Smokejumper Obituary: Durland, Donald M. (Missoula 1947)

Authors

National Smokejumper Association

Files

Obituary

Don died Monday, Oct. 2, 2006, at his home in St. Regis, Montana, after a lengthy illness. He attended Darby Schools and received a B.S. degree in forestry from the University of Montana. While in high school, he joined the Army Air Force Reserve and was honorably discharged in 1945. He started a career as a smokejumper, but it ended in 1947 when his chute malfunctioned while jumping to a fire in Roaring Mountain Canyon in the Bitterroot Valley. The accident resulted in a fractured back requiring a rescue team to transport him 13 miles via a stretcher. He retired after 36 years with the U.S. Forest Service, with assignments in Montana, Idaho and Alaska.

Identifier

Durland_Donald-M_Missoula_1947

Publication Date

October 2006

Keywords

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

Disciplines

Forest Management

Recommended Citation

National Smokejumper Association, "Smokejumper Obituary: Durland, Donald M. (Missoula 1947)" (2006). Smokejumper Obituaries. 1078.
https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_bios/1078