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Extracted from one of the pages of "Missoula
Smokejumpers," an excellent Forestry Service web site dedicated to the
Smokejumpers:
First Parachute Years
During the early days of aerial fire patrols some Forest Service officials began
thinking about dropping fire fighters by parachutes to fires, but the idea was
discarded as being too dangerous and impractical. However, T. V. Pearson, with
the Intermountain Region of the Forest Service (Region 4) out of Ogden, Utah in
1934 actually initiated the first experiment in the use of parachutes to drop
men on fires. A professional parachutist, J. B. Bruce, made a few demonstration
jumps, but the idea was abandoned as being too risky. During this period of
barnstorming in the nation many deemed parachutists to be daredevils, crackpots,
or crazy, and so the thought of having men jump to fires had little chance of
gaining recognition.
The Aerial Fire Control Experimental Project was set up in the Washington D.C.
U.S. Forest Service office in December, 1935. The immediate plan was to continue
experiments in the use of water and chemical bombs that Howard Flint had started
in Region 1 several years before his death. All flying in the western regions
for the Forest Service, until 1938, had been done by U.S. Army planes. During
that year the Forest Service purchased its first aircraft, a five-place,
high-wing Stinson Reliant. Bombing experiments on fires continued in Region 5 of
California. From 1936-1939 much was learned about dropping cargo, and different
types of equipment were used under widely varying conditions. However, Forest
Service officials came to realize that trying to suppress fires with water and
chemicals dropped from aircraft was impractical with the types of equipment
available at that time.
The Aerial Experimental Project was moved from California to the North Pacific
Region (Region 6) area during the summer of 1939. It was at this time that the
decision was made to discontinue bombing tests, and at the recommendation of
David P. Godwin, Assistant Chief of Fire Control in Washington, D.C., the
unexpended balance of experimental funds was authorized for carrying on
parachute jumping experiments. The Forest Service prepared a contract, which
provided for parachutes, protective clothing, and the services of professional
riggers and parachutists. The successful bidder was the Eagle Parachute Company
of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Experiments were conducted in the Winthrop, Washington area on the Chelan
National Forest (now the Okanogan) during October 5th through November 15th.
Beach Gill of the Eagle Company, under appointment by the Secretary of
Agriculture, served as consultant and collaborator. The Eagle Parachute Company
sent Frank, Chet and Virgil (Buss) Derry to Winthrop. Frank was in charge of the
experimental phase of the tests and was the West Coast representative for the
Eagle firm. He also had his own business, the Derry Parachute Company, which at
the time had an Englewood, California address in the Los Angeles area. Glenn (Smitty)
Smith came with Frank Derry--he was employed by his firm in California. Smitty
was a colorful barnstormer and had made many free falls, as had the Derry
brothers. Captain Harold C. King served as engineer-pilot and flew the Forest
Service's high-wing, five-place Stinson Reliant. Two local individuals from the
Winthrop area, Dick Tuttle and Alan Honey, were placed under contract by the
Eagle company to make experimental jumps--their first. Before the parachuting
was concluded that autumn, five Forest Service personnel from the Chelan
National Forest also made jumps for the first time. They were: Francis Lufkin, a
fire guard; Harry Tuttle, a CCC telephone line foreman and father of Dick
Tuttle; Walt Anderson, Chelan National Forest Chief of Fire Control; Roy
Mitchell, Chelan Assistant Forest Supervisor; and Albert Davies, Region 6
Assistant Chief for Fire Control.
Before live jumps were made, dummy drops with 150 pound loads, were made into
timbered areas to determine what problems the jumpers might encounter. Then,
approximately 60 jumps were made by the assigned Eagle company personnel. Toward
the end of the experiments the Forest Service men were allowed to jump into both
open and timbered areas. There were no serious injuries.
Much time and energy was spent on developing equipment and parachutes. There
were a number of frustrating, agonizing situations that had to be worked out. In
the end, the training outfit that was selected consisted of a 30-foot Eagle
backpack chute and a 27-foot emergency chestpack chute, with quick-attachable
harness. A two-piece felt-padded suit, with a pocket on one trouser leg to hold
a rope for letdowns from trees and obstacles, a football helmet with a wire mesh
face mask, athletic supporter, ankle braces, a wide leather and elastic belt to
protect against back and abdominal injuries, and heavy logger boots completed
the jumper outfit and provided protection for the hazards of jumping into
timber. It was concluded that Smokejumpers--the name was first suggested by Walt
Anderson--could safely land in all types of green timber typical of the Chelan
National Forest at altitudes ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 feet. Experimental
jumps had also been made into mountain meadows, open ridgetops and on steep,
boulder-strewn slopes. The stage was set for the first operational use of
smokejumpers in Regions 1 and 6 during 1940."
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