even agencies working fire on your turf, and skies filled with smoke so that air resources cannot be used effectively.

Tim Hart’s Death Should Matter

by Michelle Hart | posted: 2022-01-31 15:52:23

On May 24, 2021, I received the phone call every firefighter's spouse dreads and hopes will never come.

My Story

by Ben Musquez (Missoula '56) | posted: 2021-09-28 11:40:58

At the time, no Drill Sergeants were allowed for combat duty as we were needed more at the training centers. One evening I talked to my wife and said that I had to go and do my duty in Vietnam. I felt that if I went and was able to save even one life, it would be worth it. At the time, my wife was expecting our 5th child and had four children at home, but she agreed.

New Day for the Forest Service

by Douglas P. Stinson (Cave Junction '54) | posted: 2021-09-28 11:16:15

Many people are opposed to any harvesting on national forests. They often point to the overcutting that occurred in the 1970s and 80s. That overcutting led to a shutdown of logging on forest service land, a shutdown that for the most part is still in place today. One main reason for the excessive harvesting was that the allowable cut quotas were set in Washington, DC, or by the regional forest office, not by local foresters.

Good Intentions

by Mark Corbet (La Grande '74) | posted: 2021-09-28 10:27:45

We immediately started building line down one side of the fire, but due to its steepness, every time we tried to swing the line across slope and below the flames, burning material from above would roll down across our line and ignite the abundant dry fuels below.

Air America, The Ranch and The Veil of Secrecy

by Johnny Kirkley (Cave Junction '64) | posted: 2021-09-27 20:42:05

Air America, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, and a secret air base in Takhli, Thailand, known as "The Ranch," have a storied history that merged during the Vietnam War. The U.S. military operated overtly and the CIA operated covertly from 1960 to 1975 at "The Ranch." Over 50 of the 100 former smokejumpers who worked for the CIA saw duty at 'The Ranch." Ten lost their lives. This is a disclosure of operations and events that killed some of those ten, plus others.

John McDaniel Retires As NSA Membership Chair

by John McDaniel (Cave Junction '57) | posted: 2021-02-22 21:03:52

When I was in the eighth grade back in West Virginia, I became interested in forestry through my involvement in the Boy Scouts. I was further encouraged by my 8th grade teacher, Mrs. Baughman, whose husband attended West Virginia University School of Forestry. He was killed in WWII but left all his books and papers. Mrs. Baughman, knowing of my interest in forestry, gave me those books, some of which I still have. Sometime thereafter, I read a book titled Hank Winton-Smokejumper. That did it! I resolved to apply when I was old enough and had some woods experience.

The First Time I Met Walt Smith

by Roger Cox (Missoula '69) | posted: 2020-08-09 16:11:43

I enquired about the nature and circumstances of Walt's purple heart. That can be a forbidden question, but among Marine veterans, it is acceptable. His story revealed the "First time I Met Walt Smith."

Wildfire Trends In The US and Adaptation Strategies To Increasing Wildfire

by Tania Schoennagel, PhD | posted: 2020-08-09 14:26:01

As smokejumpers work heroically to extinguish remote wildland fire starts, we all search—yet again—for answers to why is so much area burning, and how can we better manage the growing threat of wildfires?

The Run For The Top

by Bill Mader (Boise ’75) | posted: 2020-08-09 13:55:06

The Mann Gulch Fire is not just about tragedy and the burnover of 12 smokejumpers and one fireguard. It is also about trying to do everything right and having everything go wrong, and maybe a few things about that pot-holed trail called life.

Save A Billion $$ A Year--The New Fire Triangle

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2020-01-03 13:13:27

We can save a billion dollars a year in the expense of fighting wildfire using common sense. What would you do if presented with a problem and options to solve that problem?

Safe Zones vs Evacuation By Roads--There Is A Better Way

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2020-01-03 13:10:19

The Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, CA, on Nov. 8, 2018, illustrated the need to revamp the thinking regarding the evacuation of communities threatened by wildfire.

The 2017 Lolo Peak Fire--And Others--They Didn't Have To Happen

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2019-06-10 14:48:06

After the description above, I went to Roger Savage (MSO-57) and asked him to check his records for fire jumps made in this "super steep and rocky terrain." The list started with Ed Courtney (MSO-58) and Robert Wilson (MSO-57), who jumped a fire (August 1961) surprisingly named Lolo Peak. Then Dan Roberson (MSO-75) and Steve Straley (MSO-77) jumped another fire, same name, same place, September 1979.

Congratulations guys. I know for sure that three of the above are still alive as they get this magazine——you survived a "suicide mission."

The Camp Fire - The Future of America's Wildfires?

