BUSH FIRES AND FOREST FIREFIGHTERS

BUSH FIRES AND FOREST FIREFIGHTERS

Until I was watching the movie "Always" today I had forgotten a great deal about the first time I was in Fairbanks, Alaska. The movie is about romances involving smoke jumpers and pilots who fly planes with water or other chemicals in them to drop it all over forest fires or brush fires. I stayed in temporary quarters on Eielson Air Force Base. A lot of wild fire firefighters were staying there that summer, too . . . it was August of 1981. Because another lieutenant in my office was out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, at the last minute I had to take his place on a six week assignment to the Air Force Base near Anchorage, AK (Elmendorf).

The major I worked for was very skeptical about sending me. Our colonel was even more doubtful. At about 3:30 pm on a Friday (1530 for you military types) I was told the news and I had to fly out of the Melbourne, FL airport on Sunday afternoon. The general idea was that not only would I fill in for a detachment commander on Elmendorf, but that I would also get some orientation tours to our laboratory facility near Sacramento and our detachment near Fairbanks.

So at about 5:45 pm, I found myself in our colonel's office where he gave me a kind of pep talk. Among other things, he said that he would see me in six weeks unless I messed up and had to be brought home early. As I was about to go out of his office, I turned to give him a last salute and said, "Oh, sir! Let's be positive about this!"

Do you remember that show from the 50s and 60s called "Queen for a Day"?

It was kind of like that . . . as a very junior US Air Force officer, I was getting a chance to command a detachment. Even though it was for a very short term--it was a bit like getting to be "Queen for a Day" without the gifts of washing machines, etc.

Being a firefighter means that you are either bored silly or in a huge adrenaline powered flash of nearly thoughtless, mostly instinctive, dissociated terrifying busyness. So the cadre of smoke jumpers were either in the midst of a fire or trying to keep busy waiting to be in the midst of a fire.

http://fire.ak.blm.gov/afs/fireops/jumpers/akjumpers.php

Drinking quantities of alcohol on days off or when certain of them were not eligible to be called out to fight was almost a given.

So I found myself in the company of very macho men at a time when they were in no way used to a woman working anywhere near them unless it was in a secretarial kind of position.

In August the air is mostly fresh, clear and cold over the big pie plate-type space north of the Alaska Range of mountains that includes Mt McKinley (called "Denali" --the Great One in the aboriginal language) and south of the approach to the North Slope oil fields.

At least it was in the early to mid 80s when first I, and then the rest of my family were there.

There were little houses on top of towers where those who looked out for signs of smoke and fire existed. I think one had over 180 steps to get to the top.

(If you have ever seen "How to Marry a Millionaire" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045891/?ref_=nv_sr_1 ] with Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable, the scenes when Betty Grable's character goes up to Maine from New York City in the winter may remind you of what I am trying to describe.)

It seeks like it was a "long long time ago in a galaxy far far away".

Anyway, please excuse me so I can fall asleep and finish this tomorrow, Beloved.

Sweet dreams. As ever, angels guard your rest.

<3 <3 <3