Interviewer
Floyd Cowles
Files
Description
Wallace Henderson talks the two years he worked as a smokejumper from 1946 to 1947. He discusses training at the Nine Mile Ranger Station in Montana and jumping out of McCall, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana. Henderson reminisces about some of his fellow smokejumpers, which included a number of World War Two veterans. He describes the first retardant water drop in 1946 and how the program’s leadership roles became more formalized over time. Henderson also discusses his experiences working as a fire lookout in Idaho in 1943, including witnessing a Japanese fire bomb explode.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Smokejumpers Montana Biography; Smokejumping Montana History; Smokejumping Equipment and supplies; Smokejumping Social aspects; Forest fires Idaho
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 133-046
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (66 min.) : analog + 1 transcript (26 p. : 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
01:13:28 minutes
Local Filename
OH_133_046.mp3; OH_133_046.pdf
Citation
OH 133-046Henderson, Wallace D., "Wallace D. "Wally" Henderson, July 21, 1984" (1984). Smokejumpers 1984 Reunion Oral History Project. OH 133-046.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/smokejumpers/60