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2019-03-24 17:21:08

This historic firestorm started on Thursday, November 8, 2018, in the early morning hours. By that evening it was within three miles of our home in Chico. It was contained 17 days later at over 150,000 acres. There were at least 86 fatalities and about 14,000 homes destroyed. Paradise, a town of 27,000, was wiped off the map in a period of hours.

In response to the number of NSA members inquiring about the safety of my wife and myself, I started sending out daily “blurbs.” What follows is my view of the Camp Fire as it happened.

The Beauty Of Clearcutting

by Karl Brauneis (Missoula '77) | posted: 2018-12-07 15:01:00

A district ranger north of us at Dubois, Wyo., told me years ago that an old forester came in to visit and see some of the 1,000-acre clearcuts they had planned and harvested in the 1960s.

The forester felt remorse at the size and scope of the cuttings. It bothered him throughout his career. Now he was back to see the effects.

Upon returning from the field, he told the ranger, “Forget about what I said. Those clearcuts are beautiful.”

Wildfire Suppression - A Problem No One Can Solve?

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2018-11-16 16:41:25

Sure, there have been many practices in the past that have not been environmentally sound. But, at the same time, does that mean that we give up and go completely the other way? There has to be a middle ground reached. We cannot allow the radicals to rule the roost.

Surviving An Australian Firestorm - February 1983

by Dave Blakely (Missoula '57) | posted: 2018-11-16 16:12:59

As I looked out at the raging flames, I had serious thoughts about whether or not we were going to survive. I wondered exactly why I was there? I thought of my family and that my wife had no idea where I was.

The Whetstone Ridge Fire – Later Part of the Meyers Fire Complex – A Failure in Early Detection and Attack

by Ben Smith (Missoula ’64) | posted: 2018-11-16 15:37:46

In the year 2017 we, as Americans, saw account- ably in many forms, from cabinet officers being fired for using less than $1million of private air travel, to Navy Captains and their bosses being relieved from command for accidents at sea. Where is the account- ability in the US Forest Service for spending $32 million dollars on a fire that should have had the same aggressive initial attack as three other nearby fires that cost less than $400,000 each?

T.V. Pearson And The Parachute Scheme

by Richard Elsom | posted: 2018-11-16 14:40:03

In the West, wildland fire is a regular threat to populated spaces as well as the rugged back- country found in forests and wilderness areas. In an effort to improve response time on fires in remote areas, the U.S. Forest Service began to experiment in 1939 with dropping firefighters from aircraft. These early parachute tests conducted in Washington state were so successful that they spawned a new type of wildland firefighter that still serves today – the smokejumper.

However, 1939 was not the first time the Forest Service tested the idea of dropping firefighters by parachute.

Bruce E. Egger - Citizen Soldier/Smokejumper

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2018-03-15 15:04:43

Stephen Ambrose about Bruce Egger: 'There is no typical GI among the millions who served in Northwest Europe, but Bruce Egger surely was representative. He served at the war in almost continuous front-line action. He never missed a day of duty.'

Enough Excitement To Fill Several Lifetimes - Seethaler Part III

by Karl Seethaler (Missoula '55) | posted: 2018-03-15 15:02:50

Combining my time as a smokejumper, Air America kicker, and loadmaster in Peru, I spent about 15 years accumulating extraordinary experiences.

Alaska, Bent Props And Luck

by Bill Mader (Boise '75) | posted: 2017-07-11 23:13:26

I realized almost immediately that is was a highly unorthodox landing – tumbling bodies in the fuselage and chunks of tundra flying past the window.

The Man in the Middle - The First Black Smokejumper

by Robert L. “Bob” Bartlett | posted: 2017-04-09 22:39:14

The man in the middle would have experienced life at the awkward intersection of race and pacifism.

Shep Johnson Remembered

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction ’59) | posted: 2017-02-10 12:20:03

Unbelievably, this throwback to men who broke trails for wagon trains a couple hundred years ago, worked for the CIA with its Harvard men and persuasive boardroom thinkers.

A Tale of Two Coins

by Robert 'Bob' Bartlett (Associate) | posted: 2017-02-10 12:11:06

My hero, my father, and his brother both served in segregated Army units during World War II.

Beas - Part II

by by John Driscoll (Missoula '68) | posted: 2017-02-10 12:03:04

'What the hell did the general do to get me all these people? - He shot the lieutenant.'

'Beas' Part 1

by John B. Driscoll (Missoula '68) | posted: 2017-02-10 11:45:12

'See that last cow? When it goes out of the gate, I'm history. I'm going with the smokejumpers.'

Is The Forest Service Making The Best Decision In Going To The Square Chute?

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2016-02-05 19:22:27

The round parachute has served the Forest Service well.

