Smokejumper Obituary: Barnowsky, Fred A. (Missoula 1942)

Authors

National Smokejumper Association

Files

Obituary

Fred died July 15, 2008, in Kalispell at age 85. He was born February 18, 1923, in Scobey, MT. His mother died when he was two years old and the family eventually settled in the Swan Valley. He finished school in Swan and worked for the Forest Service before becoming a rookie at Missoula in 1942. With WWII underway, he entered the US Navy where he served aboard YMS-333, a Navy Yard Mine Sweeper. After the war Fred returned to jumping at Missoula from 1946-56 where he accumulated more than 45 fire jumps, six experimental jumps and a rescue jump. He then went to Redding in 1957 where he was the first Base Manager, jumping there until 1960. In the 1960s Fred joined the CIA where he participated in covert airdrops in Laos and Tibet. He kept this phase of his life secret until his death. His ashes were spread in his beloved Flathead NF and at a favorite near Goat Creek in the Swan Valley.

Identifier

Barnowsky_Fred-A_Missoula_1942

Publication Date

July 2008

Keywords

Smokejumping; Smokejumpers -- United States; National Smokejumper Association; Wildfire fighters; Obituaries

Disciplines

Forest Management

Recommended Citation

National Smokejumper Association, "Smokejumper Obituary: Barnowsky, Fred A. (Missoula 1942)" (2008). Smokejumper Obituaries. 1022.
https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_bios/1022