Presentation looks at history of smokejumping

Northwest Montana Posse of Westerners history organization presents a program titled “History of Smokejumping – A Continuing Saga" (Part 2 in a series) by Fred Cooper of Missoula, Monday, Sept. 19.

Part 1 discusses the experiments leading up to the fall of 1939 when Army officers observed lessons learned from smokejumpers and the first U.S. smokejumper fire jump on July 25, 1940. The program will continue with the first six years (1940-1946) of smokejumper operations in the U.S. Forest Service and how 1940 and 1941 were still considered experimental, impacts of World War II, the availability of smokejumper candidates, using and modifying “rejected” parachutes, the use of Civilian Conservation Corps facilities in Montana, Civilian Public Service Conscientious Objector (CO) smoke-jumpers, expansion of the program to more smokejumper bases, the U.S. Army 555th Battalion (Triple Nickle) specially trained as smokejumpers, Japanese incendiary and anti-personnel balloon bombs, Army veterans returning from military service, and introduction of nylon parachutes.

Cooper was a smokejumper from 1962 to 1967 in Washington and Oregon. After graduating from Oregon State University, he had a career in human resources with the USFS. He is a smokejumper historical researcher and a board member of the National Smokejumper Association. His newly published book, the “Smokejumper Experiment” — detailing the airplane-parachute invention of 1935, trials and tribulations of the experiment in 1939 and the biographies of the 16 men who made it successful, including the “square” Ram-Air parachute used now by both the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service — has been recently published and will be available for sale at the meeting.

The meeting will take place at the Northwest Montana History Museum, 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell, starting at 6 p.m. for Grab’n’ Greet and raffle and book signings. No dinner will be available. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m., which is free to all Posse members and youths 16 and under, and $5 for all non-members. No reservations will be required, but seating will be limited. Call 406-309-0938 with any questions.