Smokejumpers are firefighters with an unusual delivery system. Is it a good move to go away from something that has provided safe and efficient delivery of the jumpers for 75 years?

The Selected Few and “The List”

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction ’59) | posted: 2016-02-05 19:02:07

Smokejumpers have had a special working relationship with the CIA for over 35 years beginning in 1951. Over 100 jumpers have been involved in overseas operations including the Taiwan Project, Bay of Pigs and the Secret War.

Operation Firefly-Triple Nickles/Myth, Fact and Common Sense

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction ’59) | posted: 2016-02-05 18:49:37

Operation Firefly was a political smokescreen over which the Triple Nickle had no control. However, when history is changed, someone needs to challenge those changes. Books will continue to be written on this subject based on myth and inaccuracies and the Forest Service will continue with press releases based on sources 70 years removed. Let’s examine the record based on official documents.

Biophile of Melvin L. "Smokey" Greene

by Richard Baughn, Aerophile magazine | posted: 2016-02-05 18:33:54

In early 1942, Melvin L. "Smokey" Greene (MSO-42) started jumping out of airplanes to fight forest fires. A couple years later his jump training helped save his life when his B-29 was rammed by a Japanese fighter.

Bob Sallee: A Personal Remembrance

by Carl Gidlund (Missoula '58) | posted: 2015-06-07 17:01:00

To most of the world, Bob Sallee was merely the last living survivor of 1949’s Mann Gulch Fire, a disaster that took the lives of 12 smokejumpers.

Long Cheng Visited 39 Years After CIA/Jumpers Left

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2015-06-07 16:55:18

Long Cheng has been called the “Most Secret Place On Earth.” During it’s peak the CIA base was one of the world’s busiest airports and had a population of approximately 50,000.

Is The Smokejumper Physical Fitness Test Eliminating Good Women Firefighters From Smokejumping?

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2015-06-07 16:45:24

What is the basis for determining that seven pull-ups is a correct measurement for being a smokejumper?

My First “Real” Combat Mission

by Gary Watts (McCall ’64) | posted: 2015-06-07 16:34:50

We wanted to be up North, where the action was, where the MiGs were. We were fighter pilots; we were trained for air combat. That was our job.

Luke Sheehy Remembered

by (Tributes from friends and fellow jumpers) | posted: 2013-09-26 23:08:37

Luke was born in Susanville, California. He did it all. It's no surprise that he ended up pursuing the adrenaline-filled career of smokejumping. He was a machine-it didn't matter if he was on the 25th rep of the 25th set of push-ups-he still had that smile and easy manner. His personality and over-sized grin were infectious.

Smokey’s Rock Pile And Uncle Kenn

by Guy Hurlbutt (Idaho City ’62) | posted: 2013-07-20 12:36:36

There was a time when “smokejumping” was a foreign term to me. My introduction came through Tall Timber Pilots, a book about the Johnson Flying Service whose aviators flew smokejumpers for many years. The book, published in 1953, eventually found its way into the library of the high school I attended in South Carolina.

Brinkley Leads Farewell To DC-3 At Ceremony

by (Editor's note - The following was given by McCall Base Manager Joe Brinkley (MYC-98) at the Oct. 24, 2012, retirement ceremony for the R-4 DC-3.) | posted: 2013-07-20 12:16:40

First and foremost, I would like to recognize Stan McGrew for his vision of a turbine-powered DC-3. His persistence extended the operational effectiveness of the aircraft for at least 20 more years.

The Weight Of Desire - She Had The Look

by Cameron Chambers (North Cascades ’04) | posted: 2013-01-15 12:56:07

When she came through the door for the first day of smokejumper rookie
training, everyone saw she was tiny. When she went to the weigh-in, the
foreman rolled the heavy metal fireproof door shut so no one could watch.
Outside the door they didn’t need the scale to know she was tiny.

Cliff Creek Fire - A Most Memorable Series of Events

by Rob Shaver (McCall '67) | posted: 2012-07-20 09:05:25

It was a busy fire season when I rookied at McCall, Idaho, in 1967. I was fortunate to have 14 fire jumps, which included four in Oregon. It was jumper number 13, on a small Oregon blaze, that was most memorable.

Remembering The Norton Creek Disaster And The Deaths Of Two Friends

by Gary M. Watts (McCall ’64) | posted: 2012-07-20 09:25:53

I am sitting here, in my home in Southern California, poring over a map. The map is a product of the United States Department of Interior Geological Survey. It is a 7.5-minute (topological) titled “Pungo Mountain, Idaho.”

