Camp2017 Lolo Fire—Future Peak Fire of...... America’s Wildfires?...... 45 Ex-JIn theumpers Shado Barelyws of Tora Escape Bora Camp...... Fire...... 198 AchievingSmokejumpers Resilient Buy ForestsTheir Base Part...... II...... 1625 June 26–28, 2020 in Boise 1 www.smokejumpers.com CONTENTS Message from Message from the President...... 2 Smokejumper Defines a Smokejumper...... 4 The 2017 Lolo Peak Fire—and Others—They the President Didn’t Have to Happen...... 5 In the Shadows of Tora Bora...... 8 The Jump List...... 9 wonder where it will all go Jack Price Feature Member...... 10 from here and how it will af- Forest Fire Mitigation and the Potential Profits Involved...... 11 fect our children and theirs. “Rosie”...... 12 More personally, each Odds and Ends...... 13 Early Redding Smokejumper Days...... 15 spring the NSA Board meets End of an Era—Not So Fast Partner, in Boise at the Wildland Fire- Smokejumpers Buy Their Base!...... 16 fighters Foundation, where in- Blast fom the Past...... 18 Some of a Smokejumper’s Stories...... 19 dividual photographs of fallen First Fire Jump...... 20 firefighters line the building’s Snapshots from the Past...... 22 Achieving Resilient Forests Through Effective walls. I am compelled by the Biomass Uses: Part III...... 26 youthful faces of lives cut so Sounding Off from the Editor...... 30 Cuisine of an Idaho Fire Lookout...... 31 by Bob McKean short. I wonder what these Smokejumpers Honored, Recognized by Peers...... 33 (Missoula ’67) young people could have been, A Short Story about Margarita Phillips...... 35 Continued Hiring Problems...... 36 President what contributions they could Remembering Rich Farmer...... 37 have made, and about the The Story of Frank Derry, Inventor of the Editor Chuck Sheley’s (CJ- enduring pain born by loved “Derry Slot”...... 38 Final Chapter—Edward J. Weissenback...... 40 59) chronicle of the Camp Fire ones left behind. The number Off the List...... 42 in the last issue of Smokejumper killed in the last two decades is Get a life membership? I Probably Won’t Live Long Enough to Make It Pay Off...... 43 (April 2019) was chilling and particularly striking. Joe Kroeber Selected as 2018 TRAMPS insightful. Imagine the panic The smokejumper com- Volunteer of the Year...... 45 NSA Trails Project New Mexico—August 2018...... 46 and fear felt by so many as munity is a tight knit group! Thank You Trooper Tom...... 47 the Camp Fire roared through We share common bonds Paradise and surrounding foot- of friendship based upon a hills, leveling everything in its unique, shared experience. path: Eighty-six (86) people We have been or are currently killed, almost 19,000 struc- extremely effective firefighters. tures reduced to cinder, and We love the wild country we over 153,000 acres (240 square chose to protect! Smokejumper, Issue No. 105, July 2019 ISSN 1532-6160 miles) scorched! To question is in our Smokejumper is published quarterly by: The title of Chuck’s ar- smokejumper DNA! As mega The National Smokejumper Association ticle contained an important fires burn and fire-related c/o 10 Judy Lane Chico, CA 95926 question that must be consid- tragedies occur, we should The opinions of the writers are their own and do ered: “Camp Fire—Future of question! not necessarily reflect those of the NSA. Permis- sion to reproduce Smokejumper in any manner America’s Wildfires?” Here are the kinds of must first be obtained in writing. In the last two decades, questions I believe we should NSA Website: http://www.smokejumpers.com wildfires have grown in size be asking. (The following Managing Editor: Chuck Sheley and intensity that few could questions do not represent an Associate Editor: Ed Booth have imagined. They are im- official NSA position; they Editing: K. G. Sheley mense, devastating and deadly! evolved from informal conver- Photo Editor: Johnny Kirkley Millions more acres are burned sations with others.) Illustrators: Dan Veenendaal, and Eric Rajala on average now than ten and, Layout/Printing: Larry S. Jackson, Heidelberg Graphics, www.HeidelbergGraphics.com especially, 20 years ago. The Climate Change Front cover: RAC 1964 (Courtesy National human and financial tolls are How is climate change af- Archives James W. Hughes) commensurate. One can only fecting the frequency and size

Check the NSA website 2 National Smokejumper Reunion of wildfires? making quality and speed? If so, how? (Are deci- What effect do mega fires have on climate sions about when, where, and how to fight fires change? unduly impeded by bureaucracy and competing agencies?) Forests/Fuels Management What can be done to make firefighting, espe- How can forest management practices be cially initial attack, more effective? altered to improve forest resilience in the face of Are the perceived risks of initial attack less or climate change? greater than the risks (life and property) of large How can forests and fuels be managed to re- fires? duce the intensity and/or rate of spread of wild- Is an increased use of indirect attack (burn out, fire? back firing, monitoring, point protection) con- When, where, and under what conditions tributing to larger fires? should fires be allowed to burn? How can smokejumpers and other initial at- When, where, and under what conditions tack crews be used more effectively (dispatch, pre- should control burns be used? positioning, satellite bases)? Is there a cost benefit to increasing the size of smokejumper and other Fire Suppression initial attack programs? Should organizational structures and protocols What are the comparable risks/costs of aggres- be adjusted to improve fire management decision- sive suppression versus monitoring unplanned fires (let burn) versus large, mega fire contain- ment? How effective is widespread use of retardant NSA Members—Save without on-the-ground suppression forces? This Information Is the use and cost of retardant being evalu- Please contact the following persons directly if ated? you have business or questions: Are wildland managers (Forest Service, BLM, Smokejumper magazine National Parks, State and Private) being held ap- Articles, obits, change of address propriately accountable for the costs and impacts Chuck Sheley of fires that escape initial attack and become mega 530-893-0436 fires? [email protected] 10 Judy Ln. Chico, CA 95926 Wildland-Urban Interface Membership What role/responsibility do home owners and John McDaniel communities have to prevent and protect them- 785-404-2847 selves from wildfire? [email protected] What role/responsibility do insurance compa- 807 Eileen Ln. Salina, KS 67401-2878 nies have to reduce risk and loss due to wildfire? All else What kinds of zoning and land use planning/ NSA President restrictions would be effective to reduce wildfire Bob McKean and protect structures? 503-762-6337 These issues are complex, and NSA has taken [email protected] no position on them. However, the NSA and/ 14013 SE Eastridge St Portland OR 97236 or individual members can and should pose such questions and seek answers. In fact, I believe it is Smokejumper base abbreviations: our obligation to do so. In that vein, Smokejumper Anchorage...... ANC Grangeville...... GAC Redding...... RDD is one venue that can serve as a forum where such Boise...... NIFC Idaho City...... IDC Redmond...... RAC Cave Junction...... CJ La Grande...... LGD West Yellowstone.WYS issues may be explored. And our readership and Fairbanks...... FBX McCall...... MYC Whitehorse Yukon.YXY influence is not limited to smokejumpers. Fort St. John...... YXJ Missoula...... MSO Winthrop...... NCSB Therefore, I challenge those who have the

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 3 www.smokejumpers.com expertise on these issues to share their perspectives this task, please contact us! in upcoming issues of Smokejumper. It is my hope Finally, on behalf of all of us in the NSA, I that a rich, thoughtful dialogue will ensue that want to thank Chuck Sheley for his article on will improve understanding and, in so doing, be a the Camp Fire and, most especially, for locating positive influence for the future. If you or some- and offering NSA assistance to our smokejumper one you know is a good candidate to step up to brothers and sisters affected by the fire.

Incoming NSA Presi- dent Bob McKean (R), thanks Jim Cherry for his service as President these last seven years. (Courtesy Mike McMillan)

Smokejumper Defines a Smokejumper by Mike Bina (Missoula ’68)

mokejumper magazine arrived three days ago code, the NSA magazine is a rare exception to the via US Postal Service. I was across the yard rule. Sspreading mulch when my wife, Mary, who Tonight before dinner, happy hour time—after was checking the mailbox, excitedly yelled and Mary’s thorough read—she asked me a thousand waved the magazine in the air, ”Smokejumper!” questions about the Smokejumper experience. I Later that night I inquired as to where the coveted was surprised about all her new found interest in publication was—eager to read it. Mary stalled me say- my “long ago” summer job. ing, “When I’m done reading about ‘The Camp Fire,’ She knew that I was a Smokejumper, but it was I will give it to you. I promise.” your work—the magazine—that brought to three- Today, finally, I was granted access to the trea- dimensional life what a Smokejumper does and the sure. What typically arrives in the mail are bills positive impact “the force” contributes. and other unwanted garbage, but here in our zip Like all of us, we haven’t and don’t say much

Check the NSA website 4 National Smokejumper Reunion about what we did or regale our friends or family with detail. I think we all fear that if we tell our story, that some will see our tales as being bragga- docios. That is one thing I noticed while I jumped back in the late 1960s and now meeting veteran smokejumpers at our reunions—there is a quiet pride and humility among the ranks. Kind of like the rare wide receiver who hands the ball back to the ref in the end zone after scoring without doing the “over the top” after-TD celebration. Act like you have been there before and what you did was the job you were paid to do. Chuck, I am hopeful you can solve my do- mestic dispute and competition that has arisen in my family over the magazine. Is it possible that you can please alert me in advance of the pending arrival of the next issue of Smokejumper so I can beat Mary to the mailbox? I prefer to have the first read. Long story short—another great magazine! Attached is a picture of Mary with her nose buried Mary Bina enjoys the April issue of Smokejumper with a cool in the publication. one. (Courtesy Mike Bina)

The 2017 Lolo Peak Fire—And Others—They Didn’t Have To Happen by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction ’59)

t all started with the Whetstone Ridge Fire jumpers was on the way back to MSO because article by Ben Smith (MSO-64) in the April they couldn’t jump the fire they were dispatched I2018 issue of Smokejumper. In this article to. They circled the Lolo Peak Fire, and the spot- you can see the frustrations a person has with the ter radioed that he could jump that fire. He was USFS when the lands around them are burning. told to stand down and return to MSO. I wonder First, it is evident that someone with legitimate if the parents of the kid that died know about questions and knowledge of wildfire is a danger- that?” ous person. All of Ben’s work has gone into a deep This didn’t surprise me at all. I’m still very black hole. disturbed about the Biscuit Fire back in 2002 that I had little knowledge of the Lolo Peak Fire un- destroyed 500,000 acres at a base expense of $150 til one of our members called it to my attention. I million. The USFS line was that there were not looked into all of the reports on the USFS web- available resources. Total BS! sites and gained a lot of information. There was a When that fire started, I immediately went to fatality on this fire. Could this have been avoided? an NIFC source who gave me the daily reports Then Ben Smith emailed me: “Here is what listing the availability of resources, their location is even worse about the Lolo Peak Fire—I heard etc. There were over 100 jumpers available plus a from two reliable sources that a planeload of lot of crews, mostly Type II. Before you put down

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 5 www.smokejumpers.com Type II Crews, remember that one of them hiked for the fire season? Are these questions and proce- in and put out one of the fires that started at the dures that could have been done in advance of the same time and in the same area as the Biscuit Fire. fire season?

The Start Isn’t Smaller Safer? Lightning July 15, 2017, in the Selway-Bitter- Again, time after time, the question is: root Wilderness, started the Lolo Peak Fire. Fire Wouldn’t it be better to contain a fire when it is a management was the responsibility of the Lolo tenth of an acre than to respond slowly and let it N.F. It was contained on Oct. 31, 2017, at 53,902 turn into a major fire? acres and a cost of $48.4 million. There was one The more phone calls I made on this fire, the fatality as a tree he was falling killed Hotshot more discouraging information I received. This Brent Witham. Two homes were destroyed, 3,000 fire could have been stopped by smokejumpers in people evacuated, and 1,150 residences threat- the early stage. Early photos show a single column ened. (Wikipedia) of smoke coming up from a snag on fire. It looked Due to the remote location of the fire—steep, almost identical to the Whetstone Ridge Fire—a rugged terrain,——the decision to go indirect was two-manner in the old days. made. Higher priority fires on the Forest that were imminently threatening communities required all More from Ben Smith available air resources, leaving the Lolo Peak Fire “I sat down last May (2018) with the FMO of unstaffed for the first two days. (Bold and italics the Pintler District for about an hour at his invi- added-Ed.) (USFS Learning Review Narrative) tation. Actually, I think it was at the direction of Sources confirm that there were smokejump- BDNF Sup. Melany Glossa. The purpose of the ers available as close as Missoula that day and for meeting was to give me the reasons why the Whet- the next few days. stone Ridge Fire was allowed to grow from a On August 17, two homes were burned in burning snag to 60,000+ acres. I got the same a backburning operation by firecrews. Public runaround as I have before, with no good answers. Information Officer Mike Cole said, “If we had At least I got the feeling that his heart is in the not put, essentially, a giant catcher’s mitt of black right spot and he is, at many times, frustrated with between the control line and where the fire is the direction and orders that he receives from his coming from, you’d have a whole different sce- superiors. I understand that he has a family to feed nario of what the Lolo area looks like right now.” and can’t be candid with a civilian. During our (KPAX News) conversation, when we were talking about smoke- The Incident Management Team (IMT) jumper assets, I mentioned that I had heard that proposed using chain saws…. Both the Bitterroot a planeload of jumpers returning to MSO circled NF Forest Supervisor and the Lolo NF Agency the Lolo Peak Fire in its infancy and radioed that Representative, as well as the IMT, were unsure they could jump it, but were ordered not to. To my of where the decision authority rested to approve surprise, he confirmed the story!” these operations. (Relating to getting approval to use chain saws) Suicide Mission This appeared to be a cumbersome and some- A fire information officer for the Montana what confusing web of authorities to track down, Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation said which increased both unnecessary communication in a news release in the Missoulian, Oct. 2017, complexity and the length of the decision-making “sending in firefighters to try to stop the Lolo process. While utilizing mechanized equipment Peak Fire while it was relatively small would have in a specially designated area is not an impos- been ‘almost a suicide mission.’ When it comes sible task, obtaining the required approvals can to conditions like that, it’s super steep and rocky be viewed as a monumental one. (USFS Learning terrain.” Review Narrative) He then said, 展“We were tapped out on the re- Is this a well-oiled machine that was prepared sources as it was because we were having so many

Check the NSA website 6 National Smokejumper Reunion fires in the area—-. It’s really hard for fire agencies air, but I am certain I heard there were plenty at or the Forest Service to even get up in that area. the base that day. Initial Attack could have nipped Resources were already stretched thin, and fire it. We discussed in detail the need for a fire policy, managers have to make tough decisions.” at least in R1, that aggressively attacks all new Repeat—Sources confirm that there were starts as quick as possible up until about Labor smokejumpers available as close as Missoula that Day. It then transitions to let it burn and pre- day and for the next few days. scribed burns in October until snowfall. "Sure our grandfathers did too good of a job Jumpers Who Survived Prior “Suicide and overreacted to the 1910 burn. We understand Missions” the science that fire is good, but the public can’t After the description above, I went to Roger stand 100 years of catching up in just a decade or Savage (MSO-57) and asked him to check his re- two. cords for fire jumps made in this都 “super steep and 鏑“Last summer, besides the Lolo Fire, the Bit- rocky terrain.”・The list started with Ed Courtney terroot valley was smothered in smoke for months (MSO-58) and Robert Wilson (MSO-57), who from a wilderness burn ten miles west that started jumped a fire (August 1961) surprisingly named in July and was never manned, and others. Why Lolo Peak. Then Dan Roberson (MSO-75) and let wilderness fires go so early in the season, espe- Steve Straley (MSO-77) jumped another fire, cially with this drought and higher temps?” same name, same place, September 1979. Congratulations guys. I know for sure that Too Steep—Too Rugged—No three of the above are still alive as they get this Resources? magazine—you survived a 都“suicide mission.” What does a tax-paying citizen do when you There are ten more jumpers on Roger’s list. hear this type of hype? Ninety-nine point nine Will not list all due to space limitations, but it is percent of the public drinks the Kool-Aid. After obvious that this area can be reached in a reason- all, the professionals know what they are doing! able, short period of time by smokejumpers and is From Roger Savage (MSO-57): “Last March I not a 都uicide mission.” contacted the Lolo Forest and talked with public Here we go again as per the narrative on the affairs spokesman Boyd Hartwig, who was a great Chetco Bar Fire covered in the October issue of help on providing information on the Lolo Peak Smokejumper—too steep, big trees, etc.—no can fire. do. “Early on I heard from a recent retiree who had It goes on and on. Six jumpers could have a nephew working in fires for the Lolo forest. He stopped this fire and saved a tremendous amount told her that the ranger had decided to let this fire of resources and money. Where is the account- burn since it had started in the wilderness, and ability? Doesn’t anyone see through this wall of the area hadn’t been burned over in over a hun- smoke? All of you living in Montana need to dred years. I never heard that story again, but I’m demand a change. thinking that there’s a fifty percent chance that it is true. In any case they didn’t put boots on the Higher Priority Fires Required All ground for the first week. Available Air Resources “FS spokespersons on the evening news kept From George Buker (MSO-77): 鏑“Last week- referring to the lack of placing ground troops on end (September 2017), the rookie class of MSO- the fire as it was too steep, too rugged, too danger- 77 had a small group gathering. About 28 of us ous, and no jump spot available. Same old BS! As made it, and the Lolo Peak Fire was discussed you well know, in looking back at old newspaper with current jumpers in the loft. Their eyes rolled clippings on fires from back in the 40s, 50s and when the statement that was repeated was that the 60s, you never find these excuses used. And if fire was in ‘rugged, inaccessible terrain.’ We didn’t these articles do talk about steep country, they are know it was on Mars! probably talking about the Salmon River country "I did not hear that there were jumpers in the and those fires were always fought.”

