ScholarWorks at University of Montana

Title

William D. Dratz Interview, June 28, 1984

Interviewee

William D. Dratz

Interviewer

Jim Norgaard

Files

Description

William Dratz discusses working as a smokejumper from 1946 to 1949. He describes the type of people that were attracted to the profession, the procedures, the 1949 jump in Washington, D.C. and the 1949 Mann Gulch fire. He compares the policies of the smokejumper program in the 1980s to those of the 1940s and comments on the changes, including the “let burn” policy.

Document Type

Oral History

Subjects

Smokejumpers Montana Biography; Smokejumping Montana History

Original Date

6-28-1984

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 133-030

Media Type

Sound; Text

Original Format

1 sound cassette (70 min.) : analog + 1 transcript (31 p. : 28 cm.)

Digital Format

audio/mp3; application/pdf

Run Time

01:19:42 minutes

Local Filename

OH_133_030.mp3; OH_133_030.pdf

Citation

Dratz, William D., "William D. Dratz Interview, June 28, 1984" (1984). Smokejumpers 1984 Reunion Oral History Project. OH 133-030.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/smokejumpers/47