Operation Bolo: Smokejumper Shoots Down MiG-21

by Fred Donner (Missoula ’59) | posted: 2012-07-20 09:30:21

On Jan. 3, 1967, I was the Air America airline station traffic manager at Danang, South Vietnam, for just over a year. In 1964 I spent the last of my five years as an Air Force lieutenant as commander of Detachment 5 of the 8th Aerial Port Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, doing essentially the same kind of work.

Going Full Circle: A Jump Home

by Cameron Chambers (North Cascades '04) | posted: 2012-07-20 09:14:35

I woke in the sterile hotel room at 6 a.m. - day five of a boost and sore after a three-day fire on the Lewis and Clark. By seven I stood in front of the box for roll call.

Glory Days

by Don Havel (Fairbanks '66) | posted: 2011-09-20 20:20:57

Often on a fire jump I would stand looking over the country and tell myself that I was standing on a spot where no one had ever stood before

Athletic Excellence – Olympic Gold

by Ed Booth (Associate Editor) | posted: 2011-09-21 08:39:50

while no smokejumper of whom we’re aware has been an Olympic athlete, three of them have had children who have not only competed at the Olympic level – but have excelled.

For Jerry Dixon, The Dancing Never Stopped

by Doug Abromeit (McCall '71) | posted: 2011-09-20 20:12:22

The bags were unwieldy, uncomfortable, bulbous and heavy. Our task was to put these monstrosities on our backs and carry them five tortuous miles back to the jump base in one hour; the trainers, of course, slipped rocks into everyone’s bag.

Poor Old George-(An Interview With Bob Nicol)

by Gayle Morrison (Associate) | posted: 2011-09-20 20:06:57

When the sick scientist heard the Skyhook plan, he said, “You’re gonna get me out of here, how?!? No way am I leaving like that!”

Jumping Into Helispots

by Ray Farinetti (Cave Junction '64) | posted: 2011-09-18 14:21:30

Well…the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes turn to rat #$%& !

The Birth of Smokejumping-Notes Of The First Forestry Parachutist Part Four

by Giorgy Alexandrovich Makeev (Leningrad 1949) | posted: 2010-05-17 18:12:48

I was mistaken in my initial opinion of her. Tikina finished the school perfectly well and turned out to be the best female jumper in forest aviation.

Early Smokejumper History

by Earl Cooley | posted: 2013-09-26 23:00:32

In the fall of 1939 a group of "barnstormers" dropped into timbered areas near Winthrop, Washington to determine the feasibility of dropping firefighters by parachute to combat forest fires. The experiment proved successful and the program continued in 1940.

The Birth of Smokejumping-Notes Of The First Forestry Parachutist - Part 3

by Giorgy Alexandrovich Makeev (Leningrad 1949) | posted: 2009-12-08 21:28:00

My heart began to burst from the realization of my own weakness and helplessness, from my inability to do what seemed necessary: to get to the fire faster, encourage the people, to give them help.

The Birth of Smokejumping - Notes Of The First Forestry Parachutist - Part 2

by Giorgy Alexandrovich Makeev (Leningrad 1949) | posted: 2009-09-29 15:09:51

In Part One (April 2009) Makeev told of his efforts to develop a smokejumper program in the Soviet Union in 1934 and to convince the Head of Forest Protection that it could be done safely and effectively. The project was approved for further experimentation in 1935. In spite of negative reports from his superiors, Makeev was given approval to further develop the smokejumper program in 1936. Thanks to Bruce Ford (MSO-75) and Tony Pastro (FBX-77) for their translation of this historic document.

The Birth of Smokejumping - Notes Of The First Forestry Parachutist

by Giorgy Alexandrovich Makeev (Leningrad 1949) | posted: 2009-06-08 17:48:31

I remember that with pleasure I let go with my tired left hand and then came to my senses hanging by the risers of an open parachute in full silence and solitude in the midst of the sky's expanse. The wind rocked me strongly. I flew over the aerodrome. This minute of parachute descent was one of the happiest of my life.

The Start of the Fall of Long Tieng

by Ed Dearborn | posted: 2013-09-26 22:56:07

In the fall of 1971 the North Vietnamese Army launched a full-scale attack on all the fire bases. I had a chance to talk to Jerry Daniels (MSO-58) at Long Tieng. He said, "We aren't making it down here. I don't think we can hold out much longer. If it goes bad, I'm going to have to walk out of here." I would never see Jerry again.

Cave Junction and Fairbanks/Allen and Looper

by Glen McBride (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2013-09-25 20:39:34

Cave Junction seemed like the Camelot of smokejumping. It was a classy place with lots of big trees.

Too Many Secrets: CIA Agents Mysterious Death in 1982

by Kim Briggeman | posted: 2013-09-25 21:48:37

Many did not believe that Jerry Daniels was dead. They wanted to believe that he was off on another assignment and that this was only a cover.