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 7 www.smokejumpers.com In The Shadows Of Tora Bora by Michael Scott Hill (West Yellowstone ’95)

uring my generation Dof smoke- jumping, there was always lots of talk around our camp- fires of how a previ- ous generation of smokejumpers had left the fire seasons of the late 1950s to early 1970s to use their hard-won skills on overseas military operations. I listened closely to those stories, and Using helicopters to resupply military outposts in Afghanistan. (Courtesy Mike Hill) in the mid-2000s, when my chance arrived to do the same, I leaped group of large, white shipping cardboard kicker at the opportunity. boxes, racks of 155 shells, along with a 155-how- I arrived in Afghanistan in 2007 as the Coun- itzer artillery piece from our helicopter landing try Air operations manager, overseeing the United zone. States Agency for International Developments Allied troops and civilians frequently had to (USAID) armed Huey program. I later moved to suffer through enemy rocket attacks earlier in the program manager of a Russian heavy-lift helicopter war, but now they have become rare due to the contract, flying from 2007 to 2010 as part of— responses of guns like these and their crews. These and in support of—NATO military operations. guns and their crews are frequently airlifted to NATO partner countries began to withdraw provide fire support where needed. from the conflict in 2010 as the American troops Artillery packages being slung beneath heli- came surging in, so I switched contracts to be- copters are no longer rare sights across the skies of come flight crew on both American and former Afghanistan. Many other types of loads are being Russian helicopters operating across the volatile slung to save the lives of soldiers who, before, southern areas of the war. would have had to drive equipment in convoys The American troop surge declined in 2012, across dangerous road systems from one fortified and with it, I left the war for a break that lasted American post to the next. until the next U.S. troop surge of 2018. Slinging gear under helicopters, as I have I returned at that time as part of a helicopter witnessed, isn’t much different than how we do sling-load mission that has me working here in it on fires. There are differences, however. Army this blistering hot, summertime desert heat, in equipment being slung is usually much bigger— the shadows of the Tora Bora mountains made vehicles or generators. The helicopters we use are famous by Osama bin Laden’s escape through its also much larger. Routinely we are hooking our maze of tunnels. loads onto long lines or belly hooks of Chinooks, One of our many missions is the slinging of a CH-46s or Blackhawks.

Check the NSA website 8 National Smokejumper Reunion These large aircraft build up static electric- big green helicopter. Once that first helicopter is ity quickly. As a result, we use a static wand to gone, its partner will come in and we’ll hook on dissipate the electrical buildups during flights the heavy artillery piece to that Chinook. that would otherwise shock us when we grab the This is actually a fun job working in the sear- helicopter-mounted hooks to clip on our loads. ing desert sun. It’s not long before I am able to For this mission, my job is to serve as the static see our first Chinook sinking in across the thick wand holder. My two teammates will be the ones treetops outside our military compound. actually hooking the metal apex clip onto each of It is on final and soon begins to settle down to- two large, 10,000-pound nets we’ve loaded with ward us. It’s now time for me to get ready to hook artillery equipment. this big ol’ girl. A military Chinook has belly hooks located What’s it like to be a part of military aviation beneath its front, middle and back sections. The contracting over here in the shadows of Tora Bora? Chinook will hover directly over these two bun- It’s a business in which many people frequently dled up nets and us. don’t last very long, but there are some of us who We will hook each net to the aircraft’s center do. and forward hooks. I will use my static wand to The key to surviving and thriving over here in touch it against its rear belly hook to ground out Afghanistan is the ability to stay flexible with this the aircraft, so my guys won’t get shocked. war’s ever-changing tactics and strategies. Afghani- Soon I can hear the slapping of a Chinook’s stan is a deeply rich, exotic land, but as on all heavy blades beginning to echo across this moun- frontiers, it can be just the same: a rugged, deeply tain valley. It won’t be long before it’s here. competitive and very unforgiving place, where I watch as my two guys climb up on top of the your own personal survival can’t ever be taken for net loads high enough to reach the belly of the granted.

THE JUMP LIST

The "Jump List" is intended to bring you up-to-date found work with the Arroyo Seco Hotshots that I on your fellow NSA members. Send your information received the on-the-job training necessary before to Chuck Sheley; see his contact information on page applying with the Missoula Smokejumpers … 3 of this magazine. after jumping became a senior drill instructor at the Ft. Polk Army Training Center … volun- BEN “BENNY” MUSQUEZ (Missoula ’56) teered for duty in Vietnam as a platoon sergeant, Bases jumped: MSO 56-57 serving for two tours … operated from the tip of Now living in: Iredell, Texas South Vietnam in the Delta, with no loss of sol- Since jumping: While jumping at Missoula, diers during my watch … retired with 26 years of served with the Army Reserves at Ft. Missoula, military service … as paratrooper, smokejumper then moved to Texas to get back to the active and skydiver, I’ve made 300 jumps, with my last Army, where I started my career in 1949 … at age 82. volunteered for Airborne training in 1952, as- Benny says: “Between the years of my military signed to 82nd Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C. … service, and smokejumping, I would say I had saw the movie “Red Skies of Montana” and told more bonding with my smokejumping bros— my wife, Mary, I just have to do that … I call it though in the military combat, it is especially “the long journey” because I tried many ways, bonding! Now I’m retired and living in central though it wasn’t until I moved to California and Texas.”

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 9 www.smokejumpers.com JACK PRICE (IDAHO CITY ’50) FEATURE MEMBER ack was born in Phoenix, AZ, on December 24, 1928. JIn 1948, Jack began stud- ies in Forestry at Utah State at Logan. In 1950, while par- ticipating in a Forestry camp, he met some smokejumpers and knew he wanted to join them. He was trained in Mc- Call and spent the summer of 1950 working out of Idaho City. He recalls how excited he was as a new smokejumper- in-training, jumping out of an airplane. While waiting to be called on to fight a fire, he re- members doing plenty of camp chores, like picking up rocks off the runway and stacking hay in barns. Jack fought two fires in August of that summer, the Big Owl Creek and Fly Trip. He said they stayed out a few nights digging control lines around the fires and would rendezvous with the team who came in with pack mules carrying supplies. J Jack Price 2018 (Courtesy Kelley Wesley) The fires he fought were small that summer, but the impact of that experience has the various Apollo rockets. Jack lasted his whole life. After Jack continued working on NASA graduated in 1951, he joined projects until retiring in 1993. the Air Force and was trained After retirement he and his in Pararescue, working out of wife, Liz, did quite a bit of West Palm Beach, FL and Great traveling and after 48 years, Falls, MT. In 1953, he moved returned to McCall, ID, for the to Seattle and began work- 1998 Smokejumper Reunion. ing for Boeing, taking night Now at 90 years of age, he lives Jack Price 1950 (Courtesy Kelley classes in Aerospace Engineer- in Virginia with his daughter Wesley) ing. Jack would work on the and son-in-law, Kelley and Paul, Apollo Program for the next and near his two sons, Mark the National Smokejumper As- several years, serving as part of and Gordon. Jack appreciates sociation, enjoying reading the the design configuration team the important and increasing re- Smokejumper Quarterly maga- for the original Lunar Rover and sponsibilities of a smokejumper. zine and wearing his smoke- performing stress analyses on He continues as a member of jumper hat, t-shirt, and fleece.

Check the NSA website 10 National Smokejumper Reunion Forest Fire Mitigation And The Potential Profits Involved by George B. Harpole (Missoula ’49)

018 has been a disastrous fire year—not fire-safety zones as well as to improve forest health only with the destruction of thousands of and attractiveness of our forests. Previous studies 2acres of forestland, but also because fires have indicated that the removal of small-diameter have overrun many residential and commercial and flash-fuels typically run from 3,000 to 4,000 structures. board feet per acre. At the same time, the number of acres burned What is the cost for the removal of these fuels? each year has more than doubled since the 1980s, A good example can be found with the USFS’s with firefighting costs now above $3 billion annu- White Mountain NF stewardship program in Ari- ally. zona where stewardship programs have paid their We know the best way to stop a wildfire is to way since the early 2000s. put it out in its infancy. That’s what smokejump- ers and Hotshot crews do. They do an excellent Stewardships job, but fall short when there are more fires than I’ll illustrate the economics of a typical forest there are firefighters. As Clint Eastwood said, “A fire mitigation stewardship using the Watershed man has got to know his limitations.” Center in Hayfork, Calif. The Watershed’s early Yes, we need help. We know we can reduce the 90s system could be updated with attention to the number of forest fires by reducing the fuels in the harvest and processing of flash-fuel materials and forest, as well as those around properties that can small size trees under 10 inches. support a forest or residential firestorm. We need From the early work done at the center, I de- to remove flash fuels from our forests and create veloped an economic model using an “integrated defensible perimeters around our residential and utilization” (IU) approach to create a system that commercial properties. would include a small-log logging system (logs less We can’t go wrong by extending more oppor- than 10 inches in diameter). The idea of this kind tunities for stewardships aimed at wildfire preven- of a utilization system was subsequently adopted tion through forest fire fuel-reduction programs for forest management stewardship programs in and to encourage fire-preventive landscaping for other states. residential and commercial properties. To demonstrate the economics, I’ve assumed Many of the forested areas in the western such an IU operation should be able to real- United States are largely of mixed conifer—e.g., ize from $350 to $500 per thousand board feet Douglas fir, white fir, cedar, ponderosa pine, etc. (Mbf) for sawed lumber and post production. We These mixed conifer stands also typically assume such an operation covers everything from contain a wide range of diameter sizes. The most harvesting through to the production of a variety obvious need for fuel reduction in these stands is of commodity products. along the heavily used roads. Say an IU operation would require a total of The 2018 Carr and Lake County Fires in 21 workers and would have an operational life of California have demonstrated that felling roadside six years, receive profits of 20 percent and produce trees can establish firelines that can effectively be from 5 million to 6 million board feet of com- patrolled and most effectively stop fires. This kind modity products each year. The six million board of fuel reduction can be done before a wildfire gets feet IU Stewardship system should be able to clean started. up some 1,715 acres of forest per year. Such landscaping can also be used to establish The economics of these IU stewardship ven-

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 11 www.smokejumpers.com tures do not end with their profitability. The might be okay for an IU system. But, in any case, economic benefits create the taxes on the associ- most residential and commercial properties can ated wages and sales, and reductions in firefighting probably establish their 100-foot fire safe bound- costs. aries by simply calling one of their local landscap- Assuming these IU harvested areas would be ing companies. fireproofed, even more money would be saved The task might only require two or three with the variable cost per acre avoided by not be- workers, a chipping machine, and a truck to haul ing a part of a forest fire. the wood debris away. These urban operations can run into the thousands of dollars, but are still Landscaping cheap when looking at the long-term chances for a Looking at the billions of dollars of fire costs negative consequence. due to the destruction of both residential and As John Wayne said: “There’s only two things a commercial properties, it seems an urban location man can do—the right thing or the wrong thing.”

“Rosie” by Pat Harbine (Missoula ’51)

he sky was bright later. It seemed like a horse so we continued to Orofino blue and the cumulus had been higher priority than where we would be picked Tclouds changed shapes four smokejumpers. The truck up later in the afternoon. as they drifted above us. Lying bed was littered with road Our ride continued down the on the rocks along the Salmon apples and urine that had not curves to the Clearwater River, River after a fast hike from seeped through the flooring. and I clung to the end gate a fire, we waited for our ride “This is worse than the men’s hiding my face but revealing back to the base. To occupy room at the Northern Bar in other parts. When I turned our time, we watched the Missoula on a Saturday night,” to hide my rear end against clouds take imaginary shapes. remarked one of the crew. I the sideboards, I discovered The hours passed slowly and stood on the lower boards on you can’t cling to the boards we were eager to get back and the end gate of the stock rack of a stock rack when you are garner overtime on our next to get away from the mess and wearing White boots with fire jump. to get fresh air to avoid the woodsman heels. I was forced Down at the river, we motion sickness that plagued to stand directly on the floor heard the voices of a rafting my jumping days. of the truck facing the others group in a WWII surplus It was then that the rest until the laugher ceased. craft. “All women,” exclaimed of the group noticed what We boarded a Trimotor late one of our group. He was I had not. The fabric of my that day and landed in Mis- wrong. A sunburned guy with well-worn Levis had failed, soula after dark. Not a chance long hair was steering. Startled revealing my buttocks that of getting on the jump list that by our appearance, not un- had become inflamed from day. We returned to the bar- like the unwashed locals he sitting on the rocks during the racks at Fort Missoula where had seen before, he asked wait. My immediate moniker a new pair of Levis awaited. who we were. We answered, became “Rosie Cheeks.” Gradually the story surround- “Smokejumpers,” proud of There was no road between ing my wardrobe dysfunction our identity. Grangeville and Missoula in was forgotten but, for a while, Our truck arrived an hour 1953 and all aircraft were busy, I was the guy called “Rosie.”

Check the NSA website 12 National Smokejumper Reunion ODDS AND ENDS

by Chuck Sheley lishing Company, 2019). Congratulations and thanks to Jim Judy Meyer (Assoc), daughter of Lafferty (IDC-63) and Fred Ebel Lloyd Johnson (MYC-43): “ Hi (MSO-57) who just became our Chuck—Wayne (husband) and I drive latest Life Members. up from Yuba City six days a week to Ken Hessel (MYC-58): “A bit of volunteer at the Camp Fire Survivors news from Lampasas, Texas—The Disaster Recovery Center located at American Legion there is planning to 13700 Skyway, Magalia. It is located on the dedicate a permanent memorial to John property of Magalia Community Church. Lewis (MYC-53) and Darrell Eubanks “We have a meal tent. We try to sup- (IDC-54) at the town’s Oak Hill Cem- ply the fire survivors with everything from etery on Memorial Day. Leah and I are food distribution to survival gear and every- planning to be there.” Both men were killed thing in between. The needs are huge. Many in crash of Air America C-46 in Laos August 13, people are still living in tents and their cars. 1961. (Ed.) We are open every day, except Sunday, 10 am Jack Deinema (MYC-50): “I am currently 95 years to 5 pm. Everyone is a volunteer with no agency young living in a excellent elderly care facility in or funding—Just people with big hearts trying to Tigard, Oregon. My two wonderful daughters live help the forgotten survive. It is a devastating situ- close by and take care of my every need. Am look- ation. We need donations and volunteers. Most ing back on a full rewarding career as a US Marine, resources have shut down, but we are in for the Smokejumper, Forest Ranger, Forest Supervisor, long haul. Regional Forester, Job Corps National Director of “Come up for a visit sometime. Let me know Conservation Centers, and retiring as Deputy Chief so we will be sure and be there.” for administration in Washington D.C.” We are still in a devastating situation months after Davis Perkins’ (NCSB-72) painting “Morning on the end of the Camp Fire. It is people like Judy and the Little Elk” was chosen “Virtuosos of the Oil Wayne who make things work. No government mon- Painters of America” exhibit that was held at an ex- ey or assistance—just hard work and a good heart. hibition in St. Augustine, FL, at the end of March. Thanks to Judy and Wayne for their work—much Wally Humphries (FBX-90): His narrative nonfiction appreciated but little known to the public. (Ed.) travel piece about two Americans having dinner Smokejumpers have had significant impacts in many with a Cuban family in Havana was published in areas of our society. I want to give some “kudos” All Rights Reserved Literacy Journal, Halifax, Nova to Bill Ruskin (CJ-58) for some work he has done Scotia. Shortly after that, “Anvik Staging for Fire with a trails program that started many years before 546” won honorable mention in Thoreau’s Rooster, the NSA TRAMPS program. Assumption College; award writer Bill Roorbach From a news story: “The American Society’s was the judge. “Trip Back from the Fires,” was Volunteer Vacations program recognizes an im- published in SWAMP, a post-graduate publication, port milestone in 2014—the 40th anniversary of University of New Castle, Australia. our first organized volunteer project on federal Anyone interested in Air America: This book is land. In 1972, Congress passed a bill to give those available on Amazon—An Air America Pilot’s Story interested in environmental preservation an op- of Adventure, Descent and Redemption by Neil Gra- portunity to provide volunteer conservation work ham Hansen and Luann Grosscup (History Pub- on Forest Service lands.

