Smokejumper Magazine, April 2017 National Smokejumper Association
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Eastern Washington University EWU Digital Commons Smokejumper and Static Line Magazines University Archives & Special Collections 4-1-2017 Smokejumper Magazine, April 2017 National Smokejumper Association Bill Mader Robert L. Bartlett Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_mag Recommended Citation National Smokejumper Association; Mader, Bill; and Bartlett, Robert L., "Smokejumper Magazine, April 2017" (2017). Smokejumper and Static Line Magazines. 60. https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_mag/60 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the University Archives & Special Collections at EWU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Smokejumper and Static Line Magazines by an authorized administrator of EWU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The National Smokejumper Quarterly Magazine Association April 2017 Smokejumper Alaska, Bent Props and Luck ................................................ 4 Seethaler Part II .................................................................... 10 Two-Manner In Cheney ........................................................ 18 CONTENTS Message from Message from the President ....................................2 Alaska, Bent Props and Luck ..................................4 Enough Excitement to Fill Several Lifetimes— the President Seethaler Part II .............................................10 What Do These Three Stans Have in Common?......16 Two-Manner In Cheney, Wash. ..............................18 Did you know that when A Word from the Dean of Libraries and the Learning Commons ........................................20 you go to our website and A Fire Remembered and a Friendship Renewed ....20 click on News and Events and Sounding Off from the editor ................................26 then click on JumpList, you Some Memories of Smokejumper Experiences .....27 have access to the names, Chicago Economist Issues Financial Challenge to NSA Members ................................................29 training bases, and training NSA Scholarship Program Expanded— year of the 6,000+ men and Take Advantage! .............................................30 women who have ever been Grizzly Mountain...................................................31 members of our elite profes- Snapshots from the Past........................................34 A Call from Lieutenant Demmons..........................36 sion over a 77-year history? Off The List ...........................................................38 You can find those old friends Odds and Ends .....................................................40 by Jim Cherry by searching with their first or The View from Outside (Missoula ’57) last name, city or state of resi- the Fence .......................................................42 President NSA October Board Meeting: dence, training base or train- “2016 Fire Season”........................................43 This past November 2016, ing year. Forgot the names of Blast from the Past................................................45 I penned the NSA’s Annual all those that you trained with Revolutionary Parachute Ideas Thought of Many Fund Appeal Letter to our or may have jumped with? Years Ago .......................................................45 2016 Al Dunton Smokejumper Leadership membership and explained Everyone listed also includes Awards Announced ........................................46 why the Annual Fund is es- a listing of their active jump sential in covering the costs years. Use this search tool to of day-to-day operations. In your advantage. other words, the Annual Fund keeps the NSA’s lights on. At • Did you know that we are the same time, I shared infor- also doing our best to keep mation about our urgency in an accurate listing of all preserving our smokejumper jumpers who are known to SMOKEJUMPER, Issue No. 96, April 2017 history, and asked you to go an be deceased? There are two ISSN 1532-6160 ‘extra mile’ with your support ways to search for informa- Smokejumper is published quarterly by: and help with an additional tion. The first is the search The National Smokejumper Association c/o 10 Judy Lane donation directed to that his- method I’ve listed above, Chico, CA 95926 tory preservation that the NSA as that will inform you if a The opinions of the writers are their own and do Board is committed to… and jumper is deceased and, if we not necessarily reflect those of the NSA. Permis- sion to reproduce Smokejumper in any manner you responded… BIG TIME!! have the information, when must first be obtained in writing. Thank you for all your gener- that death occurred. The NSA Website: http://www.smokejumpers.com osity