Eight-Mile Ridge Fire

by Douglas Baird (North Cascades '58) | posted: 2008-09-04 11:59:10

The following account of a tragic plane crash is an excerpt from the personal journal of Doug Baird written during his rookie year at NCSB.

by Denny Breslin (North Cascades '69) | posted: 2013-09-25 20:25:40

After reading the critical comments by Gene DeBruin's family, it is clear that Werner Herzog went beyond the bounds of "literary license" into what amounts to mean fiction.

Profile: Russian Smokejumper Ivan Alexandrovich Novik

by Bruce Ford (Missoula '75) | posted: 2008-01-01 15:17:41

He entered the army as a paratrooper at sixteen, as he was big for his age and had documents saying he was older.

A Tribute To Fred Brauer

by Ron Stoleson (Missoula '56) | posted: 2013-09-25 21:58:18

One historic mission that Fred flew was the dropping of the 101st Airborne troops at 0115 on D-Day the 6th of June, 1944.

Who Are Those Guys?

by Troop Emonds (Cave Junction '66) | posted: 2007-07-18 20:07:11

Troop, Jerry and The Pirates vs. Chinese Slave Traders

The Remarkable Yuri Yushkov

by Bruce Ford (Missoula ’75) | posted: 2013-09-25 20:04:15

Veteran smokejumper Yuri Yushkov first strapped on a parachute at age 18 in 1943 as war raged against the invading Nazis.
Out of the 6,000 dropped, "Only a handful of us survived."

Prisoner In Laos: A Story Of Survival-Part II

by Phisit Intharathat (Associate Life Member) | posted: 2007-01-24 21:30:01

Arriving at an intersection of several trails, I checked to make sure it was clear and started to run across the clearing. Halfway across I heard someone yelling, "Yute, Yute!" I turned my head and met the cold steel gaze of an M-1 rifle, pointed at my face."

Prisoner In Laos: A Story Of Survival-Part I

by Phisit Intharathat (Associate Life Member) | posted: 2006-09-12 17:03:51

I climbed out first, followed by the others. The guard was still snoring loudly. I moved to the outside fence, pulled in wide enough to squeeze through and signaled for my friends to follow.

Russian Smokejumpers: The Pre-War Years

by Bruce Ford (Missoula '70) | posted: 2006-07-18 15:08:26

At its height, AFPS was the largest aerial fire service in the world, employing thousands of smokejumpers and rappellers and hundreds of aircraft. Its history parallels and often anticipates developments in the West.

He Started the Smokejumper Program in McCall

by Leo Cromwell (Idaho City '66) | posted: 2006-05-02 20:27:06

An Interview With Stewart S. "Lloyd" Johnson (McCall '43)

Fire and Ice: U.S. Jumpers Tour Russian Bases, Warm to Russian Hospitality

by Bruce Ford (MSO-75) | posted: 2006-01-05 21:33:08

Queuing up to the door of an airplane is all in a day's work for a smokejumper. But it's January and minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside. The jumpers in front of you are 14- and 15-year-old boys and girls, many on their first jump. The 17-year-olds already have several jumps under their belts and sit nonchalantly waiting their turns. That's because this is Russia, and being tough is all part of growing up.

Members of Missoula Elite Unit Recruited for CIA Mission to Taiwan

by John Q. Murray | posted: 2013-09-24 21:08:34

Because the smokejumpers represented the most advanced parachute technology in the world at that time, with elite men like Jim Waite (MSO-40) and Frank Derry (MSO-40) pushing the state of the art with their innovations, the CIA turned to the smokejumpers for help with a secret mission after the war.

To The Moon!

by Jill Léger (Associate Editor) | posted: 2005-07-15 20:27:38

Former Jumper Made History Aboard Apollo 14

Smokejumpers to the Ravens (Part Two)

by Gene Hamner (Missoula '67) | posted: 2005-04-03 10:37:00

The pilots spoke of colleagues who had vanished into the highly classified operation codenamed the 'Steve Canyon Program.' Insiders who worked with them knew these pilots as the Ravens.

Smokejumpers to the Ravens (Part One)

by Gene Hamner (Missoula '67) | posted: 2005-01-05 15:53:35

As the war dragged on, so the myth grew. Apparently, there was another war even nastier than the one in Vietnam. The men who chose to fight in it were handpicked volunteers, and anyone accepted for a tour seemed to disappear as if from the face of the earth.

Shep Johnson: A More Than Interesting Life

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2004-11-04 03:35:40

"I was wounded February 14, 1971, at General Vang Pao's secret base, known as Long Tieng, or Lima Site 20A. I always felt it was a Valentine's gift from Ho Chi Minh."

