Eastern Washington University EWU Digital Commons Smokejumper and Static Line Magazines University Archives & Special Collections 10-1-2008 Smokejumper Magazine, October 2008 National Smokejumper Association Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_mag Recommended Citation National Smokejumper Association, "Smokejumper Magazine, October 2008" (2008). Smokejumper and Static Line Magazines. 66. https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_mag/66 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 SmokejumperAssociation oCTOBER 2008 JERRY DANIELS—TOO MANY SECRETS ..................................................3 BOB DERRY KEEPS GOING AND GOING .................................................7 IS HECTOR ALIVE? ............................................................................19 CONTENTS Message from Message from the President ......................... 2 Too Many Secrets: Family Wants Answers to CIA Agent’s Mysterious 1982 Death ........ 3 the President Derry Keeps Going, and Going, and Going … 7 emotional day with visits to bunkers, My Introduction to Smokejumping .............. 9 beaches, museums, and cemeteries. Odds and Ends ........................................... 10 As I write this there are over 800 Smokejumpers Take Top Prize at Outdoor fires going in California, started by a Adventure Race in Scotland .................. 12 lightning storm. The smokejumper Boise Reunion Committee Honors Jumpers situation report shows that Redding and Pilot .............................................. 13 is extremely busy, with boosters from Jump Story ................................................. 15 four or five different bases. Rookie Checking the Canopy .................................. 18 training has been completed at all of Is Hector Alive? .......................................... 19 the bases, other than McCall which should finish soon, so many rookies NSA Trail Crew ........................................... 21 probably got their indoctrination to Saving A Forest Gem: Glade Guard Station smokejumping on the Shasta Trinity Renovated in Southwest Colorado ........ 21 by Doug Houston or Six Rivers. My first fire jump was Doctor Made House Calls—By Parachute ... 23 (Redmond ’73) on the Shasta Trinity and my Walt Pilkey ................................................. 24 PRESIDENT parachute might have found a tree. Sounding Off from the Editor ..................... 25 It’s always good to try out some of Historic Document—#1 ............................. 26 WHAT A SHOCK AND WHAT A time of your training on letdowns. Anyway, th The View from Outside the Fence ............... 27 the year. I am writing this on my 60 it sounds like a great crop of rookies birthday, so now I am officially one of throughout the system. We offer the Tribute to Smokey Stover ........................... 28 the “ooooold” guys on the board of rookies a free one-year membership Items from the Fire Pack ........................... 30 directors. There has been lots going to the NSA with hopes of getting Destroy It to Save It? .................................. 31 on and more to come. My wife, them hooked as a member. Off the List ................................................. 32 Paige, and I had the opportunity Another event that is happening recently to go to France and Germany this week is the opening of the for an international firefighting National Smokejumper Center in symposium sponsored by Iveco West Yellowstone. It will offer youth Magirus, a large German-based classes daily with a smokejumper- company that makes fire trucks, merchandising store for those 1.3 ambulances, and large off-road million visitors to purchase some vehicles for fighting fires. I put on a smokejumper memorabilia. Barry presentation about smokejumping in Hicks (MSO-64) is leading the NSC SMOKEJUMPER, ISSUE NO. 61, OCTOBER 2008 ISSN 1532-6160 the United States that was well effort and is staffing with volunteers received. With all of the volunteer from the smokejumper-experienced Smokejumper is published quarterly by: firefighters in Europe, smokejumping crew. This is the beginning of a very THE NATIONAL SMOKEJUMPER ASSOCIATION in most European countries isn’t long endeavor for the National C/O 10 JUDY LANE CHICO, CA 95926 necessary, with the possible exception Smokejumper Center. of up north in Finland and Sweden. It I know there is lots more going on, The opinions of the writers are their own and was a great trip, and this gave us the and we do have the first ever reunion do not necessarily