Interviewer
Gregg Phifer
Files
Description
Tom Summers describes his experience as a smokejumper at McCall, Idaho, during the summer of 1945. He talks about getting the 4-E classification without a religious background, and about his time in Coleville, California, before moving on to smokejumping. He describes his training at Ninemile, including an injury he received due to unsafe axe use. He also describes the difference between the Irvin parachutes that the smokejumpers used and the older Eagle parachutes. Summers recalls a few of his 14 fire jumps, including a large fire on the Imnaha River, in eastern Oregon. He then speaks briefly about his work at a mental hospital in Lyons, New Jersey, and about his work after the end of the war. He describes time spent in Germany and Switzerland in the 1950s, and reminisces about how the CPS experience shaped his outlook and future direction in life.
Loading...
Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Civilian Public Service; Conscientious objectors, United States; Smokejumpers, Idaho; World War, 1939-1945; 4-E classification; Smokejumper training; Mental Hospitals; West Germany; Ninemile, Montana
Original Date
8-12-1986
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Civilian Public Service Smokejumpers Oral History Project, OH 163, 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 interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 163-027
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (01:30:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (18 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
00:45:00 minutes
Local Filename
OH_163_027.mp3; OH_163_027.pdf
Citation
Summers, Tom, "Tom Summers Interview, August 12, 1986" (1986). Civilian Public Service Smokejumpers Oral History Project. 27.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/civilianpublicservicesmokejumpers_oralhistory/27