Wonderful documentary (imo) about a C47 that once belonged to Johnson Flying Service , Missoula MT and was restored by volunteers in Missoula and flown to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D Day .
$10 on amazon prime and worth every penny .

I saw it on the news. Very cool.

She's the C47 that dropped the jumpers on Mann Gulch in 1949.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mann_Gulch_fire

I just finished reading "Every Reason To Fail" by Bryan Douglass. The author worked on the restoration of Miss Montana and earned a DC3 copilot rating to fly with the crew that took Miss Montana to Normandy in 2019 for the 75th anniversary of D Day. At the end of the book there are a couple bonus chapters. One is about flying Miss Montana over man Gulch on the 70th anniversary of the tragedy and dropping 13 wreaths. Each one with a name of a smoke jumper that died that day.



In 1994 I attended a Staff Ride in Man Gulch. A staff ride is a military learning exercise started during the Civil war. It involves riding through the terrain of a previous...or future..battle to discuss and learn the reasons for success or failure. It's called a ride because they rode horses. On this one we rode on a boat to Mann Gulch and walked through the terrain.

On August 5, 1949, 12 Missoula smoke jumpers and the Meriwether recreation guard were trapped and died when the fire they were fighting unexpectedly blew up. There were three survivors. Wagoner Dodge, the smoke jumper foreman, and two rookie smoke jumpers, Robert Sallee and Walt Rumsey. Rumsey and Sallee ran straight up the slope and escaped through a crevice in the rock reef at the top of the ridge on the north side of the gulch.

Dodge survived by lighting an "Escape Fire" in the grass on an open hill side and lying down in the burned area after the flames died down. He instructed the others to come into the burned area of his escape fire with him. This tactic had never been used before and they all thought he was crazy and tried to out run the advancing flame front of the main fire.

I was born on June 6, 1949, the 5th anniversary of D day, so my memory is getting somewhat vague. If anyone notices errors here please feel free to correct me.


The smoke jumpers loading up in the C47, Miss Montana.


Map published in the New York Times


Earl Cooley, the spotter on Miss Montana the day they dropped the jumpers in Mann gulch. He later wrote the book "Trimotor and Trail. it contains a chapter on the Mann Gulch fire that differs some what from Norman McLain's book, "Young Men and Fire".


The gates of the Mountains wilderness, Looking down stream just off Hilger landing.


Man Gulch


Going ashore in the Zodiac.


Sign at the mouth of Mann Gulch.


Tim Sexton, far right. "Dodge should have grabbed one of the crew and held him in the escape fire. Then the others might have understood what he was trying to do".


Point of origin of spot fires that trapped the jumpers. They couldn't see this spot as they were traveling down the gulch to the river after the fire blew up. Wayne Cook, Missoula Smoke jumper base manager, left, says "Jumpers landed in the wrong spot. They should have jumped on the grassy slope north of the rock reef. Marty Alexander, center, British Columbia fire rearcher. Dennis Lay, right, Missoula Smoke jumper.


The main fire was on top of this ridge. About 60 acres when the jumpers landed.


The ridge behind group hides spot fires from view of the smoke jumpers traveling down gulch at this point.


Down snags all pointing same direction. Norman McLean says this is evidence that the fire was hit by a micro burst.


In the center of photo is Martin Onishuk, a Missoula smoke jumper 1951 through 1954. He knew Wag Dodge and is saying the jump was flawed from the start. The Jumper program was at stake. Smoke Jumpers were poorly trained. The two rookies escaped because they went through more physical training than the others.


In the center of photo is Paul Gleason RIP. During a career spanning five decades, Paul was a dedicated student of fire, a teacher of fire, and a leader of firefighters. He is saying "There was probably spot fires everywhere".


Looking toward the head of the gulch. This is where the fire fighters would have to run to escape.


The rock slide just right of the center of the photo is the "Drop heavy tools spot". It is where Dodge told everyone to drop their tools so they could run faster. Dennis Lay said the fire investigators found half eaten cans of food here. The crew may have been sitting down for lunch. I found an old fire fighter's head lamp just a few yards east on the rock slide and left it there as it is part of the history of the site.


If you look closely you can see 3 people in the center of the photo.
This is the spot where Dodge started his escape fire.


Silas Thompson's Cross. There is a white cement cross where each fire fighter fell.


Joseph Sylvia's Rock. Dodge found him badly burned here and laid him on this rock. He died in the hospital the next day.


James Harrison's cross. He was the Meriwether recreation guard that was fighting the fire by himself when the jumpers arrived. He was a smoke jumper the year before but took the recreation guard job the next year because his parents thought it would be safer job. It looks like he was close to the top of the ridge and saftey on the other side. I timed myself climbing as fast as I could to the top. it took me almost 4 minutes. The fire probably made it in about 30 seconds.


Rescue Gulch. Where Wayne Cook said the jumpers should have landed. At the river's edge, Dodge and Rumsey planted a shovel with ribbon on it to mark the spot where the rescuers should come ashore. It was dark and they got the attention of a motor boat on the opposite shore. The smoke jumper radio was broken because it free fell when the chute on the cargo box it was in failed to open. The people in the motor boat took Dodge and Rumsey to Meriwether landing where he used the radio to notify the Helena District Ranger of what had happened and the need for rescuers and doctors.


Near the head of the Gulch is where 4 of the crew fell. They made it further than any of the others. Norman McClain named them the Four Horse Men in "Young Men and Fire. They are Marvin Sherman, David Navon, Philip McVey, and Henry Thol Jr.


The crevice in the rock reef the two rookies escaped through.


The two rookies. Robert Sallee left and Walt Rumsey right. When Sallee joined the smoke jumpers he gave his age as 20. he was actually 17. They both finished the season making several more fire jumps. Neither one returned the next year.

Mann Gulch Google Earth. Looking Northeast. Mann Gulch on the left, Meriwether Gulch on the right. Missouri River in the foreground.

Wow, thanks.

Pete

Thank you. As a professional fireman for 35 years it is always sad to think of young guys killed in the line of duty. RIP brothers.

The idea of an "escape fire' is brilliant, WOW