Smokejumper Awarded Medal of Honor

by Chuck Sheley (CJ '59) | posted: 2004-07-07 18:34:49

Lt. Sisler realized that two of his [men] had been wounded and left behind. Racing back alone into the jungle, Sisler picked up one man and was running with him when the NVA launched a second assault, headed directly for him.

I Wish I Could Have Met Willi

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2004-04-03 13:09:32

Tackling the West Ridge was an enormous undertaking. Dodging avalanches and contending with 100-mph winds, the climbers set up camp at a biologically brutalizing 27,250 feet.

An Interview With A Pioneer Smokejumper

by James Budenholzer (Missoula '73) | posted: 2003-12-28 18:16:54

A member of the first smokejumper force in 1940, Jim "Smokey" Alexander is a true pioneer. Alexander recently sat down with James Budenholzer (Missoula '73) to share his recollections of that first season—and what it was like to make history.

The Story Behind The Picture

by John Culbertson (Fairbanks '69) | posted: 2003-10-07 13:30:30

I was kind of wild then and often had one wheel spinning loose in the sand. I guess I was telling myself to get serious. Somebody took a picture while all that was in my head, capturing what, for me, was an important moment in time.

Jerry Daniels (Missoula 58-60) Remembered

by Fred Donner (Missoula '59) | posted: 2003-06-12 14:14:55

The enemy was at the gates and thousands of Hmong expected to leave, a repeat of Vietnam the month before. By every account, Jerry was the glue that held things together until the final bitter moments when he and Vang Pao had to pull the plug...On the last airplane out of Sky, Hog broke out a case of Olympia - a true blue smokejumper.

Spaghetti-O's vs A 30-30 At Fort Yukon

by Larry Welch (Cave Junction '61) | posted: 2003-03-05 19:31:26

One of my fellow jumpers was a Southern California boy. He had a can of Spaghetti-O's and was in the process of eating them with a plastic spoon, when in walked a young native man armed with a lever-action 30-30 rifle.

On Becoming a Smokejumper

by Deanne Shulman (McCall '81) | posted: 2003-03-05 18:30:04

True ecologists and proponents of chaos theory will say everything and everyone is connected. With a gentle half-smile, they will explain how the slight air movements made by the flitting wings of a butterfly in China will have effects around the globe. Pondering such fundamental connections, I know with certainty that a man I never met influenced the course of my life.

Interview with John McLean

by Steve Smith (NSA Historian) | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

In the following interview with John Maclean, NSA Historian, Steve Smith talked with Maclean about the October 28th History Channel special, which is not to be missed.

The Humbling - (Early 1950s)

by Reid Jackson (McCall '49) | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

As we all know - one of the more enjoyable sports pursued by second-year and older jumpers is badgering new jumper candidates (NEDS). Scare stories of all types are passed around. Most of these stories center around various types of parachute malfunctions all the way from line-overs (Mae West's) to full blown streamers, etc.

Women Celebrate 20 Years of Smokejumping

by Tara Rothwell (Redmond '92) | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

Everyone was invited! If you didn't make it, you missed one hell of a good time. On December 7th and 8th the women of smokejumping, their friends and families came together in Sun Valley, Idaho for their 20th reunion.

Rookie Training 2001-Day by Day

by Michael Blinn (Redding '01) | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

I woke up this morning at 6:30, looking forward to my first day of Rookie Training at the California Smokejumper base in Redding, Calif. I didn't get much in the way of sleep last night, mostly tossing, turning and second guessing.

Fallen Friend

by Mike McMillan (Fairbanks '96) | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

"Get Ready!" The spotter's hand came down on Dave's shoulder and he threw himself into the wind stream. Seconds later he pulled the green handle from his harness, sending his parachute to the sky with a loud crack.

Jack Ridgway Story - Smokejumper Training Thwarts Hijacking

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

The armed man had not seen Ridgway come down the staircase behind him. Operating under the premise that it was a military coup, Jack retreated quietly up the staircase to the flight deck where he opened one of the cockpit hatches to see if there were any vehicles and activity by the military. There was no activity on the ground outside the 747!

The Ride of My Life

by Paige Houston (Fairbanks '95) | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

On July 27, 1996, I made my 37th jump on a fire in Northern California that turned out to be my last as a smokejumper. This 52-second ride should have put me in a pine box six feet under.

1958 Trip to Redding - Really Tall Trees!

by Wild Bill Yensen (McCall '53) | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

We all made it to the ground except Bill Weaver. Bill had a Mae West and had to deploy his reserve. Naturally he landed in the top of one of those huge sugar pines.

