Interviewer
Charlie Bragdon
Files
Description
William Moody discusses his 25-year career as a smokejumper in the Pacific Northwest, specifically at the Redmond Air Center in Redmond, Oregon. He talks about various aspects of the job including his rookie training and the mental and physical demands the job requires. Moody talks about how the job’s requirements and the type of people who participate in smokejumping have changed since he first started jumping in 1957. He reminisces about his memorable jumps, which included an accident he had and his experience jumping with the Russian equivalent of smokejumpers. Moody expresses concern over women becoming more involved in smokejumper programs. He also discusses the centralization of the United States’ smokejumper programs as it related to a 1979 study and report. He articulates how centralization will affect smokejumpers’ morale and the financial burden it could impose. Moody talks about some of the smokejumpers he considered influential including Dick Wildman, Baynard Buzzard, and Francis Lufkin. He also talks about the consolidation of the Wenatchee and Redmond bases.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
U.S. Forest Service; Firefighting; Smokejumpers; Women in smokejumping; Gender disparity; Redmond Air Center, Oregon; Base managers, smokejumping; Smokejumper air bases; Smokejumper air bases, centralization; Smokejumper reunions
Original Date
7-19-1981
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Oregon
Language
eng
Original Collection
Nick Sundt Smokejumpers Oral History Project, OH 172, 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 172-009, 031a
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
2 sound cassettes (02:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (27 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
01:30:32 minutes
Local Filename
OH_172_009_031a.mp3; OH_172_009_031a.pdf
Citation
Moody, William D., "William D. Moody Interview, July 19, 1981 and April 9, 1982" (1981). Nick Sundt Smokejumpers Oral History Project. 2.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/nicksundtsmokejumpers_oralhistory/2