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 13 www.smokejumpers.com “In 1974, this legislative act caught the eye of Young (WYS-18): “I got this money during a flip Bill Ruskin. Mr. Ruskin created the Volunteer in Redmond last year. It was supposed to be used Conservation Corps (VCC) to assist land manage- to fund a trip to Normandy to jump in the 75th ment agencies with their trail maintenance and anniversary reenactment. I was unable to get in. building needs. In the spirit of the flip, I am donating the money “On July 28, 1974, 58 volunteers set out on to the NSA.” VCC’s pilot trail stewardship project in the Pike I thanked Chris for the gift and replied: “Also N.F. in Colorado. The 1974 VCC Program was in the spirit of the gift, I will put this donation the FIRST national recruitment of volunteers un- into our Good Samaritan Fund where it can be der this act. Forty years later, the VCC program used to help all jumpers and their families in times annually offers more than 60 trail stewardship of need. That way it is going directly back to give trips across the nation.” the bros a helping hand during hard times. The The forward-looking insight of Bill is signifi- NSA has aided jumpers and their families with cant. He recognized a need and took action. Not over $174,000 worth of assistance.” unusual, as Bill was a Smokejumper. From Life Member Doug Bernhard (NCSB-58) along The theme and feature of the October 2011 issue of with a sizeable gift to the GSF ‘Camp Fire Relief’: Smokejumper was an issue titled: “Honoring Our “The April issue (Camp Fire) was great. I knew five Veterans.” In that issue we had two fine articles families who lived in Paradise. Four of them lost by Carl Gidlund (MSO-58). One honored Capt. everything, including my sister—was a close call Michael MacKinnon, son of John MacKinnon for them. I could see the heavy black smoke clear (MSO-57). Capt. MacKinnon was killed near up to Adin, CA.” Baghdad in October 2005. George Harpole (MSO-49): “I think the current The second article honored Staff Sgt. Travis Smokejumper magazine issues should perhaps be Atkins, son of Elaine and Jack Atkins (MSO-68). required reading for all those connected to Federal, Sgt. Atkins was killed in June 2007 in Iraq. The state and private forest management operations.” following news came out today (3/27/19): Jim Linville (MSO-69): “Well done article on the “An Army staff sergeant who saved three sol- timeline events of the Camp Fire. I told my wife diers from the blast of an Iraqi suicide bomber by that morning, when I saw the morning news, that turning himself into a human shield will be me- this fire was going to be really bad. Sometimes, morialized when President Donald Trump pres- being right is not always pleasant.” ents the service member’s family with the Medal I sent out an email to some of our members stating the of Honor, the nation’s highest military award for hiring problem we have now with hires made in Al- bravery against an enemy. buquerque, NM. Local hires who contributed to the “Staff Sgt. Travis Atkins, 31, of Bozeman, positive connection to the USFS are no longer able to Montana, was trying to subdue the suspected in- work locally. Some responses: surgent in June 2007 when he realized the man Denis Breslin (NCSB-69) (President Gillespie Pilots was attempting to detonate a bomb strapped to Association): his body. Atkins then covered the bomber’s body “Human Resources (HR) seems to have taken with his in a selfless act that officials said spared over hiring in all major industry. It centralizes hir- three soldiers. He was on his second tour of duty ing away from local or regional control and is lim- in Iraq and overseeing a 15-soldier squad at the ited by regulations that have no basis in common time of his death, one month after he was pro- sense. moted to staff sergeant. “It changed the airline industry in the 80s. It “Atkins’ initial award, the Distinguished Ser- used to be that one could get an interview based vice Cross, was upgraded to the Medal of Hon- on the recommendation of a captain and the lo- or after a Defense Department review. His son, cal chief pilot could hire you. Then ‘Recruiting’ Trevor, and parents will represent him at a White departments were formed and Human Resources House ceremony Wednesday afternoon.” became an ‘industry’ with ‘employee Relations’ I got an interesting letter and sizeable check from Chris not far behind to negotiate, enforce – and even

Check the NSA website 14 National Smokejumper Reunion abrogate contracts. into the airplane’ after you have left the door.” “It is also similar to how they select, hire and Scott “Mouse” Warner (RDD-69): “I have been fol- train air traffic controllers. FAA used to hire can- lowing Mike’s excellent, insightful commentary didates from local college programs featuring ATC (Achieving Resilient Forests Through Effective Bio- training and degrees. Then they decided they need- mass Uses) for several years now in our publication ed to be ‘fair’ to minorities so they ‘centralized’ hir- Smokejumper, Evergreen, and Wildfire Today. ing, locking out those who had the aptitude, de- “If not for my extensive international forestry sire, education, and training to become controllers. endeavors to complement American West forestry, The results were disastrous as you can imagine. I would be negative for the long term. Yet, there “So, it is not surprising that the Feds decide is hope given there are so many flourishing man- to centralize hiring, creating great inefficiencies. aged forests throughout the world risen from dev- It also shows a deep, systemic affection for cen- astated landscapes long occupied by humankind, tralization in federal and state governments. That exploited to the extreme, then restored. What has only exacerbates the problem because the thought transpired the last three decades in the American process is now ‘deep state,’ and probably very dif- West regarding wildfire is disturbingly extraordi- ficult to address. nary in history, with Mike more than correct in “Thanks again for an excellent report/update that ‘We know what to do.’ Chuck.” “A dedicated environmentalist from the long- Dick Rath (MSO-73): “I have given a lot of thought forgotten California timber wars (long ago we be- to your observation. The portion personnel run- came friends and have outlasted them all - both ning the FS are now those that were hired in ac- sides!) worked tirelessly, ultimately with the for- celerated positions. They were not privy to working estry side, for agreement. There are more like her their way up the ladder, dealing with projects gone and on my forestry side too. Like the trees it will wrong, complex personnel issues and the like. We, take some time. Our ‘voice of reason’ just needs my age group, were the implementers that created to employ ‘people power’ which took down active this issue. Reversing it is almost ‘like going back forestry management since the mid 1980s.”

Early Redding Smokejumper Days by Lee Gossett (Redding ’57)

n early 1957, Bill Bowles (RDD-57), Den- Barnowsky (MSO-42) was the project officer, Orv nis Bradley (RDD-57), and I drove to Cave Looper (CJ-49) was the foreman, and Bob Kersh IJunction and met with Jim Allen (NCSB-46), was the loft foreman. I gleaned the head count project officer with the smokejumpers. All three of from a crew photo taken in 1957. us wanted to join the smokejumper ranks, and Jim The jumpers were housed in a warehouse in hired all of us on the spot, as he needed to double downtown Redding, which we shared with the the usual rookie crew to train for the 1957 season loft, supply storage and mess hall. Living condi- – the first year of the Redding smokejumpers. tions were minimal, to say the least, and we all By my count, there were 15 rookie jumpers bunked together in one large, air-conditioned who trained at Cave Junction in 1957 for the room. Redding crew. Much of our summer was spent building our After our training and practice jumps were training facility at the Redding airport and when completed, we reported to Redding and joined we returned in 1958, we reported directly to the six former Cave Junction jumpers and two squad Redding base and bypassed training at Cave Junc- leaders. Our ranks were now at 21 jumpers. Fred tion.

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 15 www.smokejumpers.com Our jump aircraft during those startup years concrete floor in 115-degree temps. Needless to was a DC-3 Lockheed Loadstar and a Twin Beech. say, we prayed for a fire call to get out of that hot The Twin Beech was owned and flown by Burt box. Train. We jumped out of all the aircraft, but the For the first part of the 1957 fire season, we one airplane we did not like to jump out of was were dropped World War II rations that were sor- the Lockheed Loadstar, perhaps due to the high ry meals, to say the least. Another jumper and I, drop airspeed. The pilot may have had something on another fire, got very sick eating these rations, to do with this as we nicknamed him “Throttles and the entire lot was tossed in the trash. From Ferris.” then on, we could select food from our newly cre- My very first fire jump was in the Shasta- ated, canned food supply. Trinity National Forest along with Bill Bowles Helicopters were just beginning to make the and Chuck Engstrom (MSO-55). Chuck had fire scene and packouts were very common. We been a former Missoula jumper for one season didn’t have two-way radios then and used our but went through the complete training pro- signal streamers to signal the drop aircraft that gram with us. we were OK. Every jumper would put out an “L” We were helicoptered out of this fire in an old signal with the streamer he carried in his jump Bell 47, and this was the first time any of us had suit; the squad leader in charge of the fire would ridden in a helicopter. Several years later, I learned put out a “double L.” This told the pilot that all that a Bell 47 helicopter had no business operat- jumpers were OK. ing in this high-altitude, hot terrain. If the returning jump aircraft wanted to con- As luck would have it, I had six fire jumps my tact us, they would drop a streamer with a note first year and 12 in 1958. I later learned that some container attached and advise us as to when and of the Cave Junction rookies didn’t make a fire how we would exit the fire when it was out. jump in 1957, so going to Redding was a good Chain saws were not issued in those days, choice. and if we had a snag fire, the spotter would drop We were transported from the warehouse to a “misery whip,” our name for a six-foot cross- the Redding airport in what we called the “cattle cut saw. If we jumped on a snag fire, we always truck.” This was an open, stake-bed truck with a dropped a minimum of three jumpers. Two jump- step on the back. When the fire danger was high, ers would saw and one jumper would constantly we would be taken to the Redding airport and look up and call out if there was a “widow maker” would hunker in an open hangar, lying on a hot branch breaking loose.

End Of An Era—Not So Fast Partner Smokejumpers Buy Their Base! By Tommy Albert (Cave Junction’ 64)

his is a first—Smokejumpers buying their terrain, brush, and big trees—oh, let’s not forget the base! Yes, you read it right. To make a long poison oak—made it one of the less popular places Tstory short (well, semi-short), the Siskiyou to partake in the highlights of our trade, fire jumps. Aerial Project was one of the first bases, being es- The camaraderie was unarguably the most re- tablished in 1943. It evolved into the smallest of warding aspect of jumping out of Cave Junction. CJ the major Smokejumper bases. The base later was was a small, stand-alone base geographically located named the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base, but was bet- 50 miles from the Supervisor’s Office. There weren’t ter known as Cave Junction, CJ, and the Gobi. The any Forest or Regional dispatch offices, Hotshots, or

Check the NSA website 16 National Smokejumper Reunion forest warehouses at the base, only jumpers. Because vibrant, athletic young men hobble from building to of this, not many bigwigs visited, so we were exempt building, skillfully refurbishing each. Through their from “putting on a show,” resulting in a more relaxed labor, the transformation completely surprised the atmosphere. County Commissioners as well as the community. We were also very lucky to have had some great We were then able to trade sweat equity for dollars Project Air Officers (Base Managers) running the to “rent” the buildings for the museum. This proved base. They set strict rules pertaining to on-the-job to be an unstable arrangement as Commissioners conduct and performance but stood back, allowing and Airport Managers come and go, making our the crew to set competitive standards on other aspects position shaky. The only way to alleviate this was to of the job. This resulted in an atmosphere that pro- somehow purchase the base from the county. Easier moted pride in our firefighting skills. We were never said than done. outperformed on a fire. The crew’s high morale was The Gobi fielded some unique individuals who evident in every aspect of work and play on the Gobi. have added to the folklore of the base—some known It was a stimulating and rewarding place to work. nationally and even internationally, others known but Time spent at the Gobi became one of the high- to us and those who interfaced with “us.” Amongst points in life for those who jumped out of the base. this latter set are the Welch brothers from west Texas: Friendships continued long after those who jumped Bernie, Gary and Larry. Of the three, Larry, having there graduated from college and got a real job. Those been a teacher, jumped the longest. As with most of who were lucky enough to have a real job that allowed us, smokejumping was an important part of their them to continue jumping in the summer became lives and as Larry put it, got him out of the oil fields some of the mainstays of the base. Then the Forest with all his fingers still attached. Service unexplainably decided to close the base in As a rule, Texans are a slightly different breed, 1981, bureaucratically citing centralization and cost especially the west Texas rancher types. They like savings as the reason. Many of the jumpers openly things laid out straight forward and expect one’s word challenged the decision, earning a position on the to be kept. This wasn’t happening relating to the base, unofficial Black List. and I guess this, and the thought of the base with all History has already shown that the decision to its history and traditions being bulldozed into the close the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base was a very ground, was more than Larry could stomach. Larry costly decision for the taxpayers. There have since proposed putting up the funds to purchase the Gobi. been numbers of large fires in southern Oregon/ Larry teamed up with Linda and Harold Hart- northern California, some amongst the costliest fires man (CJ-65), Gary Buck (CJ-66) and David Atkin in the history of this nation. These fires would have (CJ-70). Together they formulated a plan to purchase been two or four man jump fires that would have the buildings. They were greatly assisted by Jose- simply added to some jump stories and ended with phine County Commissioner Simon Hare, who saw the two-page fire reports stuffed into a file drawer at the Smokejumper Base Museum as an asset to the the end of the season. County. Negotiations were difficult and often frus- The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land trating but, through the tenacity of those mentioned Management deeded the structures and land over to above, finally concluded. The purchase agreement Josephine County, where the buildings sat vacant and was finalized, which includes the major structures unmaintained for a quarter of a century. It was not that comprise the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base, nine until a plan to bulldoze the dilapidated buildings that structures in all, and a 100-year lease on the land. some of the local ex-jumpers came up with a counter Though Larry Welch donated the purchase funds plan to restore the buildings and turn the base into a in total, he is dedicating it to his brothers Bernie museum, at no cost to the County. A workweek was (CJ-61) and Gary (CJ-60), as well as to all who were scheduled. Old jumpers, some accompanied by their involved with the Gobi (including jumpers’ wives and spouses and other family members, came from near kids) and to all who participated in workweeks over and far—mostly CJ jumpers, but also jumpers from the past fifteen years. This, he says, is just the begin- other bases. There were even some locals participat- ning. It will provide a more presentable platform for ing. It was quite a sight to watch what were once obtaining grants and give incentive to those who wish

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 17 www.smokejumpers.com to participate in future workweeks and hosting. Ad- The last rookie class on the Gobi was 1979, four de- ditionally, it will encourage financial contributions cades ago. Our bunch is aging. We must inspire oth- for a perpetual fund that will ensure the longevity of ers, younger others, to become involved. Hopefully, the Museum after all of us are gone. For all of this, the current generation of jumpers and those recently we salute you, Mr. Welch. retired will step forward. If not them, then we need This brings us to Phase Two of the development to develop interest outside of the jumper community. of the Smokejumper Museum. We can now put to It will be a shame if this becomes necessary. The his- rest the time and efforts devoted to surviving and tory of Smokejumping deserves to be preserved, and concentrate on better presenting the story of Smoke- visitors thoroughly enjoy the story regardless of who jumping. is the orator, but they especially enjoy the story when We also will be addressing the issue of longevity. presented by those who have smokejumped.