The Jump at Red Dawn

by Leo Cromwell (Idaho City '66) as told to Jason Greenlee (Redding '99) | posted: 2003-04-13 18:49:51

A little voice told him things were not right when the spotter said, "Oh, just spot yourself." Maybe we weren't supposed to hear that but we did, and it definitely gave us all pause to think.

Some Casual Reflections on Early Jumping

by Neil Shier (Cave Junction '46) | posted: 2003-04-13 18:12:34

When we arrived at Missoula, we were trucked to Nine Mile Camp and joined a large group of trainees in what looked like Civilian Conservation Corps barracks. Most were vets, many from airborne outfits.

8-Mile Ridge Crash

by Bill Eastman (North Cascades '54) | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

Streamers indicated no more than a breeze, but when I went out, a strong wind took my chute at a 90 degree angle from the ridge and away from the fire. For the first and only time, I pulled down lines on one side until my canopy collapsed, then fell free for about 1,000 feet.

. . . And If You Find Out, I'll Have To Kill You

by Don Courtney (Missoula '56) | posted: 2003-04-13 17:49:23

There was a time when certain jumpers coming back in the spring for another fire season were greeted with, "Where ya been? Secret mission for the CIA?"

Mann Gulch Remembered

by Carl Gidlund (MSO 1958) | posted: 2002-08-28 15:17:17

Remarks of Keynote Speaker Bob Sallee, last living survivor of the Mann Gulch Fire, at the 50th anniversary of that fire, commemorated on the Helena, Mont. Capitol lawn, August 5, 1999

Civilian Public Service Camp 103: CPS Smokejumpers

by Roy & Lillian Wenger (associate members) | posted: 2002-08-28 15:36:57

The idea of conscientious objectors serving as smokejumpers was suggested by a young man named Phil Stanley, a Quaker.

At the start of the war, upon reading that the pool of forest fire fighters was drying up, he wrote to the Forest Service suggesting that the men of CPS be given an opportunity to do this work.

The Boys of a Different Summer

by Charley Palmer (MSO '95) | posted: 2002-08-28 15:46:30

They report to Spring Training, ready to take part in the conditioning and drills that will prepare them for another season. The winter break has allowed them more time to spend with those closest to them. Each knows too well that during the heat of the summer time comes sparingly, and in miserly small amounts. The break has also given them a chance to get stronger, and to heal some of the small, yet nagging injuries that were suffered the year before. They have dissipated in the off-season, like smoke in the swirling wind, exploring, exploring...

Addiction to Fire

by Charley Palmer (MSO '95) | posted: 2002-08-28 16:00:14

It was at this point he realized his addiction with fire. As strong as any compulsion for gambling or alcohol, he needed fire, and only by being away from it did he realize just how powerful this need really was.

Jimmy Pearce

by John Culbertson | posted: 2003-02-16 00:00:00

Jimmy's idea of a good deal was rolling down the road in his Mercury convertible to pester the waitresses at the Beacon Coffee Shop in Alturas after the jump season was over in Alaska.

Women Smokejumpers

by Charley Palmer (MSO '95) | posted: 2002-08-28 16:17:23

They stand out, not due to their strength in numbers, but rather, just the opposite, because of their rarity within the smokejumper group as a whole.

Canadian Smokejumpers, Smithers, British Columbia, 1998

by Jack Demmons (MSO 1950) | posted: 2002-08-28 16:42:49

Many smokejumpers and pilots do not know that Canadian Smokejumper history dates back to days at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan , around 1942-1949, and that those Canadian jumpers trained at Missoula.

Smokejumper Aircraft Evaluation Process

by Jack Demmons (MSO 1950) | posted: 2002-08-28 17:14:37

The criteria for an "approved" smokejumper aircraft were developed and are maintained by the Smokejumper Aircraft Screening and Evaluation Board (SASEB).

The Unsoeld Story

by Jolene Unsoeld | posted: 2003-02-14 00:00:00

Willi's great love was mountaineering. At the age of 12 he was climbing mountains and through 1946 had scaled peaks in the Washington and Oregon Cascades, Yosemite Valley and the Tetons.

1937 Blackwater Fire Investigation

by Karl Brauneis (MSO '77) Forester, Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming | posted: 2002-08-27 18:03:11

the Smokejumper project was first de­veloped at Winthrop, Washington (Region 6) in the autumn of 1939. Still, I believe that the Smokejumpers were born through tragedy on a hot August day in 1937 near a stream called Blackwater.

A House Jump

by Joe Gutkoski (MSO '50) | posted: 2002-08-30 13:06:31

At that point, I turned the canopy, facing the direction I was being blown and drifted over the power line. Then I noticed a big picture window ahead of me, coming up fast.