reflect those of the NSA. Per- mission to reproduce Smokejumper in any man- added bonus of being on Omaha and coming up in Redmond this Septem- th ner must first be obtained in writing. Utah beaches on June 6 , the ber, but should sign off and pack for a NSA Web site: http://www.smokejumpers.com anniversary of D-Day, 1944. We fire assignment on the Lassen National Managing Editor: Chuck Sheley talked to some of the survivors who Forest. It looks like Bill Moody Editing: Ed Booth, Johnny Kirkley, Jill Leger, were there and gave away a smoke- (NCSB-57) and I will be sharing Air and K. G. Sheley jumper patch or two. I still cannot Attack duties on this complex. Illustrators: McElderry Books, Chris Demarest, imagine what it must have been like Until next time, the door is yours. Ken Morris, Dan Veenendaal, and Eric on that day and the days after that. Your static line is hooked and your Rajala Smokejumping has its challenges and arm is clear. There is a 100 yards of Printing: Larry S. Jackson, Heidelberg risks, but that day and some of the drift and the whole world is a jump Graphics, www.HeidelbergGraphics.com Cover photo: NCSB practice jump (courtesy other battles are just in another league spot, so get out there and have a Johnny Kirkley) all to their own. It was quite an great ride. Thanks to you all. Check the NSA Web site 2 www.smokejumpers.com Too many secrets: Family wants answers to CIA agent’s mysterious 1982 death by Kim Briggeman Originally published in the Sunday, February 17, 2008 issue of the “Missoulian.” Reprinted with permission of the author. Part I Jerry Daniels (MSO-58) sightings pop up all around the globe. He’s been seen in London and Spain, in a bar in White- fish and in Akron, Ohio. Most often he’s spotted in Southeast Asia, where the man known as “Hog” and “Mr. Jerry” worked for the Central Intelligence Agency during and after the Viet- nam War. His love for and allegiance to the Hmong of north- ern Laos is woven like golden thread throughout that people’s history of the past five decades. “Basically, wherever Hmong 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789NSA Members — Save 0 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789This Information 0 Jerry Daniel’s Gravesite in Missoula (Courtesy Fred Donner) 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789Please contact the following persons di- 0 123456789012345678901234567890 are living, someone will say, ‘So-and-so saw Jerry,’” said Gayle 12345678901234567890123456789rectly if you have business or questions: 0 123456789012345678901234567890 Morrison, a California author who’s writing a book on Daniels’ 12345678901234567890123456789Smokejumper magazine 0 life. “But no one I’ve talked to actually saw him.” That could 12345678901234567890123456789Articles, obits, change of address 0 123456789012345678901234567890 be because Daniels has been officially dead and buried in the 12345678901234567890123456789Chuck Sheley 530-893-0436 0 123456789012345678901234567890 Missoula Cemetery for more than 25 years now. [email protected] 0 According to records, he died on April 28, 1982, of car- 123456789012345678901234567890 1234567890123456789012345678910 Judy Ln. 0 bon monoxide poisoning from a leaky propane water heater 12345678901234567890123456789Chico, CA 95926 0 at his apartment in Bangkok, Thailand, where he worked as 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789Membership 0 an ethnic affairs officer for the U.S. State Department. The 123456789012345678901234567890 body wasn’t found for three days, which sets off the first alarm 12345678901234567890123456789John McDaniel 785-668-2093 0 123456789012345678901234567890 for Jerry’s brothers. “He doesn’t show up for work for three days [email protected] 0 123456789012345678901234567890 and no one comes looking for him?” wonders Kent (Dan) 12345678901234567890123456789P.O. Box 105 0 Daniels of Florence. Because of decomposition issues, Daniels’ 12345678901234567890123456789Falun, KS 67442-0105 0 123456789012345678901234567890 casket was ordered sealed after transport home to Missoula for 12345678901234567890123456789All else 0 burial. Speculation about his “accidental” death has whirled 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789NSA President 0 ever since the chilly Saturday in May of 1982 when the plane 123456789012345678901234567890 carrying his casket taxied into the Missoula airport. “Inside the 12345678901234567890123456789Doug Houston 406-821-0229 0 123456789012345678901234567890 terminal, Hmong eyes watched the proceedings