BLAST FROM THE PAST by Jack Demmons (Missoula ’50) and cut the lines holding me. Seeley Swan Pathfinder Les quickly “climbed” his lines March 1993 and cut me free. As I fell free, my chute Demmons Recalls popped open. I oscillated Close Call wildly and then slammed into the ground face first. Les hit After our graduation jump about the same time and right in June of 1950, we new jump- next to me. We laughed—we ers were placed on project work were young and thought we until the fire season developed. would live forever. I was given a crew of jumpers Missoula and switched to a We had the fire out within to sift sand for a lookout that C-47 that was waiting for us. a day and walked to the Sour- was being rebuilt. Our camp Since there was a lake in the dough Lookout where a Forest was 11 miles from the Powell area of the fire, we dropped Service truck picked us up. Ranger Station. two at a time. Les Grenlin I went on to make more Two lovely gals worked at (MSO-46) and I were the last jumps during the ensuing sea- Erickson’s Lodge above the two to jump. I checked his po- sons and as a paratrooper with Ranger Station. Several times sition once and then checked the 82nd Airborne Division. I during a two-week period, we the location of the lake. Then, never had another parachute walked that 22-mile round trip as I turned around, I found problem after that jump at to listen to them and drink Les right in front of me. We Sourdough Lookout. I must beer. collided and my right foot say that the night jumps in the Later in July, we were became entangled in his lines. military, with more than 500 taken to the loft at Hale Field. I was hanging head down troopers in the air at one time, Within several days, six of us and my parachute was col- could be rather interesting were airborne headed to a fire lapsed against his lines. It was with helmets, weapons, and southeast of Grangeville. The impossible to pull the emer- other equipment falling from Trimotor developed engine gency chute. I had my knife the sky as a result of severe trouble, and we returned to out and was trying to reach up opening shocks.

Check the NSA website 18 National Smokejumper Reunion Some Of A Smokejumper’s Stories by Don Maypole (Idaho City ’54)

ighting forest fires in the Rocky Mountains Needless to say, the tree was not pleased ... it bent had many interesting moments, but so did way over ... and then launched me back toward the Fthe parachuting to reach them. lake. I stopped short of the water! At our training base in McCall, Idaho, on my During the summer of 1955, an important lesson first training jump – from a 1927 Travelair airplane was reinforced. On a fire jump from a 1937 Twin – the other three trainees jumped out of the plane Tail Beech, I missed the small landing spot and hung before me. Unbeknownst to me, my boots became up in a tall, yellow pine tree. As I looked down, and entangled in their remaining static lines on the floor. the chute fell to a lower limb, the thought came to I was two-thirds out the door when the spotter mind that I would just unhook from the chute’s grabbed my jumpsuit collar and pulled me back in. harness and drop to the ground. He untangled my boots, and I jumped out the door But then the training at our McCall training base when we returned to the jump spot. took over. First of all, you must drop your helmet On my second jump, I missed the landing spot to see how long it takes to hit the ground. I did this and planted both boots into the trunk of a pine tree. and it seemed like an eternity transpired before the My parachute collapsed, and I fell head first down helmet hit the ground. Needless to say, I did as I the tree trunk, striking branches all the way. had been told and used the letdown rope stored in Just before I hit the ground, the chute caught my right leg pocket. on the very top of the tree, and I was righted with During the summers of 1955-56, there were my boots lightly touching the ground, without a four Idaho State College Tau Kappa Epsilon fra- scratch. Our protective gear worked well. ternity brothers stationed at the ranger station/ On my fourth training jump – from a 1929 Ford smokejumper unit in Idaho City. At Idaho State Trimotor – a few seconds before landing in a huge College in Pocatello, I lived in the same fraternity meadow, the wind blew me parallel to the ground house with Gene Lewton (IDC-52), Joel Chase and forcefully flung me to the ground on my back. I (IDC-55) and LaMonte Christensen (IDC-55). landed squarely on a two-foot-wide, two-inch-deep Clyde Hawley (IDC-48) was a TKE from a differ- stream. ent university. Parachutes are packed against a quarter-inch An experience with Lewton in 1955 was notable. plywood board. Mine was completely split into two We were sent to put out a two-man fire on the top pieces lengthwise – and I had an unknown compres- of a ridge in the Sawtooth Range, in the Rocky sion fracture in my back. I didn’t drop out of jump Mountains. We jumped at an altitude of 10,000 training; the plywood board had saved me from feet onto a ridge that was 9,200 feet. worse injury. Other jumps went better. Gene went out first, and the spotter and I saw The next summer, 1955, I had a similar experi- that he was in some trouble. One of the parachute ence with wind on a fire jump from a 1939 Nordyne lines had crossed over the top of the parachute near the top of a mountain in the Sawtooth Range canopy, which we called a “Mae West.” He was of the Rockies. There was a small lake below the spinning down in a corkscrew fashion. peak, and we jumped out exactly over that lake, When he landed, he did not put out his two because of the expected wind drift. orange streamers to indicate if he was OK. We had no life preservers, so I, for sure, didn’t I jumped and chose to land a short distance want to land in the water. As I was coming down down the 60-degree slope to avoid the snags – dead on the beach, a gust of wind caught me and sent me trees with lethal branches. I quickly struggled up parallel to the ground for 15 or so feet. I slammed the slope with my gear to find Gene sitting on a full-body, sideways into a 15-foot-tall pine tree. snow bank, with his back against a snag, smoking a

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 19 www.smokejumpers.com cigarette. He had missed the dead snags and landed I worked the week at the Boise Fire Center in the in a six-foot-deep snow bank … without a scratch! afternoons packing food for cargo drops, locating The top of the ridge was only 20-25 feet wide. fires on a map, and odd jobs under Spike Baker. I We put out the fire with snow. returned to Idaho City to make another fire jump, Toward the end of the summer in 1956, my back but my back was re-injured, so I made no more was injured in a “gravy” (practice) jump out of a jumps in the Forest Service. Eventually, my back 1930s Cunningham-Hall biplane. healed well. Two years before, four of us were flown to the Seven years ago, in 2011, I made a free-fall jump Yellowstone National Park area in a 1930s stagger- tethered to the instructor, from 14,000 feet. It went wing Beech biplane to fight a fire, but the wind was fine, but the instructor made a poor landing – on too strong and we were returned to Idaho City. Our top of me – which injured both my knees. I had to base foreman, James B. “Smokey” Stover (MYC- have an operation on one knee. I won’t be making 46), sent me to medical care in Boise for a week. any more jumps.

First Fire Jump by “Swede” Troedsson (Missoula ’59)

any of us may vaguely recall the fires We finally started jumping. The jump spot we jumped many years ago, but I sus- was a fenced field surrounded by trees. Carl also Mpect some of us remember more vividly recalls: “A high-voltage transmission line bisected our first fire jump. the jump spot. Jumper Eddy Noel (MSO-59) was In late July 1959, myself and 16 others “boost- blown into it and his parachute was draped over ed” to Redding, Calif., to assist in a rash of fires. a pair of lines, causing an arc. A few of us on the All 17 of us were dispatched to the Ramshorn ground counseled Eddy to release his capewells Creek Fire on the Shasta-Trinity N.F. July 25, simultaneously. 1959, under the leadership of foreman Al Cramer “If he released only a single one and his body (MSO-43). Besides me, there were six in the crew hit the ground while the chute was still tangled in who had never jumped on a fire. As we suited up, the line, he would have completed the circuit and the temperature was a scorching 108 degrees. probably would have been electrocuted. He did Carl Gidlund (MSO-58) recalls that the fire release both and fell safely to the ground.” was in a well-roaded area not too far from Red- When it was my turn to jump, Duane Ferdi- ding. But, because it was boiling, jumpers were nand (MSO-59) and I jumped in the same stick. called to get men on the ground as soon as pos- As we descended, we shouted to one another in an sible. effort to avoid colliding with each other. Much to Carl also recalls: “It was an extremely bumpy our surprise, several horses ran out from under the flight, and we circled the fire many times. My tree shade. They appeared to be in a panic, run- recollection is that the jumper seated next to the ning back and forth. cockpit got sick. No burp bags were available in We assumed it was because they could hear those days, so he vomited into a seamless sack then voices but could not see where they came from. I passed it dripping to the door to be tossed out. was so concerned about possibly colliding with a “As the bag was passed from hand to hand, sev- horse—or having one tangle in my chute—that eral of those who got a whiff of it also threw up. I I made a sloppy landing. I took the brunt of the wasn’t the guilty party, but I was beginning to feel landing shock on my wallet, which was located in the urge, too, so I dashed to the door and made my left hip pocket. sure I was one of the first sticks to exit.” I lay there, thinking I’d broken my hip. Duane

Check the NSA website 20 National Smokejumper Reunion heard my groaning and ran over to check on me the fire was 3,000 acres. and helped me to my feet. The next day we were released from the fire We all were trucked up to the fireline, but by 2 and returned to Redding. We later heard that by o’clock in the morning, my “glute” had stiffened the second night, the fire had grown to more than so badly that I had to go to camp. By this time, 10,000 acres, after having burned through camp.

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 21 www.smokejumpers.com Snapshots from the Past

was located in steep country, rest in the kapok sleeping bags as the fire name implied, and we’d heard so much about. burning hot. We jumped on When we arrived we were due top of the ridge at 0630, and for a surprise. Our longed- by 0800 we were on the fire, for kapoks were all piled in a digging control lines around huge, soggy heap in front of the running front, working the small cabin so the “foot without a break until 0500 the soldiers” could sleep inside, following morning. warm and dry. Sometime during the next by Jeff R. Davis day, the firefighters on foot be- (Missoula ’57) gan to arrive, over a hundred … in late August of them. But these “pounders” that rain was Razor Ridge never bothered to hike up the cold. To add to 1958 was a busy fire season for ridge to the firelines. Instead this smokejumper. By Au- they milled around the valley our misery we gust 27, I’d made seventeen below, where the Park Rangers were issued paper fire jumps and I still had two had built a small guard station, more to go before the summer doing God-knows what. We sleeping bags. ended. built all the lines around the I’d spent most of the season fire, controlled it, and began Jeez! We were one pissed in Silver City, where I’d made the tedious job of mopping crew of jumpers! It got worse. sixteen fire jumps on the Gila up. The Park Rangers, in full Forest. Back in R-1, I made Along about the third day uniforms right down to their another fire jump on the it began to rain. The fire was cute little Smokey Bear hats, Kootenai Forest on August situated above 8000 feet and led us around in small groups 12. At 0430 on August 27, I in late August that rain was to individual areas where they got another fire call. This one cold. To add to our misery told us we could build small surprised me. It came from we were issued paper sleeping warming fires. I’d had it. I the Park Service up in Glacier bags. Yes, paper! After sleeping said, “Screw this,” and headed National Park. Glacier was in those suckers in a pouring back to the pile of kapoks ly- considered one of the “asbes- rain, I awoke the morning of ing sodden in the rain, where tos forests” because it rarely the third day and peeled the I grabbed as many as I could burned, and the Park Service bag away from my body like carry and a can of kerosene hardly ever called for jumpers. so much soggy Kleenex. The I found there. I lugged it In less than an hour, sixteen ground troops far below were all back to our designated of us were airborne in a John- issued kapok bags. hunker-spot and piled all the son DC-3 for the Razor Ridge Within a couple more days, sleeping bags into one large Fire in the far northern reaches we were released from the lump, soaked ’em in kerosene, of the Park, where visitors rare- front lines and allowed to hike and with one stroke of a match ly traveled. We arrived over the down the ridge in the pour- I had me a grand warming fire fire at 0600. We could have ing rain to the cabin below that was “drying out” those used sixty jumpers. The fire for a hot meal and a night’s sodden bags right along with

Check the NSA website 22 National Smokejumper Reunion warming my soul. Some of the of us believed anything the reach, and they clung there “Smokey Bears” clucked their others had to say. There were hooting me loudly as I dug a way over to our flaming hun- too many days and too little hole in the ground spinning ker-spot, took one look at the work to do, and too much out, trying to run before I even faces of some of our pissed-off tomfoolery between the three got to my feet. It was a ragged crew, and decided to take their of us to tell all the tales we race. I was smack in between business elsewhere. wove up there. One such tale the two cubs and the mama It was now the beginning will suffice. bear, and that was no place to of September, and most of On the trail up the ridge, be. I found a smaller pecker- the firefighters, including the we’d all seen the tracks of one pole within my frantic reach, jumpers, were attending college huge bear. We certainly did and I shinnied up that sucker which was due to begin shortly. not want to meet the owner of as fast as I could, mama bear There was no further need for those tracks. We had made the snapping at my heels. all that manpower on the fire, trip up the ridge to the fire ev- I climbed as far as the small anyhow, because the jumpers ery other day to complete the lodgepole pine would allow had taken care of that. They little mop-up required. The and began using my White’s de-mobbed the fire, asking for off-days we spent doing chores to kick mama in the chops as volunteers to remain until the around the cabin. One warm she continued to snap at my snows fell, for the final stages day we dumped our coats and ass, the others roaring uncon- of mop-up. I raised my hand as jackets partway up the slope to trollably all the while. Mama I wasn’t returning to college as the fire and hiked the rest of bear finally left with her kids long as I could stay working as the way up in stages. in tow, but not until she’d kept a jumper. Two other jumpers By mid-day the three of us the three of us treed for a good also raised their hands. were taking a smoke break on hour. All the way back down For the next half-month, the fire lines, the two other the trail, I endured the hoots the three of us would remain guys sitting facing me. Sud- and snorts of my two “bud- together mopping up the denly, one of them shouted, dies” as they relived the epi- fire and playing jumper-style “Oh look! Here comes a cou- sode over and over again. But pranks on one another. The ple of bear cubs up the trail!” he who laughs last, laughs best. Park officials told us they I thought, sure, bullshit. Then When we got back down to were leaving us a cook as well, the other guy yelled, “Oh shit! the spot where we’d dumped and that was fine with us. As Here comes the mama bear our jackets that morning, the time passed, they even flew right after them!” I thought guy who laughed the hardest in newspapers and fresh fruit. those bastards have ganged at me had left his Eddie Bauer I requested a couple of beer- up on me with this gag. I down jacket there. Before the drops, but that was pushing shrugged ‘em both off. Then, bears came up the ridge to my luck too far. all of a sudden both, jumpers make my day, they had played There were a couple of sprang to their feet and began tug-of-war with his precious problems for us by then. We’d running like crazy down the jacket leaving chunks of it jumped the fire in the clothes trail toward the nearest timber. hanging in the bushes like a on our backs and that was At about the same time, I blizzard in a feather factory. all. As the days wore on, our saw two bear cubs run right There was more crazy stuff clothes began to wear thin and past me. “Oh, f—-!” I said to that happened on that fire, rot off our bodies. Even our myself. “This is no joke, this but space doesn’t permit. The boots were showing the signs is not a drill!” as I belatedly Razor Ridge Fire was not only of early disintegration. There jumped to my feet and started good for some decent over- was little to do on the fire, so running after the other two. time, but it provided some we started playing pranks on By this time they’d treed up snickers and laughs for many each other to the point none in the only tall timber within months to come.