Rescue Jump, October 1949

by Jack Demmons (MSO 1950) | posted: 2002-08-30 13:21:47

The other twelve jumpers had been "gridding" the area where Davis' tracks were last seen. An unusual incident occurred when the second campfire Davis had set was found on a Saturday night by search hounds. The man's shirt, a glove and his gun were located.

Beechcraft Super 18 on it's Back Over the Drop Zone with Jumpers On-board

by Dan Thompson (AKA '86) | posted: 2002-08-30 13:41:37

He had visions of a fireball and became convinced that they were all going to die momentarily. He remembers thinking, "I really don't want to die today." He had to get out of the Volpar! With all of his will racing overtime he still was welded, unmovable, in the doorway. Staying in the plane would be suicide, but if he could jump, did he have enough altitude, would he miss the propellers? What about their airspeed­ later determined to be 140-150 knots at the time?

Search for the Downed

by John Ferguson (MYC '42) | posted: 2002-08-30 14:06:20

Several people at homesteads along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River saw the B-17 flying along erratically, with lights on-not knowing that the crew had left it some time earlier.

Mongolian Smokejumpers, continued

by Jack Demmons (MSO 1950) | posted: 2002-08-30 14:18:53

He said that many of the Mongolian jumpers had at least 800 parachute jumps to their credit--many of them free falls performed during non-duty time.

Fractured Fables from the Fire Line Jan 96

by Jack Demmons (MSO 1950) | posted: 2002-08-30 14:37:50

We received an urgent message at 2100 hrs. from dispatch that a search plan was in place. The plan called for "Fixed wing at 0600, choppers at 0700, and search dogs at 1000 hrs.

Some Injuries

by Asa Mundell (MSO '43) | posted: 2002-08-30 15:23:20

Asa Mundell, MSO 43, published a book in 1993 with the title Static Lines and Canopies. Stories from the Smokeiumpers in Civilian Public Service Camp No. 103, Missoula, Montana 1943. 1944, and 1945. Asa gave us permission to reproduce one of those stories concerning Earl Schmidt. Asa lives at Beaverton, Oregon.

Lucky to Be Alive

by Greg Whipple (MSO, 59) | posted: 2002-08-30 15:39:49

On the day of the crash, Greg's wife had told him to take some leave time. She had had a dream about a plane crash, but the plane didn't bum. In her dream she had called repeatedly, "No fire, no fire, no fire." . And in her dream she had put the fire out.

Turboporter Accident

by Bill Bull (MYC '64) | posted: 2002-08-30 15:53:22

I adjusted the headphones and picked up the radio's microphone to call the dispatcher. We were passing through an altitude of 400 feet as I depressed the button and started to speak. It was then that the engine quit!

Bear Mauling at Big Horn Pass

by Bob Boyer (RDD '67) | posted: 2002-08-30 16:20:48

I realized there would be a need for helicopter evacuation a I remember turning to the new dispatcher and saying, "Don't ever blow the whistle unless you have a confirmed request. However, I'm going to break that rule because our jumpers and pilots are leaving the base and I know YNP's second helicopter isn't in place for its contract."

Rescue Mission in the South Fork Primitive Area

by Jack Demmons (MSO 1950) | posted: 2002-08-30 16:39:19

Dr. Martin had trained at Missoula under Frank Derry and had also taken some training in parachuting at Moose Creek in the Nez Perce National Forest. He was not a smokejumper, but had taken parachute training on his own so as to be jump-qualified for rescue operations. (Medical journals in the United States referred to him as the only "Jump Doctor" in the nation at that time.)

Deanne Shulman, McCall, First Woman Smokejumper

by Jack Demmons (MSO 1950) | posted: 2002-08-30 17:03:09

She also said that one of the biggest thrills in jumping is during the first few seconds out of the door of an aircraft, a time of free fall, and a sort of out-of-control feeling, and then the opening of the chute, followed by the challenge of getting down to the jump spot.

Black Paratroopers Where WWII Smokejumpers

by Carl Gidlund (MSO 1958) | posted: 2002-08-30 17:14:25

A unit officer, now-retired Lt. Col. Bradley Biggs, recalls the mission, dubbed by the War Department "Operation Firefly."

Tragedy Out of McCall

by Jack Demmons (MSO 1950) | posted: 2002-08-30 17:28:10

The first Smokejumper fatality in the history of this elite organization did not take place at Mann Gulch north of Helena, Montana on August 5, 1949. Instead, the scene was in the Payette National Forest of Idaho.

Here's What We've Been Up To

by Jack Demmons (MSO 1950) | posted: 2002-08-30 17:32:24

We filed our Articles of Incorporation as a non-profit, public interest corporation on Sept. 24, 1992.