If only one quarter of what I see on the web is true, we as a nation , are in serious trouble. This makes me think of people who have sacrificed greatly for this country ,some ultimately, to keep us free. I know a person who is a WWII veteran who many of you also know . So as to keep you wondering, I will call him Knuckle Head after one of his favorite comments made to an individual when they ,lets say, screw up or do things without the least amount of thought. I met Knuckle Head on a forest fire which had started on (appropriately) Memorial Day in 1959. My good friend H.H. had visions of working for the Forest Service and was staying at the F.S. Barracks at Quincy District Headquarters at my invite to sign up the following day. B.H. My supervisor came into the barracks ,as we were about to hit the sack , to get me and go to a fire. I asked if H.H. Could go and he said in is usual slow drawl Sure. ( which ,if you knew B.H., would be about four syllables long). I was thrilled,as usual, to go to a fire with B.H. , to have H.H. with us was great too. I had always bragged about how much fun a fire was to H.H. And now he could join in on the festivities. We picked up supplies at the fire warehouse and headed out, it was about midnight . We arrived at the trailhead to be utilized as the access route , it was the only way into this lightning holdover fire ( a fire started by lightning but didnt show up until a day or two later), it was about 0130 by this time. We each loaded up with gear to start the ,what turned out to be about a 4 hour trek up this very steep trail to the top of the fire. B.H. was in the lead with his share of gear,myself with a large BP (backpack) radio a McLeod and shovel ,then H.H. with an assortment of gear including C rations. We all carried water or what ever else of personal gear we wanted (which was nothing). We looked liked a bunch of gypsies coming from a yard sale. B.H., in his usual slow mannerism , plodded along with out barely a pant up the trail while H.H. and me were huffin and puffin , stumbling and tripping on every little bump in the trail. After want seemed an eternity, we came to a switchback in the trail where B.H. stopped at a small spring near the trail for a little break. No sooner did H.H. and myself get our gear off that B.H. started up the trail once again. By this time Im thinkin this aint fun no more , Im sure H.H. was feeling the same. Near daylight we had arrived at the fire and began working fire trails down each side. It wasnt a roaring inferno , just a creeping fire ; it turned out to be about 10 acres and too large for the three of us. Extra help was called in , one of which was Knuckle head. After a day or two of thrashing around in the ashes H.H. and I had built our fire line down to the creek. We were filthy dirty and had not been back to the top of the fire yet and didnt realize the fire had crept out side of our line nor that more folks were called in , including convicts (Yikes, we thought). We had been going for a very long time eating when we could and scratching what now is a piss-poor fire line since we were dead tired by this time. We did this for a $ 1.39/ hr., Big Bucks at the time. At the creek,H.H. and I decided to jump in and get rid of a bunch of ashes which pretty much impregnated our cloths to the point that our underwear was gray. Feeling refreshed we started back up the hill only to find H.H.s coat burnt up since he had laid it on a hot spot. Found his truck keys where the pocket once was. Nearing the top of the fire we discovered a man taking a break leaning against a tree smoking a pipe. My you look spiffy he says and he proceeds to throw a hand full of ashes on me in jest. At this I took a shovelful of ashes and threw them on this not so funny man( I just got halfway freshened up) . The next thing that happened was sort of a blur but as H.H. was watching astonished ,two guys are wrestling while rolling down hill in the ashes. This man , later, became my BEST friend. He was the only person I invited to my wedding almost 40 years ago. He also is godfather to one of my daughters,and in addition walked with both of my daughters and me down the aisle at their weddings. He is my FRIEND. INCIDENTALLY, this man, Knuckle Head a Battle of the Bulge vet, wounded in battle, wounded while escaping a bomb crater which he and another had spent a couple of days pinned down in, also a Bronze Star recipient and others like him are the primary reason I am FREE. He is still among the living and Im certain he his pretty much disgusted with the path our Nation is on. We communicate via phone off and on as he lives two time zones away and cannot visit any longer in the country has spent many years in while working for the USFS. Today is VETERANS DAY , remember that our FREEDOM was not FREE. My other friend, H.H. was also a HERO of Vietnam , he is gone now ,taken by that ugly disease .....Cancer. If you want to know who these people are , ask me via private FB message , Ill be pleased to share. P.S. : H.H. , after this fire experience did not hire on to the USFS, instead went to work in a sawmill. Later a Crew Chief on a Huey . There was a story about him in the Sacramento Bee several years ago.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 16:36:19 +0000
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