June 26–28, 2020 in Boise 23 www.smokejumpers.com Mann Gulch - 70th Anniversary Photos Courtesy: Life Magazine 1949 & Dick Hughes (MSO-64)

USFS Overhead Assessing Fire

Bodies Transported To Hilger Landing Pilot Jack Hughes Johnson Air Service C-47

Inspecting Tool Drop

Rescue Crew Stretcher Bearer

Honor Guard Salute For Philip McVey USFS Management Inspecting Landing Area

Victims Caskets Await Shipment From Helena

Wives, Sisters & Girlfriends Leaving Funeral Wagner Dodge (Right) Leaves Funeral Survivors Walter Rumsey & Robert Sallee Layout Design: Johnny Kirkley (CJ-64)

Check the NSA website 24 National Smokejumper Reunion Mann Gulch - 70th Anniversary Photos Courtesy: Life Magazine 1949 & Dick Hughes (MSO-64)

USFS Overhead Assessing Fire

Bodies Transported To Hilger Landing Pilot Jack Hughes Johnson Air Service C-47

Inspecting Tool Drop

Rescue Crew Stretcher Bearer

Honor Guard Salute For Philip McVey USFS Management Inspecting Landing Area

Victims Caskets Await Shipment From Helena

Wives, Sisters & Girlfriends Leaving Funeral Wagner Dodge (Right) Leaves Funeral Survivors Walter Rumsey & Robert Sallee Layout Design: Johnny Kirkley (CJ-64)

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 25 www.smokejumpers.com Achieving Resilient Forests Through Effective Biomass Uses: Part III by Michael Rains (Associate)

This is the final of a three-part series about the role of I reject this notion because the current situation biomass uses in helping achieve healthy, sustainable does not have to be this way. forests that can be more resilient to disturbances, such as Catastrophic fires in California in 2017 drew na- wildland fires. Biomass use is the outcome of restorative tional attention, but soon the impacts of those fires, actions that represents active forest management. like so many before, seemed to fade from America’s Michael had written this series before the 2018 thoughts. Not much changed. All indications are fire season. As you have seen, his and the predictions of the 2018 season will be one of the most costly and many of us have come true. (Ed.) destructive on record. So far in 2018, 47,668 fires have burned Now is our time 7,210,876 acres. The fire season is far from over. The day was Dec. 1, 2015. I still worked for When do we say, “… enough is enough” and begin the U.S. Forest Service and was participating in to devote more of our time, energy and resources to my last National Leadership Council meeting in forest maintenance as opposed to fire suppression? Washington, D.C. When I worked for the Forest Service and was The former Forest Service chief, Tom Tidwell, asked about the agency, I always easily said, “It is spoke forcefully and eloquently about the need for an honor to work for the Department of Agricul- immediate change in the way wildland fire is man- ture, and I work for the greatest organization in the aged. That is, about the way risk and exposure for world.” fire responders are assessed and the role of fire in I love the Forest Service and still think of it as a addressing the health and resiliency of forests and great organization. But, nonetheless, I am convinced landscapes. that the organization needs to become much more “… I do not care what it takes. We will not have proactive now and develop and deploy a campaign another year like we had in 2015,” he said. of “aggressive forest management to ensure effective While Tidwell highlighted first and foremost fire management.” the tragedy of firefighter fatalities, the notion that America is facing what I consider to be the great- aggressive forest management equates to effective est conservation issue of our time. Now is our time fire management was also obvious in his words. to make a legacy-type change. Participants at the meeting also talked about the “next hundred years of conservation” and creating Letter to the president more resistant, resilient landscapes as benchmarks I wrote a letter to President Donald Trump June of success. 19, 2018. The key point in my letter was: “Now is our time,” said Tidwell. “The management of America’s forestlands, with It was an exciting meeting, filled with great a concentration on our national forests, needs to promise. be emphasized so wildfires can remain smaller and Looking back, not much seems to have changed begin again to be a tool for improved forest health since that meeting. The 2016 and 2017 wildfire as opposed to destructive events that destroy lives, seasons were bad, yet not all that different than communities and landscapes.” many of the fire seasons since 2000. The destruction Attached to the letter was a draft executive order of property and loss of life due to wildfires seems (EO) developed by the National Wildfire Institute to becoming what some are suggesting is the “new under the leadership of Bruce Courtright. While I normal.” was not holding out much hope that the adminis-

Check the NSA website 26 National Smokejumper Reunion Statement of Intent [hypothetical] … the Forest Service will become much more promotional in the way it carries out its conservation mission. Simply put, we will be more aggressive in our actions and seek opportunities to make new progress to improve the land we are dedicated to care for and the lives of the people we serve. The Forest Service will be changing to meet the more contemporary demands of a growing America. The agency will not be reckless in its stance, but will also not be averse to making more-risky choices when these choices hold the potential for impor- tant gains. For example, it is largely accepted that the decline in forest management across the country has greatly contributed to the cur- rent wildfire situation and the associated impacts on people’s lives and their commu- Michael Rains (Courtesy M. Rains) nities. This is going to change. Immediately, I will be meeting with USDA Secretary tration would run with the draft EO, it did provide Sonny Perdue and Congress to gain ade- the opportunity to organize thoughts about what quate funding for the newly released Toward needs to be done to begin a campaign of effective Shared Stewardship Across Landscapes: An fire management resulting from aggressive forest Outcome-Based Investment Strategy. management. This will be the beginning of a long- Two action items in the draft EO were especially term campaign to ensure our forests become important. They are: more resilient to disturbances. I will be • Convene a “Commission on the Stewardship of counting on your aggressive, promotional America’s Forests.” This commission will be co- leadership to ensure our direct and indirect led by the secretaries of the U.S. Department of roles in the stewardship of America’s forests Agriculture and the Department of the Interior. are achieved, now and ahead. The Forest “... The commission will fully utilize the collec- Service chief, as America’s chief forester, will tive insight and innovation of a wide range of be relentless in leading the way. partners so trees, forests and forest ecosystems across all landscapes can become healthy, sustain- If something like this were communicated, it able, and more resilient to disturbances such as would constitute a clear and powerful “statement of insects, diseases and wildfire. intent.” The Toward Shared Stewardship Across Land- • Institute a long-term campaign of “aggressive scapes: An Outcome-Based Investment Strategy, with forest management to ensure effective fire man- adequate resources behind it to render the eloquent agement.” This would begin with a “statement of prose meaningful, could be the foundation for such intent.” For example, the new USDA undersecre- a “statement of intent.” tary for the Natural Resources and Environment mission area could talk to all the Forest Service The power of iconic leaders employees and say something like: Never underestimate the power of really good

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 27 www.smokejumpers.com promotional leaders. Their words can hold people partners shall develop a final “statement of and make us want to follow their guidance. I can intent.” This might be similar to the hypo- recall the time at an NLC meeting when Dale N. thetical statement presented above. This state- Bosworth was the Forest Service Chief. Bosworth ment must be simple and direct in its focus. is an iconic leader. In order to be a “campaign,” ambiguity needs We were discussing the Forest Service Strategic to be eliminated. It does not mean this state- Plan. I think there were nine major items called “ex- ment is all the Forest Service will be doing ecutive areas” and about 68 specific actions – clearly, – of course not. It simply states “... this will far too many to easily grasp and achieve focus. be a top priority campaign now and ahead.” Perhaps seeing a bit of exasperation on the faces Perhaps a key difference from the past: This of more than a few at the meeting, Bosworth stood “statement of intent” should have or actually be up and said, “... I think what we are really talking the imprimatur of the USDA, under the leader- about is four threats,” and he listed them: ship of the undersecretary, NRE; this position • Uncontrolled fires; “decides.” • Destructive invasive species; I never thought I would say this, but I am not • Irresponsible use of the national forests (with an sure anymore that the Forest Service Chief actu- immediate emphasis of controlling the use of ally “decides” on real program direction. Clearly, off-highway vehicles); and this is a function of the power of the individual. • Loss of open space. But recently, at least in my view, the position Think about this. In one statement, the chief has “played” with organizational tactics and left said we are going to begin to deploy an aggressive real influencing (“deciding”) of the conservation conservation mission along a rural – i.e., “uncon- direction for America to others. Perhaps a habit trolled fires” – to urban – i.e., “loss of open space,” has formed. land gradient to better care for America’s landscapes, The late organizational behavior specialist using our direct and indirect powers, and improve Dr. Paul Hersey would often say, “… there are people’s lives. Buckle up! those who play and those who decide,” when It was really quite magical in its simplicity. In just talking about influencing. He concluded, “… a few words, associated with his huge psychological to be effective, work more with those who de- size, Bosworth provided a “statement of intent” for cide.” Congressman Ken Calvert decides. Sen. all to embrace. And, we did. Lisa Murkowski decides. Congressman Rodney Without the exact words, he was proclaiming, P. Frelinghuysen and Sen. Richard Shelby de- Now is our time. cide. USDA Secretary Perdue decides. The USDA undersecretary for the NRE mission area decides. A forest fix for a fire fix Together, the USDA secretary, the NRE Looking ahead, it is paramount that USDA and undersecretary and maybe the Forest Service Forest Service leaders and a concerned citizenry Chief shall meet with key congressional lead- follow a similar course of action. That is, to shape, ers, especially the chairs of the Appropriation clearly communicate, and deploy a “statement of Subcommittees, Interior, Environment and Re- intent.” To me, the way forward includes four major lated Agencies, and the Office of Management steps: and Budget director to reconfirm the need for • Convening a commission-type event that would added resources and the amount to effectively establish the foundation for a cohesive “statement deploy Toward Shared Stewardship Across Land- of intent.” The focus of the commission would scapes: An Outcome-Based Investment Strategy. be determining a comprehensive, contemporary Candidly, at this point, the strategy seems to be strategy for aggressive forest management to filled with eloquent – yet empty – words. There ensure effective fire management. Simply put, is no ability to effectively deploy the strategy be- describe “…a forest fix to achieve a fire fix.” cause there is no “juice” (adequate funds) behind • From the actions of the commission-type event, the prose. the USDA, the Forest Service, and concerned The Forest Service needs minimally more

Check the NSA website 28 National Smokejumper Reunion than $2.2 billion annually until the gap from and urgent forest land management crisis.” It is shifting resources for the fire effort over decades not “mismanagement,” as Interior Secretary Ryan can be restored and fire suppression costs even- Zinke suggested; it is little or no management. tually decline. I thought that might be through This understanding will be heightened based 2023, but the funding increase may be needed on the foundations established through items even longer. 1-3. Let there be no doubt, the lack of effective As I stated in Part I of this series, I fully fire management due to the current conditions understand that an increase of more than $2.2 of forestlands is one of the greatest conservation billion in the annual appropriation for the For- issues we have ever faced. We cannot accept the est Service may seem significant. But, as I also status quo. Now is our time. concluded in another letter to the president on Sept. 2, 2018, “… the amount is small when A few final remarks compared to the annual losses America’s tax- In my last letter to the president, I said, “… payers are losing each year in wildfire-related if you want the wildfires to slow and become less damages to infrastructure, public health, and destructive, you have to emphasize forest manage- natural resources – $70 to $350 billion.” ment.” And, unlike what Zinke concluded, the No doubt, the benefits to costs for aggressive issue is not about “gross mismanagement” – it’s forest management is enormous. about little or no management of the forests along Recently, I was reading the special edition of a complex rural to urban land gradient. Smokejumper magazine from October 2018. In Yes, as the recent Carr Fire in Northern Cali- part, the article states: fornia shows, the urban forests can be part of the “What would happen if we would put a solution. couple billion [dollars] into the management of Since retiring in 2016, I have reflected a lot on our forests on an annual basis? Did you know the subject of leadership. Clearly, as part of the For- that we have spent over a TRILLION dollars est Service leadership team for many years, I was a in Afghanistan since 2001? I don’t like to delve piece of the successes and failures. When I sort it all into politics, but we spent $30.8 billion there in out, the thing that is dominant in my mind about 2016. Someone please show me the results for the top leaders is the ability to be “promotional” vs. that expenditure. History has shown that our “preventive.” I thought I was “promotional.” Look- trillion-dollar war will not achieve any of the ing back, I am not so sure. expected goals.” The “preventive” focus calls for “keeping it be- Often times, keeping things in context is tween the ditches,” as one leader explained to me. pretty darned important. More than $2.2 billion For the most part, this leadership style is avoiding per year is quite reasonable for the magnitude of risks – seeing goals as opportunities to maintain the job ahead. the status quo and keep things running “smoothly.” I will also say this. Experience has shown The “promotion focus,” on the other hand, sug- that aggressive forest management – specifically, gests leaders see opportunities for gains and a better expanded hazardous fuel removal, thinning of future. They do not avoid taking risks. forests, salvaging dead and dying trees, and in- I think most of the top leaders of the Forest novations in biomass uses – does indeed make Service actually believe they are “promotion focus” a huge difference in improving people’s lives, leaders. If this is true, then creating a new “state- protecting their property, and enhancing the ment of intent” as a foundation for “aggressive forest economic vibrancy of their communities. It’s a management to ensure effective fire management” wise investment. Now is our time. We need to – and working with those who decide to secure the “fix the forests” so we can “fix the fires.” required funds – will be much easier. • Somehow, get those who “decide” (Murkowski, If it is not true, nothing will change. This will Calvert, Perdue, Hubbard, Mulvaney, the presi- be a huge opportunity lost. Because, now is our dent, and others) to more fully understand that time. the current situation is a result of a “... serious References for this article are available upon request.

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 29 www.smokejumpers.com SOUNDING OFF from the Editor

the numbers. when Detective Friday (Drag- I hear the USFS net for the younger readers) say they put out finally breaks through, we 98% of the wild- find out there were plenty fires. What I’m of smokejumpers available concerned about and ready to go. Does this is the 2% that they sound familiar to the Biscuit don’t put out. This Fire in 2002? The line was the 2% is costing us same—lack of available re- billions and increas- sources. There were over 100 ing each year. Is smokejumpers available at burning down our the time. Scratch another by Chuck Sheley forests the best way 500,000 acres. (Cave Junction ’59) to reduce the fuel Detective Friday goes Managing Editor load? Let’s see, we to his dictionary. What is want to reduce the fuel load a “lie”? He sees the following: The Revolution and go back to the way things “Untruth, falsehood, fib, in- I look at it this way. I just were 200 years ago. vention, etc.” Joe is street-wise moved into another decade Fires left to burn in the and cuts right through the B.S. and probably don’t have a lot middle of the fire season, after He goes to the smokejumper of time left. But, at the same years of drought and bug kill, status report on the NSA time, I’m not ready to roll over will not burn like they did 200 website and sees that there was and play dead. Change takes years ago. I’ve read too many no shortage of smokejumpers place because people see that news reports that indicate that on the days these fires were it needs to be done. How long fires were “let burn” to correct reported. Joe leans over to will it take—who knows? the great job of suppression his partner, Office Bill Gan- What am I talking about? that we did over the decades. non, and they conclude that Here it is—we need to allow However, when these the Forest Service is guilty of the USFS back into the job of fires escape the “box” or the telling a lie. They both laugh managing forests. I’m guessing wilderness, which is predict- a bit. “This one was easy, Bill. that if you lived anywhere in able, the USFS says there are How about a beer or two be- the Western U.S. last summer, “no resources available” to do fore we hit the 405—traffic is you spent a lot of time breath- initial attack at the time. Later, heavy this time of day.” ing smoke. it is discovered that the fire Across the Pacific, Detec- Billions of dollars are was “let-burn” for a few days tive Steve McGarrett is having spent each fire season manag- before any action was taken. one heck of a time holding ing wildfire. Our pockets are After things go to pot, the back a young Detective Danny open and flowing because the story is changed to the “lack of Williams. Finally, McGar- general public is thinking that available resources.” rett shouts out the legendary the agencies are doing a good Bring in Joe Friday on this phrase, “Book ’em Danno.” job. Just have a natural disaster one: “Just the Facts Ma’am.” Has anyone actually proved and the checkbook is blank, Everyone working for the that the best way to clear our waiting for someone to fill in USFS is tight-lipped. However, forests and use our resources

Check the NSA website 30 National Smokejumper Reunion is to burn them down? If watershed, and cut down the “That’s a normal two-man- so, why not start a charcoal amount of money annually ner.” At least it used to be industry? Think of the PR the spent on wildfires. It will take when we were off the ground Forest Service could get with money and time. We need to within 10 minutes of the fire their new branded charcoal allow the USFS to get back call. Not the case any more, briquettes—”Your Forest in A into the management of the folks. Bag.” This would be the talk forests—let the professional I always go back to equat- of the town at every tailgate foresters do their job. ing it to your local fire depart- party from Alabama to Mon- How do you as an ex- ment pulling up in front of tana. smokejumper or current your burning house and asking There are better ways to smokejumper handle a photo if they should put it out now go. Michael Rains has done a of a single burning snag that, or wait a couple days and three-part series on Biomass after a couple days of watch- see what happens. You make for Smokejumper magazine. ing, develops into a fire that the call—your house—your He is showing that we can costs millions and thousands forests—charcoal or trees— reduce the fuel load, create of acres of our forests? time for a change. Speak up or jobs, cut smoke, reduce loss of I know you would say, forever hold your peace.

