ScholarWorks at University of Montana

Title

William Bolen Interview, July 21, 1984

Interviewee

William Bolen

Interviewer

Sandra Carroll

Files

Description

William Bolen describes being one of the first smokejumpers in Montana in 1940. He talks about being chosen from the Kootenai National Forest, where he was working as a smoke chaser, and coming to Seeley Lake with seven other men to start the smokejumper program. Bolen describes the training he received by instructors Chet Derry and Glenn Smith, as well as the three jumps he made before deciding not to be a smokejumper. He discusses the equipment that was used for that program, including Eagle parachutes and leather football helmets.

Document Type

Oral History

Subjects

Smokejumpers Montana Biography; Smokejumping Montana History Smokejumpers Training of; Kootenai National Forest; U.S. Forest Service; Seeley Lake, Montana

Original Date

7-21-1984

Time Period

Twentieth century

Geographic Coverage

Montana

Language

eng

Original Collection

Smokejumpers 1984 Reunion Oral History Collection, OH 133, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula

Digital Publisher

University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library

Rights

Copyright to this collection is held by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use of this item. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu

Oral History Number

OH_133_005

Media Type

Sound; Text

Original Format

1 sound cassette (42 min.) : analog + 1 transcript (13 p. : 28 cm.)

Digital Format

audio/mp3; application/pdf

Run Time

42 minutes

Local Filename

OH_133_005.mp3; OH_133_005.pdf

Citation

Bolen, William, "William Bolen Interview, July 21, 1984" (1984). Smokejumpers 1984 Reunion Oral History Project. OH_133_005.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/smokejumpers/23