Smokejumpers
Found in 35 Collections and/or Records:
Oral History Interview with Wayne R. Webb, 1984 July 22
Wayne Webb speaks about his 30 years working as a smokejumper at McCall, Idaho, from 1946 until 1975. In particular, he emphasizes his job in equipment design, making parachutes and jump suits. Webb also discusses the 40-year age limit and what it was like to resume jumping after it was lifted.
Oral History Interview with Wendy Kamm, 1984 November 30
Wendy Kamm discusses being one of the first three women smokejumpers at the Missoula, Montana base in 1982. She describes the training and the injuries she sustained, and compares fighting fires in Alaska to Montana. Kamm talks about the psychological and emotional harassment by male smokejumpers that she endured, as well as strength she felt it took to be a female smokejumper.
Oral History Interview with William "Bill" Yensen, 1984 July 22
William Yensen relates anecdotes of smokejumping from 1953 to 1984 at McCall, Idaho. He talks about his training and the duties of a rigger, and he describes several fire jumps in detail, including various injuries he and others sustained.