Cuisine Of An Idaho Fire Lookout by Howard Chadwick (McCall ’52)

wouldn’t have thought to shoot a deer out of mile down the mountain. season while working for the Forest Service if The meat took on a reddish hue, became IJoe Denny hadn’t suggested it. Why wouldn’t stringy and salty. There was a distinctive odor, not I listen to him? He was assistant district ranger. one of decay, but one I can still reproduce in my No college-trained, by-the-book man. He’d been a mind. A water soak removed some of the salt, but cowboy, a trapper, had met Charlie Russell back in not all. the twenties, in Montana. Slabs of meat resembling steaks, I fried in Now a seasonal Forest Service man. Winters, butter. Chunks, I boiled in stews. For the thin he played poker in the back room of the Smoke- sheets over the ribs, I remembered my mother’s house in Salmon while his wife taught school. rolled roasts, tied in string. My mother was Nova Too many deer, Joe said. There’ll be a big die-off Scotia English, not French, but she believed in this winter. Take some Morton’s Tenderquick up on tri-colored vegetables to accompany meat dishes. lookout with you. Knock off a dry doe, bone out Here, this translated to cans of carrots, peas and the meat, put it in a Tenderquick solution. There’s a corn. All cooking done on or in my wood stove. galvanized wash tub up there—use that. No electricity. So when a big doe came to the salt lick one Groceries restocked from Casey Mercantile in morning, no fawns in sight, it seemed right that I North Fork were ferried up the seven-mile trail ev- slip out to the porch, rest the nine-millimeter Luger ery two weeks on horseback by Rowler O’Connor, with its ten-inch barrel on the wood pile, squeeze the packer. On his first trip, I invited him to the trigger. A quicker death than starvation. lunch. Plopped down a steak that nearly covered My first deer. It did not come with instruc- his plate. He ate most of it, brought his own lunch tions, but I had once helped my uncle butcher next trip. I sent ten pounds of deer meat with him a calf. Within two days, the deer was de-boned, down to the trail crew. Never heard back. submerged in an opaque briny soup of Tender- My only non-Forest Service visitors were two quick and water. Water from a spring a steep half- young guys on horseback, looking to poach deer.

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 31 www.smokejumpers.com They stayed overnight, did not complain about last of it before leaving. my cooking. In fact, showed interest in the effect On a Sunday morning late in summer, I came of Morton’s Tenderquick on deer flesh. down from the tower and here was Mel Hyatt, My appetite stayed equal to the steady con- district ranger. A college man. For all I knew, a by- sumption of the transformed deer, due to my job the-book man. He’d walked up to see how Chad- list. Jobs to fill spaces between frequent trips up wick was getting along on Ulysses Lookout. “Let’s the sixty-foot tower to look for smoke: Rebuild see how you’ve done with your job list,” he said. the corral, with posts and poles cut from lodge- Rebuild corral – check. Woodpile – check. Paint pole pines a hundred yards down the mountain outhouse – check. Put up sign – check. and toted uphill on my shoulder. Cut, split and Last item – the garbage pit – and the wash tub stack a cord of stove wood. With ax and an old with what was left of the deer meat. As he lifted bucksaw – no chainsaw here. Paint the outhouse. the wooden cover, I thought, God, help me out Dig a garbage pit. Which held the tub of deer here. I’m going to lose my job. Maybe go to jail. meat, garbage being burned or stuffed down rab- But Mel only said, this where you keep your fresh bit holes. meat? He lowered the lid. With August came ripening of dwarf huck- We moved on to the cabin. Mel took in the leberries that had colonized much of the cleared dirty breakfast dishes in the sink, can of grouse space around the cabin and tower. Then came bones on the window sill. He wrote for a minute grouse, in pursuit of berries. A tasty alternative on his clipboard, then turned and said, “Howard, to red stringy deer meat. I lay on a landing of my you’re doing a pretty good job here. But – I have tower with my .22, aiming for their heads. Con- to mark you down for poor housekeeping.” science dictated that grouse with garnish of berries —Indianola Ranger District, Salmon National not completely replace deer in my diet – I ate the Forest, 1950.

Deb Yoder (RDD-00) clearing debris around her property in Paradise. She lost her house in the Camp Fire. The Good Samaritan Fund and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation supported her with financial aid. (Courtesy of D. Yoder)

Check the NSA website 32 National Smokejumper Reunion SMOKEJUMPERS HONORED, RECOGNIZED BY PEERS itch Hokanson (RDD-00) and Daniel an outstanding asset to the smokejumper Staab (NIFC-11) have been named as program. He has a terrific attitude, a great Mthis year’s recipients of the Al Dunton work ethic, and a selfless desire to help Smokejumper Leadership Award. others. Below is a summary of the contribu- The award is presented annually to one Bureau tions Mitch has made above and beyond his of Land Management and one U.S. Forest Service normal duties: smokejumper, each of whom goes beyond the re- Mitch is a member of the Safety First quirements of the job and demonstrates excellence program for Region 5. He has been an in leadership in one or more of the Wildland Fire outstanding voice for the smokejumper Leadership Principles: program in these meetings. He takes our safety concerns to the program and keeps us 1. Proficient in his/her job, both technically and informed on some of the safety trends that as a leader. the Forest Service is seeing. 2. Makes sound and timely decisions. He has been the technical specialist for 3. Ensures tasks are understood, supervised, and some of these safety concerns, especially accomplished. when they are chainsaw-related, and he has 4. Develops subordinates for the future. been tasked with addressing many of those 5. Knows his/her subordinates and looks out for safety-related issues. He has been involved their well-being. in several facilitated learning analysis events 6. Keeps his/her subordinates informed. and has done a fantastic job while partici- 7. Builds the team. pating in them. Mitch has a cool and calm 8. Employs his/her subordinates in accordance demeanor that really allows people to open with their capabilities. up to him while interviewing with him. 9. Knows him/herself and seeks improvement. Mitch is an expert with a chainsaw and 10. Seeks responsibility and accepts responsibility has moved full steam ahead with it. Mitch for all actions. first became the Region 5 crosscut saw co- 11. Sets the example. ordinator. He was very involved in keeping the crosscut program alive in Region 5, not One USFS base manager, one BLM base man- just for smokejumpers, but for all firefight- ager and one NSA board member make up the ers. selection committee. This panel had a very difficult He constantly traveled with the group task in selecting the 2018 recipients. to learn new ideas on training people with Congratulations to all the individuals have been saws. Again he was the technical expert for honored by their peers by being nominated for the much of the development of new saw cur- 2018 award, including Hokanson, Staab, Todd riculum, as well as certification processes. Haynes (MYC-02), Darby Thompson (RDD-04) Mitch has recently taken over as the Region and Benjamin Dobrovolny (FBX-04). 5 Saw Program manager. We are confident The award honors the memory and service of that Mitch will continue to leave his mark Alan J. “Al” Dunton (FBX-67), longtime base on the saw program and continue to im- manager in Fairbanks. prove the program as a whole. Hokanson has jumped all 19 seasons of his career Mitch has been taking on the Redding in Redding. From the Redding base’s nomination, Smokejumper tour program for many years. submitted by Josh Mathiesen (RDD-94): He is constantly working with local groups and arranging for them to come out to the Throughout his career, Mitch has been base to get a top-notch tour on the history

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 33 www.smokejumpers.com Mitch Hokanson (Courtesy M. Hokanson) Dan Staab (Courtesy NIFC)

and evolution of the program. This is a short list of some of the things Mitch tailors his presentations for his that Mitch has done for the Smokejumper audience and is always very professional community, and it displays some of his and informative. He works with schools, contributions to the greater wildland fire churches, special-needs groups, other fire organization and society. He is a great role groups and anyone who “just stops by.” He model for others, a tremendous teacher, and will always make himself available, even on he always leads by example, works hard and his weekends, to meet the schedules of these creates a positive image for the smokejump- groups. er program. Mitch also has tremendous skill in his chainsaw art. For many years Mitch has Staab has been in Boise his entire jumping career. been improving the Redding Smokejumper From that base’s nomination letter: Base with his carvings, working many long hours to turn stumps and dead trees into The BLM smokejumper program would masterpieces. like to honor Dan Staab with the 2019 Mitch creates many of the carvings as Al Dunton Award. Dan has consistently gifts for people who have moved on or demonstrated the leadership principles of retired and who were instrumental to the strength and integrity throughout his career. smokejumper program. He often does this As a smokejumper, Dan is in a league on his own time and at some of his own of his own. His strength on the fireline is expense. unmatched. He provides clear intent and Mitch has donated many of his carvings purpose. He applies attention to detail to for raffles that benefit organizations like his duties as senior parachute rigger. He is the Wildland Firefighter Foundation or to solution-driven with a solid safety record. families of firefighters who have suffered He is a man of action who leads from the traumatic events, or just to raise money for front. an event or cause that he feels is important Dan has represented our program as to the community. a division/group supervisor on a national

Check the NSA website 34 National Smokejumper Reunion Type I incident management team. He mentorship has helped develop some of the has demonstrated his ability to adapt and strongest smokejumper crewmembers since overcome with superior performance in the the inception of the program. role of incident commander Type III. His Dan has risen to every challenge put be- efforts have furthered the BLM fire mis- fore him. He has mentored ram-air transi- sion of aggressive initial attack and fostered tion candidates and has served as an instruc- interagency cooperation. tor for multiple courses. As a subject matter Dan served as a rookie trainer for five expert for a serious accident investigation, years, three of them as the lead trainer. His his service benefits the entire fire commu- contribution to the Boise smokejumper nity. Dan upholds the fundamental purpose rookie training will have a positive impact of the Boise smokejumper program – to for years to come. His instruction and provide the future leaders of the BLM.

A Short Story About Margarita Phillips by Andy Hayes (Missoula ’79)

considered Margarita (MSO-88) one of my best this could be a problem later. friends and did a lot of things with her, includ- We continued down the other side and back Iing running Marathons, half Marathons, and up the next ridge, following the edge of the fire as lots of 10Ks. I skied with her, I helped her train the closely as possible. The next chimney was as equally Great Northern Fire Crew, but most of all, I was a intense, but we also got through that one. As we Smokejumper with her. started back down the other side, we realized we Early in her career, we jumped a fire together might be able to hook the fire, but holding it was in the Kootenai N.F. It was 1991 and Margarita’s going to be a problem. Margarita and I got sent fourth season. It was a long, busy fire season start- back to check the line. As we feared, it had jumped ing in Alaska in mid-June. I jumped 15 fires that the line in the first chimney. Well, I looked at her year. It was October 17 when we jumped the Spruce and said, “This is going to be one shit fire.” We put Mountain Fire. It was always later referred to as the our heads down and dug until we couldn’t stand the shit fire by both of us. smoke any longer. The jump spot was high on a ridge top. Eight of We decided it would be best if we traded off dig- us jumped and the fire looked like a couple acres. It ging in the smoke. One of us jumped in for as long had been an extraordinarily dry fall and was still hot as we could stand and coming out blowing snot and and windy when we jumped. Everyone was pretty gasping for air. We kept doing this and it was not tired of the fire season by then and ready to get back pretty. We were both puking, eyes watering, and to our “ordinary lives.” We geared up for the shift snot running out our noses. We finally tied back in and walked down the long, steep ridge to the fire. and, by then the rest of the crew had come back to When we got down to the fire, the wind had us. At this point it was well after midnight and we picked up. It was typical Kootenai fire, brushy all realized we were going to be in for an all-nighter. steep, and it had several ridges and small chimneys The crew boss explained the situation and had involved. We definitely would have our hands full. been asking for reinforcements. Nothing was avail- We started digging line from the bottom and made able, and the fire really wasn’t very accessible for pretty good progress up, until we had to cross the ground crews. Plus, most of the local fire crew had top of one of these chimneys. The fire was intense gone back to school. None of us were in a good and the smoke was hard to deal with. With eight of mood. I was sitting in the fireline, head down, try- us, we were able to get through it, but we all realized ing to recover, when I heard the crew boss say, “We

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 35 www.smokejumpers.com need a couple of volunteers to hike up to the jump down and out, she was ready to pick up the slack to spot and bring down more water and food for the help everyone. It was over 2,000 vertical feet back night.” It was silent and I was staring at the ground to the jump spot, and I remember how hard it was to keep putting one foot in front of the other. We … we realized we might be able made it, and it was “a good workout.” The next day the fire jumped our fireline again to hook the fire, but holding it and we called a team in to manage it. They took was going to be a problem. three days to actually build a road to the bottom of the fire. By the time they got there, we had held sitting next to Margarita. She elbowed me and said, it for the last 24 hours. We were released and 80 “Let’s do it. It’ll be a good workout.” firefighters took over. This is no shit and ended the That is just the way she was. When everyone was fire season.

Continued Hiring Problems by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction ’59)

n the October 2018 issue of Smokejumper, we one except those in the USFS Human Resources dealt with USFS hiring problems. No longer Department. Idoes the agency have the ability to hire local As a person with many years in many phases of residents. The community feeling achieved when fire, I asked John Culbertson (FBX-69) to comment: the local youth were able to apply and get Forest Service jobs has been lost. All applications now go If I could change one thing for USFS to Albuquerque where they are evaluated. Smoke- fire, it would be to return to local person- jumper bases receive applications from people who nel officers and letting District Rangers and do not want to be smokejumpers. program managers do their own hiring. I know of one individual who was told he did not Watching local kids try to figure out qualify to be a smokejumper. He had five seasons of the hiring maze is sad. Again, the only real fire experience—two Type II Crews and three Hot- solution to this fire mess is to eliminate shots, plus a degree from the University of Oregon. the Forest Service and give all National When he asked for his application to be reevaluated, Forest management over to the states. A he was told that he actually did qualify. However, single Federal fire agency under BLM could since the application period had closed, his name continue the coordination of resources as is was not on the hiring list. done in Canada and Australia. Last week I had the opportunity to sit down The Forest Service is too broken to fix with a Fire Management Officer from a forest and now that the BLM is loosing local hire north of here. I was impressed with his attitude and going into the tailspin of political cor- and desire for quick Initial Attack. He was a rectness, I think it will soon follow. The use throwback to 30 years ago. We talked about the of full-time positions for what should be lack of ability to make local hires. He said that is seasonal jobs is ruining the work ethic in one of his problems. The local people live in the both agencies. The energy level of seasonal area, have community ties and know the country. workers and full-timers working together is The current system gives him hires from out of a missing element in today’s federal forestry state while the local applicants go to another state. programs. One need only listen to the folks For instance, the hires coming from New Mexico involved to know it is over. You just can’t fix to Oregon pass the hires going to New Mexico stuff like that. from Oregon. This would not make sense to any- Local agencies lead the way. The FIRE-

Check the NSA website 36 National Smokejumper Reunion SCOPE agencies, with the exception of the Finally, today, there were 10 approved rook- federal folks, already have local hire. When ies, plus one still waiting approval, sitting in formed, Federal agencies were vital to the front of me. The last rookie still is undergoing running of a country, in a mostly rural background checks. They are delaying the country such as ours, and played a bigger start of rookie training with hope that #12 role out of practicality. But, I do think our will get approval soon. country has become so big that it would be The system is broken. The key to es- better to break up many Federal lands and tablishing a working relationship with the put them under the authority of the states. towns, community, etc. is to hire local Many solutions have a greater probability of people. That was a key factor in the past success. when people were proud to work for the USFS and that reflected on the communi- I thought I was done with this article until my ties’ perception of the Forest Service. trip to the California Smokejumper base in Redding Our President, Bob McKean, has done yesterday (April 16). When I got home, I sent the an excellent President’s Message for the this following information to the NSA Board: Issue of Smokejumper. He asks the ques- tions that should be asked. Will anyone ever Today, after a two-week delay, I did my be able to answer these questions? annual Smokejumper History presentation After today’s session at Redding, I know to the RDD 2019 rookie class. Due to the that the young people who sat in front of many hiring problems from HR, they were me will be able to do the job. But, is the two weeks late in starting their rookie train- system so broken that, regardless of the tal- ing. There were supposed to be 12 rookies. ent, they will not be able to do that job?

