Interviewer
Kathy Root
Files
Description
A smokejumper from 1941 to 1942 and 1945 to 1958, Fred O. Brauer describes the early development of the smokejumper program. He discusses the many challenges the program faced during that time, including equipment development, wartime shortages, and funding issues. He also describes the personnel changeover from conscientious objectors who served as smokejumpers during World War Two to military veterans who replaced them after the war ended. Brauer was in charge of the smokejumper program in Missoula, Montana starting in 1951 until 1958, and he talks about his attempts to integrate the different Forest Service regional units into one coordinated organization. He discusses the 1949 Mann Gulch Fire and its immediate aftermath.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Smokejumpers Montana Biography; Smokejumping Montana History; Forest Fires Montana; Missoula, Montana; Seeley Lake, Montana; Mann Gulch Fire
Original Date
6-27-1984
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_009
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (84 min.) : analog + 1 transcript (24 p. : 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
84 minutes
Local Filename
OH_133_009.mp3; OH_133_009.pdf
Citation
OH_133_009Brauer, Fred O., "Fred O. Brauer Interview, June 27, 1984" (1984). Smokejumpers 1984 Reunion Oral History Project. OH_133_009.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/smokejumpers/27