and support. second method is to click Managing Editor: Chuck Sheley I want to share with you on Obituaries and there you Associate Editor: Ed Booth some of the work that has been will have the opportunity to Editing: K. G. Sheley going into our history preser- sort through the list by 1) the Photo Editor: Johnny Kirkley vation for several years on our date the name was added to Illustrators: Dan Veenendaal, and Eric Rajala website (www.smokejump- the list, 2) last name, 3) base Layout/Printing: Larry S. Jackson, Heidelberg Graphics, www.HeidelbergGraphics.com ers.com) and that is available hired or 4) year trained. You Front cover: 1949 1st Jump in the Sequoia N.F. to you for your research and will find that the amount Cave Junction Crew (Courtesy Bob Scofield) enjoyment: of material provided in the Check the NSA website 2 www.smokejumpers.com obituary varies greatly. This is where we can You deserve to be more than a one-liner in the use your help. If you know of a jumper who is memory of your comrades. Send your desired deceased and we don’t have that information, obituary to the Smokejumper magazine editor, please let us know. Also, if you have access to a Chuck Sheley, and we will hold it until the NSA deceased jumper’s obituary, you could send it to would receive notice of your death, at which the Smokejumper magazine editor, Chuck Sheley. time the final details would be included and the • This brings me to share with you a suggestion obituary published. that came from one of our former jumpers. • Did you know that you can find detailed in- With the knowledge that he, alone, knows bet- formation about the more than 30 jumpers ter than anyone else his smokejumper history who have lost their lives in the line of duty and and what impact that has made on his life, he circumstances around the deaths? On the NSA has already written an obituary he would like website’s home page, you can scroll down to the to have preserved in our history. I agree with bottom, right hand corner and under the title him. No one else would be able to come close Smokejumping, you click on Killed in the line of to giving an account of those events that have duty. been most meaningful in your life’s career and • Did you know that at the same place on the how your jumping year(s) played a role. Give website’s home page you can find the fire records it some thought. Give it a try. Save your family for Regions 1 and 3 from the years 1940-1989, from what might be a guessing game for them. and you can find the jump records for the years 1946-2005? Take a look and renew your memory on when and whom you jumped with, the fire location and more. It’s a great place to take a trip NSA Members—Save down memory lane. You will also find the Region This Information 1 Parachute reports from 1940-1962. Great for Please contact the following persons directly if history buffs. you have business or questions: • Did you know that at any given moment with Smokejumper magazine a click of the mouse you can know the status Articles, obits, change of address of smokejumpers nationwide? On the left side Chuck Sheley of the website, scroll about ½ way down and 530-893-0436 you will find the link to theSmokejumper Status [email protected] Report. Keep looking at the other links, too. You 10 Judy Ln. Chico, CA 95926 will have access to all the active fires, amazing Membership photo galleries, and so much more. John McDaniel 785-404-2847 I hope this review gives you encouragement [email protected] to explore www.smokejumpers.com and discover 807 Eileen Ln. Salina, KS 67401-2878 what we have already accomplished in preserving All else our smokejumper history and lore. There is much NSA President more to come, both on the webpage and through Jim Cherry other media. 641-927-4428 [email protected] * * * * * 2335 300th St. Ventura, IA 50482-8502 Firestarter by Tom Decker Smokejumper base abbreviations: Anchorage .......... ANC Grangeville ........ GAC Redding .............RDD Fire work. Boise ................. NIFC Idaho City .......... IDC Redmond ............RAC Cave Junction ........ CJ La Grande .......... LGD West Yellowstone WYS The range fire grew to 150,000 acres, and we Fairbanks ............ FBX McCall ...............MYC Whitehorse Yukon YXY watched the huge clouds of gray smoke cover the Fort St. John ........ YXJ Missoula ............MSO Winthrop ......... NCSB Idaho sky as it billowed up and changed the light Check the NSA website 3 www.smokejumpers.com of day to a dull, tawdry yellow. The fire burned no wounded pride, unresolved anger, resentments, and homes but devoured cheat grass, choke cherry brush, fear about what will happen if we are “discovered.” and chaparral in its path. When the fire had passed, We carry this baggage through life, protecting it exposed outcroppings of rock and piles of abandoned