Remembering Rich Farmer (Redding ’64) by Murry Taylor (Redding ’65)

made my first jump as a then for a good laugh. These days they routinely come rookie in 1965 with Rich. Rich was a really good south for all kinds of fire assign- I Rich rookied in ’64, so he FMO, good fireman and guy. ments. Towards the end of his was a Snookie. He was first in He was always working, keep- career, Rich was a Type 1 Ops the door, and I was second on a ing busy planting trees, burning Chief—quite a legacy. two-man stick. While on final, timber blocks, burning piles, Up until about seven years Rich turned to me and yelled, whatever he could to keep out ago, the FS used to hire Rich "Hey, you Rookie, just don’t get of the office. He was also the on AD (emergency type hire). between me and the spot.” main reason that the Hotshot I’d be on Duzel Rock Lookout Well, we both had a bunch crews from Alaska (the Chena and hear him huffing and puff- of twists and by the time we and the Midnight Suns) were ing up the hill on some fire, untwisted, it was time to pre- brought down to the Lower 48, getting to the top, giving them pare for our equally crappy beginning with the Klamath a size-up, and then, sometimes, landings on good ole Mother National Forest. They stayed directing retardant. Rich was a Earth. Turns out I got closer to in the barracks at Callahan and good man, solid fireman, and the spot than Rich. I used to were considered by the locals to a lot of fun. Glad I got time bring that up to him now and be the best to ever work there. with him.

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 37 www.smokejumpers.com The Story of Frank Derry, Inventor of the “Derry Slot” by Jack Nash (Missoula ’42)

The following is from an article in Dave Burt’s (MSO- and ran a pickup and delivery service from 47) scrapbook saved and forwarded to me by Karl Seal Beach to Clover Field in Santa Monica. Brauneis (MSO-77). (Ed.) Frank was the West Coast distributor for Eagle Parachutes, so when Eagle tried out hen the notice of Frank Derry’s (MSO- for the experiments (smokejumper experi- 40) death appeared, I was somewhat mental program) in 1939, Frank got the job Wsurprised, for he had appeared to be to perform the jumps. in good health shortly before. I had to remember Frank and I met Chet and Virgil “Bus” though, that it had been 26 years since I first met Derry in Winthrop, Washington. After we Frank, when the USFS Smokejumpers assembled at started jumping, Francis Lufkin (NCSB- the Nine Mile Ranger Station, some 25 miles west 40) jumped with us. of Missoula, Montana, for the start of the 1942 In 1940, Frank and I came back to training season. Winthrop, trained one squad of jumpers, I believe this letter from Glenn Smith (NCSB-40) then went over to Missoula and trained gives a good background of Frank’s early activities: three squads. You know who those guys were, so you, Jim and Cooley (MSO-40) Dear Jack, ought to be able to take it from there. Well, Received your letter and Rufe’s (Rufus Jack, say Hi to Earl, Krout (Leonard/MSO- Robinson MSO-40). Good to hear from 46), and anyone else left around there that both of you again. About Frank, was sure I know. sorry to hear of his death (8/2/68). As you know, I ran his loft for a few years before we Of the squads that trained in 1940 at Seeley Lake went on the experiments, so will bring you Ranger Station, 55 miles northeast of Missoula, guys up to 1940-41 from 1934. Rufe Robinson and Earl Cooley made the first fire Frank spotted me on my first jump in jump for the USFS on July 12, 1940. Rufe is at Le- September 1934 at Gardena Valley Airport, nore, Idaho, and Earl is the Supt. of the Parachute which was located in south Los Angeles. We Project at Missoula. Earl’s comments on the first used an old “Commander,” three-place Bi- year of training are as follows: plane. Pilot sat in back and Frank and I side by side in the front seat. It took about five One key smokechaser was selected from minutes to get to 2,000 feet. Frank got me each of seven forests in R-1 to carry on the out on the wing, whacked me on the shoul- experimental smokejumper program. Each der and away I went. I think he and the of these men were to be single and between pilot both looked whiter than I did. After the ages of 21 and 25. I had made a few jumps, I started jump- Rufus Robinson was selected from the ing air shows with him. He had his loft at Nez Perce, Jim Alexander from the old old Mines Field, which is now Los Angeles Cabinet, Jim Waite from the Clearwater, International Airport. Dick Lynch from the Flathead, Earl Cooley I jumped air shows from Calexico-Mex- from the Bitterroot, Leonard Hamilton icali to Boulder Dam with him. After I got from the Lolo and Bill Bolen from the Koo- my rigger’s license, I went to work for him tenai. These men were to take the smoke-

Check the NSA website 38 National Smokejumper Reunion jumper training at the Seeley Lake Ranger before we went to Moose Creek for our Station. Leonard Hamilton, unfortunately, summer assignment. The rest of the crew did not pass the rigid physical examination varied from two to five practice jumps, and had to be dropped. Bill Bolen dropped depending on the extent of injuries they out after his third jump for personal rea- had received in training. I recall getting sons, and this left five trainees with Chet some training jumps in Moose Creek after and Frank Derry to carry on the experiment we were located. We went to Moose Creek in 1940 in Region-1. on July 10th. Rufus and I were to jump on In contrast to the training our jumpers the first actual forest fire jump on July th12 receive today, we had just finished putting of that year. up two 14x16 tents, butted end to end, for From the year 1940, when the first fire a loft and had set up three tent frames for jump was made, we have made over 75,000 sleeping quarters. Frank Derry, our instruc- parachute jumps in the USFS Smokejumper tor, hung up an Eagle Parachute in a tree Program without a fatality. and gathered the crew around him. He said, The closest thing I can remember to a “This is the apex of the chute, these are fatality was in 1944 when I was spotting the load lines and tomorrow we jump” and from the Trimotor and dropping two men tomorrow we jumped! This was the extent to a stick. Both men were hooked up on the of our conditioning. However, we had all approach, but when the first man jumped, been working on trail crews and were in his static line hit the tongue of the snap on good shape. the second man’s static line, and as the man Jim Waite and I got 10 practice jumps left the door, his static line fell from behind

“A Derry Slot is a gap be- tween the two adjacent gores on a conventional round parachute, since both sides of the gap or slot are of equal length and subject to the same forces, the gap is nor- mally closed though of course air escapes through it. A steering line is attached to the centre of each side of the gap, if one steering line is pulled down, the slot opens and the escaping air is directed towards the side on which the line was pulled, thus making the canopy turn.” —The Sport Parachutist Historic photo of Frank Derry training a prospective smoke- jumper in simulated landing was taken by W. J. Mead, CCC photographer, 1941. (The Internet Archive)

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 39 www.smokejumpers.com him. I reached for the snap as it went out The 1941 group increased to 24 men, the 1942 the door, but missed it by inches. group to 37. Merle Lundrigan (MSO-41) was As we were coming over the ridge and the project superintendent for fire training and spotting back into the side hill, it left con- instructed us in the use of fire tools and fire control siderable elevation for the jumper to play methods. Frank directed us in all phases of para- with. When the jumper left the plane, he chute training. The first introduction of the 1942 went into a big swan dive in the direction class to parachutes and parachuting was a lecture the plane was going, as we had the motors given by Frank on parachute history from the time cut for jumping. It permitted me to holler of DaVinci and a display of the parachute equip- for the man to pull his rip cord, which I did ment we would use. Frank certainly had a relaxed repeatedly. He said he could hear me okay, way of instructing. Never talking loud, but to those but it just didn’t dawn on him what to do of us who had never seen a parachute or ridden in for some time. He drifted down beyond the a plane, his manner was reassuring. By the time he fire camp location, a distance of around 600 had us ready for our first jump, we had confidence yards from the original jump spot where in him, the equipment, and in ourselves. his partner had landed. He got about 200 The jumping equipment used at that time, in feet from the ground before he pulled his addition to the heavy padded canvas suit with the emergency—he oscillated twice and hit high collar, included what we called a “belly-band” the ground without a scratch. Everyone in which kept pressure on the areas most susceptible the fire camp presumed he had augered in to rupture and leather anklets which laced snugly and came running to pick up the remains. over our heavy logger type boots. The use of these We were surprised to see him standing up, two items has long been discontinued. The padded laughing and joking with people saying, jump suit, now made of nomex cloth, the helmet, "Well, I guess I fooled you that time." leather gloves, and heavy boots are still required.

FINAL CHAPTER—EDWARD J. WEISSENBACK (CJ-64) SEPTEMBER 7, 1942—DECEMBER 27,1971

The following was from an email from Karen Moen Edward had been home unexpectedly for last December. Christmas when another plane, on which he was working, came under fire at one of Lao bases on ast Friday, 46 years, 360 days after Air December 24th. That crew was given December America flight #293 was shot down in Lnorth western Laos by a Chinese artillery crew, I received a telephone call from the Director of the Defense POW/MIA Agency with informa- tion that remains of my husband and Amber’s father have been positively identified using DNA samples contributed by Edward’s mother and sister in 1998. Edward left our home in Vientiane the morn- ing of December 26th, 1971, for a routine, three- day work assignment—except during that time of year, when fighting was the heaviest, no flight as- signment could ever really be considered routine. (Courtesy Karen Moen)

Check the NSA website 40 National Smokejumper Reunion 25th off while they waited to be re-assigned to three excavations was in progress. their next planes. In the early afternoon of De- Edward was a glorious young man of twenty- cember 27th, we learned that flight #293, with nine when he died. He was the most vitally alive a load of seven tons of ammunition, had been person I’ve ever met and, when it appeared he missing for several hours. In that place during that might be dead, it seemed as though there should time, this could mean only one thing. The plane be a hole in the universe. He loved life, he loved remained lost until the summer of 1998 when the his family, and he loved his friends. With the news crash site was found. we received, past and present seemed to collide Three Americans and one Lao died that De- momentarily as we all had a chance to remember cember day. Captain George Ritter, First Officer and mourn the young man who missed so much, Roy Townley, and Air Freight Specialist Edward but had lived his life to its fullest in the time he Weissenback have now all been identified from was given. May they all continue to rest in peace, bone fragments found during recent excavations and may their memories continue to be a blessing of the crash site. I visited the site while the first of for us all.

NSA Good Samaritan Fund Contributions

Donor In Memory Of/Honor of Donor In Memory Of/Honor of Dave Blakely (MSO-57)...... Dave Poncin (MSO-58) Fred Ebel (MSO-57)...... Craig Smith (MSO-57) Gary Shade (MSO-69)...... GSF Camp Fire Relief John MacKinnon (MSO-57) Gary Hannon (MSO-60).Roland Andersen (MSO-52) Ron Thoreson (CJ-60)...... GSF Camp Fire Victims Doc Lammers (MSO-71)...Steve Clairmont (MSO-62) Bob McKean (MSO-67...... GSF Curt McChesney (MSO-75) Milt Knuckles (MSO-61)...Steve Clairmont (MSO-62) Jim Phillips (MSO-67) Greg Herbold...... GSF John Lively (RDD-57)...... Mick Swift (CJ-56) Don Stevenson (MSO-55)...... GSF/Scholarships Roary Murchison (RDD-57) Doug Bernhard (NCSB-58)...... GSF Camp Fire Relief Guy Hurlbutt (IDC-62)...... Steve Carlson (IDC-62) Freddie Sittner (RAC-76)...... GSF Camp Fire Relief Steve Wilson (IDC-62)...... from his 1962 Idaho City Chris Young (WYS-18)...... GSF Bob Montoya (IDC-62)...... Ned buddies. Murray Lawson (NCSB-73)...... GSF Camp Fire Relief Pat Burtch (IDC-62)...... Major Boddicker (MSO-63)...... Steve Clairmont Don Havel (FBX-66)...... Gary Dunning (FBX-66) (MSO-62) Adam Lauber (RDD-99)...... Chris Gunter (RDD-01) Dennis Parker (MSO-67) Margaret/Tom Callahan...... Steve Carlson (IDC-62) GSF Camp Fire Relief Tom Kovalicky (MSO-61).....Fritz Wolfrum (MSO-53) Bill Ruskin (CJ-58)...... GSF Camp Fire Relief Bill Hale (MSO-53) Howard Chadwick (MYC-52).... GSF Camp Fire Relief Jim Manion (MSO-54) Frank Just (MYC-54)...... GSF Camp Fire Relief Pat/Joan Kelly...... Dave Bohning (RAC-68) Les Domingos (NCSB-64)...... GSF Camp Fire Relief

Contributions since the previous publication of donors April 2019 Total funds disbursed to smokejumpers and families since 2004-$181,240 Mail your Good Samaritan Fund contributions to: Chuck Sheley, 10 Judy Ln., Chico CA 95926

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 41 www.smokejumpers.com Remember and honor fellow jumpers with a gift to the NSA Good Samaritan Fund in their name. Hard times can fall on many of us at any Off time. The NSA is here to support our fellow jumpers and their families through the Good Samaritan Fund. Mail your contribution to: The Chuck Sheley 10 Judy Lane List Chico, CA 95926

William H. Covey (Missoula ’47) ing during which he chartered two banks and Bill, 90, died on January 13, 2019, in Ka- became president of the Montana Independent lispell, MT. He grew up in Missoula and joined Bankers. the USFS in 1944 at age 16 and worked three In 1984 he became Chairman of the Indepen- seasons before joining the Army. Upon discharge, dent Bankers of America and was appointed to the he worked as a smokejumper from 1947-52. Bill Consumer Advisory Council in 1998. Jack was went to the University of Montana on the GI Bill involved in many community and state organiza- and graduated with a degree in forestry in 1952 tions throughout his life. He was the founder of and rejoined the Army as a counter intelligence the Highlander Track Club that, over a 44-year officer in D.C. until his discharge in 1955. After span, provided a track program for over 14,000 his discharge, he completed his master’s degree in grade school kids. Jack jumped at Missoula for the forestry and went to work for Bob Helan Logging 1947-48 seasons. before joining the USFS in 1959. Bill’s 25-year career with the Forest Service Stephen M. Carlson (Idaho City ’62) included positions as District Ranger, Forest Su- Steve died December 29, 2018, at his home in pervisor, and Director of Timber Management for Gig Harbor, WA. He was a graduate of Oregon the Northern Region. State University and joined the Marine Corps and Upon retirement, Bill lived in Flathead Lake was among the first troops to serve in Vietnam. and spent the last 20 years in Kalispell, where he Steve taught middle school in Grants Pass, Or- was a passionate hunter, fisherman and outdoors- egon, before a smokejumping injury ended both man. careers. Steve then went to work for Weyerhaeuser and retired in 2000. Richard A. Farmer (Redding ’64) Steve worked with the Boy Scouts for over Rich died March 4, 2019. He started his career thirty years and was very active in the NSA Trails with the USFS on the Shasta Trinity N.F. as a Program. He was the editor of the annual Trails fire crewman. Rich rookied at Redding and was Program Report. Steve jumped at Idaho City part of the “retread” program every year through 1962-64, 1967-69, Boise 1970, and Cave Junc- 1974. tion 1971. He was an Operations Section Chief on a Type 1 team for eight years while being Fire Manage- David C. Bohning (Redmond ’68) ment Officer on the Scott River RD in the Klam- Dave died December 21, 2018. He jumped at ath N.F. Rich retired in 1997. Redmond 1968-70, 72-76, 78-79, and 1992.

Albert J. “Jack” King (Missoula ’47) H. Curtis McChesney (Missoula ’75) Jack died February 13, 2019. He graduated Curt, 66, died January 31, 2019. He became from the University of Montana in 1950 with a wildland firefighter on his th18 birthday and a degree in business administration and played worked his way up through the ranks of the For- safety and backup quarterback for the Grizzlies. est Service until he retired after 35 years in 2005 Jack then began a 60-plus-year career in bank- as a Fire Management Officer on the West Fork

Check the NSA website 42 National Smokejumper Reunion District of the Bitterroot N.F. of Pharmacy at Idaho State. He jumped at McCall In addition to his career in the Forest Service, 1955, 58 and 1961 and served as a medic in the he brought his passion for the outdoors to his Army. work as a ski instructor, patroller and fly fish- ing guide. Curt rose to the ranks of a level three Rich Petaja (Missoula ’65) professional ski instructor and shared his passion Rich died March 2019. He graduated from the for the sport through coaching and instructing University of Montana before entering the Army children and adults alike. Many of his students where he was a Captain during the Vietnam War. went on to excel as alpine and freestyle competi- Rich and his family moved several times during tors. Curt jumped at Missoula 1975-88. his time in the service before coming back to Mis- soula, where he obtained a Master’s Degree. George N. Sedlmayer (McCall ’55) The family moved to Helena where Rich began George, 84, died March 8, 2019, following an a 30-year career with the Department of Correc- extended illness. He got his degree in Pharmacy tions. After retirement he did volunteer work with from Idaho State University. George worked as a the Red Cross and worked for FEMA in hurricane Pharmacist and was adjunct faculty to the College recovery. Rich jumped at Missoula 1965-66.

