SMOKEJUMPER, ISSUE NO. 52, JULY 2006 ISSN 1532-6160 Name Base Kennith Jensen
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The National Smokejumper Quarterly Magazine SmokejumperAssociation July 2006 Russian Smokejumpers: Pre-War Years............................................... 9 The Death of PFC Malvin Brown.................................................... 14 Recollections of Time and the Gobi ................................................. 19 CONTENTS Message from Message from the President ......................... 2 Where Are These Guys? ................................ 2 Jumpers to the Grand .................................. 3 the President Jumps I Remember or Can’t Forget .............. 4 Sounding Off from the Editor ....................... 8 Help Needed on “Lost Jumper” Search ......... 8 was more than happy to try and make Russian Smokejumpers: The Pre-War Years. 9 that possible. His wish was to make Items from the Fire Pack ........................... 13 one last jump out of a smokejumper The Death of PFC Malvin L. Brown: “In The aircraft. The idea was given thumbs up Interest of Public Welfare” ................... 14 from levels above me in the organiza- A Slip Jump ................................................ 17 tion as they also were friends of Buck The View from Outside the Fence ............... 18 and respected his career-long commit- Recollections of Time and The Gobi ........... 19 ment to the smokejumping program. Odds and Ends ........................................... 20 Buck’s ashes were brought up to the Snowstorm ................................................. 21 base by his family and on a beautiful, Donning the Shadow Rider’s Outfit ............ 22 sunny day above the Bear Creek Orv Looper-Bigger Than Life Foreman ....... 23 Touching All Bases ..................................... 24 drainage in the Methow Valley, Buck NSA Membership Chairman Needs took his last flight. Eight jumpers went Your Help ............................................ 27 by Doug Houston out the door before Buck, all getting Checking the Canopy .................................. 29 (Redmond ’73) into the spot. It was Buck’s turn. I Wildfire and Romance ............................... 29 PRESIDENT threw an additional streamer just for NSA Trail Crew ........................................... 30 Buck, opened his ashes into the Worst Jump List Pimp In Jumper History? .. 31 Ernest Buck Pino slipstream and told him to keep his High Mountain Two-Manner: a Delightful, (NCSB-56) passed away in 1996. feet together. It was a glorious day in Informative Read ................................. 32 Buck was one of three brothers from the Methow and still brings a tear to NSA Life Membership ................................. 32 Omak, Washington, who had all my eye knowing that wishes were Off the List ................................................. 33 fulfilled on Buck’s Last Jump. Dick Tracy, Meet Davy Crockett .................. 34 jumped out of NCSB. They had A Long and Memorable Career .................. 35 grown up a couple blocks away from Until next time, the door is yours Rumbucket Rendezvous ............................. 36 Grandma’s house in Omak, where I (both body and soul), there’s 100 also was raised. When approached by yards of drift, and the whole world is his family to help fulfill his last wish, I a jump spot. Get Ready. Where Are These Guys? Please send any information (ad- Edwin Harmening .......... (MSO-50) dresses/email) to: John McDaniel, John Harris ..................... (MSO-50) P.O. Box 105, Falun KS 67442 or Fred Hooker ..................... (IDC-50) email: [email protected] Larry Howard ................. (MSO-50) SMOKEJUMPER, ISSUE NO. 52, JULY 2006 ISSN 1532-6160 Name Base Kennith Jensen ............... (MSO-50) Smokejumper is published quarterly by: Ed Barker ........................ (MSO-50) Richard Kielhorn ............ (MSO-50) THE NATIONAL SMOKEJUMPER ASSOCIATION Lester Bradford ............... (MSO-50) Ronald Lindh ................. (MSO-50) C/O 10 JUDY LANE Hal Brown ...................... (MSO-50) John Lovjoy ......................... (CJ-50) CHICO, CA 95926 Lee Brown ...................... (MSO-50) William Lovjoy ............... (MSO-50) The opinions of the writers are their own and James Brown ................... (MSO-50) Arthur Lynn.................... (MSO-50) do not necessarily reflect those of the NSA. Per- Bob Butler ...................... (MSO-50) Maurice Robertson .............. (CJ-50) mission to reproduce Smokejumper in any man- ner must first be obtained in writing. Robert Cochrane ............ (MSO-50) Charles Sena ................... (MSO-50) NSA Web site: http://www.smokejumpers.com Neil Dibble ..................... (MSO-50) Robert Skidmore............. (MSO-50) Managing Editor: Chuck Sheley Wallace Donaldson ......... (MSO-50) Lewis Thoman ................ (MSO-50) Editing: Bill Fogarty, Emmy Haynes, Jill Leger, Walter Fickel ..................(NCSB-50) Erwin Vanderheide ......... (MSO-50) K. G. Sheley, and Denis Symes Calvin Floyd ................... (MSO-50) John Verbeck (Verbeek)... (MSO-50) Illustrators: McElderry Books, Nick Holmes, William Gardippe ........... (MSO-50) Charles Ward .................. (MSO-50) Chris Demarest, Ken Morris, Dan Joe Gardner ......................... (CJ-50) Richard Allewett .................. (CJ-51) Veenendaal, and Eric Rajala John Griffin .................... (MSO-50) Robert Anderson............. (MYC-50) Printing: Larry S. Jackson, Heidelberg Jeroy Haines ................... (MSO-50) Jim Ballard ...................... (MSO-50) Graphics, www.HeidelbergGraphics.com Kelly Hammond .............. MYC-50) Stanley Beesley ................ (MSO-50) Cover photo: Russian Smokejumpers training jump winter 2006. (Courtesy Valery Korotkov) (Hoot Gibson)Hanahan.. (MSO-50) Randall Best .................... (MSO-51) 2007 National Reunion 2 June 8–10, Boise, Idaho Jumpers to the Grand by Jerry Dixon (McCall ’71) rand Canyon’s Lava Falls are breath-taking Colorado Abromeit (MYC-71) and his wife, River rapids. I have run them three times, and they Janet, also were there. Doug, the Gstill put my heart in my throat. A V-wave at the top Director of Avalanche Forecasting of the rapids can catch a raft and turn it over into the swirl and Safety in Sun Valley, and I below. For this wave, the larger the raft, the better. Only a trained together in 1971 and were highly experienced person should row these rapids in a small both still jumping fires in 1982. He raft. I once watched Jim Rush (MYC-65) and his wife, Mary is a skier of merit and a 5.13 rock Lou, hit the V-wave in a small raft. Jim rowed strongly into climber, which puts him near the the first wave and was tossed into the rapids as the strong cur- top of the heap. I started running Jerry Dixon (NSA file) rent snapped his oarlock; Mary Lou was left in the raft. As Jim wild rivers 37 years ago as a teen- bobbed in the current, Mary Lou grabbed the remaining oar ager on the Snake River near Jackson Hole. Doug had only and steadied the boat. She made it through the “Big Drop” rafted a river once before, but we were still a team 34 years alone as Jim scrambled out at the bottom. after first jumping together. For three weeks in July 2005, I traveled down the Colo- I dislocated my right shoulder two times in 2004; once in rado River with a group of family and friends. Doug the Alaska Mt. Wilderness Classic Race and then skiing in 123456789012345678901234567890 Utah. I was just a few weeks out of a sling when the Colorado 123456789012345678901234567890 trip started; rowing an overloaded 20-foot El Grande raft 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789NSA Members — Save 0 through the Grand Canyon was pushing it. 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 The sky was clear during the three weeks we were on the 12345678901234567890123456789This Information 0 Colorado, and Grand Canyon Julys are hot! Daytime shade 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789Please contact the following persons di- 0 temperatures hit 124 degrees and in the sun - 136! I wore a 123456789012345678901234567890 long-sleeved shirt, hat, bandanna and frequently jumped into 12345678901234567890123456789rectly if you have business or questions: 0 123456789012345678901234567890 the 49-degree water. Each evening, we would soak our sheets 12345678901234567890123456789Smokejumper magazine 0 and bathe in the river before turning in. It was still 100 de- 12345678901234567890123456789Articles, obits, change of address 0 123456789012345678901234567890 grees at 3 AM, so we would re-soak our sheets. 12345678901234567890123456789Chuck Sheley 530-893-0436 0 Enjoyable evenings were spent watching the golden sunlight 123456789012345678901234567890 [email protected] 0 rise up the 5000-foot canyon walls, changing the colors of the 123456789012345678901234567890 1234567890123456789012345678910 Judy Ln 0 rock. It was a great time to relive jump memories. I had heard 12345678901234567890123456789Chico, CA 95926 0 much about Jim Rush (MYC-65) before ever meeting him. 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789Membership 0 When I was struggling through jump school, I heard stories 123456789012345678901234567890 about Jim that were part of McCall’s history. 12345678901234567890123456789John McDaniel 785-668-2093 0 123456789012345678901234567890 “Jim, I heard you smoked a cigarette thru your jump mask [email protected] 0 just to push the trainer’s buttons,” I once said. “That’s right,” 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789P.O.