Get a life membership? I probably won’t live long enough to make it pay off. by Jim Cherry (Missoula ’57)

ow many times have for $100, and 10 years for you are, and provides a way I heard that reply to $120. At the end of these to keep you informed about Hmy suggestion that time periods, an individual smokejumper reunions and “in someone consider investing in will need to renew his or her the know” about events that a National Smokejumper Asso- membership. affect the lives of the smoke- ciation Life Membership? Too That membership basically jumper community. many to remember. Yet, to provides the funds neces- Of course, if you want to date there are more than 370 sary for the production and crawl under a rock and simply individuals who had made the mailing of the Smokejumper disappear and become un- decision that the investment is magazine and for keeping the known to those who shared worth it—even if they might NSA website up and oper- this life-shaping smokejumper not live long enough to “make ating and current for your life with you, then the best it pay off.” use for the duration of the way to do that is to not pur- Unfortunately, there are membership. chase an NSA membership— some misunderstandings about I hope you all realize what regardless of the length of the difference between an NSA a bargain you’re getting in time. The NSA and members membership and an NSA life receiving the magazine four of the smokejumper commu- membership. Let me explain. times a year and having the nity soon won’t know if you’re The NSA membership website with all its resources dead or alive. is time-limited and can be available “only a mouse click As you can see, there is an purchased for a specific time away.” advantage in going with the period—one year for $30, The membership also al- multiple-year membership. Do two years for $50, five years lows the NSA to know where the math and you’ll see that

June 26–28, 2020 in Boise 43 www.smokejumpers.com the longer memberships are tax advisor. had the privilege of being a real money savers. The longer Again, do the math. If your part of this “band of broth- memberships save the NSA vision is only to go the least- ers.” time and money from having costly way, you will quickly So, how big is your vision? to constantly be in a member- see that a cap and a plaque Can you see a path to an NSA ship-renewal mode. and a lifetime of receiving the life membership in your life’s So, are you trying to gauge magazine will not satisfy your journey? how long you might live and goal. If, however, you have a If you already have a multi- then match your membership larger vision that includes an year membership—let’s say a to your guessed-at life expec- appreciation for and a desire 10-year membership at $120, tancy? Fair enough. You might to support the NSA’s Mission and you are in the second hit it right—but then again, Statement—then an NSA life year of that membership—the maybe not. Are you good at membership begins to make a NSA will credit your remain- guessing the stock market, or lot of sense. ing years toward your life do you end up buying high and selling low? The NSA life membership is a “horse of a different color.” The National Smokejumper Association, It is NOT a time-limited purchased membership. It is through a cadre of volunteers and partnerships, a donation to an NSA Life Member restricted fund. That is dedicated to preserving the history and lore of fund preserves the $1,000 smokejumping, gift donation and treats it as though it was an endowment. maintaining and restoring our nation’s forest and Only the earnings from that rangeland resources and fund are used while the princi- responding to special needs of smokejumpers and pal remains intact. their families. In appreciation for the Life Member donation, the NSA provides the Smoke- jumper magazine to the donor The NSA life member- membership donation. That is, through the donor’s lifetime ship donation undergirds the 10 years less two years equals and then, if desired, to the financial soundness of the eight years of credit. donor’s spouse through his/ NSA. The earnings from that That would mean $12 her lifetime. The donor also restricted fund—together times eight years equals a $96 receives a gift of an NSA Life with other donations from credit toward a $1,000 life Member cap and a plaque suit- the NSA membership—sup- membership donation. able for home or office with port the NSA Scholarship If a Life Member donation name engraved. Program, the Good Samari- is too big a jump for your bud- Since these “gifts of ap- tan Fund, the preservation get, the NSA is willing to set preciation” have very limited of smokejumper history and up a donation plan with you value in comparison to the lore, the Trails Program and that will extend over several size of the donation, a signifi- the NSA traveling museum years. cant portion of the gift may displays. In short, the NSA Don’t count yourself out. qualify as a charitable tax de- life membership creates and We can help you make it hap- duction. The NSA is a 501(c) supports a legacy for smoke- pen. (3) not-for-profit organiza- jumpers—for you and for me Questions? Contact me at tion. A donor should consult a and for everyone who has ever [email protected].

Check the NSA website 44 National Smokejumper Reunion Joe Kroeber Selected As 2018 TRAMPS Volunteer Of The Year by Bob Whaley (Missoula ’56)

he National Smokejumper Association Trail Crew Committee—TRAMPS—has Tselected Joe Kroeber (MSO-62) as its 2018 Volunteer of the Year. Prior to his rookie year as a jumper, Joe worked for the USFS in 1961 on the St. Joe Forest on blister rust control. His crew was on seven fires that summer, which served to whet his appetite for a future wildland fire endeavor. As a result, Joe worked in the jumper program for 12 years, accumulating 125 jumps and battling fires in eight states. He jumped in Grangeville in 1963 and Silver City in 1964, but his best year was in Alaska in 1968 with 19 fire jumps. Joe was squadleader in Missoula from 1966 through 1970 and again in 1972. He didn’t jump in 1971, but was engaged in Joe Krober (Courtesy J. Kroeber) the parachute loft, “tolerating” the tutelage of Hal Samsel (MSO-49) and Jack Nash (MSO-42) as he pursued and obtained his Master Rigger Certificate. Dakota House of Representatives for 20 years, retir- Joe had what many of us dreamed of when he ing in 2012. I mentioned at one time to him that was selected to participate in the Retread Program, he had to retire, since most of his friends or relatives when asked to come back in 1985 and 1986 with either died or moved out of his district! Larry Eisenman (MSO-58) to train and return Joe’s been a busy boy and a standout in the NSA home to await a call for those fire seasons. This Trails Program, having participated every year since resulted in two fire jumps each year. the inaugural season in 1999. That was the year Art Joe had an interesting career. He’s from James- Jukkala (MSO-56) and Jon McBride (MSO-54) town, N.D., graduating from Valley City State launched the first two projects in the Blackfoot Di- College in 1965 with double majors—Biology, vide area of the southern Bob Marshall Wilderness and Health and Recreation—and earned a Master’s and the Spotted Bear Ranger District up north— degree in Education from North Dakota State Uni- both in Montana. versity in 1969. That’s 20 years, folks, and Joe has made every He earned certifications with the National Ath- one of them having served as cook and “doc” on letic Trainers’ Association and National Registry nearly all. His training and medical awareness was of EMTs and certification for CPR. He coached of note on the very first project with Art, when we and taught at Jamestown High School from 1970 embarked out of Monture Guard Station on a glo- through 1991, and taught anatomy/physiology part- rious morning in July 1999. A tragedy occurred at time at Jamestown College during 2002-11. the end of the first day when Art collapsed with a He holds credentials for secondary school prin- massive heart attack in camp. cipal-level instruction. Joe ran to Art’s aid, and he and I began CPR but He served as a state representative in the North to no avail.

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 45 www.smokejumpers.com After putting a game plan together for a helicop- Joe has been an outstanding stalwart throughout ter retrieval, the two of us hightailed it back to the the 20 years of this highly successful program. It trailhead—which took about two hours, compared is with great pleasure that he has been selected as to the six or so going in—and back to the guard the recipient of this special Volunteer of the Year station. There, Joe organized official contacts and award, and we anticipate many more years with Joe administrative details for Art’s recovery with the as we move into our third decade of the program. Powell County sheriff and coroner, which was sat- Congratulations, Joe. isfactorily completed that afternoon.

NSA Trails Project New Mexico—August 2018 by Mike Overby (Missoula ’67)

he New Mexico TRAMPS had its second and lightning. The men, members of an elite trail- trail project in the San Pedro Parks Wilder- clearing group, were working on a six-mile loop Tness in New Mexico’s Santa Fe National trail when they were hit by this unexpected storm. Forest in August 2018. The group had been asked When you hear how these men, ages 61-78, again by the Santa Fe Chapter of Back Country volunteer for several weeks each year to clear trails Horsemen to return after they saw the great work for horseback riders, ranchers and hikers, you will done in 2017. never look at a cut log from the trail in the same Team members for the project included Mike way. Overby, Jon Klingel (CJ-65), Doug Wamsley (MSO-65), Allison Stout (MYC-80), Java Bradley Need for horses (MSO-74), and associate members Alan Wonders Each year TRAMPS teams in eight states take of Dallas and Mark Rivera of Angel Fire, N.M. on about two projects each. The project for this During five full days of trail work, the team particular team was to clear trails in the San Pedro cleared 6.25 miles and cut 307 trees. The result was Parks Wilderness of the Santa Fe National Forest. a nice loop to and from Vega Rodonda, where camp Some TRAMPS projects are near drive-in was located. campgrounds, offering the luxury of overnighting Members of Back Country Horsemen – includ- in trailers or campers and walking short distances ing the owner/editor of Horse Around New Mexico to the project site. But this team was going to magazine, Cecilia Kayano – visited us on the last clear trail five miles from the nearest drive-in day of the project. Here is Kayano’s account of the campground. group’s interaction with the TRAMPS crew: They coordinated with the U.S. Forest Service and the Santa Fe Chapter of Back Country Horse- etired smokejumpers return to the wilder- men to pack in their gear: a 40-foot-by-40-foot ness they love, not to contain wildland heavy vinyl tarp, tables, chairs, cook stoves, cool- Rfires this time around, but to keep trails ers, food, and professional sawyer crosscut saws, clear for riders, ranchers and hikers. Pulaskis and peavies. Seven men were hunkered down in the middle Having the horsepower was critical. “We of the San Pedro Parks Wilderness, some assum- couldn’t pack all this gear up here,” said TRAMPS ing the anti-lightning position of knees to chest, member Jon Klingel. “We couldn’t do this with- arms crossed over heart. There had been a sudden out the help of Back Country Horsemen.” boom of thunder, followed by rain, hail, wind, The men carried their personal gear from the

Check the NSA website 46 National Smokejumper Reunion trailhead five miles uphill to a campsite on the if there was a forest fire. How would the firefight- edge of the Vega Redonda. Seven BCH members ers get in here if the trails were blocked?” and pack animals, including horses, mules and Both Lattner and the TRAMPS members one burro, followed them. At the end of the day, know that the Forest Service does not have funds there was enough gear and food at the site for six to clear many of the trails in national forests and days in the wilderness. wildernesses, and that by volunteering to do it, they are keeping access open to the backcountry Trail-clearing machines for all. Although BCH members are good at clearing trail, the TRAMPS teams are expert. A precious gift of a clear trail “They are true professionals,” said Joan On their final morning, TRAMPS had cleared Lattner, President of the Santa Fe Chapter of Back the six-mile loop, making passable some of the Country Horsemen. “When they go out, they are messiest sections of trail in the San Pedro Parks like a team of finely tuned log-cutting machines. Wilderness. They packed up their gear so that They have the knowledge and the tools.” when six BCH members and their horses, mules Joan witnessed the team clearing part of the and burro arrived, they were ready to tie the gear six-mile loop out of the Vega Redonda. There was on the stock and head back down to the Resum- very little need for words as the men walked from idero Campground. log blockage to blockage. Each one had a respon- Their timing was perfect: Four nights later, 54 sibility, to man a specific saw, to lubricate blades, BCH members from chapters around the state to move the cut logs, to saw branches. gathered at Resumidero for their yearly celebra- When the thunderstorm came in, they set tion. Many rode the loop that the smokejumpers down all metal tools, took cover and protected had cleared, plus other main trails that had been themselves against lightning strikes. It took them recently cleared by BCH members. five days to clear the loop, which included a half- There were no worries, no high logs to step mile section of crisscrossed blowdown. over, no tangles of blow down to try to bypass. For years it had been impossible for horseback There were only sawed logs, whitish yellow from riders to pass. Even hikers had a difficult time their recent cuts, and small damp piles of sawdust walking around and climbing over the mess of still there. downed trees. Before he left for his home in Farmington, N.M., TRAMPS member Watson “Java” Bradley Their reasons for doing it wished the BCH members a good time. “You guys “That’s why we all clear trails, for hikers, horse- are going to be amazed by what we did. You guys back riders and ranchers,” Lattner said. “Imagine will ride a damned good trail.”

Thank you Trooper Tom by Mel Tenneson (Fairbanks ’86)

mokejumpers are quite a different breed: hard- years, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication working, resourceful, innovative, somewhat to turn a great idea into reality. Tom Emonds (CJ- Scrazy, and a little bit on the thrill-seeking side. 66) has done just that by creating, developing, and Throughout my smokejumping career, I have had constantly improving his Dragon Slayer firefighting the pleasure of working with many great people, and tool. I continue to enjoy it immensely. Smokejumpers On May 26, 2018, I found myself jumping have come up with some great ideas throughout the a fire at 8500’ on the White River N.F. out of

June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 47 www.smokejumpers.com Grand Junction, Colorado. to carry both heads. In the Pinyon/Juniper fuel type Ben Agol (NIFC-17), Slay in the Great Basin, the shovel head (locked in at the Windham (NIFC-17), Ben 90 degree angle) is great for scraping and also great Faust (NCSB-15), and my- for reaching under the pinyon/juniper and spread- self jumped a scenic mead- ing out the needle cast. I have banged on rocks for ow surrounded by fir and hours with the shovelhead digging line, and have spruce approximately 300 never broken the head or the handle. The long yards from the fire. We were handle with the shovelhead lets you reach way under surprised to be headed to the branches to reach the needle cast near the base. a fire at this elevation so I also prefer the Troop tool Pulaski head to the early in the year (normally standard Pulaski. The head is like a “super P” and there would still be snow at digs a wider line than the standard Pulaski, more this elevation). We gathered line dug with the same swing. The Pulaski cuts well up our jump gear, retrieved and has riveted blades that can be replaced over cargo, and prepared to head time if needed. The handle is well designed, fits in Troop Tool with handle to the fire. the hand well, and keeps you a little more upright I grabbed the Troop tool when digging. We do have some “swatter” head at- with the Pulaski head and the shovelhead attach- tachments for the Troop tool also, but they are tied ment. We proceeded to the fire and started to cut onto the fire pack in a separate bag if desired by the sawline and line the fire. We tied in with a few jumpers. ground resources (engine crew), including Tim Nix I just wanted to say “Thank you” to Trooper Tom (NIFC-15) who had hiked into the fire. It became who had a great idea, and took the time, effort, and apparent that it was very dry for this time of year fortitude, to produce, refine, and market a quality and the 1000-hour fuels were actually burning. The product. Like I said before, a lot of good ideas have line digging reminded me of Region 6, as there was been thought of, but to follow through on some- a huge amount of duff around the spruce and fir. thing like this to what it has evolved into today is In fact the duff was so deep, that with the ordinary truly remarkable. I am surprised that this tool is not Pulaski (we have one Pulaski in each fire pack and used more throughout the firefighting community. one Troop tool with the Pulaski and shovel head), Other jumpers have followed through with great the duff kept falling back into the trench. I swapped ideas over the years, like Mike McMillian (FBX-96) out the Pulaski head and started to use the shovel- and his Pulaski sheath. So continue to keep up the head at the 90-degree angle to clean out the trench. great work. We thank you for taking the time and After a few hours of digging, I got to thinking about effort to help out the firefighting community. my friend Trooper Tom who had developed the tool. I remember Troop always coming up with ideas either on fires or around the jump shack in Fair- banks. He wanted to make a better tool than the Pulaski, and one that was multi-purpose and would National Smokejumper work in many different fuel types. He also was involved in making foam nozzles etc. when foam Reunion was first introduced to us. Troop’s first attempt at making the tool was a little rough, as he was try- June 26–28, 2020 ing different ideas and different materials trying to incorporate them into one tool. Troop never gave in Boise, Idaho up, and he continued to refine and develop his tool. Over the years, the Dragon Slayer tool has evolved into a great firefighting tool for the fire community. Prepare to Prepare! Every time I jump a fire, I reach for the Troop tool, either to carry as a Pulaski, or as a shovel, or

Check the NSA website 48 National Smokejumper Reunion